Homer Simpson Homes in on Vermont

Tue., Jul. 10, 2007 2:07 PM PDT by Gina Serpe

Maybe it was the maple donuts that tipped the scales in their favor. Mmmm, donuts.

Whatever it was, the township of Springfield, Vermont, was selected as the hometown of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, beating out 13 other Springfields across the country for the honor, which, among other choice bragging rights, allows the hamlet to host the world premiere of The Simpsons Movie.

And all the other contenders can eat their shorts.

With just 9,300 residents, the smallest of any of the entrants, the Vermont contingent won out after submitting a five-minute clip explaining why their Springfield—above and beyond namesake burgs in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon and Tennessee—had the necessary amount of "Simpson Spirit" to host the premiere screening.

In their winning video, which was voted on via USA Today's Website, a life-size Homer Simpson, as channeled by a local TV reporter, chases a giant pink glazed donut through town.

"We're so excited," Patricia Chafee, vice president of the town's chamber of commerce, told the newspaper, which sponsored the contest in conjunction with 20th Century Fox. "We came in at the last minute, and for us to win, we feel like the underdogs, which makes this so big and so great for us."

Vermont Governor Jim Douglas called the township's win on Tuesday "an exhilarating moment for Vermonters."

"To all the other Springfields, I say, 'Don't have a cow, man.' "

Easier said than done.

Springfield, Vermont, and its runaway donut beat out some bigger budgeted, bigger-named competition to be named the yellow-hued family's home base.

Pro skateboarder Tony Hawk appeared in the video for Oregon's entry, and Senator Ted Kennedy (sounding strangely like Mayor Joe Quimby) attempted to stuff the ballot box for Springfield, Massachusetts. The mayor of Springfield, Illinois, tried to drum up support for his town's bid on ABC's World News Tonight Monday, while the Kentucky Department of Tourism, as with Vermont, posted a direct link to vote for their Springfield on the state's official Website.

The Vermonters, who entered the competition late after a chamber of commerce official saw a news report promoting the challenge, wound up winning in a close race, tallying 15,367 votes. Illinois' Springfield managed 14,634 votes as runner-up and third-place Oregon scored 13,894. Massachusetts was the only other state to nab a five-digit total, amassing 11,442.

Bringing up the rear were Springfields in Michigan, Louisiana and Florida (local officials have already ordered residents to begin scrawling "I need more civic pride" on chalkboards), with the Sunshine State finishing dead last with a measly 1,386. D'oh!

Voting on the hometown challenge was open for 30 days and closed Monday night. In all, 109,582 votes were cast for the 14 towns.

And even the losers were winners. Each of the entrants will get to host a smaller screening of the film that's been 18 years in the making on July 26, the night before its nationwide release.

Meanwhile, the Simpsons will settle in Springfield, Vermont, for the full yellow carpet treatment on July 21, as The Simpsons Movie get its world premiere.