# Steamed Hams

> Steamed Hams is a 1996 *Simpsons* bit where Principal Skinner passes Krusty Burger off as homemade "steamed hams" to impress Superintendent Chalmers, becoming a prolific remix meme after 2016.

"Steamed Hams" is a comedy segment from *The Simpsons* episode "22 Short Films About Springfield" (Season 7, Episode 21), which aired on April 14, 1996[1]. In the segment, Principal Skinner burns dinner while hosting Superintendent Chalmers, then passes off Krusty Burger fast food as his own "steamed hams" through a series of increasingly ridiculous lies. The bit sat mostly unnoticed for two decades before exploding into one of the internet's most remixed clips around late 2016[2].

## Origin
Bill Oakley wrote the steamed hams segment entirely by himself, in a single sitting on a Saturday afternoon, during his tenure as co-showrunner of *The Simpsons* (Seasons 5 through 8) alongside Josh Weinstein[3]. The idea for "22 Short Films About Springfield" came from a filler segment called "The Adventures of Ned Flanders" tacked onto the Season 4 episode "The Front." That short was so funny to the staff that Oakley and Weinstein wanted to do a full episode of linked vignettes[5].

To divvy up the writing, the staff held a draft. Each writer picked their favorite supporting characters. Oakley's first choice was Superintendent Chalmers, with Skinner as part of the package[3]. His premise was deliberately cliché: the "dinner with the boss" sitcom trope, a setup dating back to radio[13]. The twist was to push Chalmers past his usual one-question tolerance and force Skinner through a gauntlet of lies.

The "steamed hams" / "steamed clams" wordplay came from Oakley needing "a phony lie that rhymed." He didn't know steamed clams was a real dish at the time[3]. The line about steaming "a good ham" wasn't in the original first draft and was added later during production[2]. The episode originally titled the segment "Chalmers vs. Skinner" and aired on April 14, 1996[1]. By Oakley's own admission, the segment didn't get much love at the time. "Nobody liked it very much," he told TheWrap. "It had a crummy table read, and then it just kind of disappeared into the ether"[9].

- **Platform:** YouTube/The Simpsons
- **Creator:** Bill Oakley (writer)
- **Date:** 1994

## Overview
Steamed Hams is a two-minute-and-48-second segment from *The Simpsons* that plays out like a tiny, self-contained sitcom episode[3]. Superintendent Chalmers arrives at Principal Skinner's house for lunch. Skinner immediately burns his roast, panics, and sneaks out to buy Krusty Burger. From there, every question Chalmers asks forces Skinner to invent a bigger, dumber lie. The hamburgers are "steamed hams," supposedly an old Albany expression. The grill marks? Irrelevant. The smoke billowing from the kitchen? That's the Aurora Borealis, localized entirely within his kitchen[10].

What makes the scene work is the escalation. Skinner never breaks, never admits anything. Chalmers clearly doesn't believe a word of it but keeps halfheartedly pushing. Writer Bill Oakley described this as the core dynamic: Chalmers "kind of knows that Skinner's lying, but he doesn't care enough to pursue it"[3]. Usually Chalmers asks one follow-up question and gives up. In this segment, he asks about 13 to 16 follow-up questions, each one demanding a more absurd cover story[3].

The segment's meme power comes from how neatly self-contained it is. It has a beginning, middle, and end. No context from the rest of *The Simpsons* is needed[11]. It's short enough to watch on repeat, long enough to support complex edits. Almost every line became a standalone quote. "Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?" alone spawned its own meme format[11].

## How It Spread
The earliest signs of Steamed Hams fandom online showed up years before the meme explosion. On November 15, 2007, Urban Dictionary user Delaware Mike posted a definition for "Steamed Hams"[6]. A Facebook group called Steamed Hams launched on November 8, 2009, picking up around 7,700 likes over the next several years[4]. On YouTube, a text-to-movie remake made with Xtranormal software appeared on March 3, 2010, pulling in a few thousand views[8].

The real engine was the Simpsons Shitposting Facebook group, which launched in 2015 and turned the show into raw material for absurdist humor[9]. On July 26, 2015, group member Chris Kanski posted a challenge to break the reposting record using a Photoshopped "Steamed Hlams" image, an event that became annual tradition for the page[4]. By late 2016, steamed hams was a full-blown shitposting staple.

Things went mainstream on June 29, 2016, when Australian supermarket Woolworths posted a ham display sign reading "Our apologies, we don't stock 'Steamed Hams' but you can find hamburgers in the beef section" after receiving roughly 1,000 comments about it[1]. A Woolworths social media specialist told BuzzFeed News the requests started flooding in over just a few days[1]. Oakley himself credits this Australian incident as a tipping point[9].

The remix wave hit full force in late 2017 and peaked in 2018. YouTube filled with creative edits: the scene performed as a Guitar Hero song, rearranged alphabetically, recreated as a *Danganronpa* trial, or edited into the style of *Metal Gear Solid* (287,000 views), *Ace Attorney* (94,000 views), and *Nier: Automata*[4]. On January 4, 2018, Oakley himself joined the fun by tweeting photos of the original first draft script with the caption "Steamed Hams, but it's the original first draft in a thread," pulling over 3,200 retweets and 7,900 likes within 24 hours[12]. NME, Mashable, AV Club, and Twitter's own Moments page all covered the script's release[14].

## How to Use
Steamed Hams is primarily used as remix material and a quote source rather than a traditional meme template. The most common formats:
1. **"Steamed Hams, but..."** remixes: Take the original clip and re-edit it with a specific rule or style. Examples include "Steamed Hams but every word is alphabetical," "Steamed Hams but it's *Metal Gear Solid*," or "Steamed Hams but each word is only said once"[4]. The format is open-ended.
2. **Quote-based shitposting:** Pull specific lines and apply them to new contexts. "Aurora Borealis? At this time of year?" works as a response to anything implausible. "Delightfully devilish, Seymour" fits any sneaky plan. "Well, Seymour, you are an odd fellow, but I must say, you steam a good ham" is the classic closer[11].
3. **Video game and animation recreations:** Rebuild the scene shot-for-shot in a different visual medium, whether that's a fighting game UI, anime style, or live action[8].
4. **Concept inversions:** Flip the premise. What if Skinner told the truth? What if Chalmers never showed up? These play with the story logic rather than the visual format[11].

## Cultural Impact
The Steamed Hams meme crossed from niche *Simpsons* fandom into genuine mainstream awareness. Woolworths Australia's ham display response in 2016 showed a major retailer engaging directly with meme culture after being flooded with customer requests[1]. Multiple major outlets covered the meme, including NME, Mashable, The AV Club, and TheWrap[12][9].

Bill Oakley's decision to share the original script in January 2018 turned the meme into a moment of comedy archaeology. Fans noted the differences between the draft and final version: "dinner" became "luncheon," "100% Skinner" became "old family recipe," and the famous line about steaming a good ham was entirely absent from the first draft[2]. Twitter published a Moments page archiving the script and reactions[4].

MEL Magazine's 2020 oral history treated the segment as serious comedy writing, interviewing not just Oakley but experts in isometric exercise, Albany cuisine, and astrophysics to fact-check Skinner's specific lies[3]. *The Simpsons* itself nodded to the meme in Season 32 with a "Steamed Hams" restaurant in "The Road to Cincinnati"[10].

The segment's remix ecosystem essentially proved that a short, well-structured comedy bit could sustain a years-long creative community. The collaborative animation project with over 160 artists showed how meme culture could function as a genuine art collective[11].

## Fun Facts
- Oakley cited the Marx Brothers' *Night at the Opera* as an influence on the escalating-lies structure of the segment[11].
- The original first draft used "dinner" instead of "luncheon" and had Skinner "worried about having no other roasts" instead of the immediate pivot to Krusty Burger[2].
- Oakley didn't know steamed clams was a real dish when he wrote the line. He picked it purely because it rhymed with "steamed hams"[3].
- The segment is exactly 2 minutes and 48 seconds long[3].
- *The Simpsons* Season 32 featured a "Steamed Hams" restaurant as a background gag in "The Road to Cincinnati," a self-referential nod to the meme[10].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Steamed Hams?
Steamed Hams is a comedy segment from *The Simpsons* Season 7 episode "22 Short Films About Springfield," in which Principal Skinner tries to pass off fast food hamburgers as his own "steamed hams" while hosting Superintendent Chalmers for lunch[3]. The segment became a massively popular internet meme starting around 2016[9].

### Where did Steamed Hams come from?
The segment aired on April 14, 1996, as part of the anthology episode "22 Short Films About Springfield"[1]. It was written by Bill Oakley, who was co-showrunner of *The Simpsons* at the time alongside Josh Weinstein[3].

### What does Steamed Hams mean?
In the skit, "steamed hams" is Skinner's made-up term for hamburgers, which he claims is a regional dialect from Albany, New York[6]. As a meme, it refers to the entire segment and the remix culture surrounding it, or to any situation involving escalating, transparent lies[9].

### How do you use Steamed Hams?
The most common format is the "Steamed Hams, but..." remix, where creators re-edit the original clip with a specific twist or rule[4]. Individual quotes like "Aurora Borealis? At this time of year?" are also used as standalone reactions to implausible situations[11].

### Is Steamed Hams still popular?
The meme peaked around 2017-2018 with a flood of YouTube remixes and mainstream media coverage[9]. New versions still appear, though at a lower rate than the peak era. *The Simpsons* itself acknowledged the meme in Season 32[10].

### Who wrote the Steamed Hams segment?
Bill Oakley wrote it entirely by himself in a single sitting on a Saturday afternoon during *The Simpsons*' seventh season production[3]. It was originally titled "Chalmers vs. Skinner"[3].

### Why did Steamed Hams become a meme 20 years after it aired?
Oakley himself said he "didn't hear anything about it for 18 years"[9]. The rise of the Simpsons Shitposting Facebook group in 2015, combined with the segment's self-contained structure and quotable density, made it perfect raw material for absurdist remixes[9]. The 2016 Woolworths Australia incident brought it broader attention[1].

### What happened with Woolworths and Steamed Hams?
In June 2016, Australian supermarket Woolworths received roughly 1,000 comments from people asking about "steamed hams"[1]. The store responded with a ham display sign explaining they don't stock steamed hams and that it's "an Albany, New York expression"[4].

### What was in the original first draft of the Steamed Hams script?
On January 4, 2018, Oakley tweeted photos of the original script[12]. Key differences: it said "dinner" instead of "luncheon," used "100% Skinner" instead of "old family recipe," and the famous closing line about steaming a good ham was not in the draft at all[2].

### What are the most popular Steamed Hams remixes?
Notable examples include the collaborative animation project with 160+ artists, musical mashups with King Crimson and Gorillaz, video game recreations in *Metal Gear Solid* and *Ace Attorney* styles, and concept inversions like "Steamed Hams but Skinner is Honest"[11][4].

### What is the Aurora Borealis line from Steamed Hams?
When Chalmers sees fire in Skinner's kitchen, Skinner claims it's the Aurora Borealis. Chalmers responds: "Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?"[11]. This exchange became one of the most quoted individual lines from the segment.

### Did The Simpsons reference the Steamed Hams meme?
Yes. In the Season 32 episode "The Road to Cincinnati," a Steamed Hams restaurant appears as a background gag, directly acknowledging the meme's cultural footprint[10].

### What does Bill Oakley think about the Steamed Hams meme?
Oakley told TheWrap he was surprised by its resurgence and admitted to laughing at several remixes, but also said "I'd rather it fade out with dignity than be driven into the ground"[9].

## References
1. [Hundreds Of People Won't Stop Asking This Grocery Store For Steamed Hams](<https://www.buzzfeed.com/bradesposito/thousands-of-people-keep-asking-this-grocery-store?utm_term=.uwPEkDKQ1#.ea9q2d6Lo>)
2. [The first draft of that steamed hams script from 'The Simpsons' was excellent too | Mashable](<https://mashable.com/article/steamed-hams-script-simpsons#u.dwovcbsOq3>)
3. [‘Steamed Hams’: The Oral History of the Funniest ‘Simpsons’ Scene Ever](<https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/simpsons-steamed-hams-oral-history>)
4. [Steamed Hams - Know Your Meme](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/steamed-hams>)
5. [22 Short Films About Springfield](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22_Short_Films_About_Springfield>)
6. [Steamed Hams - Urban Dictionary](<https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Steamed%20Hams>)
7. [Read this: At last, a “steamed hams” oral history](<https://www.avclub.com/read-this-at-last-a-steamed-hams-oral-history-1844765299>)
8. [How The "Steamed Hams" Scene From The Simpsons Spawned An Entire Bizarre Subculture](<https://www.ranker.com/list/behind-the-steamed-hams-meme-from-the-simpsons/zack-howe>)
9. ['The Simpsons' Unkillable 'Steamed Hams' Meme Explained by Its Creator - TheWrap](<https://www.thewrap.com/simpsons-steamed-hams-explained/>)
10. [Steamed Hams - Wikisimpsons, the Simpsons Wiki](<https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Steamed_Hams>)
11. [Steamed Hams Episode & Meme Guide | S7E21 Explained
 – Unforgettable Luncheon](<https://unforgettableluncheon.com/blogs/articles/steamed-hams-the-simpsons-meme-that-wont-die>)
12. [Here's the original draft of The Simpsons' legendary 'Steamed Hams' scene](<https://www.nme.com/news/tv/simpsons-steamed-hams-scene-original-draft-quotes-watch-2206677>)
13. [Dinner with the Boss - TV Tropes](<https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DinnerWithTheBoss>)
14. [A classic Simpsons writer has put a personal spin on the "Steamed Hams" meme](<https://www.avclub.com/a-classic-simpsons-writer-has-put-a-personal-spin-on-th-1821791232>)
15. [The first draft of that steamed hams script from 'The Simpsons' was excellent too | Mashable](<https://mashable.com/2018/01/05/steamed-hams-script-simpsons/#u.dwovcbsOq3>)
16. [The Real Story Of 'Simpsons' Steamed Hams | Cracked.com](<https://www.cracked.com/article_29909_the-real-story-of-simpsons-steamed-hams.html>)
17. ["The Simpsons" 22 Short Films About Springfield (TV Episode 1996) - Quotes - IMDb](<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701186/quotes>)

---
Source: https://meme.com/memes/steamed-hams
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library