January 2021--Remember when spam was just ham in a can?
I was spending at least 15 minutes each day--more if I missed a day or two--deleting unsolicited email. I soon learned it was a futile attempt at cleaning out the inbox, so decided to take a little extra time and unsubscribe. Come to think of it, I don't even recall subscribing.
Does anyone else get even more unsolicited email each time you click on the unsubscribe button?
What I'm noticing now is the list is growing. Did I wake a sleeping giant? Did my unsubscribing efforts actually have the opposite effect and they're now tipped off this is a live account?
I unsubscribe to, let's say, an email about new tires. I may not get those but I get emails about spark plugs, car batteries or windshield wipers. So did the tire company sell my email address to the others? Probably.
What's a little unsettling is the emails are actually relatively pertinent to what has happened in my life, what is happening in my life and eerily even what I'm thinking.
The emails range from health updates (history of cancer), cleaning services (been cleaning out my house), and knee pain creme (yup, it's acting up) to new kitchen gadgets (another Pampered Chef order almost ready to go), contests (I swear this is the first time I've ever entered Publishing Clearinghouse--honest), and tips for better eating habits. I'll admit I did read that last one just to see if Snickers and Kit Kats were listed. They weren't.
And for some odd reason, I'm getting email from chocolatiers, although that's actually not odd for me. Also from insurance companies, bathtub-handle manufacturers, pharmacies and even companies that produce golf accessories. Leads me to believe someone or something definitely is listening in on my conversations, especially with that last one.
Some people aren't bothered with unsolicited email. I'm not losing sleep over them, but I do find them to be quite annoying. Each day I open my email and let out an, "Ugh. More spam."
Once I said the word "spam" out loud, I wondered how in the world unsolicited emails were called the same name as a meat blend processed in the United States. Was there a connection?
Curiosity got the best of me so I did some research and it seems there is. Maybe you already know the story behind it and if so, feel free to skip the next few graphs. If not, get ready to be enlightened. I know I was.
This ground blend of pork and ham classic was given the name SPAM as an acronym for Specially Processed American Meat. First arriving in those familiar cans in 1937, SPAM now boasts more than 9 billions cans of products purchased. That's right. And by the time you're reading this, I'm sure the number will be higher.
The brand is such a big deal there's a museum in Austin, Minnesota, dedicated to preserving its history and carrying on its legacy. There also is a gift shop stocked with a SPAM clock, beach towels, corn hole games, playing cards, earrings, bibs, hats, aprons and even flip flops with the word SPAM carved on the soles to leave an imprint in the sand. Visit the museum virtually or stop in during designated hours for a SPAM-bassador to give a guided tour. Ready to pack your bag?
Turns out the connection between the meat and unsolicited electronic correspondence all started with a comedic skit in a Monty Python show. During one of the scenes, a waiter reads off everything on the restaurant's menu and each item includes SPAM. The waiter then repeats, "SPAM. SPAM. SPAM."
So, just as the restaurant bombarded every meal with SPAM, it became the equivalent to marketers who bombard large numbers of people with one message. And just as the SPAM may not have been wanted or needed in every menu item, these marketing messages are necessarily wanted or needed in every email box.
I reached out to Hormel--makers of SPAM--to get the company's take on this. Were employees ok that one of its beloved staples was the springboard for the naming of unwanted emails? I didn't receive an answer so I decided to do a little more research.
Learned that while Hormel didn't appear to be overly happy with the connection, it seems the company took it all in good fun as evidenced by the issuance of a special tin of SPAM for the premier of the musical, "Spamalot" based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, as well as the introduction of "Sir Can-A-Lot" during the company's 75th anniversary.
Glad Hormel could have a little fun with its SPAM. If only that were true with me and my spam.
Take it one day at a time...
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