Where is Springfield? In our hearts. Also, a specific state in the union. There are many Springfields in the United States. In which one resides the Simpson family? Matt Groening finally revealed the truth:
Link -via Nerd Bastards | Image: Fox
Springfield was named after Springfield, Oregon. 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. 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. [...]
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."
Link -via Nerd Bastards | Image: Fox
It says clear as day in the first sentence that Springfield was NAMED after the Oregon city. Nothing more than that. This has been acknowledged for as long as I can remember. Also, many of the characters are named after Portland streets.
The headline and the content of the article are saying very different things, and the attention that this has been getting from people who don't pay attention to what he is really saying makes me sad.