back to article Matt Groening reveals location of Simpsons' Springfield

Simpsons creator Matt Groening has revealed the location of Springfield, the setting for The Simpsons. In an interview with The Smithsonian, Groening says The Simpsons live in Springfield, Oregon, the setting for the radio and television drama Father Knows Best. Groening says he liked Father Knows Best as a child and, growing …

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  1. Chad H.

    The odd episode is still funny

    They still have the odd pearl... They've just got to stop trying to be Family Guy or South Park (their 6 months to make an episode vs 2 weeks for SP) and just go back to being a simple animated family sitcom, and it will be fine. The more it tries to be "relevant" and "now", the more the weakness in its production system hurt it.

    1. veti Silver badge

      Re: The odd episode is still funny

      Err... no. They simply need to stop making the programme.

      There are still some traces of talent in the creative team. Let them go somewhere they can do some good, not keep flogging the same dead horse.

    2. Velv
      Flame

      Re: The odd episode is still funny

      ALL comedy shows stop being funny after several series. The writers and creators need to move on. None of the shows that go much past 5 seasons still have that ZING!

      So some might argue that the long running shows still pull out an occasional "gem". Is that really worth the pain and investment in the other 20+ episodes?

      If you came up with one good show, prove you've got real talent by inventing more. Don't just milk the lame public with the same old drivel week in, week out.

      1. DF118
        Facepalm

        Re: The odd episode is still funny

        "None of the shows that go much past 5 seasons still have that ZING!"

        So the fact that I was pissing myself laughing at three series 16 episodes of South Park back to back just the other day is more to do with my weak bladder and penchant for weed? Fuck me.

        1. Aaron Em

          Re: The odd episode is still funny

          Thanks but no thanks -- incontinent stoners really aren't my type.

      2. Tamer Shafik

        Re: ALL comedy shows stop being funny after several series

        Friends. Funny 'til the very last episode. Seinfeld, same.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Seinfeld?

          Well I guess Seinfeld was the same from first to last, but funny isn't the word I would have chosen.

        2. Not That Andrew

          Fixed it for you

          Friends. Boring, inane and stupid 'til the very last episode. Seinfeld, same.

        3. Peter H. Coffin

          Re: ALL comedy shows stop being funny after several series

          I will certainly admit that "Friends" and "Seinfeld" were evenly funny from beginning to end. But I found them both tediously annoying from beginning to end rather than funny in an absolute sense.

    3. Southern
      Alien

      Re: The odd episode is still funny

      Concentrate on Futurama!!

  2. Simpson

    Western Kentucky, said the voice over

  3. J.G.Harston Silver badge

    If Google Maps is correctly showing Springfield's city boundaries, they must have been drawn by some mad whittler on speed.

    1. frank ly

      If you tilt your head 90 degrees to the right ............

      .... it looks like Homer eating a doughnut and not realising that he's on fire.

      (Maybe it's just me......)

  4. JohnMoser

    You know that you are old when you can remember when the Simpsons was funny.

    1. Winkypop Silver badge
      Pirate

      Indeed

      You know you are ancient when you can remember the Simpsons as a mere short on the Tracey Ullman Show.

      <-- Old

      1. graeme leggett Silver badge

        Re: Indeed

        You know when you are really ancient when you remember Tracey Ullman on British TV, along with some youngster called Lenny Henry. No idea what happened to the third one.

        1. Jaruzel

          Re: Indeed

          This may help:

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_of_a_Kind_%28TV_series%29

          1. Jimbo 6

            Re: Indeed

            ...even more ancient when you can remember the days when popstars dressing as schoolgirls was just harmless fun

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BDLcutLekU

            (go on, you know you want to)

            1. Yet Another Hierachial Anonynmous Coward
              Facepalm

              Re: Indeed

              Heck, haven't seen that video for, er 29 years, thanks for sharing! Some of todays wannabe's could learn something about (cheesy) pop music and videos from that.

              I must be getting on a bit as I am fairly sure I have some Tracey Ullman 7 inch vinyl in the cupboard under the stairs.. will have to dig it out and play it later....

              What, it's the Simpsons we're talking about? Doh....

            2. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Indeed

              "...even more ancient when you can remember the days when popstars dressing as schoolgirls was just harmless fun"

              There was a lot of it about...

              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM_9As_2VAg

              <sigh>

            3. Steve the Cynic
              Happy

              Re: Indeed

              You mean now, in Japan?

              Seriously, they do. I catch odd snippets on the French ADSL-only TV channel Nolife, which has extensive coverage of Japanese pop music, and an awful lot of them look like (caricatures of) late-teen schoolgirls, complete with the skirts almost long enough to be belts, etc. (I say caricatures because *in school* their uniforms are a bit longer than that - mid-thigh is on the short side, and winter uniforms are often ankle-length.)

              Then again, lot of Japanese pop stars would make the majority of Western artists (KISS and Lordi aside) look like they are normal citizens.

              Japan is an odd place.

        2. Uncle Slacky Silver badge

          Re: Indeed

          Became a thatcher, IIRC. He was certainly never cut out to be a comedian.

        3. Chris 3

          Re: Indeed

          I still have copy of Tracey Ullman video with Neil Kinnock in it somewhere.

          1. Jim Morrow
            Coat

            Re: Indeed

            You have a remarkable taste in porn.

        4. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Indeed

          I'm so old I can remember when Lenny Henry was funny.

          1. Francis Boyle Silver badge

            Re: Indeed

            I'm even older than that and I still can't remember when Tracey Ullman was funny.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            "I'm so old I can remember when Lenny Henry was funny"

            Condensed Milk Sandwiches.

            That is all.

          3. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Indeed

            > I'm so old I can remember when Lenny Henry was funny.

            I must be young because I can not remember him being funny.

    2. Richard 81

      "You know that you are old when you can remember when the Simpsons was funny."

      That was around the second series right?

      I know you're not talking about the first few series when they still tried to have a message.

    3. JJS

      Pepperidge Farm remembers.

    4. LinkOfHyrule

      And you know you're quite as old when you can remember when the Simpsons was funny but didnt have Sky so were about 6 years behind watching it on BBC2.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    You know you've been dead for many years...

    when you remember 'Kick up the Eighties' with an upstart called Rick Mayall

    1. Uncle Slacky Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: You know you've been dead for many years...

      I spent quite a while thinking Kevin Turvey was his real name...

  6. Confuciousmobil
    Thumb Up

    So far I've only found Quimby and Flanders in Portland, now to spend the rest of the day looking for the others....

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Reminds me of ...

    > So some might argue that the long running shows still pull out an

    > occasional "gem". Is that really worth the pain and investment

    > in the other 20+ episodes?

    *cough* Doctor Who *cough*

    1. Aaron Em

      Re: Reminds me of ...

      ...well, if you think Doctor Who is supposed to be a comedy show, that may explain why you're finding it not to your taste...

      1. lurker

        Re: Reminds me of ...

        Quite right, it's plain to see that it's a romantically themed soap opera nowadays.

        1. Dave 126

          Re: Reminds me of ...

          You know you're old if you can remember when Red Dwarf had better special effects than Dr Who

          1. chr0m4t1c

            Re: Reminds me of ...

            Blue Peter had better special effects than the original Doctor Who.

  8. unitron
    Coat

    Actually, you know you're really over the hill....

    ...when you remember Father Knows Best when it was in first run prime time.

    Mine's the one with the copy of TV Guide with no mention of which shows were in color, 'cause it was all B&W back then.

    1. Aaron Em

      Re: Actually, you know you're really over the hill....

      And you had to crank the bloody thing for an hour and a half just to watch a half-hour show.

  9. engagedtone

    Grew up just south of Eugene/Springfield, dad worked in the paper mill in Springfield. Springfield doesn't smell too bad if you're close enough to the mill, get about a mile out and the sulfur hits. Not a whole lot out there besides rednecks, Eugene has UO, springfield has the loggers. Some other outlets were talking about how "near" it is to Portland -- it's a 3 hour drive or train trip, not next door like they make it sound. But if you're ever in PDX go to the Alphabet District to see the streets he named people after, and then on SW 18th and Taylor by Lincoln High School, he drew Bart in the cement, as that was where he graduated from.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    They have a road called the Randy Pape Beltline? Really?

  11. Bernard

    Actually you know you're really over the hill

    When you watched some fella called 'God' create the heavens and the earth and knew from long experience that by the end of the week he'd be burnt out and need a rest.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Actually you know you're really over the hill

      But that's only 6-7,000 years ago though (according to a story in an old book I heard about once) - or was that the first episode of 'The Sky at Night' - or are they in fact the SAME THING!!!! - so easy to get confused - - big old man, only a few can claim to have heard and understood him, stars, planets, etc.....

      THAT'S IT - Patrick Moore is god, and he created the universe (a.k.a first episode of The Sky at Night) 7,000 years ago - in those days it was planned to be a nightly show running for 6 days (Patrick to have a rest on the 7th) and he covered different things on each day, Firmament, Earth, etc. Due to a stomach bug he picked-up at an office party in an early Wimpy he was replaced for the rest of the week by Richard Attenborough, who changed the topic slightly and covered humans, plants, and animals. After the ratings (Patrick saw it was good) it was decided to let Patrick continue with the star-version - Sir Richard would get hos chance nearly 7000 years later in his Life series.

      :-)

      1. Steve Evans

        Re: Actually you know you're really over the hill

        Amusing, but you blew it a little there.

        You're thinking of David Attenborough, the naturalist, not his older brother Richard, the actor and director.

      2. Dave 126
        Angel

        Re: Actually you know you're really over the hill

        I've just renounced my faith in the FSM, and will join as your disciple in building this brave new church. Richard Attenborough did create the dinosaurs from lumps of golden amber- I've seen documentary evidence, passed down in ancient tomes bearing the mysterious inscription 'VHS'. He also spoke unto the prophet Ghandi Kingsley, as lo he spread the Great Dick's message to all who would believe in him.

        1. Tony S

          Re: Actually you know you're really over the hill

          ..if you can remember when Muffin the Mule was a kids programme, not pr0n!

          1. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
            Joke

            Re: Actually you know you're really over the hill

            Sounds better if you say "..if you can remember when Muffin the Mule wasn't an offence"

  12. Cliff

    Futurama

    Shame it didn't take off to the same extent as The Simpsons, but that may be related to its funniness/cleverness.

    South Park still does a decent job most of the time, although it is getting increasingly patchy

    I thought The Simpsons should have retired gracefully about 12 yrs ago, I don't even bother watching any more.

    Fact is, sometimes you just run out of jokes for any given setup then you jump the shark. Keeping on flogging old formats into the ground stifles creativity, risk, and trying something new.

    1. ici.chacal
      Boffin

      Re: Futurama

      I much preferred Futurama to The Simpsons, purely because it appealed to my inner-geek more...

      ...I also prefer Big Bang Theory to Friends...

  13. pPPPP

    I've watched the few South Park episodes of the current series and have barely laughed once. They are truly awful. Shame, seeing as there have been some cracking episodes over the last few years. Hopefully it's a blip.

    The Simpsons has definitely got tired over the years (Bart would be 35 now if he'd aged) but there's still the occasional good episode. They've suffered by trying to write episodes around guests, and by letting Ricky Gervais do one.

    As for Family Guy, there's a show which should have been off the air a long time ago. And it's _still_ the best thing on BBC3.

    1. The Indomitable Gall

      Best thing on BBC3...?

      "As for Family Guy, there's a show which should have been off the air a long time ago. And it's _still_ the best thing on BBC3."

      That's only because Mongrels isn't currently broadcasting....

  14. Stig2k
    Unhappy

    This is not a title

    I have a theory about the lack of funnees. IMO the point it stopped being funny was when guest stars began appearing as themselves. In the early days they would play characters but now its all about coming up with the most unbelievable story lines to explain how Homer J gets to meet this weeks celeb guest.

    1. Dave 126

      Re: This is not a title

      Yep, I liked Spinal Tap, Barry White, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney meeting Homer Jay, but recently, the likes of N-Sync and Ricky Gervais can just sod off. They do spoil it.

      But I can't be mad at a show that has Homer holding a box of locusts whilst walking towards the house of George Bush:

      "So son, I thought to myself 'What would God do in this situation'"?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: This is not a title

      So it has happened with the Big Bang Theory. In the past episode, Stephen Hawking appeared.

      Having said that, it does still me laugh out loud.

      Community is another show that just might be 'slowing' down a bit.

      1. Dave 126

        Re: This is not a title

        As far as I can make out, it's not been renewed for another season. Currently waiting for the last few episodes to filter through. Please show me wrong, though!

        For those who haven't seen it: Think Spaced with Chevy Chase but completely different. And paintball.

        That's a recommendation.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: This is not a title

          > Think Spaced with Chevy Chase but completely different. And paintball.

          The Spaced paintball episode is possibly one of the finest pieces of television ever made.

  15. Andy 70
    Meh

    <title of hated>

    <post of hatred> Ricky Gervais <growling and nashing of teeth>

    <end>

    1. TeeCee Gold badge

      Re: <title of hated>

      Yup, definately another one straight out of the Seinfeld "Emperor's new suit" school of comedy.

      That's where they manage to become so incredibly famous for being funny that nobody's got the balls to stand up and point out that they're, er, not.

  16. Michael 28
    Angel

    It's just down the road from the Overlook Hotel ..

    http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Springfield+Oregon&hl=en&sll=44.25897,-123.060608&sspn=1.508724,4.22699&gl=au&hnear=Springfield,+Lane,+Oregon,+United+States&t=m&z=12,

    also

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timberline_Lodge

    .......All work and no play makes jack a dull boy!

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    I don't know. the Simpson's can still be pretty cutting edge satirical at times. I remember one episode where they got this international war criminal called Tony Blair to guest star as a regular salt-of-the earth Prime Minister type geezer.

    How we howled with laughter cringed with embarrassment!

  18. John I'm only dancing

    Real humour

    Two of the best comedy series ever, ran to a massive 12 episodes each across two series.

    I'm talking about Fawlty Towers and the Young Ones.

    There is much more

    Brass Eye: Six episodes

    The Day Today: One series

    The Fast Show: Three series

    I can go on, but the one thing noticeable is they are all British. The trouble with Merkin shows is while they might be funny to start with, they have to flog the dead and buried horse, killing any fondness for the original humour.

    1. Euchrid

      Re: Real humour

      With The Fast Show, it was more like 3.5 series as they did a three-part ‘Last Show Ever’ – the recent online shows indicate prove your point about cutting it short.

      However, in defence of American shows, there were 143 episodes of The Phil Silvers Show (AKA Bilko) and it was always to a high standard.

      The Jack Benny Show ran for 23 years on the radio and they were certainly not flogging a dead horse by the end. The TV version lasts for 15 years and again, it kept a consistently high quality.

      Lum and Abner ran for 23 years on the radio (plus they did 7 films) and apart from they briefly changed the format (before changing it swiftly back), it was to a very consistent standard. The show was so popular that one American town changed its name to the fictional setting in the show.

      And of course, there was King of the Hill – 13 seasons of glorious seasons, which was cancelled to make way for Sit Down and Shut Up, and The Cleveland Show.

      1. John I'm only dancing

        Re: Real humour

        But those American Shows you quote were a very long time ago and are the exceptions. Generally speaking, they do like to flog a dead horse.

        ps: I did love the Phil Silvers Show.

        1. Euchrid

          Re: Real humour

          Yup, I'll give you that those were old shows (except for KOTH) - although I can think of quite a lot more of other American shows of yesteryear that were remarkably consistent for years... some not in a good way. I remember Paul Whitehouse being interviewed by Paul Jackson, who asked him about classic comedies influenced and Whitehouse saying that a lot of it nostalgia - for every Hancock, there are five shows that are crap but people don't like to remember that.

          Anyway, upvoted for liking Silvers!

    2. Jason Bloomberg Silver badge
      Coat

      Great British comedy

      Love Thy Neighbour

      Mind Your Language

      Oh Father!

      And I could go on. We've had some gems of comedy but we've also had some shite.

      1. Euchrid

        Re: Great British comedy

        Aye, very true!

  19. ppp.an

    "and, growing up in nearby Portland, felt an affinity with the town." Which is some 150kms away.

  20. CraigW

    Named after the streets?

    I don't remember any called 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D' or 'E'.. Wtf Springfield, Oregon?

  21. Frank Bitterlich
    Meh

    So, Shelbyville would be...

    ... Eugene, OR, then?

  22. mrfill
    Happy

    Bart at 35...

    On that measure, Dennis the Menace would have his free bus pass

  23. sisk

    Simpsons should have stopped 15 years ago. It hasn't been funny for a long, long time. At this point they've pulled every gag the writers can dream up three times at least. I used to watch every episode back in the day, but now it's not even worth the effort of changing the channel.

  24. Petrea Mitchell
    Joke

    Not new information

    He's been saying it's the one in Oregon for at least a couple years now. OTOH, the comment about Portlanders being in denial about how much it rains here is new. Not sure what he means by that-- I mean, it's not raining right now, and when I say it's not raining right now, I really mean it's not raining right now, and it's even been not raining for the last several minutes. So there!

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What are the chances....?

    Symantec has a major tech support center in Springfield, OR. No doubt this is only a random coincidence.

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    My reading of the interview is that it was named after Springfield, Oregon, which is different from being Springfield, Oregon. Especially when he says he used that name to get the same effect as "Father Knows Best", in which it could be any of the many Springfields.

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