The Verse - Volume 23
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Purple Particulars – Purple Characters

Growing up, many of us had a chance to experience purple when we saw characters on TV shows and commercials.  Oddly enough, these purple characters were often the center of controversy.  Here are some examples

Grimace

Exactly what kind of creature is Grimace from McDonald's? After all, everyone else in the McDonald's family has some sort of identity. Ronald -- clown. Hamburgler -- good-natured thief. Mayor McCheese – a terrifying human/burger hybrid. But what the heck is Grimace? Alas, no definitive answer exists. The amorphous talking blob is apparently just that – a big, purple...thing. We can confirm he loves milkshakes, which may offer a clue as to how he came to be in the physical shape he's in. But as to whether he's an alien, a dinosaur, or a grape McNugget, no one knows. Another odd thing about Grimace is that he was "evil" when he first made his appearance in McDonaldland commercials. Since then, he's been given more of a slow-witted, klutzy attitude.

Barney

The Barney & Friends show has been target of a certain degree of controversy, for example, an episode which featured the phrase "A stranger is a friend you have not met yet," was viewed by some parents as sending a dangerous message to their children. It has also been criticized for being excessively sappy and optimistic and because of this most viewers over the preschool age to find the show tedious to view. Many adults find the show just plain stupid and annoying.

Grape Ape

The Great Grape Ape was a Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that was broadcast on ABC from 1975 to 1978. He was a 40 foot tall gorilla  who loves grapes...so much, he goes bananas! His catchphrase is repeating his name twice ("Grape Ape, Grape Ape") after anything anyone says, usually as a form of agreement or acknowledgement of what was said. Grape Ape also appeared as a member of the "Yogi Yahooeys" team on Laff-a-Lympics. He was later accused of using anabolic steroids in the Laff-A-Lympics by Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law (another cartoon).

Tinky Winky

He is the largest of the Teletubbies, is covered in purple terrycloth, has a triangular antenna on his head, is the clumsiest Teletubby, and is notable for his red luggage (described by the show as a "magic bag", but often perceived as a purse). Tinky Winky aroused the interest of Jerry Falwell in 1999 when Falwell alleged that the character was a "gay role model." Falwell cited the Teletubby's purple color, "purse", and triangle antenna as symbolic of homosexuality. These claims have caused many to regard Falwell's views as ridiculous.

Purple Panda

As seen on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Purple Panda is an inhabitant of Planet Purple where everything is purple and everything is the same. The planet was discovered by Lady Elaine, and Purple Panda enjoys visiting her in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, a place where people are appreciated for who they are. He can magically travel "the purple way" just by thinking himself there! Sounds pretty freaky to us!