17 Ways 'Idiocracy' Has Actually Come True
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17 Ways 'Idiocracy' Has Actually Come True

Mike Rothschild
Updated July 22, 2024 362.7K views 17 items

Though it was a box office bomb when first released in 2006, Idiocracy gave viewers a vision of the future that has come true in startling ways. It's the story of an average man frozen in a capsule who thaws out 500 years from now to find a world overrun by garbage, idiocy, corporatism, and violence. The things Idiocracy predicted have gone from dystopian nightmare to everyday life much faster than 500 years.

Just like the movie, people pay less attention to the world around them. Portion sizes are bigger, police officers are more aggressive, advertising is more pervasive... and oh yeah, Donald Trump was president. While we aren't quite at the level of watering our crops with energy drinks or the president firing off a machine gun during a speech, we've still got decades until we catch up with the movie's time frame. Here are the myriad ways Idiocracy predicted the modern world.

  • Donald Trump Is Basically President Camacho

    Donald Trump Is Basically President Camacho

    Loud, obnoxious, not all that bright, prone to outbursts of violence, appealing to patriotism, has no idea what he's doing... Idiocracy couldn't have predicted the rise of Donald Trump as president any better. At least Camacho was smart enough to step down when he realized he wasn't qualified for the job.

    In another example of life imitating art, former superstar wrestler Hulk Hogan appeared at the Republican National Convention in July 2024, using his time on stage much like a wrestling promo, at one point exclaiming, “Let Trumpmania run wild, brother!”" He also ripped off his shirt and suit jacket to reveal a Trump-Vance tank top, a signature move from Hogan's wrestling days. 

  • The Police Are Hyper-Violent And Aggressive

    The Police Are Hyper-Violent And Aggressive
    In Idiocracy, the police brutally arrest Joe multiple times, randomly pepper spraying him, blowing up Frito's car, and treating Joe like garbage. It reminds one of the violent, aggressive responses to protesters involved in everything from Ferguson to Occupy Wall Street.

  • It Predicted Windows 8

    It Predicted Windows 8
    The colorful touch start screen of Windows 8 looks exactly like the computer interface from Idiocracy (though perhaps with fewer butts).

  • 'Wipeout' Is One Step from 'Ow! My Balls!'

    'Wipeout' Is One Step from 'Ow! My Balls!'
    The ABC summer hit Wipeout is a delightful competition show, featuring people getting pummeled while navigating an obstacle course. It's essentially Idiocracy's Ow! My Balls! with fewer actual hits to the crotch (at least for now).

  • The Dumbing Down Of The English Language Continues Unabated

    Idiocracy described the future of English as deteriorating into "a hybrid of hillbilly, valley girl, inner-city slang, and various grunts." What are new words like "amazeballs," "cray cray," "YOLO," "selfie," or "turnt," if not this very combination?

  • We're Going Through A Drought - Just Like 'Idiocracy'

    We're Going Through A Drought - Just Like 'Idiocracy'
    California is in the midst of a historically bad drought, which has been particularly bad for farmers. In Idiocracy, the future is plagued by dust storms and dead crops. Of course, that's because the crops are being watered with Brawndo energy drink. Fixing the Golden State's drought will be much harder.