In 1996, in a 2.5-minute episode, a short sandwich was placed between a bunch of other shorts The Simpsons. Nobody thought about it much at the time, but in the last few decades, “Chalmers vs. Skinner” – referred to as “Steamed Hams” – would become one of the most iconic words Simpsons moments.
A new one oral history of the short published on Mel Magazine by Brian VanHooker looking at how it came about, with interviews with then-showrunners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. The oral history does a wonderful job of tracing how this short came to be where it is now, an incredibly popular meme that got its start in a Facebook group before transitioning to YouTube and other social media platforms. It’s an appearance that surprised Oakley when it was considered that on first reading the table the sketch did not laugh much.
“After it aired, we never really heard anything about it for years,” Oakley said Mel. “‘Steamed Hams’ has not even become a thing until 2016, when some Australian messages were preserved from people asking for steamed hams.”
The last half of the story is a wonderful example of just how fast something can spread online when there is enough inflammation. From a popular Facebook group to a BuzzFeed story in 2016 until endless new versions of “Steamed Hams” appeared, once it became a phenomenon, it never really stopped.
“I’m glad people actually thought the sketch was funny because it took about 20 years to figure out that people liked it,” Oakley said. “I’m even more happy that people find it so user – friendly, because I love all these remixes. It’s hard to get into the specific weirdness of their success, but I think part of the reason it’s successful is because it’s that nostalgia buzzer for Simpsons fans. ”
The full piece is available at Mel, and it comes with a beautifully curated selection of “Steamed Hams” memes to enjoy.
