London 2012 mascots unite world in laughter, face palming

The mascots for the 2012 Olympics in London have been unveiled, sparking a wave of snide remarks, but designers say focus groups were done and they are meant to appeal to children.

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The Olympic mascot Wenlock, left, and the Paralympic mascot Mandeville pose for photographs as they are unveiled to the media as the mascots for London 2012, at a school in London, Wednesday, May 19, 2010. (AP / Matt Dunham)

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In Pictures: London 2012 mascots debuted

CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Thu. May. 20 2010 9:36 PM ET

Canadians upset with the British press's treatment of the Vancouver Olympics are having the last laugh after the newly introduced mascots for the London 2012 Summer Games were met with nearly instant derision.

The mascots, Mandeville and Wenlock, can only be described as one-eyed alien Teletubbies that even 1970s-era "Doctor Who" fans would find embarrassingly cheesy.

"I think this one is going to have to grow on people, it's not getting great reviews," CTV London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy told Canada AM Thursday.

Organizers said the idea for the characters came from two drops of molten steel dropped while making the last girder for London's Olympic Stadium, and the mascots tested well with children.

Olympic organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe said kids don't want cuddly animals as mascots and wanted "something they can interact with and something with a good story behind it,"

The mascots have been given a detailed backstory by children's author Michael Morpurgo.

Organizers had hoped to make about $25 million in merchandising sales of the mascots, Kennedy said.

But perhaps the designers might have thought of including a snickering teenager or two in those focus groups, because the Internet practically overloaded Wednesday in a rush to make comments about the mascots', er, phallic nature.

The mascots will both have their own Twitter pages, organizers said. Hopefully they don't search what people are saying about them.

What people are saying:

On Twitter

Robinbogg: Olympic mascots: Chuckle Brothers as drawn by Dali when on acid after not sleeping for 4 days.

TonyClement_MP: Hey just back online. Saw the pic of the UK mascots. See what happens when you create a Coalition?? #scarymascots

Wizardpants: Hey, the London Olympic mascots are giant one-eyed terror sperm that were born out of a rainbow!

The British press

The Telegraph -- Two parts-Pokemon to one-part lava lamp with yellow 'Taxi' lights on their foreheads . . .

The Guardian -- But seriously. Could they really not have managed to design Wenlock in a way that did not resemble a horror-film version of Mr Soft from the Softmint adverts? If it wasn't for the fact that focus groups of children and families helped form the designs you would have thought it would be enough to give them all nightmares.

Comments are now closed for this story

Jayne
said

What the ____ are they supposed to be? I wouldn't be buying anything with these things on it for my kids.

Alyssa, BC
said

Which one is better? LOL!

a) wenlock (fat orange flavor marshmallow cream pile with a video lens spying on you as you eat him)

OR

b) mandeville (cyclist that peed in his pants because he drank too much blueberry juice)

VOTE! sorry Brits! I just have to make fun of these irresistible lil' guys! *gasp of sarcasm and laughs even harder*
*falls of chair with a stomachache because of laughing too hard*

Alyssa, BC
said

Ok get this straight, I'm 13, and me and my friends have just got a glace of these "sperm from lalaland" Oh wow! Did that little cute blue guy pee in his pants! Oh my! He must have drank too much blueberry juice! *gasp of sarcasm* No offense, I think these guys will haunt my dreams! Seriously! I'd rather watch Teletubbies than these heaps of trash! Don't British artists know how to draw properly? I hope those Brits choke on their own embarrassment! LMAO!!! :P

Rev
said

The one on the right looks pleasantly surprised. But the one on the left..... it looks angry...... real angry...... like it wants to hurt little children......

MollyB
said

Oh karma....what can I say?

Concerned Citizen
said

The English have an incredible history of creativity and insight and these "mascots" (I'll refrain from calling them otherwise) come as a terrible blow to the creative talent that is there.

Where the kids that interested in them really..? They were most likely excited to spend the day playing instead of studying and this was taken as a good response. Were they given any other options? Its weak to blame a bad design on kids, when Pixar and Wallace and Gromit animators manage to create characters that appeal to both children and adults.

Of course the glaring facts are that these mascots are teletubbies/aliens/sperm/both forms of penis- circumcised and not. And if GBP 400000 were spent on them then one should most definitely look at the deeper connotations.
Mandeville represents the Paralympics and has clearly wet himself... is this a stab at incontinence?
Then there are of course the religious insinuation of circumcision being represented as a disability.

Naturally this is all conjecture but without doubt someone will politicise it soon enough anyway.

razza20
said

haha these mascots are rubbish but then again the olympics is too.

Ranjit
said

your kidding?? right!!

Norman Dale
said

I did not think it was possible to outdo the Vancouver Olympics for a ridiculous, infantile mascot but London seems to have succeeded. Talk about dumbing down!

JP in BC
said

SAY WHAT - That is something that Americans woudl think up - NOT Brits-hmmm something WRONG with that picture !!

hotmama
said

I don't get it.

Spills42
said

I'm on team Mandeville; I think these mascots are amazing!

I'm glad that we've managed to come up with something so representative of our country without having to resort to trite national sterotypes. The concept is that their steal bodies can refect us, not tell us who we are.

The best thing has to be that the Olympic and Paralimpic mascots are being placed on an equal footing in the publicity stakes, sending out a positive and inclusive message about the London Games.

Lz in Edmonton
said

I think even Doctor Who would give a second look and start laughing his head off. Seriously, these are the most ugly and unflattering mascots I have ever seen. Are they going onto the firing range at the olympics or are they going to be set on fire during the opening ceremonies? Reminds me of marshmellow character and Ghost busters but at least that was a character. Really, what are they?

Jmack
said

What comes around goes around Britain. These mascots are by far the worst mascots I have ever seen...ever.

Adam
said

The Vancouver Mascots had smiles on their faces. These mascots are expressionless and creepy. I am sure a 3 year old could have designed a better mascot with a crayon and piece of paper.

Craig in Calgary
said

After watching their video I like them.Yes they're unusal and no, they are no where near as good as Quatchi, Miga and Sumi, but they're cute, cool and promote sport.Remember they're for kids and for the young at heart. How about showing a little respect for the Olympic movement.

John Daintree
said

These are just plain stupid! An embarrassment to any Brit!!!!

Bender
said

Step right up and see the one-eyed monster! I've got one in my trousers too....

not u but me
said

They look like the aliens from the Simpsons!! LOL

mukmuk4ever
said

Mukmuk rocks! He, along with Quatchi, Miga and Sumi will always be our wonderful Canadian 2010 mascots.
Unfortunately, it looks like Mandeville drank too much blue koolaid and peed himself.

bc envy
said

The mascots answer the question: "what happens to condoms that get thrown into the Thames?" And here I thought the UK was making an effort to clean up that river....

Linda in Vancouver
said

Don't worry Mark.Your point about Scotland is duly noted.And don't get me wrong,I love the all the Brits most of the time.But from Vancouver, their condemnation of everything that came forward during our games left me stunned.I will almost certainly be tempted to return the favour when they screw up. WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE THINGS? All they do here is prove that "he who laughs last, laughs loudest".Following the ENGLISH press on this is going to be fun all over again.

Narin
said

Hopefully, the 2012 summer games won't be the same!

Anita
said

They remind me of characters from Eyemaze (the online game). It's not really original! Not to mention they look angry. Let's hope their life story will do them justice.

B. Kelley, Ontario
said

They represent the EU culture very well - no identity, no value and no hope. Great for scaring little kids though.

Sahib Reginawale
said

Finally something different. Love it.

Pater
said

Tony Clement - Grow up before you embarrass us as much as these mascots are embarrassing England!

Earthwatcher
said

good lord they are horrendous!! how much did they spend on this crap? nice work, seems the Brits are just as inept at creating a decent mascot as our Vanoc2012 group was.just weird, cannot imagine any demographic liking these including the so-called focus group of little kids. More likely to scare them than to endear themselves to them.

Wean
said

Its a couple of kids in ugly jumpers wearing obviosu Depends and with urinals on their heads?

This is NOT an olympic mascot but a new hygene product endoresement.

Ivy
said

I loved Vancouver's Mascots. Its sweet revenge now, watching London Bungle through their olympic preparations.

myopinion
said

Looks like the blue one is wearing crotch-less pants!!? LoL

AJ
said

What the heck? Dont the Brits realize the Tele-tubbies are past their prime!

Lee
said

They are seriously ugly! and all they had to do was give them two pupils instead of one, and it probably would have been received a little better.

DGRose
said

Curiously, I find these buffoonish creations no more ridiculous but more amusing than the Vancouver mascots...

Rupert S.
said

I don't really have a problem with the overall shape and style of this "thing" but that big black spot in the middle of the head. It just doesn't belong there.. maybe if the colour were changed. But why ONE eye? Cyclops ?

Tony C
said

By the way, when they were first introduced, they laughed at our mascots, too...

Tony C
said

Perhaps adults should spend less time in the "real" world and let their imagination flow(much like children do). Then, perhaps, they might appreciate these mascots (much like children do).

Jim
said

So topical it's genius. One's blue, the other's orange. It's obviously David Cameron and Nick Clegg in disguise.

John
said

Canada , Shut up

mcmaggot
said

the eggheads on the design committee have created something in their own image

Alyx
said

Yeah, they kinda look like sperm. Remember that this is the country that gave us Monty Python, and a children's choir singing "Every Sperm is Sacred." I think they are great!

Sam C
said

C'mon... all you need is sense of humour to appreciate these mascots. Besides, aren't we all tired of cuddly fuzzy anthropomorphic animals?

Androski
said

Looks like the other one jumping around with his/her diaper on or was it a wet jumpsuit?

The animation version might look fun but in live costume, that is another story ; )

Frank Buchan
said

They remind me of a character called Muno on a kid's show called Yo Gabba Gabba, which, oddly enough, when that title is gasped aloud makes for a good response to the sight of these two things. Colour those suckers red and my daughter will want to tune into the Olympics to see the Munos.

LDL in ONT
said

Tom Kennedy said "This one will have to grow on people". By the looks of those things if you provide the right stimulus, they might just do that!

Martin of NS
said

One eyed monster! I wouldn't be surprised if the kids run from those horrid things. Seriously, who in the right mind would approve of such dismal costumes. What's the purpose of having a Mascot anyways? For now, they'll provide us with great comic relief!

Jay
said

How could everyone not see this coming after London launched their logo/design for the games (which looks like it was created by a 6th grader in 1992)?! No comment on actual appearance of these mascots --- all over the net,' my thoughts have be conveyed without one word typed by me personally. Glad that I didn't have to waste the time, honestly.

alan lovedog
said

what do you expect from the people who gave us a london 2012 logo that looks like lisa simpson doing something rude?

JD
said

Wow....... just wow. And I thought the Vancouver mascots were about as stupid as they come...... guess I was wrong; it IS possible to design a worse mascot than Vancouvers...........

Phil
said

Two phallic symbols and a rainbow. It's VERY CLEAR what type of people are running this farce...

Anonymous Al
said

Wait, did an article on a credible news source website just use the term "facepalm" in a headline?! Ah, geek culture have truly permeated mainstream culture. I love it!

Matt
said

Wow, someone actually came up with a mascot EVEN WORSE than Atlanta's "Izzy the Blue Slug"

Joe Canadian
said

I love it - after all the crap we took from the Brits, this is the best they can do? Two giant phallic mascots (the blue one does appear to have peed itself).....yeah I want my kid hugging a giant blue weener when he goes to sleep! At least the 2010 mascots were cuddly.Nice work England.....you must be proud.

Chris
said

So the London mascots are walking security cameras? Seems appropriate to me...

Bill
said

Just one question - if the two mascots happen to mate, can they produce offspring "out of Wenlock"???

Mark
said

Please stop saying British.. just go with London or English...

i'd rather not have my country Scotland related with anything to do with "these" "things".

damn the english

Canadian laughing last
said

Sorry...can't talk....laughing too hard!!!! snicker snicker....

OTTM
said

They remind me of the Aliens off the Simpsons.. Just white and not green.

Doug # BC
said

I thought the 2010 mascots were about as bad as they could get. And,if I recall correctly,the Brits had a field day laughing at them. Well my British friends, get ready to be on the other side of the joke. Those are mascots? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Is it April 1st all over again? Not to worry. I'll still be supporting your games. I expect they wil be just fine. But trust me,I won't be taking any more guff about the Vancouver games from "over there". Apparently Canada is not the only place on the planet where people assigned and paid to do a job, come up short.

LAC
said

They must have gotten together with the people from Yo Gabba Gabba, In the Night Garden and the Teletubbies. If that's not the case, what are they smoking? Ridiculous at best!

Jay, Ottawa
said

What is wrong with you people? Who cares? Here's the deal: None of you would have been happy even if the stupid mascots looked like yourself. What a childish comment from Tony Clement. People voted for him?

realist
said

Yep - they look like sperm. I can just envision these mascots standing at the rowing events yelling "stroke! stroke!" Awesome.

Fabio
said

They look like they are from another planet...I guess when tourists visit the city the real London Eye will still be a major attraction. Maybe that was a good name...The London Eye version Space.

abdula
said

Hilarious - I think the Blue one pee'd itself. HA

Biarrote
said

Was there a contest to see who would come with the most hideous possible design ?How much was paid for such ugly beasts ? Whoever designed these abjects mascots should be fired and all money paid reimbursed.

Syl
said

meaningless and ugly !!!!

kyle
said

These look alot like the aliens on the Simpsons. LOL

Portes
said

I am not sure what to make of these inventions,that is the only name that I can think of. I see the reason, the appeal to the children, however the children don't pay for the tickets, their parents do. They made all sorts off nasty comments about our Olympics, I guess the old saying applies"what goes around comes around". I am still laughing and trying to figure out the meaning of these inventions

Art in Alberta
said

Nice that our Conservative government takes this opportunity to bash the opposition parties. Way to be original Tony Clement!

Peter Ohlsson
said

I was never a big fan of the Vancouver mascots - but these leave me speechless!

adm
said

The article said it right! We are having the last laugh. What do these "blobs" have to do with the Olympics? Sure the kids like them, but is it the kids who paid for the development of these characters?! Glad my tax money isn't paying for this. I would like to hear more comments from the British..... would be interested in what they think.

bc grrl
said

it's like they...put something in the water dude...don't drink the water! hahaha this is seriously cheesy, it is worse that the pokemon for babies that we were forced to adopt for the 2010 fiasco...i mean, great olympic party. note the sarcasm!

Tammy Jeanveaux
said

The Vancouver 2010 Mascots were soft, loveable, cuddly animal mascots and everyone, especially children, adored them. It was exactly what they wanted. I know this because I saw children, teens and even adults line up forever just to meet the mascots and have their photos taken with them. At a school visit, you would honestly think that they were rock stars. The children were so happy and excited to see them that I heard things like "this is the best day of my life" and "I was so happy I cried" when describing their experience meeting the mascots. Miga, Quatchi and Sumi, also told a story but not one that would scare the bejesus out of people. The London 2012 mascots are dreadful. First their logo, now this??? Who is running the show over there?

Hells Rejects
said

Wow - Giant phallic symbols. And they laughed at us - lol

kcheung
said

Speaking as a Brit...this is seriously embarrassing, seriously what sort of rubbish agency came up with concept? I'm seriously considering writing to No10 (the prime minister) to ask for a refund on my tax...facepalm...too right!

Lou
said

omigod! It's the one-eyed monster come to life!

Chuck
said

Horrible!

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