What the Hell Is Grimace, McDonald's Beloved Purple Blob?

In June, McDonald’s celebrated Grimace’s 52nd birthday by releasing a limited-edition berry purple Grimace Shake. As a result, the purple blob and longtime character for the fast food chain  became a social media phenomenon, seemingly overnight, proving that one’s 50s are officially the new 20s.

Grimace’s Birth Month gave a whole new generation a chance to interact with the bumbling big guy. First, by giving him coveted gay icon status, then by taking away his sparkle with the #GrimaceShake trend, as TikTok users post videos that start with a birthday wish and end in horror movie-style death scenes, violet shake in hand. 

McDonald's Special Sauce Recipe

But what (or who) exactly were we all just celebrating for the past month? Well, I was *today years old* when I found out that this classic character from McDonald’s lore, a familiar friend whose species I’d never questioned is potentially … a taste bud. 

I can feel brain cells I’ve held onto since childhood exploding with this revelation as I typed that sentence. At no other time in my life have I felt such a need for introducing the interrobang to standard punctuation. Because what the HELL?! 

As a child of the 90s, birthdays at McDonald’s were the hot ticket. Going to the Golden Arches was always a treat, and especially when there was a PlayPlace at that location. A McDonald’s party gave you serious elementary school clout, and all the more when the clown himself made an appearance. Any other member of his motley McDonaldland crew would do, too.

Like many kids of my generation, we accepted and loved Grimace as this fuzzy, milkshake-guzzling lump. He was just one of the gang, a jolly, T-Rex-armed goofball with warm Eugene Levy eyebrows before we even knew who Eugene Levy was. (However, those born prior to 1973 might have conflicting memories, since “Evil” Grimace was initially introduced as a thirsty villain who wanted nothing more than sodas and shakes.)

First of all, why did I never think to ask what Grimace is? If a taste bud is something that makes you happy, why on earth is he named after a facial expression—a grimace—that signifies pain and suffering?

And for the love of all that’s holy, is that what people think taste buds look like?! *Rapidly Google image-searches “taste buds.” Promptly gets disgusted. Spoiler alert: Grimace isn’t that far off.*  Ba-da-bap-bap-bumm… I’m not loving it.

In 2014, a tweet from the McDonald’s Twitter account caused quite a kerfuffle when it merged together two theories: that Grimace is “the embodiment of a milkshake or taste bud,” both of which are discomfiting revelations since the former would classify him as a cannibal.

But then, in 2021, Brian Bates, who managed a Canadian McDonald’s, notoriously told CBC News that Grimace “is an enormous taste bud, but a taste bud nonetheless.” 

Charactersdb.com’s List of McDonald’s Mascots still describes him as “a purple blob.” And when we at The Spruce Eats reached out to McDonald’s officials, Grimace’s people have not been available to confirm nor deny his status as a taste bud, offering no comment and only a press release as fuzzy on the subject as the alleged bud himself. And frankly, I can’t say I blame them. 

Maybe the best answer came from when PEOPLE reached out to the fast food chain for confirmation on Grimace’s identity, and a spokesperson said: “Whether he's a taste bud, a milkshake or just your favorite purple blob—the best part about Grimace is that he means different things to different people. Whatever he is, we're just proud our bestie makes people happy."

Whatever Grimace is, I’m already looking forward to celebrating his 53rd, taste bud or not.