Grimace has been puzzling international kids and parents alike since McDonald's unveiled him in 1971.
The giant purple monster appears to have little to do with burgers, chicken, fries, or soda--so we think. A McDonald's manager from Canada, however, ended our long and blissful wondering period but revealing Grimace's true nature, and it's not something we ever would have been able to guess.
Grimace is a taste bud.
His feet are light and nimble. He never sleeps. He says that he will never die. He tastes in light and in shadow and he is a great favorite. He never sleeps, Grimace. He is tasting, tasting. He says that he will never die.pic.twitter.com/Y4IJQUGgOx— fka \u2615\ufe0f (@fka \u2615\ufe0f) 1630538027
Reeling from thispic.twitter.com/HPw3EueHKB— Kyle Daly (@Kyle Daly) 1630529616
Revisionist history that wants to cover up the criminal origins of McDonaldland. \nGrimace was McDonalds ripping off Seymour Spider from HR Pufnstuf . he had extra arms so he could steal all the drinks from McDonalds.pic.twitter.com/raI9EWYQ5B— Your Canadian GirlFriend (@Your Canadian GirlFriend) 1630532291
A haunting postscript to his sagapic.twitter.com/f01GpwGwSy— Scott Jacobson (@Scott Jacobson) 1630531993
Grimace letting you know it's goodpic.twitter.com/570CmD4txY— Oops! All Caleb (@Oops! All Caleb) 1630541763
Brian Bates, the manager, dropped the truth about Grimace in an interview with CBC about working for McDonald's during the pandemic.
The close-up of papillae and taste buds under a microscope do, in fact, resemble large oblong purple shapes--which Grimace is.
Wait what? I thought he was a sentient gumdrop.https://twitter.com/dalykyle/status/1433171203812904967\u00a0\u2026— Brett Ortler (@Brett Ortler) 1630595035
Thanks I hate ithttps://twitter.com/dalykyle/status/1433171203812904967\u00a0\u2026— S (@S) 1630592445
I wasn\u2019t ready for thishttps://twitter.com/dalykyle/status/1433171203812904967\u00a0\u2026— Will, Will Rock You (@Will, Will Rock You) 1630585428
Liked it better when I had no idea what Grimace washttps://twitter.com/dalykyle/status/1433171203812904967\u00a0\u2026— Blockhead (@Blockhead) 1630532712
I\u2019ve always wondered and now I regret finding this out #becarefulwhatyouwishforhttps://twitter.com/dalykyle/status/1433171203812904967\u00a0\u2026— renonezero (@renonezero) 1630548650
Grimace's form has changed since he first showed up in ads. Originally, Grimace was a villain named the "Evil Grimace" who would abscond with milkshakes under his extra arms.
After this unsuccessful portrayal of the giant lingual sensor, Grimace was reimagined with less arms and a nicer expression on his face, eventually joining the good guys.
Ronald McDonald and Grimace would often work together, with Grimace being shown as the foil simpleton to hero Ronald McDonald.
Grimace is a tastebud.\n\nTimer is a thymus.\n\nTogether, they fight crime. https://twitter.com/dalykyle/status/1433171203812904967\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/6u4IwgDTXW— Name can't be blank (@Name can't be blank) 1630548356
No. This is bad. I don\u2019t like this.https://twitter.com/dalykyle/status/1433171203812904967\u00a0\u2026— David R Fartknocker (@David R Fartknocker) 1630547248
What the hell? Who thought that a giant purple taste bud walking around was a good idea?https://twitter.com/dalykyle/status/1433171203812904967\u00a0\u2026— Veteran and RN for equality. (@Veteran and RN for equality.) 1630546710
I knew some troubling news was in the pipe to balance out the Afghan withdrawalhttps://twitter.com/dalykyle/status/1433171203812904967\u00a0\u2026— Blake Hamilton (@Blake Hamilton) 1630600792
If Grimace is a taste bud meant to show how good the food is why on earth would you name the damn thing after an expression of disgusthttps://twitter.com/dalykyle/status/1433171203812904967\u00a0\u2026— \u262dShannihilator the Pastry Wizard\u262d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf38\ud83c\udf70\u262d (@\u262dShannihilator the Pastry Wizard\u262d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf38\ud83c\udf70\u262d) 1630561332
People were predictably horrified at the idea that lovable Grimace was a walking, talking taste-bud who is somehow supposed to denote McDonald's food tastes good.
At least folks can be fairly confident the Hamburglar is a human burglar who steals hamburgers and not a representation of the amygdala or something, meant to show how McDonald's food hits the pleasure center of the brain.
Or is he?
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