I spend a lot of time on the internet, and I’m going to level with you: I have no idea how “Steamed Hams” became a meme.
But a meme it is—the classic goof about cheeseburgers from the brilliant vignette-centered episode of The Simpsons, “22 Short Stories About Springfield”, has become a bonafide internet sensation, with all the remixes, edits, and self-referential meta-jokes that define memery in 2018.
Here’s a good example: YouTuber mrchips2301 has edited the cartoon clip into a broad stylistic homage to early Dragon Ball Z, tuning every cut, musical cue, and dramatic pause until it evokes the slow-moving epic battles of Goku and the Z Fighters. It’s even interspersed with title cards and a next episode preview.
As a serious fan of both franchises, this just tickles me. A lot. If only there was some way to edit in audio of Superintendent Chalmers screaming and threatening to blow up Namek.
