SPAM - IS THERE ANY PUBLISHED ANTHROPOLOGY ON THIS?

IAN MACLACHLAN 329-2076 (maclachlan@HG.ULETH.CA)
Wed, 12 Jul 1995 23:18:01 MST

I am a geographer interloping on Anthropology turf for just a few days.
In my research on the restructuring of the Canadian meat industry I've
come across a lot of references to branded canned meat products that seem
to have been pretty trendy stuff in the 1940s and 1950s. They were modern
consumer goods in a very modern age. Spam and Prem in the U.S. and Canada
were models for the "all Canadian" Klik, Kam, (Canada Packers) and Spork
(Burns Meats). Now the whole idea of canned meat is lampooned nightly in
the form of David Letterman's canned "big ass" ham.

Can anybody give me a clue about where I might look to find some literature
that will help me to understand the canned meat craze and its demise? Is
there a postmodern interpretation? Mea culpa to all those who say I should
darn well do my own lit serach before I bother the whole list with this
request. Feel free to reply privately. Thank you!

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