"Steamed Hams" is a segment from the 1996 anthology episode of the Simpsons, "22 Short Films about Springfield." Considered a classic Simpsons moment, the Internet re-discovered it around 2018, resulting in countless remixes and re-imaginings. (For example, a wonderful animation showcase and this remix of Green Day's "Basket Case.")
My favorite though is by YouTube creator Mitchell Hang who decided that the medium was the message. Hang used Steamed Hams to demonstrate VHS generation loss, the progressive degradation in video and audio quality that occurs when analog tapes are copied repeatedly.
Every time a character says "steam" or "ham," it cuts to the next generation of copy, eventually rendering the image nearly unrecognizable and colorless.
Seymour, the VCR is on fire!
Previously:
• Download the Blockbuster VHS tape insert template
• 500 hours of random VHS recordings condensed to five minutes
• Watch this unintentionally hilarious 'Kids And The Occult' VHS tape
• Escape to nature's beauty, via this VHS tape from 1984
