The newest season of the Netflix animated series Disenchantment has a subtle yet steamy Simpsons reference, reminding fans of a certain unforgettable luncheon between Principal Skinner and Superintendant Chalmers.
The background of Season 3, Episode 4, "Steamland Confidential," has a shelf with a book titled How to Steam a Ham, a reference to the Simpsons Steamed Hams gag that has reached meme-status across the internet. This makes sense since Matt Groening is the creator of both shows and has been known to insert Easter eggs referencing his other projects.
The original "Steamed Hams" scene came from an episode that aired two decades earlier than the meme it inspired when, after ruining a prepared ham, the eager-to-please Principal Skinner attempts to pass off Krusty Burgers as his own secret recipe: Steamed Hams.
A social media post pointing out the reference was captioned with a line of dialogue paraphrased from the scene in question: "really [Disenchantment]? at this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your kitchen?"Â This, of course, is a nod to what was said by the ever-incredulous superintendent in response to Skinner's reassurance that the light from the growing fire in the kitchen is simply the Aurora Borealis. At this point, the hamburger ruse has gone on far too long and escalated out of control, with Skinner's house now on fire, but the principal still inevitably refuses to concede. Upon being escorted out the door at the end of the noticeably bizarre luncheon, Chalmers bids Principal Skinner goodbye, saying, "Well Seymour, you are an odd fellow but I must say, you steam a good ham."
Groening's shows have a habit of referencing each other in various meta ways, with crossovers between Futurama and The Simpsons occurring frequently. The regular callbacks show just how keenly aware the creators are of their audience.
The excitement builds in Disenchantment Part 3 as Bean continues to grow into her power and own her destiny. As the fearless friends venture out to discover new worlds, they might just find there really is no place like home.
Created by Matt Groening, Disenchantment stars Abbi Jacobson, Eric Andre, Nat Faxon, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Matt Berry, David Herman, Maurice LaMarche, Lucy Montgomery, Billy West, Noel Fielding and Sharon Horgan. Season 3 is now on Netflix.
Source:Â Twitter