NEW YORK, July 5 — Introduced in the 1970s, the Grimace character is not the best-known McDonald’s mascot. And yet, it’s Grimace who’s currently a viral hit on social networks, driven by a craze for sharing videos inspired by horror movies. Presented at launch as a villainous character, the image of this purple mascot has changed over the course of 50 years. So much so that, against all odds, the character has become a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Lately, a strange trend called the “Grimace Shake” has emerged on TikTok. American social media users are filming themselves sipping on a purple milkshake, before writhing on the ground while eerie music plays. Others go as far as to spit out the beverage through their mouths or noses — a cleverly staged concept reminiscent of horror movie scenes. Even the American actress Courteney Cox (Friends) has joined in with the fun.
It all started with the 52nd birthday of the McDonald’s mascot Grimace, celebrated this year. For the occasion, the fast-food chain released a special menu, including a purple milkshake, the Grimace Shake. This marketing stunt gave the TikToker thefrazmaz the idea of using this strange-coloured beverage to make a movie-inspired video clip. In a video, the young man explains that he was inspired by a previous trend, involving Burger King’s Spider Verse burger, which involves filming yourself eating the red burger before ending up in an ambulance. In reality, neither food tastes terrible or will lead to the events imagined by creative TikTokers. In fact, consumers say the Grimace Shake actually tastes like red-fruit-flavored milk and cereal. But this trend has helped revive the popularity of a long-forgotten mascot.
@snackgoon This new McDonalds #grimace shake made me feel weird #grimaceshake #grimacebirthday original sound - Gooner
An overlooked mascot
Created in the early 1970s by McDonald’s, the fictional creature failed to win over consumers at the time. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the famous fast-food chain featured characters from the imaginary world of McDonaldland in its advertising, including Ronald the clown, Officer Big Mac, Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, Grimace and others. Initially, the purple mascot was nicknamed “Evil Grimace,” and was billed as the evil monster who stole children’s milkshakes. But his initially villainous appearance changed over the years to become a softer, more cuddly creature. Albeit with limited success. Grimace then disappeared completely from promotional campaigns. As of 2003, only Ronald, the famous clown, has been recognisable to burger-lovers as a McDonald’s mascot. But since June, which also marks Pride Month, the LGBTQIA+ community has reappropriated the mascot as a queer icon.
A queer icon
During Pride festivities, people were spotted stepping out dressed in Grimace costumes, like at the St Louis Pride Fest in the US or at a Pride march in the Philippines. On Twitter, searching for “Grimace Gay” reveals memes but also fan art and other mock-ups, raising the monster to the status of a rainbow-clad mascot. One user even tweeted that “the purple in the gay flag is for Grimace.” Dubbed “Mother Grimace” (a term derived from LGBTQIA+ slang to describe influential people), the mascot can be seen wearing a dress, fishnet tights and heels. So what is Grimace’s identity? According to a McDonald’s spokesperson quoted by Insider, Grimace’s identity is fluid. “Whether he’s a taste bud, a milkshake, or just your favourite purple blob — the best part about Grimace is that he means different things to different people,” the spokesperson said. — ETX Studio
