The McDonald's Cadmium and Lead Garfield Mug meme stems from a series of promotional glass mugs released in the late 1980s featuring the famous orange cat. Decades later, it was widely reported that these collectible cups contained dangerous levels of lead and cadmium in the painted designs, leading to modern health warnings against using them for consumption. On the internet, the mug has become a symbol of unintentional 80s toxicity, often used in a self-deprecating way where users joke about their health issues or 'built-up immunity' resulting from drinking out of these hazardous artifacts. It perfectly blends childhood nostalgia with dark humor regarding the questionable corporate safety standards of the past.