April 25, 2014

My lassitubularity on the occasion of the phony coulrophobic reaction to the redesigning of Ronald McDonald's costume.

The Washington Post collects commentary:
Mr. McDonald’s old mustard-yellow jumpsuit and candy cane sleeves are out."Now he’s sporting a pair of 'manpris,' a red blazer and a bowtie.
1. I don't really care what Ronald McDonald is wearing these days — couldn't even remember what his old getup was — but apparently some people do.

2. The old old comedy topic of clowns being scary is predictably recycled in the commentary about the new costume. I find that sad. Or creepy! And scary! I have coulrophobiaphobia — a fear of the fear of clowns. Look: Here's a whole Wikipedia article on the subject of coulrophobia, with citations to the relevant episodes of "The Simpsons" and "Seinfeld" and "Frasier" and the Stephen King book on the topic and the "internet meme" and the Alice Cooper song and the 2009 movie "Zombieland." Noted. A thousand times.

3. I almost clicked on the link on "manpris" — which my reader's mind pronounced as "man priss" — then I saw it was a portmanteau of "man" and "capris," obviously pronounced "man preeze," and I was spared the trouble of clicking, and I needed to be spared, because I'm experiencing internet lassitude — let's portmanteau that into lassitube — this morning. Is there anything new this morning — new and interesting? What if that question itself becomes horribly old and boring? Then you're suffering from lassitube, and even the coinage lassitube is unutterably dull.

4. Now, pull up your short or long pants and get to work.

5. Why are you still here? Why am I adding to this numbered list? I wanted you to know that I found it vaguely interesting — moderately anti-lassitubular — that I'd typo'd "The Washington Pose" as I wrote this pose post.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Re: "Is there anything new this morning — new and interesting?"

Oh, there is indeed, but you will have to wait until tomorrow's cafe to read the startling revelations about the secret behind the House of Althouse. What if everything you knew was wrong?


Ignorance is Bliss said...

Looks like the professor is caught in her own vortex

traditionalguy said...

The wicked wit of women is always interesting at the Althouse Salon, even when there seems to be nothing new under the sun.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

This post is really nothing more than mental lassturbation.

Saint Croix said...

Okay, I hated Ronald McDonald when I was a kid, but now I hate him on a whole different level.

Anonymous said...

From McGatsby:

"Ronald McDonald's mouth was wide open and ripped at the corners, as though he had choked a little in giving up the tremendous cheese he had stored so long."

Saint Croix said...

I'm seeing a theme already.

Saint Croix said...

I have the day off today and shorts, Althouse, shorts!

lgv said...

Manpris, by any other name, may be the perfect travel pants, especially the cargo version.

When you are on one of those 13 hrs to Tokyo + 8 hrs to Jakarta + 2 internal flights, they can handle the cold A/C of planes and lounges along with the warmth of the tropics. The cargo pocket handles the boarding pass and passport and you go through various checkpoints while changing planes.

Goes with tennis shoes or sandals.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

My biggest issue is coulrocolonoscophobia. ( If you don't find a clown giving you a colonoscopy scary, think about what they manage to stuff into a clown car. )

Saint Croix said...

I think it's clown hate, mixed in with homophobia, and maybe a little racism, too.

Saint Croix said...

He's down there with the teletubbies. Oh I hate the teletubbies. Look at them! Evil. Fear. Hate.

Big Mike said...

Washington Pose.

I like that, and wish I'd thought of it. The Post's, er, Pose's staff certainly are poseurs. Forty years ago they were rah-rah for unions and the dignity of the working man as part of their overall support for Democrats, until it came time to break their printers union. Then they broke that union without a qualm.

Amexpat said...

I don't fear clowns, but I dislike them - sometimes to the point where I want to punch them (and I'm not prone to violence).

Clowns feel that they have the right to be intrusive and obnoxious without being the least bit amusing.

Anonymous said...

After a night of sweet, sweet clown love I am afraid that in the morning that the clown will now say it was non-consensual. Or non-sensual. Or Nonsensical. Just because I have a thing for balloon animals does not make it balloon bestiality.

Gahrie said...

My high school students are not pleased by the change.

Wince said...

Capt. Kangaroo went through a similar costume change with the advent of color TV, didn't he?

mccullough said...

Those pants are clam diggers and not capris, although there is often confusion that has lead to overlap among clam diggers, capris, and crop pants.

On a related note, do any women still wear culottes?

Sam L. said...

Big shoes, big...

Ann Althouse said...

"On a related note, do any women still wear culottes?"

We used to wear culottes back in the old days when girls were not permitted to wear pants to school. It was always said that culottes were considered a violation of the no-pants rule, so one felt subversive wearing them.

Culottes were worn with pettipants (instead of a slip or petticoat).

TML said...

He looks like a fry dipped in ketchup. maybe that's purposeful.

Bryan C said...

Ronald borrowed Captain Kangaroo's blazer.

Poppop said...

All that yellow stands for the ever-accreting adipose tissue of the customers.

All that red stands for the trillions of gallons of bovine blood split.

The pallor represents the dry bones of our civilization when the curtain comes down on this tale told by an idiot.

Willard Scott would have fired this tailor.

Joe said...

I have no fear of clowns, but I don't enjoy them and haven't since I was a kid. Beyond the hideous makeup, their brand of humor isn't to my taste. One exception was a rodeo clown I once saw who was very funny (and perhaps crazy.)

FullMoon said...

Ronald gonna need more than that to catch up with Jack.