Step into the shoes of Superintendent Chalmers and relive this iconic Simpson’s moment in 360-degrees.
The denizens of the internet are responsible for some truly bizarre memes. More often than not the most popular trends in circulation are the most obscure and senseless. Perfect examples include everything from an unfiltered fascination in Jerry Seinfeld’s lukewarm 2007 animated film Bee Movie, to a crudely designed model of Knuckles from the Sonic franchise clucking insensately.
Thanks to some questionable decision-making by members of the younger generation involved in things like Tide Pods, 2018 is already shaping up to be one of the strangest years in internet history. However, it’s the recent revival of the classic “Steamed Hams” phenomenon that’s managed to catch my attention the most. A popular scene originating from the seventh season of The Simpsons, the awkward scene involves Principal Skinner botching a home-cooked meal for his visiting boss, Superintendent Chalmers.
It’s a fairly old scene, buried beneath an additional 21 seasons of the long-running show, but apparently memorable enough to spawn a second-coming of fresh internet memes, video edits and original parodies. Gamespot even managed to conjure up enough black magic to trick Jeff Goldblum into do a live-reading of the scene in the role of Skinner.
Now one fan took it even further, creating a full 360-degree VR remake of the scene in its entirety. Uploaded by first-time 360 developer Imperial Potato, Steamed Hams But it’s a 360/VR Experience is, well, Steamed Hams but as a 360/VR experience.
Where the original scene shows you the frantic antics of Skinner in the kitchen as he desperately tries to salvage his meal, this experience puts you in the role of Chalmers exclusively, having you seated awaiting your meal as you listen to the commotion made by Skinner behind the door.
It’s definitely a rough rendition of the original scene, but still a solid outing for a first-time developer just dipping their toes into the water. It’s also a testament to the level of dedication some of these meme-makers possess. It’s one thing to edit source footage into a parody or autotune a funny moment into a song, but to develop an entire 360-degree experience? Just as a goof? That’s more than dedication: that’s respect.
You can check out some other quality ‘Steamed Hams’ parodies below. Be warned: this is a rabbit hole in which there’s no coming back.
