With a July 27th release date quickly approaching, the race is on to see which Springfield, USA city will be the official host of the “The Simpsons Movie” premiere (watch the new trailer here). In a stroke of marketing genius, Fox asked each of the 14 cities in the running to submit a video detailing why they deserve to be the Springfield, with users deciding the winner starting July 2 over on thesimpsons.usatoday.com.
For its part, Springfield, Oregon really wants to snag the prize. Lest you think otherwise, its mayor Sid Leiken hopped up on a ladder to paint (and then defile) a 25-foot statue of Jebediah Springfield, the founder of Homer’s little town, in hopes of grabbing your vote. See the resulting photos after the jump, and if you appreciate their zeal, keep Oregon in mind when voting kicks off next week.
GO EL BARTO!!!
Mat thought of in oregon it should stay in Oregon.
Ned Flanders In Portland, Oregon, Groening’s hometown, there is a NE Flanders St., which is often vandalized to say “NED” Flanders St.
Reverend Lovejoy - NW Lovejoy Street, another Portland street name
Mayor “Diamond” Joe Quimby - NW Quimby Street, another Portland street name, and corrupt former Portland Police Bureau Chief “Diamond” Jim Purcell.
Charles Montgomery Burns - an abbreviated Portland street called West and East Burnside Street, as well as Portland’s Montgomery Park neighborhood. Charles’ is a reference to Citizen Kane’s Charles Foster Kane, upon whom Mr. Burns is based. Possibly a reference to cartoonist and illustrator Charles Burns. The personality applied to Mr. Burns is taken from a teacher (Mr. Bailey) at Lincoln High School in Portland.
Sideshow Bob Terwilliger Terwilliger Boulevard and the Terwilliger curves on I-5 in Portland.
The “J” in Homer J. Simpson, Bartholomew J. Simpson, Abraham J. Simpson, et al- Reference to Bullwinkle J. Moose and therefore, by proxy, Jay Ward. Homer’s middle initial stands for “Jay”.
Kearney, the bully, is named for NW Kearney St, also located in Portland.
Seymour Skinner A reference to Eugene Skinner, the founder of Eugene, Oregon (neighboring Springfield, Oregon), and the namesake of Skinner Butte, a well-known hill therein. Also behavioral psychologist B. F. Skinner, especially considering his Psycho-esque relationship with his mother, or a reference to “see more skin”. Also, Skinner is drawn very similar to Groening’s 5th grade teacher.
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten US President Richard Milhous Nixon, former Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and Manson Family member and convicted murderer Leslie Van Houten (or, far more likely, Van Houten Avenue in Portland, Oregon).
i'm not saying just because he was born and raised here we deserve the premier, but seriously Mr. New jersey get the facts straight.
Matt Groening's cartoons were originally published in The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon newspaper (and largest city in Oregon).
Matt Groening grew up in Portland and spent time in Springfield, OREGON. Has Matt Groening lived in any of the other Springfields in the nation????
You can find a connection where ever you want to between the Simpsons Springfield and Springfield (your State here), but you can only find the Matt Groening connection in one Springfield and that is OREGON!!!!!!
Let Matt decide!!!