Talk:Springfield (The Simpsons)

Quote reversion

I wanted to discuss why I reverted Scorpion0422's deletion of the quote in the Location section. I admit that I am biased, because I inserted the quote in the first place. That said, I believe it is worthy of retention for the following reasons:

• It adds a note of humor to what is, at the end of the day, a humorous topic. At the same time, the box visibly sets the quote apart from the encyclopedic tone of the rest of the article.
• It encapsulates into a few lines the pointlessness of ever trying to identify Springfield's state.
• Most importantly, it is, without exaggeration, the only definitive statement on the "location" of Springfield ever made on the show. YLee (talk) 01:33, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

I can think of other lines and jokes that define the pointlessness. For example, the five corners. Either way, per WP:QUOTE we need to be careful about quotations, and in this case, it doesn't expand/clarify a point or add a lot to the article. -- Scorpion⁰⁴²² 02:41, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

I am not strongly wedded to keeping the quote. I disagree, however, on equating it with the many other jokes about Springfield's location that have been made on the show which we rightly exclude from the article. Things like Five Corners, or Ned's line about the four states that border Springfield, all contradict each other and/or are inherently impossible. The quote in question is the only time during the show's 21 seasons in which Springfield's identity is correctly, unambiguously, and uncontroversially stated, and even if the show runs another 21 years it is likely to remain the only one. (That it is itself a joke doesn't change this.) YLee (talk) 03:22, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

I fail to understand how it "correctly, unambiguously, and uncontroversially" states where Springfield is. CTJF83 chat 03:42, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

That's the whole point of the joke, and why it is so effective (and accurate). Forget all the stuff about zip codes and similarities to Springfield, [insert state here] and northern Kentucky/southern Ohio. The Springfield of The Simpsons is the Springfield where the Simpson family lives. QED. YLee (talk) 03:49, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Kentucky

Doubtless this has been asked before, but with regard to the "Location" section of this article, can it not be noted that Kentucky is implied several times ("Behind the Laughter", "The Italian Bob", "Sweets and Sour Marge") to be Springfield's home state? I only ask because it is not merely a one-off joke, like references to so many other states; at the least it's a running gag. I was thinking of adding something like this:

While several episodes imply that Springfield is located in Kentucky or northern Kentucky, Springfield's home state has a fictitious governor, capital city, state flag, and motto -- none of which indicate any particular state of the Union.

...Speaking of which, why aren't any of the home state's fictitious attributes mentioned? --SchutteGod (talk) 22:40, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

The archives contain several relevant discussions. Kentucky does not deserve special treatment because for every moment one can cite in its favor one can cite two other moments that contradict it, the same as with every other state. Be sure to read "Behind the Laughter", too.

The article does mention Springfield's state's governor, but you make a good point about Capital City and the state's flag (which I know has appeared on the show) and motto (which I can't recall, but would not be surprised). I think that is an artifact of when Springfield's state was a separate article and not a redirect. I supported the merge when it occurred (if nothing else, to reduce the number of places people can put fancruft into), but a section that describes the state's unambiguously known features would be worthwhile. YLee (talk) 23:06, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

The motto, "Not Just Another State," is depicted as printed on the flag, but both are contradicted by a later episode which claims the flag contains a Confederate symbol. But Capital City and Mary Bailey have been consistently referenced as the state capital and governor, respectively. And my point about Kentucky was not that it is the location or should be considered a possible location; merely that the recurring references to the state in episodes may be significant as part of the running gag. --SchutteGod (talk) 18:26, 8 June 2010 (UTC)

Also, does anyone know where it is mentioned that Mary Bailey is a Democrat? --SchutteGod (talk) 18:28, 8 June 2010 (UTC)

Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish CTJF83 pride 19:31, 8 June 2010 (UTC)

I95

In the episode Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge it shows I95 going through the town. Shouldn't that go in the location segment. Handbook3 (talk) 04:26, 6 July 2010 (UTC)