His red hair and yellow jumpsuit are immediately recognizable. He's been associated with happy meals for nearly 42 years.
But the newest incarnation of Ronald McDonald appears alongside flying fruits and his new sidekick, Yao Ming, the seven-foot, six-inch center for the Houston Rockets.
As we near a half-century mark for the McDonald's mascot, a makeover is probably way overdue at this point. Negative media coverage of the company has dragged its public-relations department into a new era of health-conscious consumers.
Morgan Spurlock's box office documentary, "Super Size Me," caused many people to think, was nominated for an academy award and was a smash hit at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Spurlock is the movie's creator, director and star. He travels through 20 U.S. cities to interview legislators, surgeon generals, a gym teacher and cooks. They share their opinions and research with Spurlock while he eats nothing but McDonald's food for one month.
Over the course of the film, he periodically visits his doctor, who records his declining health. The doctor eventually begs Spurlock to stop eating only McDonald's food.
In response to the criticism that followed the release of the film, McDonald's has decided to give Ronald McDonald a new image. In his latest commercial, Ron is seen snowboarding, playing soccer and juggling fruit with children. The red-and-yellow stud even has a new, leaner body to accompany his updated jumpsuit, which is more tightly fitted than his old outfit. There isn't a cheeseburger in sight in these commercials.
Some health food experts were quick to say they aren't buying what McDonald's execs are selling. The skeptics and critics believe that the fast food chain's advertisements are misleading. Even if this burger-and-fry joint is now emphasizing fresh and healthy foods, it still only makes up 10 percent of the menu.
Others believe that McDonald's is taking a responsible leadership role in the corporate world by encouraging people to get active. With kids viewing an average of 10,000 commercials each year, this is a powerful way to send a message. Ronald McDonald can be used as a role model to get American children in shape.
Many Americans are overweight or obese, and it's no coincidence that there are McDonald's, Burger King, Carl's Jr., Taco Bell and Wendy's locations everywhere. The country as a whole has been adopting unhealthy eating habits for years. Drastic measures including liposuction, the South Beach diet, stomach-stapling surgery and other weight-loss schemes are only attempts to patch the problem.
Now ask yourself these questions: Do we need to eat Big Macs? Is anyone being forced to consume Burrito Supremes and French fries?
No, we don't. We are making ourselves obese. As Americans, we love to play the role of the innocent consumer who is lied to by the big, nasty and evil corporations. But the nutrition facts have been out for years on traditional fast food. We need to take action.
The same goes for the parents of this country. Don't depend on McDonald's to feed your child. If your children are pleasantly plump, pack your children's lunches and have them skip potentially higher-fat cafeteria food. Instead of spending hours playing Playstation 2 games, take children to soccer practice or on a walk for amusement.
The fact that a worldwide conglomerate like McDonald's bothers to give a rip about what kids are watching on television is amazing in itself. Praise goes to the public-relations team at McDonald's for at least trying to be conscientious.
This is a restaurant that serves Quarter Pounders and Shamrock shakes. If they completely replaced the menu with salads and fruit cocktails, it wouldn't be McDonald's. I am definitely a proponent of eating right and staying fit, but America just wouldn't be America without our beloved golden arches staying just the way they are.
Reach the reporter at kalea.yoshida@asu.edu.
