Springfield Actually Not In Oregon, Says ‘Simpsons’ Creator Matt Groening

Well, Oregon, it was fun while at lasted. Earlier this week, it was reported that Matt Groening, the creator of ‘The Simpsons‘, had declared in an interview with Smithsonian Magazine that the famous family’s home of Springfield was in Oregon, ending two decades of debate over what state housed America’s favorite animated town.

The only problem was that wasn’t what Groening really said.

“I never said Springfield was in Oregon,” Groening quipped in a new interview with TV Guide. “I said Springfield was the name of my sled.”

Jokes about ‘Citizen Kane’ aside, what had happened is that Groening had said he named Springfield after a place near his Oregon birthplace — but he never meant to imply that Oregon was where the show was set.

According to Groening he had mentioned this several times in past, but this was the first time it was misconstrued to mean Springfield is actually a town in Oregon.

“They misinterpreted something I’ve heard him say for at least 10 or 20 years,” ‘The Simpsons’ executive producer Al Jean confirmed to TV Guide. “He was inspired by growing up in Portland, but it’s really an ‘every town.’”

Really, there is a lesson here. You can’t trust a high-end glossy publication like Smithsonian to report on ‘The Simpsons.’ Just leave that to good ol’ TV Guide.