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Spam It's funny. Laugh.

Golden Spam Cans to Promote Python Musical 137

Posted by CmdrTaco from the ham-and-jam-and-spamalot dept.
Eibwen writes "For the upcoming release of Monty Python's Spamalot, Hormel foods is giving the first 100 customers who purchase a ticket a golden can of honey grail spam."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Golden Spam Cans to Promote Python Musical More

Golden Spam Cans to Promote Python Musical

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  • first spam? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Fishstick ( 150821 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:05AM (#11001204) Journal
    this is pretty interesting, Hormel embracing the Python language and its role in combating unsolicited commercial email!

    what? oh, nevermind then...

    • Re:first spam? (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I DON'T LIKE SPAM!!!

      Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.

      umm, I love it!

    • ...and in other news, Hormel is giving out Diamond Spam cans to anyone caught and convicted sending spam.

      *sigh*

    • Re:first spam? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Rirath.com ( 807148 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:20AM (#11001262)
      It's rather nice to see a company embrace the humor at any rate. Heck, these days I'd almost except to see Hormel suing Python claiming they damaged the name or something equally ridiculous.
    • *snif* my experiences as a slashdot participant is complete -- I got a +5 funny fp (unintentionally).

      I'd like to thank all the moderators for their generous contributions that made this possible! *snif*

    • Re:first spam? (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Grizzlysmit ( 580824 )
      This could be a great advertising opportunity for them, better still they could hook into the who email thing with add-lines like "... the only Spam I like is the real Spam in a can, say NO to unsolicited email"; and no doubt better lines, making email spam a bonus to them instead of a curse.

  • A Timeless Treasure (Score:5, Funny)

    by sharp-bang ( 311928 ) <sharp@bang@slashdot.gmail@com> on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:07AM (#11001207) Homepage
    Not only will we being seeing these cans for years on Ebay, the contents will still be 'edible'.

  • -1 offtopic (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Why is this in the IT section?

  • Do you get a lesser, silver can?

    • Re:If you lose.. (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I don' think I'll be interested. You see, I've already got one. It's verra nice.

  • for those of you wondering... (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    here it is, the...
    The Monty Python Spam Sketch [slashdot.org]
    From the second series of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
    Transcribed 9/17/87 from "Monty Python's Previous Record" by Jonathan Partington (JRP1@PHX.CAM.AC.UK)

    Scene: A cafe. One table is occupied by a group of Vikings with horned helmets on. A man and his wife enter.

    Man: You sit here, dear.
    Wife: All right.
    Man: (to Waitress) Morning!
    Waitress: Morning!
    Man: Well, what've you got?
    Waitress: Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon
  • We eat ham and jam and spam a lot!
  • Then thou must count to 100. Three shall be the number of the counting and the number of the counting shall be 100. 101 shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count 99, excepting that thou then proceedeth to 100. 103 is right out. Once the number 100, being the number of the counting...

  • Monty Python and the Honey Grail (Score:3, Funny)

    by AndroidCat ( 229562 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:13AM (#11001231) Homepage
    But just before we award you this can, the old man from Scene 24 has a few questions...

  • Bravo, Hormel (Score:5, Insightful)

    by dcarey ( 321183 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:16AM (#11001246) Homepage
    In this day of over-sensitivity, political correctness, and people/corporations sueing at every possible interval, it's great to see the makers of the dreaded Spam yuck it up with laughter, turning a positive light on the fact that they are the butt of many jokes. In fact, they are probably laughing all the way to the bank ...

    • it's also good to see the /. community respect Hormel's trademark by changing the old SPAM icon (a tin of SPAM(tm)) some time ago to the more recent... umm, SPAM meat carved into a pig? not quite sure what the new icon actually is, now that I think about it.
      • For food products, an image of the product, even in the context of a negative (i.e., U.C.E.) -- as long as that negative isn't related to food, digestion, illness, etc., still will increase demand for the product. Food companies do product placement even in violent movies', horror films, etc.

        I think Hormel, after years of having their lawyers being caught in the oncoming headlights of humor and technology, finally realized that they can milk the thing.

        I predict SPAM-can mice or some other computer acce

    • I thought Hormel was still undertaking the sisyphian task of disassociating their name from "unsoliticed commercial email"? Sounds like these guys are all cool and stuff, as long as it's their product being promoted.
    • Spam is canned spiced ham. It's pretty good, even when cold.

  • It's called "Self Effacing Humor" (Score:4, Insightful)

    by RenaissanceGeek ( 668842 ) <(ross.holmberg) (at) (gmail.com)> on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:22AM (#11001266)
    We here in Minnesota (the home of Hormel, and thus, of Spam) as rather well known for our ability to make fun of ourselves; just look at Garrison Kellior and "A Prarie Home Companion" (a radio program broadcast by mostly public stations on Saturday evenings and Sunday at midday.) One of the most popular recurring characters is "Guy Noir, private-eye", who suffers through horrible embarassments in the course of his (not very successful) practice, and somehow always muddles through without taking it out on anyone else.

    Like that, the people at Hormel understand that all of the Spam humor isn't REALLY directed at them, so why not have a little fun with it, doncha' know?

  • I love spam...I'm gonna have Spam spam spam spam eggs spam spam spam bacon and spam!
    • <english/hungarian phrase book>Great boobies honeybun, my lower intestine is full of spam, egg, spam, bacon, spam, tomato, spam ...</english/hungarian phrase book>

  • Your worried about spam!?! (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I'm more worried about fresh fruit. When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me!

  • Bah. I can get all the spam I want here on /. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by physicsphairy ( 720718 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:29AM (#11001299)
    spamplz@comcast.net The interesting thing is that the spammers will actually drop my email from their lists in a couple of days. Apparently, they purge their lists of emails that contain the word 'spam' under the (generally correct) presumption that these are junk accounts. So, if tradition holds, I'll get some spam for the next few days and in a week it will taper off to nothing.
  • Not too many American companyies do.
    I remeber hearing on NPR a while back (Gulf War I?) where someone was writing a book to companies with joke letters and collecting the PR responses, and Hormel was asked why they named their company after the Straits of Hormuz, and the reply was pure Python-isc.

  • IT? (Score:5, Funny)

    by STrinity ( 723872 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:32AM (#11001314) Homepage
    I think Cmdr Taco saw the words "spam" and "python" in the title and decided this must be IT related.

  • These golden cans allow admission... (Score:5, Funny)

    by scotay ( 195240 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:33AM (#11001316)
    ...to the super-secret Hormel Spam Factory where you will meat Sammy Hamm, the inventor genius responsible for spam. You will also be able to swim in the pork river that runs through the factory, and meat the Athero-sclerosos, those diminutive factory workers that make it all happen at Hormel. And maybe even get to chew the beta version of Hormel's Sweet and Sour Pork-flavored bubble gum if you dare*

    *Beta versions may cause curly-tail syndrome in certain individuals.

  • Wrong logo (Score:5, Insightful)

    by wowbagger ( 69688 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:35AM (#11001322) Homepage Journal
    Really, instead of the squared-off pig logo, this is one of the few times the old SPAM can logo would have been correct.

    And I too congratulate Hormel for their attitude on this - they really have taken the appropriation of their trademark pretty damn well.

    Most companies would have hired kneecappers to hunt down the Python troop for what they've done.

  • Such a change of heart! (Score:2, Informative)

    by Kerhop ( 652872 )
    One year they sues to protect their meaty name [cnn.com] and the next year they endorse it by giving out golden cans.
    • If ya cant beat 'em join 'em (better known as)


      1.Fight 'em
      2.Join 'em
      3.?????
      4.Profit
    • Not a change of heart at all. They just don't want people mis-using their trademark (otherwise they lose it) in a product name. They've allowed the general use of spam (lowercase only) to refer to email abuse, since they can't turn back the tide. In this case, they're handing out cans of SPAM in a promotion with a comedy group who did a routine involving SPAM, so there's no confusion about which and whose product SPAM refers to in this case.

  • Yes, but will they EAT it? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Theovon ( 109752 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @10:47AM (#11001366)
    I can see people buying it for the amusement value... but would they actually EAT it?
    • When you are in the middle of nowhere and it's been raining for the last week and everyting in your kit is soaked, it's a wonderful thing to have a can of spam and a hexamine stove to fry it up on. Spam's a lot tastier than the mystery stew you get in the other cans in the ration packs. Best of all you can convince the other younger guys it tastes horrible and get them to leave it all for you.

  • My favourite misheard lyric (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Google for

    "between our quests" "seek incest"

    I firat encountered this mistranscription in DEC's internal Notes conferences in 1989. Thankfully, idiots across the world have kept copies.

  • The bad news: Pursuant to the binding contract language on the back of the ticket, you actually have to eat it!

  • I wonder if this means we get to meet the Willy Wonka of the spam world, and get a life time supply of Spam!
  • If you have a job and can't take the day off to go and get tickets.
  • So I've read the 50 or so responses so far, and they all amount to "Bravo Hormel...thanks for having a sense of humor."

    But let's not forget that spam is anything but a value-neutral product. Sure, it doesn't look or taste like there's any real meat in there, but there is. And if you're going to eat the stuff, you ought to know how meat is produced. [petatv.com]

    It's always bothered me how few people in the tech community are clued into the cruelties associated with factory farming. Hormel is not a company that de

    • But those animals raised in misery are so tasty in a way that random off-topic PETA rants aren't :q

      • We're IT people. Doesn't it count as "misery loves company" to stuff mistreated captives in tiny little cubicles until they're glistening in grease! I keep picturing all these sheep being herded together by the HR border collies, caying "We can't have layoffs! My stock options are finally vested tomorrow! No, not my cellphone! You can shear me, take my right leg for leg-of-lamb, but don't take my cellphone! A-a-a-a-a-r-r-g-g-h=h!"
    • Wow.
      Your right.
      Thank the gods that Duck season just opened here, I can take out my rage against this evil corporation by going out and blowing away a couple of mallards.
      Mmmmmm. golden crispy backed duck. MUCH better than golden spam.
    • I see the jerks are responding pretty much as expected. I didn't quite eating meat because of some limp-wristed foofrah ideal - I did it because of cruelty to animals, and because of the environment. Chickens are tortured from birth to death, hog farms dump shit into our waterways, cows destroy prairie, it seems that they all get fed antibiotics, or get fed Frankencorn. For too long, cows were fed cows, chickens chickens. That's an example of economics trumping sanity. The meat industry is just ugly.
    • I am all for the eating of tasty animals. Thanks to your post, I'm going to have me a nice medium rare steak today.

    • It's always bothered me how few people in the tech community are clued into the cruelties associated with factory farming.

      I've been waiting for the day that lab grown steaks [newscientist.com] become commonplace. If it could be a more practical and economical way of producing meat then I'm sure companies wouldn't have a problem using it in place of factory farming. I have to admit pleading ignorance and being in deliberate denial of how meat ends up on my plate, because part of me knows that it involves a gruesome process

    • Ooo, he links to Peta.

      Let's all go naked, cover ourselves in pig blood, and stand outside department stores looking for people wearing fur so we can rub the blood all over them. Then we can put up a huge billboard with a picture of a cooked human baby and a happy family eating it, making sure that it's so disgusting it'll cause traffic accidents.

      Get a grip, man, PETA is a joke. The more THEY say eating meat is bad, the more meat I will eat. That's a huge virtual middle finger to you.

      Remember what Madd

      • Let's all go naked, cover ourselves in pig blood, and stand outside department stores looking for people wearing fur so we can rub the blood all over them.

        It sounds to me like you really know how to party. Besides all that, ler's listen to Gwar. You think any chicks will come?

    • You should watch Penn and Teller's "Bullshit".

      Season 2, Episode 1.

      All about peta.

      You'll shut the fuck up when you realize what a bunch of hypocrital, eco-terrorist shitbags they are.

      But thanks for the off-topic faggotry, and reminding me why I hate (other) vegetarians.

      • I hate that show...people seem to uphold it as the pinnacle of documentary research, and let it do the thinking for them, in my experience.
        • I can think of no better endorsement.

          Sure beats the shit out of the babbling, specious analogies, and hypocrisy coming from the peta camp. If peta feels justified in killing animals for any reason then they need to stop complaining when others do it. Googling "peta hypocrite" gives about 4,300 hits. Googling "peta lie" gives about 54,500.

          Should be enough to keep you busy for a while.

          My favorite?: http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview . cfm/oid/21

          Oh, and here's my favorite Ingrid quote: "

    • Re:a golden can of an animal raised in misery (Score:4, Funny)

      by C0rinthian ( 770164 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @05:32PM (#11003599)
      You talk about cruelty to animals, but what about those veggies? You rip apart that poor defenseless piece of lettuce, and eat it while it's still alive! The local produce stand is a haven for plant torture. Ripped from the earth and left to slowly die of starvation, with their only release being crushed to death between some vegans molars.

      You sick bastard.

    • Just remember, REAL AMERICANS HATE TURKEYS!!!

      That's why REAL AMERICANS kill MILLIONS of turkeys every year by cruelly chopping off their heads, ripping out their entrails, pull all the feathers off the still twitching body, and quick freeze the resulting carcass for distribution to millions of REAL AMERICAN's homes so that each and every one of us can participate in disposing of the carcass.

      Too bad we can't do that with all the deer around my neighborhood, but for some reason, most REAL AMERICANs think de

  • Finally, a chance for my girlfriend to show me how much she cares!

  • More Info.. (Score:5, Funny)

    by stonedyak ( 267348 ) on Sunday December 05, 2004 @12:40PM (#11001878)
    Each winner will receive not just one can of spam, but 100 a day, for the rest of their life, delivered to their front door.

    We interviewed one lucky winner, Mr. Smith. He said he'd never heard of this promotion and hadn't even bought a ticket for the musical. "Please just stop sending me this stuff, I can't even get in my house anymore!", he pleaded.

    Hormel, in a statement, replied, "Although Mr. Smith did not actually buy a ticket, he did purchase a can of spam in 1972, thus establishing a business relationship with us. If he no longer wishes to receive his prize winnings, he may send us a letter at '123 Unsubscribe Avenue, Springfield, The World, The Universe'"
    • Each winner will receive not just one can of spam, but 100 a day, for the rest of their life, delivered to their front door.

      Is that with or without a dead indian?
  • I wonder what Hormel is going to put in those cans? Sure, they could just put in some processed meat, but they don't really have to. In todays "collectors edition Ebay oooh that's gonna be worth a lot of money someday" society, none of those cans is ever going to be opened.
  • Here's the script of the origional Spam sketch on Monty Python's Flying Circus:

    The Spam Sketch [uibk.ac.at]

    I believe it was out of this sketch that spam came to mean something there was plenty of, but you didn't want...


  • So which makes me a bigger geek:

    A) seeing the word "spam" and thinking both Monty Python and useless e-mail
    B) seeing the word "python" and thinking both Monty and the language of the same name
    or
    C) Thinking of all of these at the same time, seeing how it would all work out in one big musical, and thinking "now THAT would be cool!"
  • My wife & I bought tickets for the first preview performance of Spamalot on 14 February. Yep, we're going to see it for Valentine's Day. I'm not expecting perfection from the first preview, but hey -- Tim Curry? David Hyde Pierce? Woo-effin'-hoo!
  • ...small single engine, aluminum-skinned general aviation airplane, like a Cessna 150/152/172, Piper Cherokee, Beech Musketeer, etc.

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