The Simpsons: Springfield Keeps Getting Smaller (& It's Hurting The Show)
Springfield has always been full of inconsistencies, but the town keeps getting smaller and it’s hurting The Simpsons. The ever-changing nature of Springfield’s geography has been a fun running gag ever since the show’s conception, but earlier seasons were not without some degree of realism. Over The Simpsons’ 33 seasons, characters' backstories have been retconned, timelines altered, and the town’s once rich identity has gradually been stripped away.
The town’s contradictions effectively match the ignorance of its citizens. Springfield’s vast array of characters are prone to mob mentality but will switch their stance on a topic at the drop of a hat, easily swayed by a catchy tune à la “Marge vs. the Monorail” and “Bart After Dark.” However, The Simpsons created a living, breathing town where everyone had their own story, from the titular family to Springfield Elementary's teachers, Springfield's nuclear power plant, and Krustylu Studios.
Related: What State The Simpsons' Springfield Is In
Springfield has expanded physically, with new locations revealed every season but swiftly forgotten, like Duff Gardens or West Springfield's deadly oil field. But with it, the town’s history has gotten a lot smaller. Whereas minor characters were once used infrequently, they are now crammed into crowd scenes, giving the sense Springfield has shrunk. The Simpsons has retconned so much of its backstory that characters no longer seem to have their own lives. Those who never knew each other before the first few seasons suddenly grew up together. Characters who once had a past outside Springfield have become confined to the town, denied their individuality in favor of a shared, and far less interesting, mass identity.
The Simpsons has never
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