Another volley in the War on Marketing: activist group calls for Ronald McDonald’s head:

[$MCD shareholders] unleashed a chorus of boos when representatives from the advocacy group Corporate Accountability International requested the famous icon be shelved — for good.

“Ronald McDonald is a pied piper drawing youngsters all over the world to food that is high in fat, sodium and calories,” said Alfred David Klinger, a retired Chicago physician who volunteers with the organization. “On the surface, Ronald is there to give children enjoyment in all sorts of way with toys, games and food. But Ronald McDonald is dangerous, sending insidious messages to young people.”

We do think $MCD CEO Jim Skinner went a bit too far when he called Ronald a pitchman for “balanced, active lifestyles,” because this is a dude in a clown suit who hocks Happy Meals we’re talking about, but really, at least two reasons come to mind as to why this is the lamest thing ever:

1) Most children are afraid of clowns
2) Everyone knows the Hamburglar is the real root of all evil

Wanna see something creepy? This is the OG Ronald, from his first television appearance. Now if he still looked like this I’d be all for banning him from contact with kids posthaste: