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Rot Topic - The Bizarre History of McDonaldland (Patreon)

Published:
2026-03-13 06:29:03
Edited:
2026-03-13 06:37:30
Imported:
2026-03
Tags:

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AD-FREE EPISODE FOR $5+ PATRONS!

Welcome to Rot Topic, the show where we delve deep into the dumpsters of our mind and share our fascinating findings with the world! This week, Head Rotsearcher Emily Axford takes us on a tour of the french-fried fantasy realm known as "McDonaldland." WARNING: Spoilers for "The Founder" (2016) ABOUND. Images and videos referenced in the episode are linked below!

First-Ever Appearance of Ronald McDonald

Original McDonaldland Commercial

Evil Grimace Commercial

Grimace Bounce & Bend

Grimace's Beautiful Lips

Mac Tonight Commercial

CREDITS

Sound Mixing and Editing by Trevor Lyon

Get tickets to our Radio City and Sydney Opera House shows HERE!

Files

Comments

Alan C

YESSS

Vee

IM HERE AND I'M READY TO LISTEN

Grass

This is why it’s good to be a night owl

Fridge

SO EXCITED FOR THIS LETS GO!!!!

Olivia Francis

Perfect timing for bedtime, hopefully I have frightening and bizarre dreams ❤️

Swamplake Soundscapes

Former mcdonalds worker, the mustard and ketchup guns were an unexpected highlight of a terrible time. Also the salt and pepper dispenser is satisfying.

Chareth Cutestory

13 men have played Ronald McDonald over the years, including names like Ray Rayner, King Moody, and Squire Fridell. Contrary to popular belief, Mr. Joe Maggard was never a valid holder of the title, a McDonalds spokesperson is quoted saying, “he is definitely not Ronald McDonald.”

Alex A.

Night Shift RISE UP

Hannah

a million more of these please and thank you

Brian M

Ronald you can't be on tv and watch it at the same time!

Neil Dutton

Considering I hardly follow any other creators, I hear a shocking amount about McDonald's Land on patreon.

carlcon

Murph's story about leaving Diablo 2 in McDs gave me such a visceral reaction. Such a brutal thing to happen, I felt it 30 years later.

Kid Chaos, the pride and torment of the podcast

So actually Mac the Knife is more like from the late 1920’s as it’s originally from the Threepenny Opera by Kurt Weil and Berthold Brecht (also known for the Alabama song famously covered by the doors)

Angie McClelland

I once saved a kid from "drowning" in a ball pit, but it was my sister. Good times.

LouieTheDog

NEVER in my life could I have bet that I’d ever hear Caldwell and Emily say “looksmaxxing” 😭

Nate Stosius

Oh to be in the room when they were deciding whether to name their signature sandwich after Maurice or Richard

Michelle Spurgeon

Willard Scott who was the weather man for Good Morning America before Al Roker is the OG Ronald McDonald!

Leif_millelnuie

I can't believe they talk about the E.T. craze and omitted Razzie winner Macdonald Sponsored E.T. blatant plagiarism Mac and Me!

Emma Hart

This is so fun to listen to 🥰

Pensulliwen

Early Ronald looks exactly like James A. Janisse and it’s freaking me out.

thiswayjose

What a beautiful episode for walking around Kyoto tonight

BurtMcKraken

I can’t believe they didn’t bring up John Wayne Gacy specifically, the guy who was a clown serial killer, when they were talking about clown horror origins.

Jake de Medeiros

I’m sure this nostalgic for them but I’m way too young to know these references & don’t eat processed fast food so this just makes me hate capitalism

Luke B

Just like how grimace looks like Tom Holland

Fikon

Absolutely adore this guys! Keep it coming, love these deep dives on weird shit

Sav and Landon

We have a Mac Tonight commemorative cup from when my hometown college won the MAC football championship. I just have that in my apartment from the 90’s

Kat

The way my memory was activated when I heard the phrase "Mac Tonight".... Also DOUG JONES WHAT?!?

JR Lonergan

I need Em to explain EVERYTHING now

Melissa Shilale

You wouldn’t download a burger would you?

tommy

The craziest thing is that out of all of these characters, Mac Tonight is by far the most cancellable

poppy marten

“Just turn around and see if you won’t find a hamburger patch” is such a strange and long-winded lyric 💀

Audro Baggins

Should I have a shamrock shake in hand when listening to this?

david

Im just saying, I remember there being McDonald's vhs tapes for more hamburgler lore, I loved them as a kid for whatever reason

Rebecca N

Can't wait for these McDonald's commercials to suddenly get a surge in views from this

Shane C

My McDonald’s lore is that my sister and I found a box cutter in a ball pit. They gave us free French fries for finding it?

Travis Bliss

Holy shit Ronald surgically removed the extra arms and then followed through on his promise to make Grimace a star spoilers for the founder 3

Bobby Bogs

I'm surprised there was no mention of McDonald's bringing back McDonald's land last year for a promotion.

Santa Grinch Hugging HumBaba and two Fairies

back in 1996 when my younger Brother was 4 it was relatively unique that he was scared of the clown at a neighbor hood birthday party. Im pretty sure it was before we watched the "It" Tv Movie. though it was an 80's series so maybe he watched it early while I was at school

Rebecca N

Also I've for sure seen one of those old McDonald's signs in person before, I know I have a picture of it somewhere

Ashley

Some random thoughts: - Re “The lone jogger”: I wonder if they’re using jogger’s older definition, i.e. to jog a memory. I looked up the etymology and saw an old definition as “to shake up and down.” Which would make sense since a common phrase for stealing/extorting was “to shake someone down.” Perhaps then “lone jogger” was meant to imply he was going to “shake you down” for your hamburgers? Another interpretation to consider. - Second, when Jake said he was going to make an “earnest” plea (or pitch?), my nostalgia-addled mind thought he meant “Ernest” at first and was going to bring up Ernest P. Worrell. Idk why, but clearly he is embedded in my psyche. All of that is to say, I would like to raise a motion to add Ernst to the NADDPOD nightmare verse! The destructive but lovable goof would be a great addition.

Wojtek

We are one step closer to a Michael Hobbes NADDpod guest appearance

Gail Hawanchak

As a longtime Doug Jones fan I love the shoutout he’s truly in everything and nobody knows what he looks like or who he is and he is incredible and I love him so much.

Amanda di Johnny Bravo Camera

"and all of our 30 year old fans get so hurt" Yeah man, gimme the waivers. Sign me up. I need the nightmareland experience that I will not even begin to explain to any other human being who has not listened to this pod for at least 18 months (exceptions for those who have done an intensive bootcamp binge camp).

clerby

fun: ketchup, not fun: cone cups and land accumulation

Kitt

What a wonderful and haunting trip down memory lane

BurtMcKraken

I actually love the creepy abandoned 80s-90s McDonald play places in Chernobyl-esque frozen in time locations.

Clemming

Love a good brainworm exorcism

nvsblty

i'm ready to get injured at NADDPODLAND, i will sign a waiver

Professor Pratt

Do you guys know about the Fry Guys? I remember them from early 80s

Terrell Swanson

You guys should start doing these on video

clerby

i don’t know if anyone has said this but seth meyers has a longstanding well known fear/hatred of mac tonight

Patrick B

Never change naddpod

Hipster

Cone Cups and Land Accumulation: The Cynical Truth of McDonalds and Croc Synopsis- The OG Ronald McDonald would have been on A List.

LarryLarryLarry

Weird bad fact the moon guy yall were talking is used as a neo-nazi white supremacist meme character on the internet. 😬

ViciousWarGoose

I was born in 81 so I got to experience the Golden Age of McDonalds as a child, I have vivid memories of the old playgrounds and the happy meal toys. I still have some of the batman ones from either the first Batman movie or Batman Returns.

sister himbo

McDonald’s getting sued by Kurt Weil’s estate is a Brechtian wet dream

Nina

I think the red and yellow is also supposed to incite hunger for warmer toned foods

Emily

I need to info dump this but there is a reason that many restaurants choose red back then and even today: red is one of the colors believed to stimulate appetite. Yellow is a color believe to simulate happiness. That’s why the yellow arches are so iconic. SPOILERS?? (Haven’t finished this yet) the reason McDobalds is changing their colors is because they want people to feel it’s more like a restaurant vs a fast food joint. Sources below: https://pulptastic.com/the-hidden-meaning-behind-mcdonalds-iconic-yellow-and-red-logo-colors/ https://www.colorpsychology.org/yellow/ https://pasindulakshan.com/why-food-brands-use-red-for-their-outlets-the-psychology-behind-the-color/ Hope this makes sense! PS for Emily: you should check out the founder by history buffs; he tells you if it’s history accurate or not and summarizes the movie. Great episode! I haven’t finished this yet 😂

Jmp098

My local McDonald’s had a GameCube in the play place. Forgot what games they had

Luka Burrell

That's insane like when I think about fast food its McDonalds like they are THE fast food

rosebramblewolf

In middle school in the early 90s, when my older sister would go to regional or state choir festival, they would stop at McDonald's and all these 12-13 year olds would invade the playplace and have a fantastic time. (The one in our actual town was too small for a playplace.) By the time I was going to these festivals, we were stopping at the same McDonald's, but they had instituted an age cap on the playplace and we weren't allowed in. I'm still a little bitter about it.

rosebramblewolf

That's unfortunate, Doug Jones doesn't deserve that.

Erez Tovi

Gotta say, not your best show, I prefer surprise round

Donna Bieber

The 90’s McDonalds birthday party cakes that were often still frozen partially by serving time.

Nils

Love it

elizabeth

you needed a mets fan on the pod for this one to fill you in on the omg gay grimace mets of 2024. happy to step in in the future 🫡

Rai

God I’m so glad you guys are talking about McDonald’s lore. I watched those movies A LOT when I was a kid and no one ever knows what I’m talking about. I feel seen 🙏

mars

for too long I did not realize that “the founder” was a title of a movie so I thought when you were saying “spoilers for the founder” it was “spoiler for the life of this human being”

thequeercat

Doug Jones is also in Star Trek haha, the layers never cease!

Rai

Okay follow up - we aren’t talking about Georgia O’Beefe nearly enough

Melissa Shilale

Did your dreams end up being afflicted by the NADDPODverse!

Katarina Carleo

Highly suggest anyone that enjoyed this episode / is into McDonald’s play place stuff and lore - look up Jenny Nicholson on YouTube but also her patreon has even more occasional McDonald’s deep dives and SPOILERS she actually dos acquire some old pieces. Love this episode style, guyssss!

Derrick Collins

I was hoping to find another McDonald’s alum in here

CU

Does anyone remember the square-shaped vinyl record that came with the newspaper?! If the people on the record sang the McD menu song correctly you’d win $1M. (And yes I do remember most of the words by heart! Big Mac, McDLT, a 1/4 pounder with some cheese…)

Just_another_queer

Ah yes the perfect thing to listen to while traveling from New Zealand to the Sydney live show

Luke B

Insane they have talked about so much about about this, and not even said if they like it or not (unless they have?)

bog-body-babey

despite being born only a year before their end, I have VIVID memories of the McNugget Buddies toys. they were a wonderful texture to chew on and I remember thinking they looked like Little People toys mixed with Mr. Potato Head. I don't think I realized they were connected to McDonald's cause my family was big on yard sales so they probably came in a box of random toys we got for $5.

Hugo Wull

Defunctland is another good rec in the same style (and I believe has collaborated with Jenny a few times!)

Katie Lackey

Guys, the Savannah College of Art and Design has a *strange* number of vintage McDonalds mascots. Grimace is there to greet the interior design and architecture students- the play space you’re pitching- it’s basically just the industrial design building.

Hugo Wull

Georgia O’Beef is an all-timer

The Fun Yaunt

Red and yellow are supposed to make you hungry, so I think that was part of the thought process!

Nicole Jordan

I love that someone could be doing a deep dive into McDonalds and discover NADDPOD from this ep. How confusing and beautiful!

Cord

Remodeled an older McD’s store a few years ago, and we had to demo the PlayPlace. One of the grossest jobs we ever ran into. The sheer amounts of HAIR… [shudder]

Mike Vance

This was a delight. Took me back to getting literally stuck in that narc hamburger cop’s dumb bars when I was a kid. Keep the rot coming! (Also more surprise round???)

jbyrd

Just thinking about how the Big Mac is named after Mac McDonald... And if they're named that same Burger after his brother dick, it would be called the big dick instead of the Big Mac

Not Another D&D Podcast

Holy shit WHAT. I know folks that went to SCAD and they've never mentioned this! Gonna pretend to be a professor and sneak into this room. ~Caldwell

Katie Lackey

Take a tour next time you’re in Savannah 😂 Grimace will give you a high five

Crangar’s Little Helper

Jake the less than Cake sayin, “Those kids are 60’s and that clown is dead.” Fucking SENT me. 😂

Helen✨

I’m too young to have any nostalgia for/much memory of any of this, and loved every second anyway!! It’s giving consummate entertainers🙂‍↕️

1KCSportsFan

Yes I was gonna mention this! It’s so random lol

Matt Fuller

I love this idea for a show from you guys! I'm here for the personalities at this point, d&d was just the jumping off point!

Claire Keogh

I loved this so so much please keep doing these!!!

alwayshome

Two cursed McDonalds facts that understandably did not make the cut: 1. The golden arches were kept in doubles because a Freudian expert stated they will subconsciously remind customers of their mothers' breasts. 2. Mac Tonite is now recognized by the ADL as a white supremacist dog whistle. (Sad because he absolutely DOES fuck, as Murph stated.) Sorry I don't have a third fact, but those two are pretty meaty anyway.

AutoReroll

In fairness, Captain Cook was was a real historical figure who inspired Hook. Could have beeb as much parallel thinking as ip theft.

Jack McReynolds

My brother managed to snag 3 of the spring riders for my niece when she turned 7. This episode reminded me about them and I asked if he still had them. He said yes, and I can have all three for a buck. I'm guessing they've outgrown their usefulness.

Kathryn Martin

I had close captions on for Willard Scott as Ronald McDonald and it read “Introducing the world’s newest silliest and hamburger eating ass clown”

Razzle McDazzle

As a random FYI, you can buy one of McDonald’s self-measuring salt and pepper shakers on Amazon for $60. It’s called an AccuSalt.

Chase

"Spoilers for The Founder" sounds like a religious affirmation used by a cult

Ed Squair

The Lone Jogger and invisible car were just gags for single ads, not recurring “lore”

Professor Pratt

Gods damnit I’m gonna watch the Founder tonight. Georgia O’Beef for the win, btw

Alex Ketchum

This is like a naddpod version of an Acquired episode. From their discussion with Michael Lewis they said there was a lot of runway for other podcasts to use the format. I can see Jake being a Aquired fan - was that inspo? Great episode

Caitlin C.

beautiful work. i was just talking to someone about Grimace shakes memes from 2023(?) today. McDonald’s can try to suppress the glory of McDonaldland but it’s more powerful than they are.

Jeffrey Steck, Lord of the Fjord

Weirdly, the cone cups brought up the memory of eating at a popular burger joint in Seattle, while there, for Dimension 20 show. They have no tables or chairs, just a counter to eat on, yet I think it’s more about promoting hanging out over efficiency. Was it Wally’s or something? I’m sure ShelB knows what I’m talking about.

Caitlin Sales

Not sure if this is the case for everyone, but that "Mac Tonight Commercial" link is broken for me (Error 403 Forbidden). Fantastic episode, love the Rot Topic concept!

thedragonllama

One of my favorite OG Nintendo games is called M.C. Kids and is set in McDonaldland. If you like Mario 2 and 3 def check it out, its soundtrack is top notch.

Peydon Bush

Loved this! Yall ever consider adding video for stuff like this?

Eli Huxtable

This was so informative and so funny I was cackling the whole time. Are there any other podcasts/channels that dive into weird nostalgic advertising/designs? I found this all so fascinating and expertly delivered by the 2 crew!

Phyrexian Librarian

Absolutely incredible episode! Two additional fun facts: - Despite McDonaldland dying off in the 90s, Ronald McDonald himself was only unofficially retired in 2016, during that trend of "creepy clown" sightings at the time. - Is McDonalds disposable razors where the urban legend of finding razor blades in candy comes from?

Val

🚨 McDonald’s Australia released a Grinch Meal last Christmas with snow globes that cross over the Grinch and McDonald’s characters. 🚨 PLEASE someone get these collectibles to the Sydney show stat and share this lore

Aster Ellis

Are you thinking of Dick's? It's a classic burger joint that's reminiscent of old-school McDonald's, and it's got branches across Western Washington

Chip

I'm surprised y'all didn't bring up Uncle OGrimmacey's support of the Irish Republican Army

MaidOfCake

Georgia O’Beef Mug and T-shirt please

Kai Harrow

Growing up, my church was donated a McDonald's playplace when they replaced the one in town. No Grimace Bounce n' Bend but still kind of dangerous in retrospect 😂

joshua silva

I will be highly disappointed if Rot Topic doesn’t stay around as a new segment. I loved everything about this episode. Bizarre history of my childhood meals and the commentating is hilarious. Would love to see a rotating table of Caldwell, Jake and Murph taking the hot seat with a new nostalgic topic.

SurvingLaw

Interesting…isn’t this a deep dive Lore Lords

King of the City Pigeons

View Crew needs to watch the 1988 cinematic experience of "Mac and Me" Fully an E.T. rip off. Chances are you have seen the classic "wheelchair" scene in it. I want to hear Emily and Caldwell gaslight Murph that it isn't a steaming piece of shit.

HolyFatFish

Completely forgot about Lore Lords

Professor Pratt

One day, I was watching Cartoon Network’s Chowder with my son, and I realized that one of the characters Schnitzel sounds exactly like the hamburger from when I was a kid in the 70s and 80s. Radda radda to me sounded like Robba robba.

Mthunzi Ramphele

Ya'll ... that groovy McDonaldland track is my new jam on mutha fuckin toast. It makes me want to throw 5 years of sobriety directly in the trash to trip out on some shrooms and have myself a burger in the woods. Now that's just gooood marketing! 💃🏿

Rafael C

No mention of the McDonalds pc games? RIP

Justin Medrano

Am I crazy or were the Fry Kids not mentioned?

T Fake

I know they already tried video, but I feel like this format desperately needs it! Please!

Nifty

Can’t believe they didn’t even mention the Grimace Minecraft steam SMH

Isadora Fonseca

Really enjoyed this!!! Although i really missed being able to see images for the things u were referencing! Wonder if there's a way to accomplish that?

Christian Ronzio

Hopefully they eventually hear about the house on the rock in wisconsin. It's so close to what they're describing for naddpod land without the licensed lore.

LM Larson

Nothing is funnier to me than Em, Murph, and Jake "yes and"-ing every insane thing Caldwell ever says.

A$

I’d like one degree at Caldwell’s McAcademia please

Hannah Conley

I was waiting for them to say ”and now he’s in Star Trek!”, moments after talking about Star Trek!

Clyffe

This was a great episode. Liked this deep dive on McDonald's history.

Ryan Wesley

We need a one shot of y’all playing as these McDonalds characters

Joey Blurton

When I was a kid I had a recurring nightmare that Grimace would break and enter my home and tear it apart looking for me while i watched from the bathroom through an old timey keyhole

Hayley Carter

Y'all just want Action Park naddpod style

Ty Ivy

Can’t believe they didn’t reference McDonalds heavy product placement in “Mac & Me”.

Ben Fleuter

Can't believe they didn't notice how Grimace is basically Piccolo. His villainous self defeated, an infant form born and grows into a hero alongside the main protagonist. Maybe is an alien.

Jamie ßuçklānđ

Omg please do a Rot Topic about Selena Gomez Oreos and how they are being used to trap possums in NZ!!! I thought of naddpod short rests as soon as I saw the headline, and the article did not disappoint 😄

ak

It’s in the description! :^)

Kenzie

David Hussey who played Ronald McDonald from 2000 to 2014 was recently in a theatre production with my dad! I’ve met him on multiple occasions, and he’s been to multiple of my theatre productions as well. He’s super cool!

William Blankenship

I’m orally from Alabama and we have a town called Enterprise. For some historical reason there is a statue of a Boll Weevil ( beetle that eats crops) and businesses made their own copies of it dressed up like a dentist etc. there is a Ronald McDonald one and just last year they put in another giant beetle but this time as the hamburglar at a new McDonald’s please look them up they are so freaky.

Erin Toon

This is like an unhinged episode of Maintenance Phase meets 8 Bit Book Club

Marleigh Flowers

speaking of getting hurt at a mcdonalds playground i remember when i was little me and my brother were at a play place sliding down the slide on the food trays (very fun, you go so fast), and this kid (who had also been sliding down on trays) snitched on us and we had to stop. this kid then went on to jump on top of a table holding onto the sides with his hands and tipped the table over crushing/cutting off some of his fingers. it was unclear how bad but lots of blood and an ambulance did come lol i was like 6 and i learned that karma was real that day

Leda J

Oh HELL yeah

Brianna B

Everyone quietly wheeze-laughing during the Ronald commercial was just perfection

Taylor

this whole convo is so The Dollop

Tessa Copeland

I’m late to this ep but came here expecting to see at least one comment about the real life adult (and fam friendly) play place where you can get wrecked and/or lost in caves any day — the St. Louis City Museum !! https://citymuseum.org/ I didn’t see any so had to shout it out, the dream is real~ And this little description does NOT do it justice lol “artist-built playground and museum housed in a former shoe factory, featuring repurposed architectural and industrial objects like slides, tunnels, and a rooftop Ferris wheel, encouraging visitors of all ages to climb, explore, and play. Created by artist Bob Cassilly, it's known for its imaginative, ever-evolving exhibits, including a multi-story slide, an indoor skate park, and a circus, all built from salvaged materials.”

Chef Julie B

This place is incredible. If anyone finds themselves in STL, I highly suggest they check it out!

Jacob Parmenter

I love this new format and I have to shout out Busted Business Bureau which has a very similar vibe if you're looking for more white collar true crime

The Monk With A Cup

I know I’m late to this, but one of the first nightmares I remember was of Mac Tonight. He was walking down the street and I was watching him through the window of my room. He then started heading towards my bedroom window and looked in Jurassic Park T-Rex style. I don’t remember what happened after that.

Danny Storm

I remember the VHS tapes it was wild

J. Gro

The original Ronald McDonald is a special type of horrifying.

J. Gro

Primary colors are actually used in most visual advertising. Something about them just stands out to our eyes and grabs our attention.

sam s.

this really made me chuckle

Hannah

Did anyone else get told that Ronald McDonald killed himself as a kid

Zoe the Purple

I had some of the McDonald's VHSes and, by far, the weirdest one was the one where they went to a planet of Grimmaces. It was weird that the VHSes started live action then transitioned to animation when Ronald went down a tube slide into an animated ball pit. He had a dog named Sundae and he was a puppet in live action before going down the slide.

Cooper Erikson

The M came from viewing the building at an angle where the arches on either side overlapped.

Cooper Erikson

Georgia O'Beef is the long lost Arby's mascot.

Lilli of the bog

This is hard because I hate capitalism but fast food is one of the only treats they give you to ease how much it sucks. Just eat a wendys dude, you're not going to live forever.

Howie Dune

This rocked, please do more rot topics