London 2012 Olympic Mascots: Like or Loathe?
EmailIn the 1992 Barcelona games, it was the curious Cobi; in Atlanta in 1996, the puzzling Izzy; and in the 2000 Sydney games, the Aussie animal trio of Olly, Syd and Millie. Today, we met Wenlock and Mandeville,as organizers of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London unveiled them to some headscratching. Named after two small English towns and based on a children's story, they are, as you can see in the picture above, rather bizarre, one-eyed, futuristic figures. Each will have a Facebook and Twitter page and the two are expected to generate millions of dollars in merchandising revenue. So tonight, we ask: Do you like the creations? Are they just plain stupid? Or who cares, they're mascots? For context, click HERE for the ABCNews.com slideshow of Olympic mascots through the years. And embedded below is a quick "America This Morning" video introduction to what the New York Times called "alien" creatures.
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My first thought was scary, not stupid. Terrifying, really. I’m looking forward to stories of children running away screaming and crying at the sight of them.
Posted by: Mandy | May 20, 2010, 12:08 am 12:08 am
They give me a headache. They look like squirt guns.
Posted by: lovepeterjennings | May 20, 2010, 12:08 am 12:08 am
Now, as evolution continues, how do you figure 1 eye?
They give me a headache; I vote “STUPID”.
Posted by: h28 | May 20, 2010, 12:12 am 12:12 am
No thank you. I’ll pass.
Posted by: jan | May 20, 2010, 12:13 am 12:13 am
I think they are awesome. They look sleek, new, and very 21st century. Both mascots push the limits and seem very trendy and contemporary. I look forward to seeing more of them because they are a true testament that the world is moving forward. Plus they look like they will be very interesting.
Posted by: Steve | May 20, 2010, 12:15 am 12:15 am
what are the British thinking?
Posted by: tim | May 20, 2010, 12:17 am 12:17 am
They look like one eyed monsters meant to scare children. Did they pull them out of some old dungeon?
Posted by: Charles Woodall | May 20, 2010, 12:18 am 12:18 am
How exactly do these things represent England??? They are the most bizarre mascots I have ever seen!
Posted by: Mandy W | May 20, 2010, 12:30 am 12:30 am
Wow, it took the goofy Brits several years to produce this sad and silly twosome.
Posted by: John | May 20, 2010, 12:34 am 12:34 am
Hideous…nothing appealing about them. No emotion.
London surely can come up with something far better.
Posted by: mj | May 20, 2010, 1:14 am 1:14 am
they’re supposed to be for kids, so let kids decide if they make the grade. not web-trolling adults.
Posted by: JAK | May 20, 2010, 1:59 am 1:59 am
Big downgrade from the Beijing mascots. What on earth are they supposed to be? Toilet seats?
Posted by: Jessica | May 20, 2010, 3:19 am 3:19 am
Wow, they are really quite bad in my opinion. There’s nothing wrong with a loveable, squishy and soft mascot, what about Hagrid? He’d be so much better.
These feel very souless.
Posted by: Sarah | May 20, 2010, 4:25 am 4:25 am
the new mascots are soooo cool i want a tedy of them plzzz
Posted by: ryan | May 20, 2010, 4:26 am 4:26 am
Hey, I’m a kid and I see nothing in them. Plain stupid and my brother said that he was going to get nightmares after seeing them.
Posted by: Emma | May 20, 2010, 4:31 am 4:31 am
What? Cyclops? London Eye?
Posted by: Henry | May 20, 2010, 5:45 am 5:45 am
Ive seen better designs in a U-Bend
Posted by: Mr Nice | May 20, 2010, 6:31 am 6:31 am
The overlarge single eye is supposed to represent the ubiquitous Big Brother cameras posted on every London street corner. Better watch out what you say and do!!
Posted by: Craig | May 20, 2010, 9:14 am 9:14 am
I thought Izzy from the Atlanta Olympics were bad enough but these for London take the Cake!!!
Posted by: Sherry Neidigh | May 20, 2010, 9:46 am 9:46 am
Britain was one of the most vicious critics of the Vancouver Olympics.
Looks like Canada has the last laugh.
The Vancouver mascots were a huge success.
Posted by: John Smith | May 20, 2010, 11:22 am 11:22 am
So stupid – really. But not any more stupid than a lot of other mascots in the past, so who knows? Maybe they are the “next big thing”. Stranger things have happened.
Posted by: Amy Watson | May 20, 2010, 1:51 pm 1:51 pm
You forgot about Misha from Moscow and Hodori from Seoul!
Posted by: Shelby | May 20, 2010, 2:21 pm 2:21 pm
I think that they are definite growers. I was not impressed at all to start but they are slightly charming now. I think everyone is slightly jumping on the bandwagon, afterall they are not a million miles different to Wall-E or Monsers Inc.
Posted by: Marc Carroll | May 21, 2010, 10:56 am 10:56 am
Is the designer member of the secret society in Dan Brown’s book?
Posted by: Marco Polo | May 21, 2010, 6:38 pm 6:38 pm
I can’t wait for the Olympic athlete attires to be unveiled resembling these aliens!… Please, please, please LOCOG make your athletes look like Lady Gagas!!!
Posted by: Tallulah | May 22, 2010, 9:46 pm 9:46 pm