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Springfield homes in on Simpsons contest
Saturday, May 12, 2007 | 3 comment(s)
SPRINGFIELD (AP) - Will the real Springfield please stand up?
Doh!
The creators of the popular cartoon comedy series, “The Simpsons,” are asking officials in 16 cities bearing the name of the fictional home town of the Simpson family to compete to host the premiere screening of the movie based on the series.
All the winning city needs to do is convince 20th Century Fox studio executives that their Springfield is worthy of the attention expected to come with the movie's opening this summer.
Since the contest was announced last March, Springfield (Oregon) Mayor Sid Leiken has been interviewed by news outlets from around the world interested in knowing why his hometown is most like the Springfield the Simpsons call home.
“It's almost become a prestigious thing to be thought of as the Simpsons' Springfield,” Leiken said.
But the city is still awaiting the official contest rules from Fox before a May 24 community forum on the city's plans, hosted by Leiken.
Many people in the city of about 57,000 along the Willamette and McKenzie rivers already are having a lot of fun with the event, said city spokesman Niel Laudati.
“In city government, we have lot of heavy issues we have to deal with, budget issues, really serious stuff, and this is just fun,” Laudati said. “And people are gravitating toward it.”
He also noted that the Springfield in Oregon is perhaps the only Springfield in the nation with many of the landscape features depicted on the show - when Homer Simpson and his family travel quickly to the desert or the ocean from their fictional city nestled in the mountains.
The real Springfield has all three - the high desert and the ocean are a short drive over the surrounding Cascade and Coast ranges.
“We don't think that was coincidence,” Laudati said, referring to Simpsons creator and Oregon native Matt Groening, who has named many characters in the show after Oregon landmarks or historic figures.
“It's definitely not something that is lost on us,” Laudati said.
But whether the fictional Springfield is a symbolic “every city” or bears a resemblance to the real Oregon city, the mayor says the real residents of Springfield are enjoying the attention and are calling City Hall with ideas for the competition.
“It's really captured the imagination of folks,” Leiken said. “There is genuine excitement about this possibility.”
Doh!
The creators of the popular cartoon comedy series, “The Simpsons,” are asking officials in 16 cities bearing the name of the fictional home town of the Simpson family to compete to host the premiere screening of the movie based on the series.
All the winning city needs to do is convince 20th Century Fox studio executives that their Springfield is worthy of the attention expected to come with the movie's opening this summer.
Since the contest was announced last March, Springfield (Oregon) Mayor Sid Leiken has been interviewed by news outlets from around the world interested in knowing why his hometown is most like the Springfield the Simpsons call home.
“It's almost become a prestigious thing to be thought of as the Simpsons' Springfield,” Leiken said.
But the city is still awaiting the official contest rules from Fox before a May 24 community forum on the city's plans, hosted by Leiken.
Many people in the city of about 57,000 along the Willamette and McKenzie rivers already are having a lot of fun with the event, said city spokesman Niel Laudati.
“In city government, we have lot of heavy issues we have to deal with, budget issues, really serious stuff, and this is just fun,” Laudati said. “And people are gravitating toward it.”
He also noted that the Springfield in Oregon is perhaps the only Springfield in the nation with many of the landscape features depicted on the show - when Homer Simpson and his family travel quickly to the desert or the ocean from their fictional city nestled in the mountains.
The real Springfield has all three - the high desert and the ocean are a short drive over the surrounding Cascade and Coast ranges.
“We don't think that was coincidence,” Laudati said, referring to Simpsons creator and Oregon native Matt Groening, who has named many characters in the show after Oregon landmarks or historic figures.
“It's definitely not something that is lost on us,” Laudati said.
But whether the fictional Springfield is a symbolic “every city” or bears a resemblance to the real Oregon city, the mayor says the real residents of Springfield are enjoying the attention and are calling City Hall with ideas for the competition.
“It's really captured the imagination of folks,” Leiken said. “There is genuine excitement about this possibility.”
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