How Old Is Grimace And Why In The Purple Hell Is His Milkshake Scaring TikTok?
"I don't know if it's a demon or a devil ... or just some hungry thing from some dark place in time."
That quote from "Jeepers Creepers" sums up the eldritch horror that is Grimace, the McDonald's mascot. Some say Grimace is a taste bud; others, a simple purple blob to sell toys to children. But the true machinations of Grimace's essence have always been clear as day from when he first rose to terrorize the world. In 1971, Grimace surfaced in a McDonald's commercial, specifically as "Evil Grimace," to steal all of the cups from McDonaldland so that no one could have milkshakes. The company later dropped the "Evil" from the name, but while one can change a name, you can't change nature.
To commemorate Grimace's 52nd birthday in 2023, or perhaps to placate the beast, McDonald's launched a special promotion — Grimace's Birthday Meal. It comes with a Big Mac or 10-piece McNuggets, fries, and a limited edition purple Grimace shake. There's a slight berry taste to the shake; some even say it's reminiscent of fruity cereal milk. But TikTokers have shown a new side to the dessert, making it a trend on the platform. Evil Grimace is back, and he's out for blood.
You can't hide from Grimace
After the release of the Grimace Shake, a peculiar phenomenon transpired on TikTok. Users would upload videos of them trying the Grimace Shake, usually saying something like "Happy Birthday, Grimace." Then, the videos make a hard cut to the drinker passed out, maybe covered in the shake, in some bizarre location. The implication being that Grimace is responsible for the misfortune that befalls those who drink its shake.
Some videos are fairly straightforward, like one from @jacksdriscoll, who can be seen drinking the shake and then ending up incapacitated in a basketball hoop. If you're willing to go further down the rabbit hole, you'll find a TikTok from @guaquamolininjabenis where a young man drinks the shake only to wind up lying in an abandoned facility. But Grimace isn't far behind; stay until the end of the video, and you'll find a purple hand coming around the doorway. And the trend has continued to evolve, with @donniedarkoismybabydaddy posting a video of VHS footage showing numerous young people meeting violent ends at the hands of Grimace.
What does Grimace want? Why does he only target people who drink his shakes? Grimace knows what's going on, as the official McDonald's TikTok account uploaded a video of Grimace with the text, "meee pretending i dont see the grimace shake trendd." Grimace covers his eyes at first, but at the end, he moves his hands away. He obviously wants to see the carnage. More #GrimaceShake videos continue popping up on TikTok daily. Hopefully, Uncle O'Grimacey can talk some sense into Grimace and stop the mayhem before it's too late.
May Grimace have mercy on our souls.