Post by Belchic on Sept 14, 2014 23:35:46 GMT -5
I'm not sure if anyone else here is familiar with the classic McDonalds commercials from the 70's, 80's and 90's that were in McDonaldland. I decided to make a Best/Worst list where I'm going to list what are in my opinion the Top 5 Best and Worst McDonaldland characters!
FYI, I'm not going to include Ronald on either list since he's the mascot. These are strictly the supporting characters.
Top 5 Best:
#5 - Grimace
This big, goofy, purple guy may not be the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but for those of us who grew up with McDonalds in the 70's, 80's and 90's, he's always been an important part of our childhood. Grimace started out as an antagonist with four arms, which he'd use to steal cups, but it wasn't long until they cut off two of his arms and made him one of the good guys, and he's always been Ronald's right hand man...er...thing ever since. Really, how did they come up with a character like this? When I think purple, I don't usually think McDonald's. The logo is not purple, and there's nothing purple on the menu. Still, he's a lovable character, and he has an Irish uncle who delivers those Shamrock Shakes every March (he may not be around anymore, but the shakes still are), so it's cool to see that Grimace also has some Irish blood in him.
#4 - The Hamburglar
The first antagonist in McDonaldland, and how can you go wrong with him? A goofy-looking burglar who loves to steal hamburgers. In the 70's, he used to be more sinister-looking and spoke in an unintelligible gibberish, but in the 80's, he became the lovable character we know today, now speaking English and delivering his trademark: "Robble Robble". The commercials would either have Hamburglar attempt to steal Ronald's burgers only to have his plan backfire, or he'd successfully steal them resulting in a long, over-the-top chase sequence. You gotta have someone who looks badass to do that!
#3 - CosMc
Very few people knew about this guy. This alien appeared in a commercial in the mid 80's with Ronald, Grimace and the Professor, he tried McDonalds food with them and loved it so much that he went back to the moon to tell his people about it. What makes him so cool? Well, he talks like a surfer dude for one thing. Plus, he's an alien, and everyone thinks aliens are cool. He did make a few other commercial appearances when the McDonaldland Gang went to the moon and met him, but that was pretty much it. He even played a role on M.C. Kids on the NES.
#2 - The Fry Kids
What's not to love about these guys? They're small, shaggy, colorful, childish, and there's a lot of them! Nobody loves McDonald's French fries like they do. These were other characters who evolved over the years. In the 70's, they were called the Gobblins, and whenever someone said that they had McDonald's French fries, they'd magically appear and give chase to gobble up those fries, and they also had this jingle that they'd sing which sounded like the Chipmunks. In the 70's, they didn't appear in very many commercials, and there were only three of them at the time. In the 80's, they were the most active and were renamed the Fry Guys, but then they became the Fry Kids when female versions were introduced. It's a good thing they did that, otherwise Nintendo would have sued them for ripping off the name of one of the bosses in Super Mario Bros. 2. In the 90's, they would appear less and less until they eventually disappeared completely. Overall, no characters brought any more bright colors into McDonald's in the 80's than the Fry Kids. They were a true staple of nostalgia.
And the #1 Best McDonaldland character is...
#1 - Mayor McCheese!
If there is one character who deserved to be the mascot of McDonald's when Ronald was absent, it would have to have been Mayor McCheese! After all, his head represents the very food sold at that joint! Throughout the 70's, he'd appear in a lot of commercials, but usually, he'd just stand off in the background and not speak while Ronald hogged all the spotlight; I guess that would kind of make him a dark horse. Whenever he did talk, he would be a characature of the late, great Ed Wynn. The sad thing about this character is he was dropped in 1985 during the streamlining of characters, and he wasn't one of the characters who was retained. It still puzzles me why Ronald became the mascot of McDonald's and Mayor McCheese didn't. I mean, which of these would make you think of burgers more likely than the other if you looked at it? A clown, or a guy with a burger for a head? Well, I guess Ronald has become a very recognizable character for children (up there with Mario, Mickey Mouse, Superman, Batman and Santa Claus), so I guess I can't argue. Still, Mayor McCheese was awesome for his time, and he definitely symbolized McDonald's.
Top 5 Worst:
#5 - Captain Crook
Now, to be fair, this character has a bit of a cult following, so that's why I put him at the bottom of my list. The reason I put him on the worst list is because for one thing, he has a face that remains stationary, which is kind of creepy. Another reason is his concept is kind of like the Hamburglar, except he's meant to steal Filet O'Fish sandwiches. I understand it goes with his nautical theme, but seriously, hardly anybody ever orders a Filet O'Fish at McDonalds, unless it's a meatless day, so he rarely gets to do his job. On top of that, his method of escaping is sailing on a ship. Again, I get the nautical theme, but on top of being a slow mode of transportation, what if there are no bodies of water for him to sail on? He'd be kind of screwed there! Sorry, but Captain Crook is a disgrace to McDonaldland, so he belongs on the worst list.
#4 - Sundae
Ronald's pessimistic dog. While I will give them credit for choosing Dee Bradley Baker as his voice, he's just a really creepy-looking character. I mean, it's a dog with clown makeup! He's so forgettable that the only place you ever see him is in those "Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald" video tapes. That's right, he never appeared in the commercials!
#3 - Griddler
Does anyone even remember this guy? He was introduced in 2003 to promote the McGriddles, and after only two commercial appearances, he was never seen again. His concept was to steal McGriddles. Yeah, like we need another McDonaldland antagonist who steals things! If you thought the Hamburglar was a bad influence on kids, this guy makes him look like Mickey Mouse! I mean, just look at him: he looks like a killer who broke out of prison with a jump suit, a beanie, facial hair and everything. Worst of all, he has a knife! They actually made a McDonaldland character who carried a knife! I can't believe they thought they could get away with this in 2003! Not even the old McDonaldland Gang had any weapons, with the exception of Captain Crook, but he's a pirate, so having a sword makes sense. As for Griddler, I guess it's no wonder they discontinued him so quickly. For a franchise targeted at kids, giving a character a knife is a big no-no!
#2 - Iam Hungry
This little pest was introduced in the late 90's. He was only featured in one commercial, made a cameo in another, and made a cameo in "The Wacky Adventures" episode where the Gang went to space. What made this guy worthy to be on this list is not so much that he's annoying and seemed like an insult to McDonald's cravers, but he was CG! That's a huge no-no! McDonaldland characters are not computer-animated! They are cheap, goofy-looking puppets! This pest does not belong in these ads!
So who is the worst character from McDonaldland? What is the one character who is so disgustingly foul and creepy that they deserve to be forgotten. Well, brace yourselves, because the #1 worst McDonaldland character of all time is...
#1 - The Waste Baskets
Yes, McDonald's actually made trash cans into characters. It's not like it's uncommon for them to give inanimate objects a personality, but these things? Just...why? As far as I know, the waste baskets only appeared in one commercial, and this was a commercial where they tell kids to throw away their trash in the waste baskets when they're through eating, because they're hungry too. I mean, come on! Everybody knows we're supposed to do that wherever we go! Why would they make such a commercial? My only theory would be at the time, McDonald's was facing a littering problem with people leaving their food and trash on the tables or on the floor, so they thought of a way to get them to stop doing it. Did it work? Well, there are still plenty of litterbugs around today, so money's on no! On top of that, these waste baskets are beyond creepy! Seriously, McDonald's, you didn't need to make these characters! Nobody likes environmental messages anyway! The only good thing I can see in these characters is that they want to eat trash or anything that's inedible, as opposed to all the other characters who try to steal and eat food. Still, what these characters are is where they belong: in the garbage!
FYI, I'm not going to include Ronald on either list since he's the mascot. These are strictly the supporting characters.
Top 5 Best:
#5 - Grimace
This big, goofy, purple guy may not be the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but for those of us who grew up with McDonalds in the 70's, 80's and 90's, he's always been an important part of our childhood. Grimace started out as an antagonist with four arms, which he'd use to steal cups, but it wasn't long until they cut off two of his arms and made him one of the good guys, and he's always been Ronald's right hand man...er...thing ever since. Really, how did they come up with a character like this? When I think purple, I don't usually think McDonald's. The logo is not purple, and there's nothing purple on the menu. Still, he's a lovable character, and he has an Irish uncle who delivers those Shamrock Shakes every March (he may not be around anymore, but the shakes still are), so it's cool to see that Grimace also has some Irish blood in him.
#4 - The Hamburglar
The first antagonist in McDonaldland, and how can you go wrong with him? A goofy-looking burglar who loves to steal hamburgers. In the 70's, he used to be more sinister-looking and spoke in an unintelligible gibberish, but in the 80's, he became the lovable character we know today, now speaking English and delivering his trademark: "Robble Robble". The commercials would either have Hamburglar attempt to steal Ronald's burgers only to have his plan backfire, or he'd successfully steal them resulting in a long, over-the-top chase sequence. You gotta have someone who looks badass to do that!
#3 - CosMc
Very few people knew about this guy. This alien appeared in a commercial in the mid 80's with Ronald, Grimace and the Professor, he tried McDonalds food with them and loved it so much that he went back to the moon to tell his people about it. What makes him so cool? Well, he talks like a surfer dude for one thing. Plus, he's an alien, and everyone thinks aliens are cool. He did make a few other commercial appearances when the McDonaldland Gang went to the moon and met him, but that was pretty much it. He even played a role on M.C. Kids on the NES.
#2 - The Fry Kids
What's not to love about these guys? They're small, shaggy, colorful, childish, and there's a lot of them! Nobody loves McDonald's French fries like they do. These were other characters who evolved over the years. In the 70's, they were called the Gobblins, and whenever someone said that they had McDonald's French fries, they'd magically appear and give chase to gobble up those fries, and they also had this jingle that they'd sing which sounded like the Chipmunks. In the 70's, they didn't appear in very many commercials, and there were only three of them at the time. In the 80's, they were the most active and were renamed the Fry Guys, but then they became the Fry Kids when female versions were introduced. It's a good thing they did that, otherwise Nintendo would have sued them for ripping off the name of one of the bosses in Super Mario Bros. 2. In the 90's, they would appear less and less until they eventually disappeared completely. Overall, no characters brought any more bright colors into McDonald's in the 80's than the Fry Kids. They were a true staple of nostalgia.
And the #1 Best McDonaldland character is...
#1 - Mayor McCheese!
If there is one character who deserved to be the mascot of McDonald's when Ronald was absent, it would have to have been Mayor McCheese! After all, his head represents the very food sold at that joint! Throughout the 70's, he'd appear in a lot of commercials, but usually, he'd just stand off in the background and not speak while Ronald hogged all the spotlight; I guess that would kind of make him a dark horse. Whenever he did talk, he would be a characature of the late, great Ed Wynn. The sad thing about this character is he was dropped in 1985 during the streamlining of characters, and he wasn't one of the characters who was retained. It still puzzles me why Ronald became the mascot of McDonald's and Mayor McCheese didn't. I mean, which of these would make you think of burgers more likely than the other if you looked at it? A clown, or a guy with a burger for a head? Well, I guess Ronald has become a very recognizable character for children (up there with Mario, Mickey Mouse, Superman, Batman and Santa Claus), so I guess I can't argue. Still, Mayor McCheese was awesome for his time, and he definitely symbolized McDonald's.
Top 5 Worst:
#5 - Captain Crook
Now, to be fair, this character has a bit of a cult following, so that's why I put him at the bottom of my list. The reason I put him on the worst list is because for one thing, he has a face that remains stationary, which is kind of creepy. Another reason is his concept is kind of like the Hamburglar, except he's meant to steal Filet O'Fish sandwiches. I understand it goes with his nautical theme, but seriously, hardly anybody ever orders a Filet O'Fish at McDonalds, unless it's a meatless day, so he rarely gets to do his job. On top of that, his method of escaping is sailing on a ship. Again, I get the nautical theme, but on top of being a slow mode of transportation, what if there are no bodies of water for him to sail on? He'd be kind of screwed there! Sorry, but Captain Crook is a disgrace to McDonaldland, so he belongs on the worst list.
#4 - Sundae
Ronald's pessimistic dog. While I will give them credit for choosing Dee Bradley Baker as his voice, he's just a really creepy-looking character. I mean, it's a dog with clown makeup! He's so forgettable that the only place you ever see him is in those "Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald" video tapes. That's right, he never appeared in the commercials!
#3 - Griddler
Does anyone even remember this guy? He was introduced in 2003 to promote the McGriddles, and after only two commercial appearances, he was never seen again. His concept was to steal McGriddles. Yeah, like we need another McDonaldland antagonist who steals things! If you thought the Hamburglar was a bad influence on kids, this guy makes him look like Mickey Mouse! I mean, just look at him: he looks like a killer who broke out of prison with a jump suit, a beanie, facial hair and everything. Worst of all, he has a knife! They actually made a McDonaldland character who carried a knife! I can't believe they thought they could get away with this in 2003! Not even the old McDonaldland Gang had any weapons, with the exception of Captain Crook, but he's a pirate, so having a sword makes sense. As for Griddler, I guess it's no wonder they discontinued him so quickly. For a franchise targeted at kids, giving a character a knife is a big no-no!
#2 - Iam Hungry
This little pest was introduced in the late 90's. He was only featured in one commercial, made a cameo in another, and made a cameo in "The Wacky Adventures" episode where the Gang went to space. What made this guy worthy to be on this list is not so much that he's annoying and seemed like an insult to McDonald's cravers, but he was CG! That's a huge no-no! McDonaldland characters are not computer-animated! They are cheap, goofy-looking puppets! This pest does not belong in these ads!
So who is the worst character from McDonaldland? What is the one character who is so disgustingly foul and creepy that they deserve to be forgotten. Well, brace yourselves, because the #1 worst McDonaldland character of all time is...
#1 - The Waste Baskets
Yes, McDonald's actually made trash cans into characters. It's not like it's uncommon for them to give inanimate objects a personality, but these things? Just...why? As far as I know, the waste baskets only appeared in one commercial, and this was a commercial where they tell kids to throw away their trash in the waste baskets when they're through eating, because they're hungry too. I mean, come on! Everybody knows we're supposed to do that wherever we go! Why would they make such a commercial? My only theory would be at the time, McDonald's was facing a littering problem with people leaving their food and trash on the tables or on the floor, so they thought of a way to get them to stop doing it. Did it work? Well, there are still plenty of litterbugs around today, so money's on no! On top of that, these waste baskets are beyond creepy! Seriously, McDonald's, you didn't need to make these characters! Nobody likes environmental messages anyway! The only good thing I can see in these characters is that they want to eat trash or anything that's inedible, as opposed to all the other characters who try to steal and eat food. Still, what these characters are is where they belong: in the garbage!