Jim Parsons Discusses Cryptocurrency and Blockchain on the Simpsons Jonathan Ganor 2020-02-23 05:04:59 1311 views

Will Cryptocurrencies Get More Mentions by Mainstream TV in 2020?





It has been roughly 11 years since the launch of Bitcoin's blockchain and it ushered in an era of cryptocurrencies and decentralized cash. While Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies have been featured on TV before, it was mainly discussed on financial news panels.

One of the few prime-time TV shows that featured Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies was the T.V. show Big Bang Theory. The show stars Jim Parsons as Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Johnny Galecki as Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, and Kaley Coucou as their neighbor Penny. The Big Bang Theory's episode titled "The Bitcoin Entanglement" aired on October 31st 2017.

Bitcoin was trading at $6000 at the time the episode aired and reached its all-time-high of $20,000 in December, shortly after.

Cryptocurrencies and the Simpsons

Earlier today an episode of the long-running animated sitcom "the Simpsons" aired. The episode featured Jim Parsons of Big Bang Theory fame as a guest star. In the episode, Jim Parsons explains cryptocurrencies and how a blockchain works.

In the song and dance number in which the distributed ledger talks about blockchain, the ledger exclaims: "Each day I'm closer, to being the cash of the future. Not in your wallet, I'm in your computer!"

The Simpsons has developed a reputation for predicting the future over the years. This includes the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, the Finale of Game of Thrones and the discovery of the Boson Higgs equation.

Hidden Message on Cryptocurrency in the Simpsons

There is a split-second almost subliminal message gag in the brief video at 1:20. In that frame is a further explanation on how cryptocurrencies work with a few jokes thrown in. It states:

"Cryptocurrency is a system that does not rely on a non-cryptocurrency central authority, but instead relies on a non-centralized consensus of cryptocurrency ownership. Using the word "cryptocurrency" repeatedly while defining cryptocurrency makes it seem like we have a novice's understanding of cryptocurrency. Well that is a total pile of cryptocurrency. In this system, rules are defined for the creation of additional units of cryptocurrency. They can be generated by fiat like traditional currency or just thrown around randomly or all given to LeBron. But for some reason these crypto guys are really into computers. So we have big buildings full of energy-gobbling air-conditioned computers solving useless math problems. But now we can't have straws?! Also we know who Satoshi is, but we're not telling."

While the popularity of the TV show The Simpson's isn't what it used to be in the 90's, it still enjoys massive viewership. Their current viewership tends to be in the millions, depending on the specific episode. This could introduce a deeper understanding of cryptocurrencies to fans of the show.

One more important note is the predictions The Simpsons have made over the years. Could the line "Money of the Future" ring true in 5-10 years? We suppose we'll have to live and see.

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