“This is real; you can’t make it up.” You can, in fact. It is fabricated. And occasionally, something that was made up but seemed too absurd to be true did turn out to be true.

It wasn’t meant to be true. It wasn’t meant to be a prediction; rather, it was meant to be a fun musing.

However, here we are. Reading a list that is meant to be amusing and reflecting on stupid sitcom plots that were dumb and perhaps funny has resulted in a list of events that actually occurred in real life after a writer for a fictional TV show or film wrote down a scenario believing it could only occur in the bendy, flexible sitcom or film realm.

Guys, reality is so fricking ridiculous. We don’t need television or movies to make it seem more foolish. But here are some sitcom and movie plots that, regrettably, have completely materialized in the real world despite the fact that we all ought to have known better.

1. The Simpsons

On The Simpsons, in 2000’s “Bart to the Future,” newly elected U.S. President Lisa Simpson replaces former President Donald Trump. In reality, in 2020, newly elected U.S. President Joe Biden replaced former President Donald Trump.

2. Seinfeld

On Seinfeld, the puffy pirate shirts that Jerry models are donated to the unhoused because no one wants them. In reality, Kanye donated his “White Lives Matter” t-shirts to the unhoused because no one wanted them.

3. Jamie Tartt

On Ted Lasso, footballer Jamie Tartt leaves his club to go on the reality show Lust Conquers All. In reality, Footballer Jamie Allen left his club to go on the reality show Love Island.

4. 30 Rock

On 30 Rock, in a 2006 episode, Tracy Jordan does an infomercial for a kitchen appliance that makes meat the bread of sandwiches. In reality, in 2010, KFC introduced the Double Down, a sandwich in which the “bread” was two fried chicken patties.

5. Up

In Up, Carl Fredericksen uses hundreds of balloons to lift his whole house in the air and travel to South America. In reality, a team of scientists and engineers tied 300 8-foot long balloons to lift up a lightweight house 10,000 feet into the air for a little over an hour, just to see if they could make a Pixar movie real.

6. Office Space

In Office Space, the characters use a virus to electronically embezzle money from Initech by stealing small amounts (like in Superman III). In reality, Micheal Largent opened 58,000 bank accounts and electronically took money from Schwab and E-Trade by abusing their bank verification system, which had the companies make a small deposit into each one to verify them. He made thousands through small deposits (like in Office Space).

7. Black Mirror

In Black Mirror, British Prime Minister Michael Callow is forced to have sex with a pig on live television. In reality, years after the episode aired, Prime Minister David Cameron allegedly placed his genitals in a dead pig’s mouth as part of an initiation ceremony at Oxford.

8. Mad Men

On Mad Men, in a 2013 episode, Don Draper pitches “Pass the Heinz” as a slogan for Heinz Ketchup. In reality, in 2017, Heinz Ketchup ran that ad campaign pitch from the show.

9. Never Been Kissed

In Never Been Kissed, South Glen High School student Drew Barrymore is actually a 25-year-old woman who finally gets her first kiss. In reality, Harrisburg High School student Asher Potts is actually 23-year-old Artur Samarin (who finally gets his first jail sentence).

10. Futurama

On Futurama, Zapp Brannigan mistakenly names Leela as Miss Universe 3001. In reality, Steve Harvey mistakenly named Miss Colombia as Miss Universe 2015.

11. Ted Lasso

On Ted Lasso, AFC Richmond’s sponsor Dubai Air is owned by a company that has caused major environmental damage to star player Sam Obisanya’s homeland. In reality, Liverpool’s sponsor Standard Chartered is partnered with a company that has caused major environmental damage to star player Luis Diaz’s homeland.

12. Community

On Community, in the 2014 episode “App Development and Condiments,” the Greendale students create a dystopia after an app that allows you to review and rank actual people goes live. In reality, Peeple, an app that allows you to review and rank actual people, went live in 2016.

13. Seinfeld

On Seinfeld, Jerry is hounded by Mr. Brookman, a NYC Public Library investigator, over an overdue book that’s incurred a $50,000 fine. In reality, a New Jersey native finally returned a book to the Memorial Middle School Library that was 53 years overdue.

14. The Birds

In The Birds, birds take over a coastal town in California. In reality, birds take over a coastal town in Australia.

15. Weekend At Bernie’s

On Weekend at Bernie’s, two guys discover their boss is dead and decide to party with him, masquerading to others that he’s still alive while using his wealth and connections. In reality, two Denver guys discovered their friend was dead and decide to go party with him (and use his debit card to pay for it all).