Hamburgler's Makeover.

No, really, whatever happened to Hamburgler? Or that bloated purple jube jube named Grimace?

I recognize I'm a little behind the times here as it has already been a couple years since McDonald's decided to overhaul its image, but as someone who very, very rarely frequents fast food establishments, I only saw for the first time today its new, grown-up look. Earth tones? Brushed steel? Leather upholstery? Flat screen televisions?

Whatever happened to the garish orange, browns and yellows that were supposed to tease your psyche into feeling hungry for greasy, mass-produced food? The moulded plastic seats that would stick to your legs on hot summer's days? The ball pits with unmentionable things crawling through them in search of wayward french fries? The plastic bibs with LSD trip-induced cartoons on them?

In some ways, I can see the company needing to adapt as demographics age, but this was one of the world's most iconic and established brands. An update, I can see, but the complete overhaul surprised me somewhat. And to make restaurateurs themselves absorb the costs of renovating ($300,000-$400,000) and destroying all that's been built up over 40 years of branding seems just criminal.

With an increased concern about issues related to obesity - and with its reputation for contributing to them - it almost looks to me as though McDonald's is trying to disguise the wolf in sheep's clothing. One thing certainly hasn't changed: I still felt nauseous when I left.