McDonald’s media franchise “McDonaldland” features numerous characters, including Grimace, Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar. The summer of 2023 marked Grimace’s 50th birthday, bringing Grimace back into public consciousness. In 1975, McDonald’s Shamrock Shake was represented by Grimace’s Irish relative, Uncle O’Grimacey. This year, Uncle O’Grimacey will finally make his triumphant return.
Uncle O’Grimacey was phased out of McDonald’s advertising by the mid-1980s. There is a rumor that a Philadelphia actor playing Uncle O’Grimacey shared some controversial comments about Irish unification, expressing support for the Irish Republican Army (IRA). There are no records or reports to corroborate the claim, but the rumor has circulated and gained traction since. Uncle O’Grimacey is loved by fans, including myself. McDonald’s recent campaign of reintroducing old mascots is an effort to appeal to customers’ nostalgia. The older members of my family were excited when Grimace returned to television for his 50th birthday.
McDonald’s even released an Uncle O’Grimacey collection of merchandise, all of which is sold out. It’s rather unclear what Grimace actually is. Some fans suspect he is a taste bud, a purple blob or the physical embodiment of a shake. The ambiguity is part of what I love about Grimace and his uncle. He’s a Grimace. There is no clear answer to what he is, but the spirit of absurdity is what makes him so endearing.
Minimalism has been a trend for decades. In his 1968 book “The System of Objects,” Jean Baudrillard explores the shift away from dramatic opulence. Baudrillard explores the relationship between capitalist consumption and social status through design choices, specifically the mid-century modern style, which was popular at the time. Mid-century design’s stark functionality and minimalism expressed our culture’s love for efficiency and capitalist values. Baudrillard wrote, “Every object claims to be functional, just as every regime claims to be democratic. The term evokes all the virtues of modernity, yet it is perfectly ambiguous.” Modernity in advertising leaves us with stark colors and sleek lines, reading some version of “buy this.”
As you may suspect, Baudrillard dislikes the minimalism he described. It upholds capitalistic values of efficiency and functionality and misses crucial human elements. Ridiculous advertising, such as the McDonaldland universe, opposes the soulless minimal advertising we’ve seen in recent years. Of course, an advertisement is an advertisement; the goal is to get consumers shopping, but I’d rather have a little fun being a cog in the capitalist machine than do the same thing with a dull ad.
Advertising has fallen victim to minimalism in recent decades, and I hope the Grimace family’s return marks a change in trend. Grimace and Uncle O’Grimacey are both ridiculous, unserious and fun. The McDonald’s universe is so absurd it’s camp. I want more of it. Rumors of Uncle O’Grimacey’s political extremism or Grimace’s fatal birthday shakes are outrageous, and I can’t get enough.
The Onion has poked fun at the Shamrock Shake’s relationship to Irish republicanism. Their article jokes that the leader of the IRA’s political party Sinn Féin said, “It is shameful that we as a people cannot enjoy this proud, symbolic beverage any more than one week a year.” There are layers to the Grimace family tree and the political-economic state of McDonaldland, and I am waiting for more with bated breath.
I love Grimace, and I love Uncle O’Grimacey. Being able to poke fun at an otherwise difficult and painful part of Irish history feels like a step in the right direction. Even though the IRA-supporting Grimace rumor is almost certainly untrue, its prevalence reveals a truth about our view of McDonald’s (or any international corporation, for that matter) role in geopolitics. The words of one outspoken Philadelphia Grimace can feasibly halt an ad campaign by associating the company with political extremism.
It’s been over 20 years since the Good Friday Agreement ended the Troubles, and Ireland’s global image has changed dramatically. Irish artists like Hozier, Cillian Murphy and Paul Mescal (along with Ayo Edebiri) have ignited an international love for Ireland. Compared to the 1970s, Ireland has come a long way. Irish republicanism remains part of Irish politics, and republican dissidents remain who do not accept the Good Friday Agreement. Nevertheless, Uncle O’Grimacey’s return speaks to the decreased tension in Ireland.
Alana Jones, FCRH ’27, is an English major with a minor in psychology from Manhattan, New York.
