Today I write in defense of Spam - not the electronic-message-nuisance kind of spam, but, rather, the Spam that you eat. (Well, some of us eat it.)
I grew up with Spam and I grew up eating it, long into my early fifties......until my arteries said, "Enough is enough!" When I was a child and I and my parents took cross-country car trips in our boat-sized station wagons, we would eat all of our meals off the wagon's tailgate. A typical meal consisted of chunks of bread, colby cheese and slices of Spam. Water came from our individual Mason jars Mom had filled with water, probably at a gas station, since we slept in the station wagon and rarely stayed at motels. We could have seen Europe on ten dollars a day!
Spam has gained a disreputable image over the years, being scoffed at my the culinary community and a goodly number of average citizens as well, which is a shame. True, Spam is very high in sodium but you can purchase low-sodium Spam, which is still very salty. There is nothing tastier than Spam cooked over an open-flame grill at a campsite. Spam and toast in the morning at a campground is akin to the breakfast of champions that Tony The Tiger espouses. Spam and eggs easy-over......too tasty for words.
Consequently, I find it distressing that unwanted or unsolicited electronic mail is referred to as 'spam'. Using 'spam' as a universal term for junk mail is like referring to all facial tissues as 'kleenex'. (lower-case "k" intentional) Sure, Spam is a niche food, but food it is. I see little difference between Spam and the macaroni and cheese dinners that come in the familiar blue box. They are both a bit short on nutritive value but long on flavor......if you like salt. Boxed macaroni and cheese is loaded with sodium and some ugly food-coloring additives that are not good for human consumption, either.
So let's lay off on the Spam attacks. And, I'm calling for out-of-the-box thinking on another term for unwanted electronic mail. Why not call it velveeta, jello, or pepsi?
Spam lovers of the world - unite!
Ancora imparo
