Check this out: Devo are suing McDonald's over a happy meal doll. The toy, sports an "energy dome" hat, an orange jumpsuit, and plays a muffled song that sounds a bit like Devo's "Doctor Detroit", sporting the name "New Age Nigel". Damn, I WANT one! On re-listen, that song could also be Weird Al's "Dare To Be Stupid" - which is a parody of.... wait for it...Devo! Now I want it even more! I think we need a new word for what this toy is; It is Devolved from everything Devo. *boum-tsck!*
Devo however, are none to happy about this toy, Gerald Casale sums up how they were offended when chatting to the AP:
"They didn't ask us anything," Casale told Australian Associated Press. "Plus, we don't like McDonald's, and we don't like American Idol, so we're doubly offended."
Devo first began wearing the flower pot-resembling Energy Dome hats when they released their Freedom Of Choice album in 1980. Devo sell Energy Domes through their Club Devo site. The band have also worn the hats in numerous commercials over the years.
Considering the Energy Dome was originally a form of social criticism that mocked industrial and consumer culture, Casale told AAP he finds it ironic that McDonald's has used it.
Read more over at Club Devo: Are we McDevo?
Check out the toy, wearing his energy dome, angular glasses, orange jumpsuit and playing a song that is kinda devo-light: here (video) clubdevo.com.
Pitchfork: Devo Suing McDonald's Over Happy Meal Toy
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I want one too. Very badly.
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PermalinkCool! I want one. Are they in all Mickey D's or have they already pulled them? [maybe ebay has some?]
Devo is playing here (Phila. PA area) this weekend. [Saturday, June 28th, 2008 - at Philly Pier].
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PermalinkNone on eBay at the moment, it seems. Searching "Happy Meal" on eBay brings up more stuff than you'd want to wade through, but "Happy Meal American Idol" only has a few, and none of this one.
Are we not men? We want a New Age Nigel!
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PermalinkAs of Friday (6/27/2008), I found 8 or 9 Nigels on eBay. There were 3 packages of all the Happy Meal American Idol toys that included them. (Around $15.00 each set). Also, I looked for Happy Meal Nigel. A couple of them were mislabeled or misspelled as well.
The individual Nigels were going for around $3.00 -> $14.00.
MANY OF THEM WERE ALMOST DONE THEIR AUCTION AS OF FRIDAY (I think that 2 of them finished on Sunday).
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