What the #*@$ is a Grimace!?

If you’re like many other people growing up in North America, McDonald’s is undoubtedly embedded in your mentality. It’s impossible to escape the tentacles of the McDonald’s empire. Despite the negative effects that McDonald’s has on your health, it continues to be as popular of a food chain as it was when I was a kid in the ’80s. McDonald’s is also the beginning for one of the world’s great but overlooked mysteries: what in the #*@$ is Grimace?!

For the very few of you who are not aware, Grimace is the strange purple blob that appears in the McDonaldland commercials. You know, the large, round purple doofus that lacks hair and always wears a crazy looking grin. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. While many will know of which character I speak of, there are far too few who have truly questioned the nature of the Grimace. It is actually rather amazing how they have managed to cover up the fact that while nearly all other McDonaldland characters are somewhat rooted in reality, there is a large purple blob in the middle and no one seems to wonder why.

According to the official McDonald’s website:

Grimace is a big, loving, fuzzy purple fellow who is Ronald McDonald’s best friend. He’s sure Ronald is the world’s ultimate authority on everything. While Grimace loves all McDonald’s foods, he’s absolutely crazy about milkshakes. Grimace is very enthusiastic and eager to try new things. His joyous spirit helps everyone overlook the fact he’s a little slow and clumsy sometimes.

Notice that there is absolutely no mention as to what Grimace is. The official Wikipedia page on Grimace states:

Grimace is a fantasy character, and not intended to be anything specific. However, ever since the character’s introduction there has been much speculation (though much of it tongue-in-cheek) about his appearance. Because the majority of McDonald’s characters more or less directly represent a food product sold at the restaurants (e.g., Mayor McCheese, Fry Guys, McNugget Buddies, etc.) many have naturally tried to guess as to what, if any, food product Grimace is supposed to represent. It is often suggested that he represents the contents of a milkshake. It has more recently been suspected that Grimace may actually be a taste bud, seeing as everything relates directly to food and that the association with a taste bud being Ronald’s best friend would be an idealogical relationship. Grimace’s “official” role, according to McDonald’s, continues to be to represent the chain’s milkshakes. However, he does this out of love for the taste, and not because he is in any way a shake-based creature himself.

What is the Grimace? Where did he come from? Why is he not wearing pants? How does he go to the washroom? What kind of diabolical purpose does he serve? These are just some of the questions that remain unanswered. If you know the answers to the mystery of the Grimace, I urge you to come forward. There are literally some people that want to know the truth.

in Food and Fine Dining, Random