Hacker News Reader

Comment by probably_wrong | Hacker News Reader

I think a similar analysis could be made of The Simpsons, which (as the post mentions) started around the same time. While later retconned, it used to be the case that Homer could afford a house and sustain a family as the sole breadwinner and without a college degree.

Edit 1 hour later: looks like the fine folks at /r/askhistorians have answered that too: https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ol1uv6/the_s...

View on HN

From Austan Goolsbee President & CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago :

This combines 2 things that tick me off: not checking data & not knowing The Simpsons

2023: Nuclear technician salary in IL: $93,210

4 bedroom house in Springfield IL: $220,000

Burns illegally put him in a job req. a nuclear phys degree so he went to college in season 5 ep. 3

source:

https://twitter.com/Austan_Goolsbee/status/16739011885284392...

More importantly Springfield is in Oregon, not IL.

Technically, it's "everyman's Springfield", which is the one in your state. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-simpsons-creator-matt-groen...

It was named after the Springfield in Father Knows Best, which happened to be the one in Oregon.

But it was chosen partly because it's so hilariously common. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_(toponym)

Groening has also said it's pretty much in Oregon, especially since so much in the fictional town is taken from there, where he grew up.

Besides, among what we know is that it's on a coast, so it definitely can't be in Illinois. You can say the show has lots of contradictions, but Springfield being on a coast is pretty consistent.

He grew up in Portland, no?

Which isn't coastal. Nor is Springfield, OR. In fact, if coastal is required that generally rules out Oregon as a candidate state. Not too many major coastal population centers of any name...

Well yeah, I stated he grew up in Portland in the comment you are replying to and asking that question...what the heck?

I didn't say Portland was coastal, I said Springfield was. Clearly the universe of The Simpsons is not our universe, but in that universe Springfield is coastal, and most likely in Oregon.

>> Groening has also said it's pretty much in Oregon, especially since so much in the fictional town is taken from there, where he grew up.

> Well yeah, I stated he grew up in Portland in the comment you are replying to and asking that question...what the heck?

You did not.

Indeed. I apologize for my mistake there.

It's also got a nuclear reactor which rules out Oregon doesn't it ?

Not the Oregon of The Simpsons world...

As far as I know, it’s based roughly on the Hanford plant. It is in Washington, but very close to Portland, Oregon. The Hanford plant looks very similar to the one from the Simpsons.

It was a throwaway gag on the Tracey Ullman show; I doubt much thought was put into the "interchangeable suburban house" they came up with, or Homer's income as a nuclear plant technician.

Homer paid for the house by getting his father to sell his own.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheSimpsons/comments/n06qbb/you_did...

But Homer's incapacity to pay for it was of course dwelt upon:

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&mid=3BEE...

(Note above hack to get around youtube's new no-ad blockers policy.)

Even when the Simpsons first aired, I highly doubt that you could get a job as a nuclear safety inspector without a college degree or highly specialized training like in the military.

Cartoons don't have to be 100% realistic.

Burns made him safety director and gave him a raise strictly as a PR move. (S1E3 Homer’s Odyssey)

yeah, what is overlooked is that homeownership rates are the same now as in the 80s. Prices are way up, but way more financing options, lower rates, long-term mortgages, fatter wages even adjusted for inflation, etc. Outside of certain metro areas, homes are still not that expensive.

Isnt Homet unionized at the plant? How can he be like low-paid doing anything nuclear? He's a nuclear safety inspector

Mr. Burns has never been one I associated with regulatory capture =D

This is the same series where Bart has celebrated his 10th b'day at least 3 times.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com