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McDonald’s Iconic Clown Was Quietly Phased Out For Very Disturbing Reason
There’s a disturbing reason why McDonald’s quietly phased out the iconic clown Ronald McDonald.
When brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald founded the fast food chain in 1940 in San Bernardino, California, they could never have predicted the giant they had created.
Businessman Ray Kroc guided the duo, as they went onto build the biggest fast-food empire the world has ever seen.
In fact, 85 years on from the empire’s launch, there’s a crazy statistic suggesting that McDonald’s feeds 1% of the entire global population per day.
And data from a 2024 study suggests that the average McDonald’s customer visits the restaurant 54 times a year in the US, which is more than once a week.
Who is Ronald McDonald?
The fast food chain first introduced its mascot, Ronald McDonald, back in 1963, and over the years, he’s become loved by all.
During his reign, Ronald was even known as the world’s ‘newest, silliest, hamburger-eating-est clown.’
He would often be seen with his friends, including Mayor McCheese, Hamburglar and The Fry Kids.
However, this all came to an end in 2016 when the company decided to scrap the iconic clown.
Why did people campaign for Ronald to be banned?
Although there is one major reason Ronald quickly faded from the public eye (more on that later), many people had been campaigning for McDonald’s to drop the mascot before this.
Some critics argued that he was encouraging children to eat unhealthy foods.
A group of 550 doctors also placed newspaper advertisements asking for him to retire in 2011, reports The Sun.
It read: “We ask that you stop marketing junk food to children.
“The rates of sick children are staggering. Ballooning healthcare costs and an overburdened healthcare system make treatment more difficult than ever.
“And we know that reducing junk food marketing can significantly improve the health of kids.”
Does the clown still exist?
Although Ronald is no longer the face of McDonald’s anymore, he’s still the face of the Ronald McDonald House Charities UK.
The charity’s mission is to keep families close together while also providing a ‘home away from home’ for the families of seriously ill children in hospital.
In 2024, the charity supported 8,288 families across the 14 homes that they are able to run.
Since 1989, McDonald’s and its franchisees have raised over $134 million (£100 million) for the charity, which goes towards the running and building of Ronald McDonald Houses across the UK.
Why was the clown banned?
In October 2016, you may remember a disturbing craze was taking place all over the US, with it eventually taking off in the UK.
People were beginning to dress as spooky clowns while donning weapons.
This led to terror spreading, with police describing it as ‘no laughing matter.’
Speaking to the BBC, Professor Mark Griffiths, a chartered psychologist at Nottingham Trent University, revealed why people are so scared of the characters.
He said: “The vast majority of people are not scared of clowns day-to-day but a clown’s face has become part of a scare culture.
“There is a stereotype of the nasty, evil, eerie clown.
“If you look at clowns facially what you tend to find is part of their face or feet are exaggerated, they have huge noses, scary mouths and wildfire hair.”
He added: “We also have a cinematic trope.
“These characters with clown faces are either killing people or doing really nasty things.
“Even if you have not come into contact with clowns, you’re influenced by what you see in television and films.”
McDonald’s issues a statement
As the trend circulated on social media, McDonald’s released a statement, announcing the end of Ronald’s reign.
It said that due to the ‘current climate around clown sightings in communities,’ the chain would be even more ‘thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald’s participation in community events.’
Since the clown craze, the red-haired figure has barely been spotted.
A statement by McDonald’s reads: “We’re afraid that Ronald McDonald no longer appears in McDonald’s UK advertising, but he is still very busy working for us.
“He often travels up and down the country to help promote some of our exciting new activities and visits our restaurants to make sure everyone is enjoying their meals.”
After discovering the reason Ronald was scrapped, many people have taken to social media and reacted.
One person said: “Still crazy how McDonald’s silently removed Ronald McDonald from their franchise after the 2016 clown craze.”
Another added: “I miss when clowns just made you smile and now they’re just scary.”
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