Thirty years ago Tuesday, one of the more meme-worthy scenes in the long history of “The Simpsons” connected a phrase to the Capital Region.
On April 14, 1996, the episode “22 Short Films About Springfield” aired on the Fox network, and it included the popular “steamed hams” scene.
If you’re not familiar with “The Simpsons,” the scene shows Springfield Elementary School Principal Seymour Skinner concocting a “delightfully devilish” plan to replace his burnt roast with fast-food hamburgers – re-branded as homemade “steamed hams,” which he says is an Albany expression – during a dinner with his boss, Superintendent Chalmers.
The unforgettable luncheon scene is now often recalled through internet memes, and is the most notable Capital Region and/or upstate New York reference in the series’ history (Superintendent Chalmers, it’s revealed in the scene, is a Utica native).
“We call hamburgers hamburgers here in Albany, and I can’t recall any customers ever requesting ‘steamed hams,’ ” Crave Burgers and Frozen Yogurt chef and owner Devin Ziemann told Mel Magazine in a 2020 article on the famous scene. “I might have to make it a special now, though.”
To celebrate the occasion, former “Simpsons” writer and showrunner Bill Oakley, who wrote the scene, will speak about its creation and legacy Tuesday night at Druthers Brewing Company in Albany. Limited tickets are still available; the brewpub is offering “steamed hams,” despite the fact that they are obviously grilled.
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