Whoa, good memory. And just to clarify from the outset, that's Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson we're talking about, not O.J., Jessica, or any of the other Simpson you might be thinking of.
Still, the story's kind of a strange one. Here it is.
Only in Las Vegas would a real-life neighborhood be named after a TV cartoon. Well, actually Springfield Community South Valley Ranch is a subdivision of Henderson, about a 10-minute drive from Las Vegas, but it was indeed named for the TV show.
In 1997, to coincide with "The Simpsons'" 10th anniversary, the Fox network teamed with Pepsi-Cola and the Kaufman and Broad Home Corp. to give away a four-bedroom 2,200-square-foot home as part of a national promotion launching the new season premiere of the series (and the new community).
This was not just any old home, however: 712 Red Bark Lane was a room-for-room, tree-house-for-tree-house, mousehole-for-mousehole, driveway-grease-spot-for-driveway-grease-spot replica of chez Bart. Every effort was made to replicate Matt Groening's handiwork, including the design team looking through over 100 episodes of the show and 7,400 different paint colors before deciding on the 27 -- including Power Orange, Generator Green, Jazz Age Coral, and Flamingo Pink -- that they felt best matched the cartoon equivalents. Groening himself helped with the finishing touches, including graffitiing the garage and drawing Bart's self-portrait in the concrete sidewalk. The only marginal (bad pun fully intended!) difference was that the life-sized version was to a slightly smaller scale.
Throughout the promotional period, specially marked packages of Pepsi's Mug Root Beer, Lipton Brisk Iced Tea, Slice, and Josta included pieces of a game that gained consumers entry into a sweepstakes. Contest officials waited almost two months for someone to come forward with the winning game piece (No. 978065) after the winning number was announced during "The Simpsons" season premiere on Sept. 21, 1997. But no one did. So the winner was chosen at random from the pool of 15 million entries.
The lucky winner was Barbara Howard, a 63-year-old retired factory worker from Richmond, Kentucky. A lifelong competition contestant whose wins to date had included diamond rings and a shopping spree at WalMart, this grandmother of 13 entered the contest by sending in an entry form from a Brisk Iced Tea packet. Apparently, when the contest sponsors first called with the good news, her husband thought it was a prank call and hung up. Luckily, they rang back when Barbara was home and she flew out to Vegas with her family to inspect her grand prize.
That was the first and last time she set foot in the house, however. Sadly, Barbara's brother was stricken with cancer and she felt unable to move. Instead, she opted for the $75,000 cash-prize alternative and the Simpson house was returned to the subdued palette of its neighbors. Today, the only evidence of its previous incarnation is the Bart portrait etched into the sidewalk.
For previous QoDs about other eccentric Las Vegas residences, check out the archives for 5/22/05, 10/9/06, and 8/9/07, where you can see mysterious underground dwellings, Penn Jillette's "Pennitentiary," giant organs, Sistine ceilings, and a space capsule, among other weird wonders.
