Springfield, Oregon was the basis and original inspiration for the hometown of The Simpsons. The admission by Matt Groening was published today in an interview with Smithsonian Magazine.
“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. “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.”
The show has poked fun and made jokes about the town’s true location for years. When asked why Springfield was named after the small town in Oregon, Groening added “I don’t want to ruin it for people, you know? Whenever people say it’s Springfield, Ohio, or Springfield, Massachusetts, or Springfield, wherever, I always go, ‘Yup, that’s right.’”
Read the full interview with Matt Groening at The Smithsonian.
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