Calls for Bluey to be named official Games mascot in 2032

Stay strong, Bluey. Brisbane may need you.

There’s a lot to love about the Paris Olympics, but the Games mascot, known as a Phryge*, is a long way from receiving a gold medal in popularity.

The Phryge is a red hat with legs. The design came from the headwear worn by freedom fighters* in the French Revolution* and it is seen as a sign of liberty*.

It sounds inspiring, but it’s still a hat … which, in a weird way, looks a bit like a transplanted* heart.

It was described as “charming” when it was launched two years ago, but fans haven’t exactly been lining up to buy its merchandise.

Which leads Australians to the big question: could Bluey be a great mascot for the 2032 Brisbane Games?

Everything other Olympic mascots have lacked – charm, warmth and popularity – Bluey has in plenty.

Bluey’s producers even approached the Queensland government two years ago to design the mascot for the 2032 Games – but it was believed to be a character other than Bluey.

Then the International Olympic Committee (IOC) signed a licensing agreement* with Warner Brothers. Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny could soon be seen on Olympic designs – why not Bluey?

Former Olympic gold medallist and Brisbane Games organising committee member Nat Cook said that Bluey could play a role introducing the eventual mascot.

“It could be epic if Bluey, through (the) show, stumbles on the mascot and you could introduce it to a worldwide audience a few years before the Games,’’ Cook said.

Former president of the Australian Olympic Committee John Coates said he would like to get the public involved.

“You would have some sort of competition a few years out so kids could get involved,’’ Coates said.

Brisbane does not have a high benchmark to beat when you consider some previous mascots.

The weirdest mascot could well be Whatizit from the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Whatizit was the first mascot not to be based on an animal, person or mythical creature and was criticised as being basically a little ball of nothingness – as its name suggested.

It had such little natural charm its name was changed to Izzy in an attempt to make it more likeable. It even underwent “mascot surgery” to remove its bottom row of teeth and make it look cuter to children.

When you have to pull a mascot’s teeth out, you know you’ve got the wrong mascot.

So should Brisbane bring on Bluey?

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GLOSSARY

• Phryge: the Paris Olympic mascot, based on a Phrygian cap, a red hat worn in the French Revolution that represented liberty. Phrygian caps were also worn in other parts of Europe, including Republican Rome where there were given to freed slaves
• freedom fighters: people fighting against an unjust ruling power
• French Revolution: a period of time in which the people of France overthrew the monarchy and took control of the country
• liberty: freedom from being controlled
• transplanted: when an organ is removed from one person and put into the body of another through lifesaving surgery
• licensing agreement: an agreement that allows one company to use the property of another company to make money

EXTRA READING

Medals and mascots of the Paris Games

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QUICK QUIZ

1. What does the Phryge represent?
2. What year is Brisbane hosting the Olympics?
3. What TV character should be make Brisbane Games mascot, according to the article?
4. What was the name of the 1996 Atlanta Games mascot?
5. How was the mascot changed in order to make it more likeable?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Can you fix this?
Redesign Phyrge to make the mascot more interesting and popular.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Communication Design

2. Extension
“The Olympics are about sport, they don’t need a mascot!” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write a very convincing paragraph that answers this question.

Time: allow at least 45 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education

VCOP ACTIVITY
Who or what should represent Australia?
A mascot is a very important part of many sporting events. They represent what the team stands for. The mascot for the Brisbane games needs to represent the city and the country in one.

If there was a competition for the public to design the mascot, what would you design? What would its name be? And why did you choose this mascot? What does it represent?