Update: Matt Groening and Al Jean Clarify the Springfield Comments

[JamesG]

"The Simpsons’"Matt Groening Reveals the Location of Springfield
Apr 10, 2012
by Natalie Abrams


It took 23 seasons and over 500 episodes to find out, but "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening has finally revealed the location of Springfield: Oregon!

The home of the Simpsons is named after the neighboring town where Groening grew up in Portland.





"The only reason is that when I was a kid, the TV show 'Father Knows Best' took place in the town of Springfield, and I was thrilled because I imagined that it was the town next to Portland, my hometown," Groening said in an interview with Smithsonian Magazine.

"When I grew up, I realized it was just a fictitious name," continued Groening, who lived on Evergreen Terrace as a child, the same name of the street the Simpsons live on.

"I also figured out that Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield.' And they do."





Springfield's location has been a long-running joke on the series, with characters often referencing multiple bordering states from across the country, or being interrupted when almost revealing its actual location.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Simpsons...n-1045882.aspx

[MrCleveland]

Well, I can see one hint on how Springfield WAS on The West Coast...in the episode where Homer Simpson is in the Navy, he goes to Russian waters and Oregon isn't that far from Russia.

[sixfingers]

Originally Posted by MrCleveland

Well, I can see one hint on how Springfield WAS on The West Coast...in the episode where Homer Simpson is in the Navy, he goes to Russian waters and Oregon isn't that far from Russia.

Yes, of course they also stated that they were on the eastern seaboard and a civil war battle took place there.

[JamesG]

Exclusive: Nope, Springfield is Not in Oregon, Clarifies "The Simpsons'" Matt Groening
Apr 12, 2012
by Michael Schneider


Sorry Oregon, you won't be able to claim Homer, Bart and the rest of The Simpsons clan as your own.

"The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening confirms exclusively to TV Guide Magazine that his recent statements were misinterpreted — he did not reveal that his long-running animated Fox comedy was set in Oregon.

"I never said Springfield was in Oregon," Groening says. "I said Springfield was the name of my sled."





"The Simpsons" executive producer Al Jean also tells TV Guide Magazine that it was one big misunderstanding — which was then repeated on virtually every news program and in every newspaper in the country.

"They misinterpreted something I've heard him say for at least 10 or 20 years," Jean says. "He was inspired by growing up in Portland, but it's really an every town. It's really funny. Matt grew up in Oregon and parts of The Simpsons were definitely inspired by his childhood. But there is no specific state that Springfield is in, and we will never reveal that secret... except this coming Sunday at 8," he quips.





Jean says the brouhaha reminds him of what happened last year when news outlets picked up on an item that Michael Jackson didn't do the singing in the episode that he guest voiced. That reveal wasn't new — it was plainly stated by one of the producers on the show's DVD audio commentary track.

"I guess news now is just finding something that people forgot and then talking a lot about it," he says.





"On the other hand," Jean says he's "flattered they still care. And in conclusion, there is an answer if you just put all the clues together."

(He's joking, fans.)

"In the movie we say it borders on Ohio, Nevada, Maine and Kentucky. So good luck finding that state. When you do, you're a true Simpsons fan."

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Exclusiv...n-1045968.aspx

[comedyfreak]

From Zap2it:

The Simpsons': Matt Groening changes mind about location of Springfield

By David Eckstein



April 12, 2012 10:31 PM ET
Follow @david_eckstein on TwitterTwitter
simpsons-deal.jpgPerhaps he was misinformed (unlikely). Or perhaps the FOX publicist got to him (more probable). But whatever the reason, Matt Groening is changing his mind about where "The Simpsons" really takes place - and it's not Oregon after all.

In an interview with TV Guide, Groening says, "I never said Springfield was in Oregon...I said Springfield was the name of my sled." This is an obvious reference to [Spoiler Alert] "Citizen Kane."

The confusion began after Groening, in an interview with Smithsonian magazine, seemed to say that the town Homer calls home was in Oregon. He tells the publication, "When I was a kid, the TV show 'Father Knows Best' took place in the town of Springfield, and I was thrilled because I imagined that it was the town next to Portland, my hometown. When I grew up, I realized it was just a fictitious name. I also figured out that Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield.' And they do."

But it appears it's all a misunderstanding. "The Simpsons" EP Al Jean tells TV Guide, "He was inspired by growing up in Portland, but it's really an every town. It's really funny. Matt grew up in Oregon and parts of 'The Simpsons' were definitely inspired by his childhood. But there is no specific state that Springfield is in."

[robyrob]

i don't think he "changed his mind" - I can't believe that they'd ever intend to actually connect the Simpons' Springfield to any real city or state; this was just crappy sensationalist journalism.

[MrCleveland]

Well...looks like we'll NEVER know!

[JamesG]

"The Simpsons" Reveals Springfield's Location With Snarky Blackboard Gimmick
4/16/2012
by Jordan Zakarin


It turns out Springfield is in Oregon -- as well as every other state, to boot.

A mini-furor broke out last week after Matt Groening gave an interview to Smithsonian Magazine in which he said that he had named the fictional town at the center of The Simpsons' world after Springfield, Oregon, which bordered his hometown of Portland.

Many took that to mean that cartoon Springfield was a representation of Oregon's town of the same name -- geographic and demographic considerations were parsed in web forums -- even though he made clear that it wasn't.

"In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it’s their Springfield.' And they do," he said.



Still, with confusion still reigning, the show's producers took it one step further with a blackboard nod to those perpetuating the misinformation.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...ckboard-312430

[SimpsonsFan]

They can't live in Oregon. In the episode "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace"

Homer: I'm taking Bart across state lines

They then get off the interstate at the exit that says:

"Exit to New Jersey, Michigan, Oregon, and Texas"

[MrCleveland]

Maybe the state The Simpsons live in will be mentioned in the series finale...if there will be one.