Spam (The Meat) isn't what we're talking aout here. Hormel Foods introduced Spam in 1937. The name was chosen through a contest; the winner, Kenneth Daigneau (the brother of a Hormel VP), was awarded $100 for the name, which is a portmanteau of "spiced ham."
Spam (Junk Email) is what we mean. The term for unsolicited repetitive messages was inspired by the 1970 Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch. In the sketch, a group of Vikings drowns out all conversation by loudly and repetitively singing "Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam..." This mirrored how early internet users felt when their chat rooms or newsgroups were flooded with unwanted, repetitive text.
Nebraska Public TV had Monty Python on every Sunday night at 10PM and I seldom missed it. I remember that sketch well. One of the very few good things about public TV.
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