Friends, fries and double Quarter Pounder meals with small thick shakes on the side do I have some news for you. It’s news that may possibly rock your entire world and shift the tectonic plates upon which your childhood stands, and it’s news about Grimace, the fabled purple McDonald’s mascot.
We all know and love the main cast of characters that Macca’s tried to introduce us to as children. We’ve got Birdie, who is clearly a bird, Hamburglar, who’s just a red-haired twink that’s after all of the burgers, and Ronald McDonald, who is a clown.
Usually tagging along behind them all is the clumsy and slow-brained Grimace, a purple blob with two arms and no real discernable relation to Macca’s food at all.
For years I’ve wondered what the hell he is, with my best guess often being that he’s just the physical embodiment of my childhood fear that mum would drive past Macca’s on the way home without getting me something.
Turns out though that he’s not the embodiment of fear or some burger-loving alien who just so happens to have an Irish uncle. He’s actually a taste bud. A big ol’ purple taste bud. And he represents how delicious Macca’s is.
Well, this is according to an award-winning Macca’s manager in Canada, at least, who spilt the Grimace tea during an interview celebrating his Outstanding Manager of the Year award.
Brian Bates, who has worked at Macca’s for 10 years, told Windsor Morning that for the longest time, he was been told that Grimace is a tastebud.
“Grimace is a taste bud. That’s what he is, a taste bud,” he said.
“He is an enormous taste bud, but a taste bud nonetheless.”
According to Bates, Grimace’s happiness represents that “McDonald’s tastes great.”
“Grimace is a friendly guy and always has a smile on his face, so nothing wrong with that.”
Well… there you have it folks.
Well, I don’t know about you but this information kinda makes me think more highly of Grimace. It gives him a backstory of sorts, y’know?
Keep on… tasting things, king. You’ll always be my favourite Macca’s character.
