An oral history of a scene that is also an oral history of a mother? How wonderfully devilish, MEL. This piece op The Simpsons” Chalmers Vs. Skinner, ”a segment of the classic episode of 1996 “22 short films about Springfield” that is now better known as “Steamed Hams,” is worth your time.
First a refurbishment:
MEL calls the scene “one of the most famous comedy shorts of all time” and “the funniest Simpsons scene ever recorded. Whether or not you agree with that assessment, it can not be denied that the segment has taken a life of its own, and that is especially true for that two-word expression. It has his very own tag on this heel pop culture website, for loud screaming. That’s part of what Brian VanHooker is doing MEL such a fun read – it details the origins of the segment, yes, but also its evolution into a strange elastic mother. That’s why it has the tag – we just posted a “Steamed Hams” story last month.
VanHooker’s sources for the story include former co-showrunner Bill Oakley, the creator of the ‘Memed Hams’ subreddit, and the editor-in-chief of KnowYourMeme.com, making it a surprising look at the evolution of a joke, from its origins to its many transformations and variations. For instance:
It’s an honest bet that VanHooker’s article will encourage anyone out there to come up with yet another variation. Maybe it will be Steamed Hams this time, but it is My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic”As Steamed Hams but it is My Cabbages.‘But the best aspect of this story is not the impressive collection of mother with steamed hammers, but his willingness to make jumps just as absurd as those that Skinner makes in the scene. There’s a contribution from a high school owner about the definition of isometric exercise, a quote from a civic expert in Albany, thoughts from an astrophysicist, and more.
In short, it’s great. Give it a click.
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