My favorite meme: Steamed Hams
Yet another last-minute submission for the March 2026 Bear Blog Carnival, hosted by my friend Suliman. Go check out all the other entries!
Egads! My post is ruined!
Let it be known that I have never watched a complete episode of the Simpsons in my life.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that I am not American. What is surprising is that I have happily watched countless riffs upon a single skit from the Simpsons, likely in the hundreds of times.
If you’ve never seen it, here’s the original.
Steamed Hams is only one segment out of 22 from the episode “22 Short Films About Springfield”, which aired nearly 30 years ago. Not only has it stayed a classic in-joke among Simpsons fans, but it has also maintained relevance for about a decade in the YouTube parody world. A rare feat, considering the rapid turnover time of typical memes.
The comedy comes from the terrible explanations Skinner comes up with to cover up each of his lies and keep Chalmers happy. Chalmers quickly raises doubts, as you would expect him to, leaving Skinner (and the viewer) constantly on edge. And yet he is just as swiftly convinced that everything is alright — all while the house literally burns down.
Chalmers: Aurora Borealis? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your kitchen?
Skinner: Yes.
Chalmers: …May I see it?
It is perfectly written and executed comedy, all contained in an iconic and memorable three-minute package that lives rent-free in my head. With how versatile it is, it provides rich fodder for remixes and parodies.
From the nonsensical YouTube Poop (YTP) style of edit…
To stretching the original source of humor to its limit…
To the high-effort displays of recent years, which cross the line into high art.
The variations are endless, and they are no less funny each time. It’s impressive how much humor people have managed to squeeze out of this one scene. I love this shit.