Ronald McDonald's gender switch

In Japan, McDonald's long-time mascot Ronald McDonald has been replace, in Japan at least, by a slim, sexy female mascot. Is this the Paris Hilton effect...did McDonald's take notice of Hardee's sexy Hilton ads? "In the Japanese TV commercial," notes Britain's Guardian newspaper, "the foxy female version, with shoulder-length straight auburn hair in place of Ronald's frizzy mop, smolders at the camera in a flowing yellow dress, and later a red and white striped bikini with thigh-length leggings and red high heels." [Times]