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“Lonely? He’s asexual.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s not lonely. Maybe he needs a car.”
So begins a conversation between characters in Douglas Coupland’s latest novel, jPod, which ends with them writing letters to the fast food mascot, competing to be his mate. Which, inevitably, got me thinking about Mickey D’s. I did my time at a franchise back in high school and I still eat there, even though Fast Food Nation almost did me in.
In honour of Coupland, I went looking for McDonalds pop culture parodies. If Ronald is lonely, where better place for him than a franchised version of Edward Hopper’s diner in “Nighthawks.” It would only have been better if Ronald himself had his back to us.
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When we were in Nagano, you could get a Quarter Pounder, but it came with an egg on top of it. I'd take a swipe at him too.
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"I bet Ronald is at home as we speak," continues one of Coupland's characters. "He's in his bathrobe and staring out the den window at the immaculately maintained front garden. he wonders if it was all worth it - the fame, the money, the fries - and then he has the moment when he realizes that this is all he'll ever be. It shocks him - the purity of the emotion. He has to sit down in an armchair. He reaches over to the bookshelf and, from between a row of comic book, he removes a bottle of Scotch."
Jeremy...what a great post!!!
ReplyDelete--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
A couple of other Ronald McDonald sitings in pop culture:
ReplyDeleteThe best "Parking Lot is Full" with Mr. McDonald and who could forget Wendy McDonald by Spookey Reuben.
Does this mean that the Jack in the Box guy is finally gonna get some? You know what they say about emn with big noses.
ReplyDeleteAh, more praise to feed my ever-expanding ego! I am the Blogger King!!
ReplyDeleteOk, I've come down now.
Thanks for the great additions MC, if more come in I may have to post a Round Two. And Spookey Ruben - you are Canadian, aren't you?
Well, I always thought of myself as just Canadian enough.
ReplyDeleteHeck, I may as well throw in my McD's post
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Jeremy. Well done!
Thanks Dr. B. I remember that post now. The Ray Kroc of terrorism still makes me laugh.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the documentary about the work of Ron English? Well worth a look, and it covers a lot of his stuff targeted at McDonald's.
ReplyDeleteThe bear is pedo bear because advertisements are aimed at children... That perv Ronald!
ReplyDeleteThe katakana caption of the bear taking a swipe at Ronald McDonald is just a phonetic rendering of "bear claw".
ReplyDelete