Above is an unretouched 1963 photo of the original Ronald McDonald. The strangely jovial Ronald there is portrayed by — actually was created by — Willard Scott, who would later gain fame as a strangely jovial NBC weatherman.
From Tiny Tim and Pee-Wee Herman to the Kardashians and Stephen Colbert, showbiz has never had a shortage of strange performers. But Scott’s typecasting produced two such characters: hamburger clown and happy-talk weatherman.
Typecasting seems to encourage costuming. In the 2019 furball-bomb of a movie Cats, the entire cast — including the esteemed Dame Judi Dench — wore cat outfits. Maybe actors take ludicrous costumed roles in the hope that nobody recognizes them.
This photo seems to need a caption. You’re invited to submit one below, or supersize and submit more than one. They almost write themselves! I wrote 25 of them.
Don’t get the wrong idea. I like girl clowns.
There’s nothing with wrong the thick shakes, really! As far as I know.
They’re forcing me to do this. It’s part of my plea agreement.
Whatever you do, don’t major in art history.
Uh, must be the creaky shoes that are scaring the kids.
You lost your appetite? Why?
Maybe signing a personal services contract with Ray Kroc was a bad idea.
No, I wasn’t “honking a horn”! I have no horn.
My name’s not really Ronald. It’s Tracy — I mean Willard.
Whaddaya mean, you’re “off to see the Wizard”? That guy’s a phony!
Everybody loves a clown! Well, maybe not a hamburger clown.
My high school yearbook named me “Most likely to be humiliated.”
Guess the color of my underpants! Yellow? What are you suggesting??
Sure, the Russians have Sputnik, but we have thick shakes.
Do I have to eat this crap?
No, we don’t give Green Stamps, but I can let you have an extra ketchup!
You’re worried about a clown promoting food? Worry about the food.
I personally test all our drinking cups.
They’re doing amazing things with plastics these days.
I tried to hug Shelley Winters at a grand opening. She slugged me.
Oh, Lord, what if Mom sees this?
When the CIA told me to go undercover, I had NO idea . . . .
I designed this hat myself.
Don’t cry, little fella! I’m the one who should be crying.
All beef, pure beef, 100% beef! OK, just a little bit of gopher.