1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: back to the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always 3 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: so much for tuning in. First things first, let's give 4 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: it up for our one and only super producer Mr 5 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:42,639 Speaker 1: Max Williams, who you may recognize from earlier appearances as 6 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: a special guest on Ridiculous History. And they call me 7 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: Ben our ride or die. Our brother in arms. Mr 8 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: Noel Brown is away, but we'll be returning soon. Today, Max, 9 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: we are diving into a story worry that has haunted 10 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: me and hopefully many other people for for some time now. 11 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: We're not diving into this story alone. We're going to 12 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:15,119 Speaker 1: talk about a mystery in the world of fast food. 13 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: And to do this we have to be joined with 14 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: an expert, a very special returning guest Max. Uh, we 15 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 1: both do them, good friend of the show, dear friend 16 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: of ours, a famous, infamous member of the Ridiculous History pantheon. Folks, 17 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,639 Speaker 1: Let's have a big hand for the one and only 18 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: Jonathan Stricklet a little man called Jonathan. As a little 19 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: man called Jonathan may sounds strange, do you everybody tells 20 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: them what to do? Expert? You say, so, that's as 21 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: audio podcast. That's very well done. So, uh, everyone, we 22 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: had been hanging out off air, just chatting about uh 23 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: this series, this two part episode, and Jonathan, I didn't 24 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: know until just now that you have been saving that 25 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: McDonald's cup for the entirety of our conversation. Just oh 26 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: and the fries. Yeah, I have misoponia, so I'm not 27 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: gonna actually eat on Mike. That makes three of us 28 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: on this recording, So thank you. Yes, yes, we should 29 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,519 Speaker 1: do an episode about misoponia at some point too. So 30 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: here we go. Here's here's how our here's how we're 31 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 1: starting this. If you're a ridiculous historian of a certain age, 32 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: you might remember time when things were a little bit 33 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 1: different at this world famous fast food chain McDonald's. Like 34 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: the menu is still pretty much the same burgers, fries, soda, 35 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: but back in the day, kids and adults to life 36 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: associated McDonald's with an entire pantheon of food related characters, 37 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: the most famous crown jewel, Mr Ronald McDonald. And before 38 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 1: we dive in, Jonathan, just like, off off topic here, 39 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: how are you doing? It's been forever. I'm I'm quite well. 40 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: Thank you for asking. Yeah, I think since the last 41 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: time I chatted with you. I had COVID twice, so 42 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: that's great. Wow, No, whatever, it's far far apart uh, 43 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: February and then June. Actually probably did have a chat 44 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: at some point in between there. But yeah, I managed 45 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: to get it over Valentine's Day and over my birthday, 46 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: so I know how to mark an occasion. Very nice, 47 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: very nice. But apart from that, everything is going very well. Okay, yeah, 48 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how did you find the play? 49 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: Right soon? So? Uh, now that we are, now that 50 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: we are well met, we have a mystery that we're 51 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: going to dive into here, and where better to start 52 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: than at the actual history the origin and genesis of McDonald's. 53 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: I don't know about you, guys, but I was surprised 54 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: by how many strange evolutions and twists and turns this took. 55 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: It was. It's weird because some of the statements you 56 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: read don't agree with each other, and we can say, 57 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: hopefully without throwing too many molotovs, we can safely say 58 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: that McDonald's marketing and pr has a very clear, very 59 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: specific narrative of their own. Would you agree with that? 60 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: I certainly would agree with that. I also think This 61 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:00,159 Speaker 1: is one of those topics where careful note taking was 62 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,599 Speaker 1: not part of the process. Right, So whenever we're talking 63 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: about something along these lines, you end up with timelines 64 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,919 Speaker 1: and recollections that may not measure up. But you're also 65 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 1: talking about different perspectives. We're talking about the the dawn 66 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: of the franchise restaurant era, and that's also something that 67 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 1: we should keep in mind throughout the course of these discussions, 68 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: because when we talk about McDonald's, you have to remember 69 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: in the early days, we were talking about like a 70 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: local restaurant. We're not talking about national chain early on, 71 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: and so a lot of the things that we would 72 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 1: associate with McDonald's much later that was just not present 73 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: in the early days. Yeah, well said, it was a 74 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: very very different landscape. McDonald's is named after these two guys, 75 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: these brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald there in San Bernardino, California, 76 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: and their dad, Patrick had open a food stand back 77 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,160 Speaker 1: in ninety thirties seven called the air Dromee. Uh. The 78 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: brothers originally had a car hop. For anybody's unfamiliar with 79 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 1: that idea, it's I guess the best modern comparison is 80 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: basically sonic. Right, Sonics does still exist? Right, Yeah, I 81 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: think so. Yeah, I think so too. So. So here's 82 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: the deal. They these brothers, the brothers McDonald, have this 83 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: restaurant idea, and if you look at the original signs, 84 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: it advertises barbecue, honestly, and they've been working on this 85 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: in the forties and I'm gonna jump in here. McDonald 86 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 1: still advertises barbecue. They have the greatest barbecue dish of 87 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: all time, called the McRib we're having the mac ribb debate. No, 88 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 1: I'm just thinking the John Oliver line. It's then the 89 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: second episode of Last Week Tonight where he compares to 90 00:06:54,279 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 1: Mick rib to the death penalty. Okay, I'll buy You're 91 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: just gonna leave it there. Okay, you can look up 92 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: the video. If you're listening right now, you can look 93 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: up that video. It's very easy to find. And we're 94 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 1: gonna find some even more disturbing things as we go, 95 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: just the advertising alone. We've got to play some clips 96 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: in the future. But here we go. So it's October. 97 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: The brothers McDonald have an epiphany. They look at each 98 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: other and they say, hey, that's weird. Most of our 99 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: profits are only coming from one thing. On the menu, hamburgers, 100 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: let's close, we're closing shop. We've got to rethink everything, 101 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: and they do, and they really simplify their menu, which 102 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: you know, folks like uh Anthony Bourdain will tell you 103 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: is the is a good indicator of a good restaurant, right, 104 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: a small, short menu. Uh. Eventually they decide, okay, we're 105 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: only gonna sell a few things hamburgers, cheeseburgers, potato chips, coffee, soda, 106 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: and for some reason, apple pie. Uh I'm not an 107 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 1: apple pie and uh aficionado. So I guess there's a 108 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: reason for that. Maybe it was just easy to make 109 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: and package, or maybe it's all America. Like apple pie, 110 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: it's quite essential, it's very quite essential. They're bad, all right, 111 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: But you guys are making me sound on American, which 112 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: I mean, are we making you stud on American or 113 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: you're you're the one of your questioning the importance of 114 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: apple pie, which is like the most on American thing ever. 115 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: You can say. Our national pastime is soccer. Now, okay, 116 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 1: I'll play a reindeer games because max apples are originally 117 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: from Kazakhstan. Boom. So anyhow, that aside, Uh, the brothers 118 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: McDonald say Okay, we need a new building to reflect 119 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: our new strategy. It needs to be more efficient, and 120 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: it needs to have this kind of eye catching appearance. 121 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: Can't just be a squat brick and mortar. And this 122 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: is what eats them eventually to what we recognize as 123 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: the Golden Arches. But Jonathan, you had noted that the 124 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: arches themselves kind of had an evolution, right, Wasn't there 125 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: just like one arch at the beginning or something. Well, 126 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: it's it's that the actual architecture of the building was 127 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 1: held up by a pair of arches that did not 128 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: connect to one another. There was no connection, So you 129 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: had a pair of arches, but they didn't form the 130 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: letter M. That would actually come much later because Roy croc, 131 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: who's a very important person in the history of McDonald's. Uh. 132 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: The legend goes that he sold a ton of milkshake 133 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 1: machines to the McDonald brothers and wanted to find out 134 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: what the heck they were doing with so many milkshake machines, 135 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: and that's what got him interested in the whole McDonald's thing. Well, 136 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: he when he started to rethink the logo, he put 137 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 1: these two arches into an overlap with one another to 138 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: form the golden arches and make kind of an M shape, 139 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: and then later on he would pull them apart a 140 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 1: little a bit more so that they would just make 141 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: an M as opposed to this kind of overlapped their 142 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: inner the inner legs of the arches were overlapped in 143 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: the original logo, so it kind of looked like an 144 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: M and kind of looked like a mess. But then 145 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: by I think N eight, he had it where it 146 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: was the actual M. But yeah, it all dates back 147 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: to this second location for for McDonald's. Yeah. Yeah, and 148 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: this is something that you know, it is public knowledge, 149 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: but I think for a lot of people listening to date, 150 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: we've always just sort of thought of McDonald's as this 151 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: static thing, right that came into being whole and entire. 152 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:41,199 Speaker 1: It's very much not the case. As as a matter 153 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: of fact, I was surprised to learn that McDonald's had 154 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: a different mascot before Ronald McDonald. He's a guy named 155 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: Speedy sp e E d E E. Yeah, he also 156 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 1: had uh so he's like a chef. He's got a 157 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: hamburger head, like a vertical hamburger for a head. You 158 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: can still apparently see him around some older McDonald's. But 159 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: he was never quite a Ronald. So I actually got 160 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: a story about this. Um I did not Uh what 161 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: does that look, Jonathan? Oh No, that look was me 162 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: being excited to hear your story, because all I was 163 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 1: gonna say is that he has kind of a squinty popeye. 164 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: I it looks like he got poked in the in 165 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: one of his eyes whenever you see the pictures of him. 166 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: But I am, I am eager to hear your story. 167 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 1: So this is a this is from a very young 168 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,319 Speaker 1: Maxis memory. So like, this is back when I lived 169 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: in Detroit. My family moved here when I was six, 170 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: so this is very young. But there was I don't 171 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: remember what part of Detroit was, but there was McDonald's 172 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 1: that had this mascot. Still, because I saw this one, 173 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, yeah, I know that one immediately. I 174 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: remember this one. Remember my mom explaining it to me 175 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:54,959 Speaker 1: what the mascot was, and she didn't really know, but 176 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 1: she's like, yeah, I let's sack. I don't know a 177 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: different mascot. Oh man, this this is this is creepy 178 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: to me. Yeah, Speedy is definitely a product of his 179 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: time not being uh you know, we don't mean that 180 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: in a disrespectful way. We're just saying that things change, 181 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: and that's something that factors into Ronald as well. Uh, Speedy, 182 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,319 Speaker 1: look is never in any commercials. You're not going to 183 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: hear about them often unless people are specifically talking about 184 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: the early history of McDonald's. So r I P. Speedy, 185 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: you whizz by us, just like you always promised you 186 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: would man your word, Hamburger head of your word. So 187 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: Speedy met his demise when a new mascot came into 188 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: town in seven, McDonald's officially chose a clown named Ronald 189 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: as their new representative. But again, like everything with early McDonald's, 190 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: this was part of an ongoing evolution. And Jonathan, I 191 00:12:54,920 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: really like the way you tell the story. Sure. Yeah, 192 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: so this was something that I was already familiar with all. 193 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people have heard the story. Uh. 194 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,719 Speaker 1: And I started off by saying, you know, Encyclopedia Britannica 195 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: says that the first emergence of Ronald McDonald was in 196 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:21,839 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty three. And if you can't trust the Encyclopedia Britannica, 197 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 1: then what kind of crazy world do we live in? Huh? So, 198 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: here's here's how things played out. And this also comes 199 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: back to that that element that we're talking about a 200 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: local restaurant not looking at it as a national chain. Yet. 201 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 1: There was this franchise children's entertainment called Bozo the Clown 202 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: which started way back in the nineteen forties, and uh, 203 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty six, a guy named Larry Harmon said, 204 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: this is a good idea. I would like to have 205 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: Bozo the Clowns in different markets around the United States. 206 00:13:55,880 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: Let's franchise this children's character. So they did, and you 207 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: had lots of little stations around the United States. They 208 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,199 Speaker 1: had their very own Bozo the Clown show. It was 209 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: all modeled after the original character, but that was played 210 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: by different actors, had slightly different setups in the various regions. 211 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:17,680 Speaker 1: The big one obviously was Chicago, but over in the 212 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: Baltimore Washington, d c. Area, there was a television station 213 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: that had Bozo the Clown and uh. They had hired 214 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: a guy named Willard Scott. That name might be familiar 215 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: to a lot of you out there to be Bozo 216 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 1: the Clown on this show. And a sponsor for this 217 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: show was the local McDonald's, so as McDonald's in the 218 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: Baltimore area, but after, you know, a couple of years, 219 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: the television station canceled the Bozo the Clown show. Reportedly, 220 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: what happens next is Willard's sitting there and someone from 221 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: McDonald's comes up to him and says, Hey, we really 222 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: like how you were marketing McDonald's in this clown character. 223 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 1: Can you come up with something and be a mascot 224 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: for us moving forward so we can continue to use 225 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: you in promotional material And he sits down and he 226 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: starts thinking about this, and he comes up with another 227 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: clown character, original, obviously not not at all inspired by 228 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: the fact that he was Bozo the Clown. No, why 229 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: why would you think that? Yeah? I don't know. I mean, 230 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: he's just like, it's just as a pure coincidence, that's 231 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: another clown character. But he names it Ronald McDonald, the 232 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:35,479 Speaker 1: Hamburger Happy Clown, introducing world it was Bill and Hamburger 233 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: eating as Wow. Ronald McDonald, Now where is that clown? 234 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: I am good? Hey, you didn't watching TV blood personally 235 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: we got delicious McDonald Hamburger. Ronald McDonald the Hamburger Happy Clown. Yeah. 236 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 1: So there's there's a side note here that I always 237 00:15:55,040 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: unaware of. There is apparently a clown code that all, 238 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: like all clowns in the trade agree to where they 239 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 1: will not rip off each other's stick or their look, 240 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 1: you know, too closely. So one quick procedural note. Uh, 241 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: we have an additional non consensual guest on the show today. 242 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:25,239 Speaker 1: It is my neighbor's dog downstairs. Uh. The most diplomatic 243 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: way I can put this is that if you have 244 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: a dog, make sure your dog is okay. Uh. And UH, 245 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: we're just gonna we're gonna roll through this, uh and 246 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: hopefully everything works out down there. So there are other 247 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: versions of this origin story, but I think we can 248 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: agree today. Jonathan Willard Scott's account is considered the most accurate, 249 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: even though it's not officially mentioned in you know, like 250 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: on the McDonald's website or something. Various executives have thanked 251 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: Scott for his creation, and he talks about it in 252 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 1: his book The Joy of Living, and he makes that 253 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 1: Bozo connection, uh, he says in part he says there 254 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: was something about the combination of Hamburgers and Bozo that 255 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: was irresistible to kids. That's why when Bozo went off 256 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: the air a few years later, the local McDonald's people 257 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 1: ask me to come up with a new character to 258 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 1: take Bozo's place. So I sat down created Ronald McDonald 259 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: and we, for better or worse, my friends have video 260 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: confirmation that this was true. This is where we get 261 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:41,760 Speaker 1: to some creepy parts. I think it's time we talked 262 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: about those first McDonald's commercials, which is where the world 263 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 1: learns about Ronald. Yeah, Ronald does not look the way 264 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 1: Ronald would look later on in his storied career as 265 00:17:55,320 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: mascot for McDonald's. Willard Scott's Ronald McDonald is a Frankenstein's 266 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:06,360 Speaker 1: monster of a clown that has suffered a terrible uh 267 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: phasing uh mistake. Like you know when you think about 268 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: the mutants who can phase through walls and then sometimes 269 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: they come to complete solid state in the middle of 270 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 1: a wall, and how terrible that is. He did that 271 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: with a plate or a table of a fast food 272 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 1: So he's got like a like a soda cup nose. 273 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:29,159 Speaker 1: He's got like a a tray for a hat that 274 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,360 Speaker 1: has hamburgers and French fries on it. He's got a 275 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: magic belt that produces hamburgers. Um, it is not it's 276 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:42,040 Speaker 1: not a clown appearance that I would associate with being 277 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 1: welcoming and friendly and uh makes me want to go 278 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 1: and have fast food. It makes me want to run 279 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: the other way. But that's again, maybe it's just because 280 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 1: it's a product of its time, and I'm a product 281 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: of my time. It's before my time. I'm not that old. 282 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: And I will say that the very first commercial that 283 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 1: he appears in is my favorite because at the end 284 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 1: of the commercial there's some music and he's dancing in 285 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: the background in the parking lot of this McDonald's, and 286 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 1: he's dancing and dancing, and then the commercial comes to 287 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: an end. You can tell the director is said cut, 288 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: but the camera continues to capture footage for about a 289 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: second and a half later, so you just see Lord 290 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: Scott is Ronald McDonald, arms slacked by his side, dead 291 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:31,439 Speaker 1: eye like it is. It is a walking dead vision 292 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:51,880 Speaker 1: of his version of Ronald McDonald. It's very much like, hey, dude, 293 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 1: we get that, we got that. Okay, cool, Oh we're 294 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: still shooting. Were cut that in post right? Okay? We 295 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,959 Speaker 1: are cool? And they didn't. Johnny, I have two things 296 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: I want to say. That one is it's very much 297 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: like he was like bawling out a budget. That's what 298 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,400 Speaker 1: is set up, is like it's just like uh cup, yeah, 299 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 1: here we go and tray here bam, I got my outfit. Yeah. 300 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:16,119 Speaker 1: And second, um, this is kind of a teaser for 301 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 1: a future episode we would have. Buten have you ever 302 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: seen the original Michelin men? Oh yes, yes I have 303 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:24,399 Speaker 1: not for a treat. Look in the chat here on 304 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 1: riverside you can see him. Okay, I'm gonna take a look. 305 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: And this is my actual real time reaction once uh oh, 306 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: dear lord, Yeah, the pensnez the yeah, yeah, it looks 307 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: like the say puff marshmallow man got grilled. That's actually 308 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,919 Speaker 1: that is the best description I think Max and I 309 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: have heard about about that unfortunate costume. Yeah, when we 310 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,360 Speaker 1: talked about different times. You know, just think back on 311 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 1: all the the early turn of the century photos you've 312 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: seen of creepy easter bunnies, odds, Santa Claus is, things 313 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: like that. This early Ronald McDonald very much does look 314 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:15,239 Speaker 1: like a Frankenstein. His his face is an agglomeration of 315 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: what appears to be food and crime. He's got sort 316 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: of these uh French fried dreadlock looking hairs. His nose 317 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,959 Speaker 1: is replaced by a cup that would probably be for soda. 318 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:33,399 Speaker 1: And it appears that after he's murdered several people, he 319 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: has smeared their blood across his mouth. Right. Uh, it's 320 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 1: got a very um like Heath Ledger joker smile kind 321 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: of thing. Go on, but even smeared more intenseness. And listen, 322 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,639 Speaker 1: we we haven't we haven't reached Sunday yet. We aren't. 323 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 1: We aren't at joker smiles yet. We'll get there, but 324 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: I do I do want to say that. Um. You know, again, 325 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 1: this was a local commercial, right, this was not a 326 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: national spot that aired across the United States. This is 327 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: still an era where you're talking about broadcast television. Cable 328 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:15,919 Speaker 1: hasn't really become a thing yet. Uh, so you don't 329 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 1: have markets that bleed over. Like if your antenna could 330 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: pick up something from the next town over, you might see, 331 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 1: you know, one of the channels from there. But this 332 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 1: was not intended to be a national campaign. It was 333 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: literally this one McDonald's restaurant that was using this character 334 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: to advertise to locals. Yeah, it's kind of like a 335 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: a Ford dealership, Like an auto dealership might have their 336 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:47,400 Speaker 1: own ad campaigns, but they don't overall represent for the company. 337 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 1: You know, they're like Dave Davidson's, you know, uh, number 338 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: one for dealer in northern Southwest Ohio. I mean to 339 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: jump in here. I mean this is one I think 340 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: all three of us will know is Donna and the Wolfman. 341 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 1: We all know what that is, right, Yeah. No, I 342 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:04,679 Speaker 1: grew up right down the street. I grew up right 343 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,440 Speaker 1: down the street from uh, from that, from that furniture dealership. 344 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: So yeah, that's cool. Yeah, but there's a bunch of 345 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 1: people listening right now who are like, what the hell 346 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:14,919 Speaker 1: is Donald and the Wolfman. It's like, no, no no, no, 347 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: we know what that is because that was a person 348 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: I played for so long in Atlanta or like a 349 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 1: general Atlanta area wif man here. You've got to see 350 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: the poster avoiding the gallery fronted, Hey wof Man West Donna. 351 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: Now I'm in New York City, but I'll be back soon, 352 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: Nicky gown of Don. I'm dearing like por La ni 353 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:38,399 Speaker 1: king dollars, the climbers eighty eight dollar headboard, win Fuller 354 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 1: Queen one dollar board, door Chef thirty nine dollars. That's 355 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: gallery funds at twenty five eleven Road Belt Highway in 356 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 1: College part in sixte hundred brown Big Rogan games and hey, 357 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:52,120 Speaker 1: after the wolf Man, you know what, as a matter 358 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: of fact, ridiculous historians go over on Facebook or your 359 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,520 Speaker 1: social media of choice and let us know your favorite 360 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 1: weird cookie commercials from your neck in the global woods. So, 361 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: despite all of the very detailed descriptions we've given you 362 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 1: of old Ronald here, he was a hit people. People 363 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: loved this concept right and over the years, uh, he 364 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: became a worldwide phenomenon. I don't think it's hyperbolic to 365 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: say that he was sort of an integral piece of 366 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: American pop culture. Eventually people from other countries started thinking 367 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,199 Speaker 1: of Ronald McDonald not just as a symbol of a 368 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:38,199 Speaker 1: fast food place, but as a symbol of some concept 369 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,679 Speaker 1: of the United States. Yeah. And you know, this was 370 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: one of those things where by seeing how popular this 371 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: character and this concept was, to promote this one McDonald's, 372 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: it became this this idea to use it as a 373 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: a national uh symbol for the chain. And obviously that's 374 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: a huge, huge um And with that jump, we would 375 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: see a very rapid evolution of the character. It would 376 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: not be long before the Nightmarish Scott version of Ronald 377 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:16,159 Speaker 1: McDonald was left behind. And not only that, but we 378 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:20,639 Speaker 1: would see that McDonald's as an organization would codify the 379 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: character and how the character is to be portrayed, and 380 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,159 Speaker 1: how the character is to be referenced to anyone outside 381 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:32,119 Speaker 1: the organization. Oh yeah, you've hit on something that's just 382 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 1: fascinating to me. So so behind the scenes, McDonald's always 383 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:40,439 Speaker 1: had this kind of ethos of absolute conformity, uniformity, right 384 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:44,159 Speaker 1: even down to little things like the number of sesame 385 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:48,479 Speaker 1: seeds on a bun reportedly, so it shouldn't surprise us 386 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: that they template tized the appearances of Ronald McDonald, who 387 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:57,199 Speaker 1: was becoming kind of a secular Santa Clause. Uh, you 388 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: and Max and I found that they're one is actually 389 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 1: not one, but a couple of official rule books for 390 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,440 Speaker 1: all actors playing Ronald. And I found a wonderful Reader's 391 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 1: Digest article on this, and I thought maybe we could 392 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 1: round robin some of the uh, some of the commandments 393 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:20,639 Speaker 1: for would be Ronald's. I changed the language a little 394 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: because I think it's funny for them to be referred 395 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: to as a Ronald. That part was me, but the 396 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:30,119 Speaker 1: rest is true. Excellent. Uh. Shall shall I begin? Please? 397 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: Do Commandment number one, never hug the kids. At most, 398 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 1: Ronald may only pat the children upon the back. Commandment 399 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: number two. A Rinald must also sign numerous waivers saying 400 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: that they'll never reveal what they've learned working for the company. 401 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 1: Number three. All Ronalds can and should promote the idea 402 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: of fun to their customers. They should not directly promote 403 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:03,919 Speaker 1: the food itself. Commandment the fourth. If kids ask, a 404 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 1: Ronald cannot reveal to them the dark trade secret that 405 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:15,399 Speaker 1: burgers come from cows. Commandment number five. Whenning character, a 406 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: Ronald cannot eat McDonald's food due to makeup concerns. Okay, 407 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 1: it makes sense, so we've just got a couple war here. 408 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: So here's commandment six. A Ronald has to be fit, or, 409 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: as readers digest put it quote, at least have a 410 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:35,920 Speaker 1: body that appears to be fit man. I I long 411 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 1: to have a body that appears to me to be 412 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:43,959 Speaker 1: fit man. What body is shaming? Here's the last commandment. 413 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: Ronald must follow us script when answering questions asked by customers. 414 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:51,439 Speaker 1: If they don't have an answer that fits, a Ronald 415 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: is instructed to say, and this is true, ask someone 416 00:27:56,160 --> 00:28:03,439 Speaker 1: wearing normal shoes, which I think is actually something that 417 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:06,200 Speaker 1: we can take from the ronalds. I feel like that's 418 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: a great way to pass the buck in just any situation. 419 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,119 Speaker 1: Do you think I could get away with telling or 420 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:17,639 Speaker 1: boss that email chain? Absolutely? And I remember being on 421 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: a previous episode where there was a lot of talk 422 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 1: about the dangers of wearing long pointy shoes. So normal 423 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: shoes is a very important thing. Yes, absolutely agreed. Uh. 424 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:33,919 Speaker 1: Now we see that McDonald's at this time under the 425 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,640 Speaker 1: leadership of Kroc. Fully Uh, they know they're onto something. 426 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:41,480 Speaker 1: In the nineteen seventies or so, they asked a like 427 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: seventies seventy one, They ask a marketing ad agency named 428 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: need Him, Harper and Steers to turn up the gas. 429 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: As a result, the firm comes up with the idea 430 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: of something called McDonald land Ronald. They decided would no 431 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 1: longer be a solo act. Now, this this thing runs 432 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: from about nineteen seventy one to two thousand and three, 433 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 1: and I wanted to ask you, guys, do you recall 434 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 1: ever seen one of these commercials? Oh, my gosh, Ben, 435 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: come on. I so I grew up in the nineteen seventies, 436 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: I lived less than a half mile from a McDonald's 437 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:24,520 Speaker 1: which we could walk to from my house in Gainesville, Georgia. 438 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: I have distinct memories of various McDonald Land characters and 439 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:35,480 Speaker 1: commercials and oh my, Drew Geese. You may have forgotten 440 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: things being so scory, all right, and people quick to forget, 441 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: but those visions haunt my nightmares to this day. I 442 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 1: think that is that is a wonderful clockwork Orange reference there. 443 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,720 Speaker 1: So yeah, McDonald Land is a trip. It's a it's 444 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: a built out, pretty well imagined universe. That's kind of 445 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 1: a place of wind z and wonder picture the candy 446 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 1: uh like the the candy warehouse in Gene Wilder's Willy 447 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 1: Wonka adaptation. That's kind of what it looks like. And 448 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: there are tons of anthropomorphic things inanimate objects are animate, 449 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 1: and speaking of plants and food are also a capable 450 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: of communication. Apple Pie trees again they there. It's very 451 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 1: much a pro apple Pie company, milkshake, volcanoes, hamburger patches. 452 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 1: They even have a theme park all centered around items 453 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: on the McDonald's menu. And this was for some reason 454 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 1: an important question for me. Yes, there are McDonald's restaurants 455 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 1: in McDonald's Land. They're not worried about the inception of that. Yeah. No, 456 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 1: if you if you look carefully, you'll see that the 457 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:56,880 Speaker 1: little spinny ride in the playground is still turning at 458 00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 1: the very end. So we don't know if we're still 459 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:04,280 Speaker 1: with in McDonald land, if we have actually escaped to reality. 460 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 1: That that question is left up to the individual customer. 461 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 1: Mm hmmm, yeah, your imagination mileage may vary. Now. They 462 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 1: even had a theme song and Max, No, no, you 463 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 1: do you think we can get away with playing this clip? 464 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: Catch just sound real? Take? Okay, so that's a piece 465 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 1: of the theme song. You can hear the whole thing 466 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 1: in its entirety on YouTube pretty easily. You might be 467 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 1: listening to this and thinking, hey, this sounds like an 468 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: actual TV show. Well, you're right, and that will become 469 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 1: a problem later. Don't worry, we'll get to it. Uh. 470 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 1: But we it might sound like we're spending a lot 471 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:58,640 Speaker 1: of time talking about how weird these early days were. 472 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 1: But to be clear, uh, McDonald's as an organization in 473 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 1: the real non McDonald land world was doing some good things. 474 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: They were doing some acts of charity. Yes, that's right. 475 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 1: So in nineteen seventy four, the company McDonald's established the 476 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:21,320 Speaker 1: Ronald McDonald House. The original one in Philadelphia Fred Hill, 477 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 1: who was a football player for the Philadelphia Eagles. I 478 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 1: believe it was his daughter who had leukemia. And so 479 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: the concept was to build a house where families could 480 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 1: stay if their children were hospitalized in the nearby hospital, 481 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 1: So they wouldn't have to travel hours in and out 482 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 1: of town in order to visit their kids. They could 483 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: stay temporarily in this place, and they wouldn't have to 484 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 1: spend exorbitant amounts of money like at a hotel. And 485 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 1: you know, we wanted to bring this up because we 486 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: are going to be kind of, you know, poking a 487 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: lot of fun at Ronald McDonald. I mean, the whole 488 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: purpose of the character is to get kids to want 489 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 1: to go eat fast food. So there are a lot 490 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: of downsides that we can really talk about there. But 491 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 1: we also want to acknowledge that this was an organization, 492 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: or this is an organization that also has done some 493 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:17,040 Speaker 1: some legitimate good work, uh, for various communities. Yeah, yeah, 494 00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:21,480 Speaker 1: and that's an important point. You know, it also might have, 495 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:24,440 Speaker 1: as will come to see, done some important work for 496 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 1: Ronald McDonald when things got dicey, right, So, Yeah. So 497 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: we mentioned there's a pantheon. There's now there's a woutang 498 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 1: of McDonald's. Right, they've got we've got a crew. Uh, 499 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:41,040 Speaker 1: you mentioned one who's actually first on my list, Jonathan. 500 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 1: Can you tell us about Sunday. Yeah. So Sunday a 501 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 1: k A. Pup face killer, Uh, was a anthropomorphic dog originally. Um. 502 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:00,960 Speaker 1: And here's the creepy thing about this dog character. First 503 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:05,880 Speaker 1: of all, it has almost like like a tear type 504 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:08,359 Speaker 1: shape under one eye. Kind of made me think of 505 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 1: like a David Bowie glam look. It has more like 506 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:16,719 Speaker 1: a human mouth under its snout, which is truly disturbing 507 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 1: uh in its original incarnation. And it has the most 508 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:25,160 Speaker 1: chipper upbeat personality you've ever heard, which is me lying 509 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:29,360 Speaker 1: because it sounds like someone who is on the verge 510 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,440 Speaker 1: of needing to talk to a counselor Uh, it is 511 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: a person. It's this monotone, depressing voice. You're sitting there 512 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 1: wondering who hated dogs so much that they needed to 513 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:49,759 Speaker 1: create this character to exorcize their inner demon. I love dogs, 514 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: I love all animals. I hope that dog downstairs is okay. 515 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 1: You're right though, Uh, Sunday has what we would call 516 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:00,840 Speaker 1: big e or vibes. You know, he's a little bit 517 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:04,360 Speaker 1: of a downer. He doesn't like ticks. He beefs it 518 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 1: with the Hamburglar. Is particularly one thing called Visitors from 519 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,680 Speaker 1: Outer Space, where he insults the Hamburglar by calling him 520 00:35:11,719 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: Hammy and bun head. Uh. And then that that's kind 521 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:21,719 Speaker 1: of just sounds a little racist there, Yeah really, uh yeah, 522 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: we don't. Yeah, we don't far be it for us 523 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 1: to disparage Sunday without knowing what Sunday's lived experiences are. 524 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:35,520 Speaker 1: But it's kind of a it's you know, it's not 525 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 1: the happiest dog. That's just true. That's part of the character. Uh. 526 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 1: And this gives us a segue. So when I really 527 00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: want to talk about just as a quick laundry list, here, 528 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,000 Speaker 1: we'll go through several of these panthonic characters. We might 529 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:51,880 Speaker 1: spend more time on some than others. I loved the Hamburglar, 530 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:55,400 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. He's like fighting the system 531 00:35:55,560 --> 00:36:02,759 Speaker 1: with my understanding, you know. Uh. He he's like that 532 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: classic trope of so many mascots, you know, from the 533 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:10,560 Speaker 1: tricks Rabbit to the uh like the Nooid. I think 534 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:13,800 Speaker 1: he clearly informs the Noid later he's got that beef 535 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:17,239 Speaker 1: going on. Yeah, well he wants to have that beef 536 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:21,040 Speaker 1: going on. I want to say that, I want to 537 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: I want to say that. Uh that he was probably 538 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:27,760 Speaker 1: inspired by the character Whimpy as well from the Popeye series. 539 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:30,279 Speaker 1: Right I can. I will gladly pay you Tuesday for 540 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:34,400 Speaker 1: a Hamburger today. Uh, Hamburglar is always trying to have 541 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:38,640 Speaker 1: that big heist of all those juicy hamburgers, and it's 542 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:43,239 Speaker 1: just foiled. Usually he's hoisted by his own petard. It's 543 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:46,160 Speaker 1: normally his fault for for getting caught. But yeah, the 544 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: Hamburglar was one of my favorite characters too of the 545 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:52,680 Speaker 1: McDonald's panthion when I was growing up. I uh, and 546 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:56,879 Speaker 1: I was more familiar with his second incarnation because, as 547 00:36:56,880 --> 00:37:02,120 Speaker 1: we all learned, uh, Hamburgler had a phoenix like existence 548 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:05,319 Speaker 1: and that it existed in in one form first just 549 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:10,839 Speaker 1: like Ronald did, and then transformed somewhat afterward. Yeah. Yeah, 550 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:14,800 Speaker 1: ham the Hamburgler had a glow up midway through his career. 551 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:18,080 Speaker 1: He he started off as a he's like a kind 552 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:20,760 Speaker 1: of a Benjamin Button thing going on here. He started 553 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,480 Speaker 1: off as a villain, and it was more than one 554 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:27,840 Speaker 1: villain in the McDonald land. Uh. And he was very 555 00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 1: clearly an older character, had long, stringy gray hair. Uh, 556 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 1: he was bald at the top of his head. Uh. 557 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:41,280 Speaker 1: And he was a creepy old guy who desperately wanted 558 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 1: to heist Hamburgers. But then it's strange because originally he 559 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,360 Speaker 1: wasn't called the Hamburger at all, Hamburglar at all. He 560 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 1: was called the lone Jogger, which is uber creepy. Yeah, 561 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,600 Speaker 1: that was. That was. It was supposed to be a 562 00:37:58,719 --> 00:38:02,080 Speaker 1: take off the Lone rain Juror because like the Lone Ranger, 563 00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:05,919 Speaker 1: he wore a mask, he had a wide brimmed hat, 564 00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:08,440 Speaker 1: so he was like the Lone Ranger, but he was 565 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:11,520 Speaker 1: the lone Jogger because he doesn't have a horse, he 566 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:14,880 Speaker 1: doesn't wander the range. That was the idea behind it. 567 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:17,920 Speaker 1: In retrospect, we can look back on that and just 568 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 1: say like, yeah, that uh yeah, maybe we've all watched 569 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:27,560 Speaker 1: too much Law and Order or something. But loan loan 570 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: Jogger does conjure different images. And also, i'll point out, 571 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:35,239 Speaker 1: and see this discussed often, I'll point out that if 572 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:39,840 Speaker 1: you are an anti McDonald's person, you're anti Ronald's message, 573 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:44,040 Speaker 1: then uh, you could, with some validity say that this 574 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 1: puts exercising in a bad light anyway. Whatever, whatever their motivation, 575 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:53,600 Speaker 1: the lone Jogger became the Hamburgler character. And then the 576 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 1: Hamburglar had his reverse aging moment. Uh, and I think 577 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:03,160 Speaker 1: it was around nine eight five, mid nineteen eighties. He evolves. 578 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:09,440 Speaker 1: He's no longer an old, angry uh Hamburger hoarder. He's 579 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 1: he's like a rebellious, muteness mischievous redhead, kind of Dennis 580 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:20,680 Speaker 1: the Menace. And he gets a cape and the cape 581 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:24,000 Speaker 1: is cool. Capes are cool. Uh. There's also Birdie, the 582 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 1: early bird I like. I was astonished by how many 583 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:29,279 Speaker 1: of these were new to me. Uh. There were the 584 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,719 Speaker 1: fried kids. I guess we should we gotta talk. Yeah, 585 00:39:32,719 --> 00:39:35,399 Speaker 1: I mean, I I remember Bertie because I remember when 586 00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:38,719 Speaker 1: McDonald's introduced its breakfast menu, because again, I lived like 587 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 1: half a mile away from McDonald's and that was happening 588 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:46,279 Speaker 1: right around that time, and the character was introduced in 589 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:49,719 Speaker 1: an effort to promote that. And you know, I like 590 00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:51,520 Speaker 1: the idea of being able to walk half a mile 591 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:55,480 Speaker 1: and grab a whole bunch of really substandard pancakes. I 592 00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:57,640 Speaker 1: actually really did love those pancakes is the one thing 593 00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:00,759 Speaker 1: that McDonald's actually like to eat and um. And so 594 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:03,480 Speaker 1: I remember that character very well, and she was extremely 595 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:07,560 Speaker 1: klutzy and uh chipper, you know, had a had a 596 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,839 Speaker 1: positive personality, but was kind of seen as being a 597 00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:14,439 Speaker 1: clumsy character who was always getting in her own way. 598 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 1: Because I have a question, I want to post you 599 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 1: all and just just kind of see what y'all think 600 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:21,920 Speaker 1: about this. But you know, and a lot of let's 601 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:24,399 Speaker 1: call it what it is marketing to children. What they'll 602 00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:30,280 Speaker 1: commonly do is they'll portray, you know, the heroes as children, 603 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:33,120 Speaker 1: and they'll portray you know, the villains as adults. And 604 00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 1: I mean I wonder if like that was like a 605 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:37,200 Speaker 1: whole marketing like things that we're thinking about because with 606 00:40:37,239 --> 00:40:41,680 Speaker 1: like the hamburglar him being like an old evil guy, 607 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:43,000 Speaker 1: but then it's like, oh, this guy is not evil, 608 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:44,719 Speaker 1: he's friends with all of them. He instantly becomes a 609 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:50,800 Speaker 1: child like a child. Because you know, McDonald's will say 610 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:54,920 Speaker 1: they'll be like, no, we never ever intentionally marketing the children. 611 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:57,839 Speaker 1: Oh that's all these companies will. But we all know, 612 00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:01,480 Speaker 1: I mean, marketing words directly children has been I think 613 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:03,600 Speaker 1: we've done in this country country for a very long time, 614 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:06,440 Speaker 1: and we've done that episode about ovaltine, which is directly 615 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:11,240 Speaker 1: marketing the children. And you know, now it's it's basically illegal. 616 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:15,000 Speaker 1: We can still get around it sometimes. But I'm wondering 617 00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:17,400 Speaker 1: if that was a concerted effort they might take. I 618 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:20,040 Speaker 1: think that's a good point. Yeah, I know, I would. 619 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:23,840 Speaker 1: I would bet on that as being part of the strategy. 620 00:41:23,960 --> 00:41:28,279 Speaker 1: That it was literally, how can we uh convince more 621 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:31,080 Speaker 1: kids to be excited about this product so that they 622 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:34,160 Speaker 1: bug their parents to go and we can sell things 623 00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:37,000 Speaker 1: to their parents. And I think that's exactly what was 624 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 1: going on. You also have to look at when these 625 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:41,120 Speaker 1: commercials were airing, and a lot of them were airing 626 00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:44,759 Speaker 1: during the after school programming that would be on as 627 00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:46,680 Speaker 1: soon as kids would get home. You know, I'm a 628 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:49,480 Speaker 1: gen X or I'm a latch key kid. I'd come home, 629 00:41:49,719 --> 00:41:52,200 Speaker 1: turn on the TV and there would be commercials for 630 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 1: McDonald's right next to commercials for things like g I 631 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:58,200 Speaker 1: Joe and he Man. So this was this was a 632 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:02,680 Speaker 1: concerted and strategic effort, and it was definitely you know, 633 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:07,719 Speaker 1: it had purpose behind it. It It wasn't just creating colorful characters. Yeah, Yeah, 634 00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:12,000 Speaker 1: I really think you're onto something there, Max. We we 635 00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:14,360 Speaker 1: know that this was successful. If you look at a 636 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:17,799 Speaker 1: lot of McDonald land commercials from the time, Ronald is 637 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:21,920 Speaker 1: joined with kids sidekicks, right, and they're sort of you know, 638 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,160 Speaker 1: they're they're keeping this creepy old man from stealing the burgers. 639 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:29,480 Speaker 1: So there's definitely some psychology at play. There are also, 640 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:33,719 Speaker 1: you know, functionaries and authorities in this world. Mayor mccheese 641 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:38,520 Speaker 1: is is one of the most notable examples. He's a 642 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:42,520 Speaker 1: guy um kind of like maybe in the distant past, 643 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:45,879 Speaker 1: related to speedy because he also has a hamburger head, 644 00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:49,480 Speaker 1: but he's is horizontal, so like the bun and the 645 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:53,120 Speaker 1: cheese and the burgers kind of his mouth and uh, 646 00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:57,439 Speaker 1: he is for some reason wearing a Diplomats sash. He's 647 00:42:57,520 --> 00:43:03,239 Speaker 1: very like he is the he's the oligarch of McDonald's, right, 648 00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:09,520 Speaker 1: he is, he's the one percenter and uh he has spectacles, 649 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:12,759 Speaker 1: et cetera. And he's kind of like lovable and bumbling 650 00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:16,240 Speaker 1: and you know, we getting himself into high jinks. Uh. 651 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:20,240 Speaker 1: He is based on another character called h. R. Puffing Stuff. 652 00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:23,680 Speaker 1: Have you guys heard of HR puffing Stuff? Yes, the 653 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:28,200 Speaker 1: creation of of Sid and Marty Croft, who were uh 654 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:34,080 Speaker 1: who were They were pioneers, you know, of a sorts 655 00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:40,439 Speaker 1: of of children's entertainment mostly looked back on as being uh, 656 00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:46,440 Speaker 1: purveyors of psychedelic material. Like if you watch old Puffin 657 00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:51,960 Speaker 1: Stuff's uh footage, you're thinking, this looks like everyone involved, 658 00:43:52,360 --> 00:43:56,440 Speaker 1: from the actors to the crew, to the editors, to 659 00:43:56,800 --> 00:43:59,239 Speaker 1: two people who are probably just getting a contact hie 660 00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:02,640 Speaker 1: crossing the street, they were all on something and it's 661 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:06,000 Speaker 1: bleeding through the screen. Uh. That was something that was 662 00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:08,400 Speaker 1: something that you could really take home with Sid and 663 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:12,839 Speaker 1: Marty Croft. And I mentioned this in our notes way 664 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:16,120 Speaker 1: at the bottom over in the little tangent side. But 665 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:18,600 Speaker 1: just since we're talking about it, I want to mention 666 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:22,400 Speaker 1: really quickly. Here in Atlanta, we for a short while 667 00:44:22,600 --> 00:44:26,200 Speaker 1: had the Sid and Marty Croft World, an amusement park. 668 00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:29,080 Speaker 1: It was in what is now the CNN Center, but 669 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:31,960 Speaker 1: back then we just called it the Omni. And if 670 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:35,680 Speaker 1: you had ever been in there, this would be many 671 00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:37,960 Speaker 1: years ago now. But if as a kid you had 672 00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:40,440 Speaker 1: ever visited the Omni, you would have noticed there was 673 00:44:40,480 --> 00:44:44,680 Speaker 1: this enormous freestanding escalator. I mean, it was longer than 674 00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:48,440 Speaker 1: you think an escalator should be allowed to be and 675 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:50,560 Speaker 1: that was the escalator that would take you up to 676 00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:53,240 Speaker 1: the Sid and Marty Croft world. It isn't there anymore. 677 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:56,000 Speaker 1: The CNN Center still there and you can see part 678 00:44:56,040 --> 00:44:59,520 Speaker 1: of where the escalator was. But yeah, that was something 679 00:44:59,560 --> 00:45:02,200 Speaker 1: that as a kid, I always wondered about. That closed 680 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:05,319 Speaker 1: six months after it opened in nineteen seventy six. I 681 00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:08,160 Speaker 1: was born the year before, so if I ever did go, 682 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:11,799 Speaker 1: I certainly don't remember it. Wow, it just it just 683 00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:16,120 Speaker 1: informed your lifelong terror of escalators. That's true. Yeah, you 684 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:18,440 Speaker 1: know what, it's terrible. I have fallen down an up 685 00:45:18,600 --> 00:45:23,120 Speaker 1: escalator for about three days straight and it was offen. Hey, escalator, 686 00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:25,640 Speaker 1: escalators suck, Jonathan. I'm with you on this, man, Escalators 687 00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:27,680 Speaker 1: for the work. Are you serious? They're the stairs of 688 00:45:27,719 --> 00:45:33,480 Speaker 1: the future. Elevators suck too. Just give me some stairs, man, 689 00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:37,960 Speaker 1: that's all stairs. I'm a fan. Uh yeah, this is okay. 690 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:40,680 Speaker 1: So the Croft thing is going to be important later. 691 00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:43,560 Speaker 1: But wait, as Billy Mays was wanting to say, there's more, 692 00:45:43,719 --> 00:45:48,240 Speaker 1: McDonald's land is home to tons of characters. Captain Crook, 693 00:45:48,320 --> 00:45:51,680 Speaker 1: Officer Big Mac, the Professor, the McNugget Buddies, the Happy 694 00:45:51,719 --> 00:45:55,960 Speaker 1: Meal Gang, Uncle O, Grimacy, for some reason, Cosmic, a 695 00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:59,759 Speaker 1: cavalcade of others. But Jonathan, there's one guy we haven't 696 00:45:59,800 --> 00:46:04,080 Speaker 1: really mentioned yet. It's a character named Grimace. It's a 697 00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:08,000 Speaker 1: man of mystery. And then we have a question for 698 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:12,439 Speaker 1: you that I will I will defer to Max four. 699 00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:15,400 Speaker 1: All right, Jonathan, do you ever listen to the MPR 700 00:46:15,520 --> 00:46:18,319 Speaker 1: game show? Wait? Wait, don't tell me. I do. And 701 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:20,560 Speaker 1: I just want to say that those who know me 702 00:46:20,719 --> 00:46:23,480 Speaker 1: and my alter ego, I feel really uncomfortable that the 703 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:27,440 Speaker 1: tables they have been turned upon me. All right, well, 704 00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:30,319 Speaker 1: don't worry, don't it's not really question. Actually I guess 705 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:34,400 Speaker 1: it is question. Yeah, so this is from way we 706 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:36,600 Speaker 1: don't tell me. A number of months ago I asked 707 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:39,160 Speaker 1: Ben and Null this and I got a very genuine 708 00:46:39,200 --> 00:46:41,839 Speaker 1: reaction out of the two of them, including having him 709 00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:44,120 Speaker 1: to be Ben for a word. He said, But I'm 710 00:46:44,120 --> 00:46:49,440 Speaker 1: gonna ask you this. Do you know what Grimaces? Uh? 711 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:53,960 Speaker 1: Do I know what Grimaces? I don't. I the I 712 00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:58,000 Speaker 1: always thought he was just some sort of indeterminate anthropomorphic thing. 713 00:46:58,120 --> 00:47:00,480 Speaker 1: I do know that he used to be a bad guy, 714 00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:03,520 Speaker 1: and he had four arms and stole milkshakes. So he's 715 00:47:04,080 --> 00:47:07,239 Speaker 1: distantly related to Goro from Mortal Kombat, but apart from that, 716 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:11,239 Speaker 1: I don't know. So this is according to the people 717 00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:12,719 Speaker 1: that wait, wit, don't tell me. They had this as 718 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:15,279 Speaker 1: a poll question on the show. I have seen many 719 00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:17,440 Speaker 1: people debate this, but I'm just telling you this is 720 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:22,880 Speaker 1: the answer they gave. He is a taste bud. That's 721 00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:30,720 Speaker 1: absolutely horrifying. I will not sleep tonight. And it's your fault. Max. 722 00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:34,719 Speaker 1: I feel like I've achieved by maximum goal for the 723 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:41,240 Speaker 1: day now. Mm hmm. So I was surprised into profanity 724 00:47:41,400 --> 00:47:43,759 Speaker 1: when I when I learned this, and it's it's a 725 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:47,400 Speaker 1: great question to ask, and Jonathan, my my response from 726 00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:50,280 Speaker 1: my assumption, we're very much in line with with yours. 727 00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:55,480 Speaker 1: We canna take a flame one way flav from McDonald 728 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:58,480 Speaker 1: land back to Texas. One more thing, one more thing. 729 00:47:58,719 --> 00:48:02,200 Speaker 1: He doesn't know what Grimace is. He's a blob, right 730 00:48:02,239 --> 00:48:05,359 Speaker 1: purple blob? Is he catching? Is he a condiment? He's 731 00:48:05,400 --> 00:48:13,960 Speaker 1: a one giant taste bud? Oh? Gross? So fuck up. 732 00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:22,160 Speaker 1: I'm not okay. I'm not I'm not okay with this, Like, 733 00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:24,640 Speaker 1: why is it not a tongue? I talked about that 734 00:48:24,760 --> 00:48:26,600 Speaker 1: last time. If you're gonna make it that big? Why 735 00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:30,080 Speaker 1: is it one giant taste bud? Why why is it 736 00:48:30,160 --> 00:48:33,799 Speaker 1: not just a blob of rancid ice cream goo at 737 00:48:33,840 --> 00:48:38,000 Speaker 1: the bottom of one of the perpetually broken ice cream machines. Oh, 738 00:48:38,040 --> 00:48:40,759 Speaker 1: and there is a conspiracy theory about that, which goes 739 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:44,040 Speaker 1: to a different show. But I've I've got to send you, 740 00:48:44,080 --> 00:48:47,200 Speaker 1: I've got to send you some articles. So, yes, there's 741 00:48:47,280 --> 00:48:50,400 Speaker 1: there's this whole thing happening. Kids know all about it. 742 00:48:50,760 --> 00:48:54,400 Speaker 1: Uh you know. Of course, the appeal is pretty apparent 743 00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:59,279 Speaker 1: for kind of thrifty caregivers because you can buy a 744 00:48:59,320 --> 00:49:01,839 Speaker 1: happy meal and you're feeding the kid and you're also 745 00:49:01,880 --> 00:49:07,080 Speaker 1: getting them a toy, so you can potentially like skip 746 00:49:07,160 --> 00:49:09,960 Speaker 1: the trip to the toy store. And I don't know 747 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:13,600 Speaker 1: how often that worked, but it's important. You can tell already, 748 00:49:13,640 --> 00:49:17,120 Speaker 1: ridiculous historians, this world has been fleshed out. This is 749 00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:21,480 Speaker 1: beyond the level of world building that most other fast 750 00:49:21,480 --> 00:49:25,560 Speaker 1: food companies are going to engage in. And McDonald Land 751 00:49:25,680 --> 00:49:28,239 Speaker 1: is a lot like a TV show. Turns out, we're 752 00:49:28,280 --> 00:49:32,960 Speaker 1: not the only ones who thought so. Remember who Jonathan 753 00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:35,080 Speaker 1: you just mentioned a few minutes ago, sit in Marty 754 00:49:35,160 --> 00:49:40,120 Speaker 1: Croft in v. Three. They sued McDonald's and they said, look, 755 00:49:40,160 --> 00:49:45,320 Speaker 1: this whole McDonald land concept is plagiarized from our work. 756 00:49:45,800 --> 00:49:49,440 Speaker 1: The jury, which I have in notes as the justy. 757 00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:53,920 Speaker 1: The jury found in favor of the Crofts. McDonald's was 758 00:49:53,960 --> 00:49:56,640 Speaker 1: first ordered to pay fifty grand, then they were ordered 759 00:49:56,640 --> 00:49:59,960 Speaker 1: to pay one million dollars, and they were also told 760 00:50:00,239 --> 00:50:04,080 Speaker 1: that they have to pull some characters from their campaigns 761 00:50:04,239 --> 00:50:08,960 Speaker 1: or reimagine them into more legally distinct designs. Yet still 762 00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:13,759 Speaker 1: they soldiered on. From two thousand three, Ronald had his 763 00:50:13,800 --> 00:50:17,160 Speaker 1: own video series, not calling it a TV show because 764 00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:19,080 Speaker 1: it was straight to video. It was called The Wacky 765 00:50:19,080 --> 00:50:22,880 Speaker 1: Adventures of Ronald McDonald. Yeah, that's where Sunday the Dog 766 00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:28,560 Speaker 1: first showed up. Oh okay, so it's kind of a darker, edgier. 767 00:50:30,800 --> 00:50:33,479 Speaker 1: I mean, have you seen pictures of Sunday the Dog. 768 00:50:33,560 --> 00:50:37,120 Speaker 1: I think it's accurate. I mean, Ben, this brought the beef. 769 00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:42,759 Speaker 1: I'm loving that we're going through a beef phase. Uh, 770 00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:45,840 Speaker 1: we're going with this beef phase and not telling anywhere. 771 00:50:45,840 --> 00:50:48,239 Speaker 1: We're not going to explain it. Sorry, Jonathan. It's just 772 00:50:48,360 --> 00:50:54,920 Speaker 1: like Looper. So behind the fast food counter, though, trouble 773 00:50:55,200 --> 00:50:57,239 Speaker 1: is a bruin, and we're not talking about that hot 774 00:50:57,280 --> 00:51:02,240 Speaker 1: coffee lawsuit. Internally, McDonald's is conflicted about whether they should 775 00:51:02,320 --> 00:51:06,719 Speaker 1: keep showcasing these characters or moving a new direction. A 776 00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:10,239 Speaker 1: new ad agency is in the mix, Leo Burnett, and 777 00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:14,040 Speaker 1: they say, look, McDonald Land, all its inhabitants, that time 778 00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:17,480 Speaker 1: has passed. Goodbye to the old man and the mischievous 779 00:51:17,560 --> 00:51:21,120 Speaker 1: young Hamburgler. They should be relegated to the sidelines in 780 00:51:21,200 --> 00:51:24,799 Speaker 1: favor of our new slogan, our new campaign. I'm loving it. 781 00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:29,080 Speaker 1: And they won the argument. McDonald land characters didn't go away, 782 00:51:29,120 --> 00:51:31,759 Speaker 1: but they were no longer front and center. This could 783 00:51:31,800 --> 00:51:37,920 Speaker 1: rightfully be called the purge of McDonald Land. Ronald, one 784 00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:42,440 Speaker 1: of the lone survivors, probably felt something in the wind. 785 00:51:43,239 --> 00:51:47,120 Speaker 1: Increasingly it was time to reassess the clown. And this 786 00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:50,280 Speaker 1: is where we're gonna end part one, I think, because 787 00:51:50,320 --> 00:51:53,080 Speaker 1: now we're getting to the turn right. We set up 788 00:51:53,120 --> 00:51:58,239 Speaker 1: the mystery, now we're gonna investigate it. Uh, Jonathan, I 789 00:51:58,320 --> 00:52:00,960 Speaker 1: know that when we originally ask you to do this, 790 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:03,360 Speaker 1: we did not say it was going to be a 791 00:52:03,400 --> 00:52:07,920 Speaker 1: two parter, but thank you very very much for coming 792 00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:11,360 Speaker 1: on the show. It became abundantly clear, abundantly clear as 793 00:52:11,400 --> 00:52:13,120 Speaker 1: I looked at the notes that there was no way 794 00:52:13,160 --> 00:52:18,720 Speaker 1: this could be a single episode, And just like another 795 00:52:18,840 --> 00:52:23,040 Speaker 1: story about a beloved clown and dairy Maine, We're gonna 796 00:52:23,080 --> 00:52:27,279 Speaker 1: divide it up into two chapters, and y'all, this will 797 00:52:27,320 --> 00:52:33,800 Speaker 1: be it. I'm gonna love how like we're seeing this 798 00:52:33,800 --> 00:52:35,680 Speaker 1: whole thing. John's gonna be back for part two, and 799 00:52:35,719 --> 00:52:37,560 Speaker 1: then we're just not gonna address the fact that Matt 800 00:52:37,560 --> 00:52:39,680 Speaker 1: Frederick's going to be on part two with us instead. 801 00:52:43,120 --> 00:52:48,480 Speaker 1: So yes, Jonathan will be returning for Part two, coming 802 00:52:48,760 --> 00:52:51,759 Speaker 1: later this week in the meantime as always, thanks of 803 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:55,120 Speaker 1: course to Mr Max Williams, thanks to Casey Pegram, Chris 804 00:52:55,239 --> 00:52:58,720 Speaker 1: rossiotis E's Jeff Coat, thanks to the Man the myth Legend, 805 00:52:59,120 --> 00:53:03,160 Speaker 1: Mr Noel Brown, who will be returning soon. Jonathan. One 806 00:53:03,239 --> 00:53:06,840 Speaker 1: of the reasons that we're so appreciative of you coming 807 00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:09,719 Speaker 1: coming on the show for this two parter is that 808 00:53:09,880 --> 00:53:14,120 Speaker 1: you are one of the busiest of all our colleagues, 809 00:53:14,160 --> 00:53:17,160 Speaker 1: which is saying a lot when you were not hanging 810 00:53:17,160 --> 00:53:20,080 Speaker 1: out classing up ridiculous history. If you're one of the 811 00:53:20,120 --> 00:53:26,360 Speaker 1: world's leading experts in technology, podcast with the long running show, 812 00:53:27,000 --> 00:53:28,959 Speaker 1: tech Stuff. Could you tell us a little bit about 813 00:53:28,960 --> 00:53:31,600 Speaker 1: that and where to find you, as well as more 814 00:53:31,640 --> 00:53:36,520 Speaker 1: of your work. Absolutely. So tech Stuff is my my love, 815 00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:39,040 Speaker 1: it's my pride and joy. It's a show that we 816 00:53:39,160 --> 00:53:42,600 Speaker 1: originally launched back in two thousand and eight. Uh, the 817 00:53:42,640 --> 00:53:45,080 Speaker 1: current incarnation of tech Stuff. It's a single host show. 818 00:53:45,160 --> 00:53:48,000 Speaker 1: We published five times a week, and we kind of 819 00:53:48,040 --> 00:53:52,320 Speaker 1: cover everything about technology. Uh. Some episodes are more technical 820 00:53:52,360 --> 00:53:54,320 Speaker 1: and that I will go into a bit more detail 821 00:53:54,360 --> 00:53:59,520 Speaker 1: about how stuff works. Hey, and then some of the 822 00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:03,200 Speaker 1: episode dhades are more about the impact of technology and 823 00:54:03,239 --> 00:54:08,080 Speaker 1: how it is changing the way we live or things 824 00:54:08,080 --> 00:54:11,600 Speaker 1: that we should be concerned about, whether it's surveillance or 825 00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:16,200 Speaker 1: it's the the fact that data is the new currency. 826 00:54:16,440 --> 00:54:19,799 Speaker 1: It's not crypto, folks, it's your information. That's that's the 827 00:54:19,800 --> 00:54:24,440 Speaker 1: currency of the world today, and that's why everybody wants 828 00:54:24,440 --> 00:54:26,600 Speaker 1: as much of it as they possibly can get. So 829 00:54:26,960 --> 00:54:29,360 Speaker 1: that's kind of what the show is all about. I 830 00:54:29,400 --> 00:54:32,160 Speaker 1: also do some other fun stuff you will be able 831 00:54:32,200 --> 00:54:34,839 Speaker 1: to hear very soon, the return of the large nor 832 00:54:34,960 --> 00:54:37,600 Speaker 1: Drown Collider. It's been a hiatus for a bit, but 833 00:54:37,680 --> 00:54:41,120 Speaker 1: that's my goofy pop culture podcast with my friend Ariel, 834 00:54:41,480 --> 00:54:43,919 Speaker 1: where we cover some of the geek news of the week, 835 00:54:43,960 --> 00:54:48,239 Speaker 1: but we also mesh up unrelated geek properties and find 836 00:54:48,280 --> 00:54:52,080 Speaker 1: out what happens when, say, the Transformers has a run 837 00:54:52,080 --> 00:54:56,960 Speaker 1: in with my little pony um and it's brilliant and uh, 838 00:54:57,000 --> 00:55:00,960 Speaker 1: Michael Bay you can call me anytime you want and 839 00:55:01,880 --> 00:55:05,200 Speaker 1: we can't wait for you to get in touch with us, folks. 840 00:55:05,880 --> 00:55:09,640 Speaker 1: As we are building toward part two of this series, again, 841 00:55:10,040 --> 00:55:14,480 Speaker 1: we want to hear your wacky regional commercials. We've got 842 00:55:14,480 --> 00:55:16,480 Speaker 1: a pretty good horse in the race with Donna and 843 00:55:16,520 --> 00:55:21,120 Speaker 1: the Wolfman the Shane Company. Uh at radio ads always 844 00:55:21,760 --> 00:55:26,960 Speaker 1: you know, they're a thing, They're kind of weird, and 845 00:55:27,040 --> 00:55:30,240 Speaker 1: for that we're going to call it a day. Tune 846 00:55:30,280 --> 00:55:34,560 Speaker 1: in next week. In the immortal words of our pal Knowll, 847 00:55:35,280 --> 00:55:44,719 Speaker 1: We'll see you next time, folks. For more podcasts from 848 00:55:44,719 --> 00:55:47,520 Speaker 1: my Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 849 00:55:47,600 --> 00:55:49,720 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.