Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Springfield is in Vermont

Springfield, Vermont, will be where The Simpsons Movie opens. It won a contest between all the Springfields in the US. The contest is yet another example of the genius of the show. Of course, it's a publicity stunt, but it is one that inspires no cynicism. Rather, it is funny, amiably anarchic - the town had to send in videos that made them look like the fictional Springfield - and it shows, once again, how effectively The Simpsons succeeds in encompassing and involving all of America. And yet it does so while retaining its critical distance - all of these towns want to be THE Springield in spite of the fact that the fictional Springfield is a den of corruption, incompetence, cynicism and crime. Matt Groening should, of course, be a shoo-in for president. But I know that's not possible. The job will go, as it always does, to Mayor Quimby. 

6 comments:

  1. I wonder whether fictional Springfield can boast the same attractive qualities as its Vermont counterpart: "a History of Ingenuity, A Quality of Life".

    I do love slogans.

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  2. despite the fact?! I'd say it made it an easy contest... ;o)

    I don't know, I watched a few of the latest episodes and they're becoming as poor as the earliest episodes. Time to quit and save its good reputation.

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  3. That's just wilful contrarianism, Ian. Even at its worst, the Simpsons still never dips below being way better than eveything else.

    Family Guy and South Park are often funnier, but they don't have the soul.

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  4. I think the Simpsons should have allowed the characters to age. I don't think the latest episodes are weaker, but they do have fewer surprises.

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  5. I wonder what San luis Obispo, California, thinks about this as the more astute of its denizens have always claimed to live in the real Springfield.

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  6. I am one of 200 volunteers who appeared in the winning Springfield Vermont video. After we helped our local Chamber of Commerce win the contest, they turned their backs on us. We should have been the first in town to be receive invitations to the world premiere but the elite in town were awarded our seats instead. And then not even a word of thanks or mention of us in the public ceremony outside the theater! You can read all about this and view our famous winning video and more on our new website:
    The Simpsons Springfield Vermont

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