Learn story meaning in 1 sentence with Seymour Skinner
Ft. Robert Mckee + Steamed Hams
Two things you need to know:
The best Simpsons episode ever made is “22 short films about Springfield.”
Now let's make a baby with these 2 facts.
Oh. 1 more thing.
Please. Treat yourself.
2:48 of legendary storytelling for you to watch:
Steamed Hams ❤️🔥
Here is Mr. McKee,
What all stories say is how and why life changes depending on what value is at stake.
The value at stake for Skinner is respect.
He needs respect from his boss.
And who cannot relate to that?
To create work with meaning, you must understand what's the controlling idea, the core meaning.
The core of the story in 1 sentence is:
Some people won't like you no matter how hard you try to please them.
How do I know that?
Back in university, I used to work for electronic festivals.
I was far at the bottom of the food chain.
Long hours, no food, and our boss hated my guts with unrestrained fury.
We will call him “El Chino Eugenio” to protect his identity.
3 friends and I worked several times for “El Chino”.
But out of the 4, Jon and I were the permanent target of his wrath. No matter how hard we tried, the other two got the best side of this goddamn sociopathic supervisor.
When Carl Cox came to play, the workload was brutal. “El Chino” was in a particularly sadistic mood, the sun was punishing, and I saw him walking towards us with a pair of scissors and an expression I'd seen before.
He was out for blood.
This reminds me of a joke:
Two friends are in the woods, having a picnic.
They spot a bear running at them.
One friend gets up and starts running away from the bear.
The other friend opens his backpack, takes out his running shoes, changes out of his hiking boots, and starts stretching.
"Are you crazy?" the first friend shouts, looking over his shoulder as the bear closes in on his friend.
"You can't outrun a bear!"
"I don't have to outrun the bear," said the second friend.
"I only have to outrun you."
And that's what I did.
I "outran" my friend Jon.
I hid behind a fridge.
So “El Chino” went straight to Jon and put the scissors on his hands.
Then, in the most casual of tones, he said:
Go and cut the carpet for Carl Cox's backstage tent.
And off he went. To cut enough carpet to fit 100 people.
The legend has it that he's still cutting the rug.
Ultimately, El Chino never got to like me, and it took me a while to understand that he didn't have to.
But I digress.
Horrible people and horrible bosses will survive nuclear winters.
That's what makes “Steam Hams” such a little gem.
However silly and exaggerated, it holds tremendous amounts of truth.
The value at stake is universal.
We've all struggled to get respect from a superior.
And, in a last touch of brilliance, in less than 3 minutes, the short still manages to drive change in the characters.
Chalmers: Good lord, what is happening in there?!
Skinner: Aurora Borealis?
Chalmers: Ah- Aurora Borealis?! At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your kitchen?!
Skinner: Yes.
Chalmers: ...May I see it?
Skinner: ...No.
[They exit the house as the kitchen fire grows larger.]
Agnes: Seymour! The house is on fire!
Skinner: No, mother, it's just the Northern Lights.
Chalmers: Well, Seymour, you are an odd fellow, but I must say... you steam a good ham.
Did you see it?
The one time Skinner says “no” to Chalmers, he gets an ounce of praise from him.
One value at stake: Respect.
One meaning/controlling idea: "Some people won't like you regardless."
One love: Steamed Hams.
Instant classic ❤️
See you on the next one!
Matias.
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