Spam
Spam
Spam is simultaneously one of the most liked and most hated foods of all time. Around sixty million Americans eat Spam on a regular basis. Millions more have unpleasant childhood memories of the processed meat and its clinging jelly. Created during the Great Depression (1929–41; see entry under 1930s—The Way We Lived in volume 2) by Hormel and Co., Spam is a cheap, convenient food that became popular during the lean years of World War II (1939–45). Although it is often the butt of jokes, some Spam fans take their canned meat very seriously. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971) credited Spam with saving the Soviet army from starvation during World War II. In South Korea, Spam is sold in gift packs.
During the Depression, canned meat was the only form of protein many Americans could afford. The Hormel company dominated the market, selling tins of beef stew for just a few cents. In 1937, a pork-based luncheon meat joined the product range. Looking around for a name for his spiced meat, Jay C. Hormel (1892–1954) held a competition. Guests at his New Year's party were forced to "buy" their drinks by suggesting a name. An actor, Kenneth Daigneau, came up with "Spam" (the first two letters of "spiced" and the last two letters of "ham").
In the twenty-first century, Spam has a cult following. Some fans of Spam even write poetry in its honor. Spam's humorous side is partly explained by the name. Early advertising did not help: featuring comedians George Burns (1896–1996) and Gracie Allen (1906–1964), the ads recommended "Spambled eggs" and "Spamwiches."
Though meat is no longer scarce, Spam trademarked and sold in 111 countries in 2001. Because the product seems to be everywhere, the word "spam" has come to mean flooding a computer system with unwanted data. To be sure, the tinned meat is more popular. The Spam factory at Austin—"Spamtown"—Minnesota, produces 435 cans of Spam every minute. It is estimated that by 2001 almost 6 billion cans of Spam had graced breakfast and dinner tables around the world.
—Chris Routledge
For More Information
Cho, John, ed. Spam-Ku: Tranquil Reflections on Luncheon Loaf. New York: HarperPerennial, 1998.
Garcia, Dan. Spam.http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~ddgarcia/spam.html (accessed on February 8, 2002).
Hormel Foods Corporation. It's Spam.http://www.spam.com (accessed on February 8, 2002).
Wyman, Carolyn. Spam: A Biography. New York: Harvest Books, 1999.