Geoffrey Giuliano - Ronald McDonald and Animal Rights

Ronald McDonald and Animal Rights

Giuliano worked for an advertising agency in Toronto, Canada, portraying McDonald's advertising figurehead Ronald McDonald for "basically a year and a half," traveling to personal appearances for "The Ronald McDonald Safety Show." A statement, dated "Fall/Summer 1990," in which Giuliano decried "concerns who make their millions off the murder of countless animals and the exploitation of children for their own ends" was submitted on behalf of the plaintiffs in the 1991 London McLibel case. In an interview he gave in London some years later, Geoffrey summed up his bad behavior playing Ronald north of the border. "There's no question that I was manipulating these children. I was a highly paid, highly trained, highly polished actor. Every show was a performance and I had a mandate to get that message out there, and yeah, it was not too hard - anybody can manipulate a child. I just went home one night, and I said, 'I cannot do this, I can't live with myself if I continue to do this." Giuliano also played the Marvelous Magical Burger King for the Burger King Corporation, doing shows and other appearances throughout New England. The author/actor has spoken widely regarding his turbulent term as the McDonald's clown and the shadowy ethical implications of factory farming and animal rights for such groups as PETA. Giuliano has been an ardent vegetarian, abstaining from meat, fish and eggs since 1970. In 2001, Giuliano published Compassionate Cuisine, authored by his then-wife, Vrnda Devi.