'The Simpsons' Springfield Location: Intro Reveals It 'Is Any State But Yours'

After a week of conflicting reports about the true location of "The Simpsons'" hometown of Springfield, series creator Matt Groening sought to clear up some of the confusion -- by telling people to stop guessing.

In the opening credits of Sunday night's episode, Bart can be seen in detention writing on the chalkboard, "The true location of Springfield is in any state but yours," over and over again.

The basis of the confusion originated in an interview that Groening, a Portland, Oregon native, gave to Smithsonian Magazine in which he talked about how he was influenced by "Father Knows Best." The series was set in a fictionalized town called Springfield, which he thought growing up was the Springfield in his home state.

Groening told the magazine, "When I grew up, I realized it was just a fictitious name. I also figured out that Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield.' And they do."

That quote was widely misinterpreted, and reports surfaced all over the Internet that Groening had set "The Simpsons" in Springfield, Oregon, 100 miles away from his hometown.

Groening later clarified to TV Guide that the Springfield on "The Simpsons" was not in Oregon.

After his latest statement on the topic, it looks like the joke is on anyone who spent any time trying to read between the lines to solve a TV mystery that doesn't appear to have an answer.