Monty Python and spam

The term "spam" originally referred to a brand of canned meat product introduced by the Hormel Foods Corporation in 1937. The name "Spam" was derived from a contraction of the words "spiced" and "ham." However, the etymology of the word "spam" as it relates to unsolicited or unwanted electronic messages is quite different.

The use of the term "spam" to describe unwanted messages or email originated from a sketch by the British comedy group Monty Python. In 1970, Monty Python aired a famous sketch called "Spam" in which a group of Vikings sang a repetitive song repeating the word "spam" numerous times, drowning out the other dialogue. This sketch humorously portrayed the abundance of the canned meat product Spam and drew a parallel to the abundance of unwanted messages.

In the early 1990s, as internet usage grew, unsolicited bulk messages started to flood newsgroups and email inboxes. Users began referring to these unwanted messages as "spam" due to the Monty Python sketch, likening the flood of messages to the overwhelming amount of canned meat mentioned in the sketch. The term quickly caught on and became widely adopted to describe any form of unwanted or unsolicited electronic communication.

Since then, "spam" has become a ubiquitous term in the online world, referring not only to unwanted email but also to unsolicited advertisements, automated comments on blogs, and similar forms of digital communication.