The horror...the horror...I have a trembling fascination with Ronald McDonald as a symbol of corporate evil and greed that also happens to be cute and appealing to children. McDonald's sponsored a small blues festival in Kiener Plaza downtown after the parade and baseball game last Saturday. Even cowgirls get the blues, but I don't believe that Ronald gets the blues. I don't think he even gets the point.
That evening, my wife and I went to a performance of the national touring company of The Second City, Chicago's renowned improv comedy troupe. In one of the bits, a male member of the cast came out on stage with a guitar. He started to sing a sort of folk rock song with a bitter tone. It was about how he started out on a road trip with a new girlfriend. He eventually got hungry and proposed a stop at McDonald's. The girlfriend strongly objected, going on about how she would never put that high fat, high calorie, high sodium garbage in her mouth. The young man dug in his heels, ending every verse with the refrain, F*** Y**, it's delicious! (Us ROTFL.) You pays your money and you takes your choice. But Ronald, please stay out of my nice little downtown plaza.
OH, AND BY THE WAY, happy birthday to Chicago's U "R" Us, daily photo blogger and scion of the Tastes family, who's off for a really big party in New York City (my home town) tonight! He can make it there, so he can make it anywhere.
TOMORROW: Oh, what the hell, another street portrait.
OH, AND BY THE WAY, happy birthday to Chicago's U "R" Us, daily photo blogger and scion of the Tastes family, who's off for a really big party in New York City (my home town) tonight! He can make it there, so he can make it anywhere.
TOMORROW: Oh, what the hell, another street portrait.
Hi! I agree with your views on Ronald. He kind of gives me the creeps, especially since Stephen King's "It." Not a fan of their food either. But I DO like your photo, where he seems to be outsizing the building in the background. Prophetic?
ReplyDeleteBeen very busy, so I haven't been surfing my favorite blogs, but want to say your preceding few I'd missed are great, especially the ice cream man! Much more human too than Ronald...
cette photographie est sponsorisé par...... ;o)
ReplyDeletethis photograph is sponsored by ...... ;o)
Ronald's not evil, he just wants to get you addicted to junk food early in life, gain weight, loose self respect, become permanently depressed and then only find solace in the same nutritionally-deficient food that got you there in the first place -- all at a super price!
ReplyDelete- Mitch in Minneapolis
He is everywhere. He makes my Muffler Man cowboy not seem so bad after all. I like the visual layers of icons here.
ReplyDeleteSuper size me; errk. Killer clown of urban America. Not a big fan of The golden arches. Then again, I'm not a big fan of any of that crap canned food.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, I know so many people and friends when as children, were terrified of clowns. Always made me wonder why a clown was their mascot. And what the heck is a Grimmace? You know, that purpl blob like McDonaldland character that hung around Mayor McCheese. Was he grimmace because thats what he did after downing a big mac?
But I digress, I like how you framed this with the St. Louis Arch dominating over the iconic golden arch tycoon.
Hey, wasn't Second City TV originally from Toronto?
I never fancy with their burgers, but love their hot fudge sundae for $1. And for the picture, the Arch in Ronald background makes this picture more interesting.
ReplyDeleteThere's something spooky about the photo. Nice story to go with that too!!! Well done.
ReplyDeleteMy sister often goes to impro nights and she loves them. I'll try it one of those days...
There's a conspiracy afoot! You, Crystal Lake, IL, and Dallas all posted a McDonald's photo today/yesterday (choose your time zone). That's pretty creepy, eh?
ReplyDeleteThe silver arch v. the golden arches...quelle horreur. I'm glad you added some angles to this photo.
ReplyDeletenice angle and your comments are right on...
ReplyDeleteI don't like McD's, their food or that strange mixture of clown and Chucky. I don't understand how marketing people are still using this...thing, and those hamburgers, cardboard is tastier! :O
ReplyDelete