| This video was available only at McDonalds, but seems to be an attempt to turn Mcdonaldland characters into a new Nicktoon - the characters here look like they ought to be in Rugrats or Hey Arnold. It's not really a Halloween special - just a vaguely Halloween-themed episode of a six episode series that you could buy with a happy meal. So, technically, it's not a special. In fact, this cartoon is not very special at all. |  |
"Silly" is the operative word here, not "scared." The plot involves Ronald, Birdie and the gang going camping in the Far-Flung Forest, singing irritatingly catchy songs along the way (written by the same guys who made most of the Rugrats music, and, strangely enough, formed the core of the band Devo. This is not their best work). However, once they get into a haunted house, things pick up. There are secret passages, riddles to solve, and other neat stuff. This might have actually been a lot better if the characters had been someone OTHER than McDonalds people.
And you know what? Maybe I'm just bitter. I was really, really hoping that the mad scientist in charge of the haunted house would turn out to be that professor guy who used to hang around McDonaldland in the 70s and early 80s (rumor has it Mayor McCheese showed up in one episode). But it wasn't. It was just some guy. The scenes in the haunted house have some cool things going on, though, so I shouldn't be so harsh.
The most Halloweenish thing about it is the cover art; indeed, this is probably the video on this blog that is the LEAST required viewing (heck, stories go around about parents getting kids to behave by threatening to make them watch this), but completists who have to have a copy can find it online for under a buck without too much trouble.
Interestingly, a good decade or so before, there was ANOTHER thing called "Ronald McDonald Scared Silly" - a 30 second commercial that was in every way superior to this "special." Here it is!
And here's another McDonalds commercial - watch to the end, and you'll see an add for "Boo Buckets." I had the orange one in my basement for YEARS.
And, just to prove I know my McDonalds, here's a link to a poem I wrote: Howl (for Mayor McCheese).
And, if you're curious - the cartoon starts after a 3-4 minute intro.
2 comments:
I remember that Scared Silly commercial, and I've wanted to see the end of it for a while. It was on an old "HeMan" collection of episodes I had on an old VHS from when I was a kid living in Alaska. But the commerical was cut short on the tape, seeing only the very beginning and hearing "Scared Sill..." Then it cuts to the continuing of the episode. We tried to edit commercials with the little clicker that was an extension you could plug into those old VCRs that didn't have remotes. Thanks for posting, great nostalgia, and great blog!!!! Sharp writing.
W
The Chicken McNuggets Are SOOOO Cute!!!!
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