McDonald's has finally put an end to a decades-long debate after reportedly revealing what Grimace is actually meant to be.
Now, the fast-food chain character - famed for his blobby purple appearance - has been part of the McDonaldland crew for generations now, but despite his likeness appearing on advertisements, food branding and merch for half a century now - it's clear that many Big Mac and McFlurry lovers out there had absolutely no idea what he even is.
Other characters include the likes of the Hamburglar, Birdie the Early Bird, the Fry Kids, the McNugget Buddies and the Happy Meal Gang, but it's Grimace who has kept us guessing all these years.
He was actually initially called 'Evil Grimace' in 1971 among the McDonaldland crew as he used his four arms to steal and carry milkshakes, but over time he's had a pretty major PR makeover.
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"The original Grimace was scaly, mean‑looking, had four arms, and had no charm whatsoever," McDonald's former vice‑president of advertising Roy T. Bergold Jr. wrote in QSR magazine.
"He scared kids. We changed him to a soft, plush, two-armed blob of a sweetheart who only wanted McDonald’s milkshakes and to hang out with Ronald."
But the 50-year confusion has now finally been cleared up as a report from the Daily Mail has revealed that Grimace is not, in fact, an 'egglant emoji', a 'giant soda drop' or even a 'purple chicken nugget' but is actually a massive, anthropomorphic taste bud.
This is backed up by something a Canadian McDonald's manager told CBC News back in 2021, insisting Grimace was 'an enormous taste bud'.
It didn't take long for people to rush to social media to share their bewilderment at the bombshell announcement, with one X user writing: "Grimace being a taste bud this whole time has me f**king crying."
A second chimed in: "WAIT I THOUGHT HE WAS A BIG A** GUMDROP…"
"Grimace being a giant taste bud doesn’t sit well with me," lamented a third, while a fourth chimed in: "I never wondered what Grimace was before. Didn’t care. He’s just a purple… thing… McDonald’s didn’t have to tell me he’s a taste bud. That just makes things really weird."
Another confessed: "The Grimace is a taste bud?! I’m forever broken, not sure if I’ll ever recover."
Maccies fans will be forgiven for their confusion over Grimace's identity following the Daily Mail report, as, prior to the taste bud reveal, McDonald's has put out several cryptic comments about the character's identity, with some very conflicting public statements suggesting Grimace might be something else entirely.
In 2012, the McDonald’s corporate account posted: "Grimace is the embodiment of a milkshake, though others still insist he’s a taste bud."
Flash-forward to 2021 again, a McDonald’s spokesperson told People: "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.
"Whatever he is, we’re just proud our bestie makes people happy."
Tyla has reached out to McDonald's for a comment on the Daily Mail report.
Topics: McDonalds, Food and Drink, Life, Social Media
Rhiannon Ingle