Mother Nature seems to swing between Michelangelo and Pablo Picasso with her creations, take for example the Duck-billed Platypus compared to a Penguin, or a rose compared to a flesh eating plant like the Venus fly trap.

Man in his wisdom has also created many things of beauty, but along the way seems to have lost an eye (or both) with the details. Here’s a look at three of the strangest mascots around. They ranges from ‘alright’ to ‘what were you thinking’ through to ‘that should have never seen the light of day!’

For those who aren’t sure what a mascot is: In short, mascots were created to be the embodiment of what a group stood for. They were, and in some places still are, thought to bring good luck. Since the beginning of the decade, mascots have been used very successfully for merchandising.

1.  The Protea Lion – South African Cricket

The Protea Lion is a merger of two of South Africa’s main symbols – the majestic African Lion, and the King Protea. The nicknamed Zac was given to him – standing for South Africa with the ZA and cricket with the C. Zac is a cheerful fellow who is always smiling, and is decked out in the green and white cricket uniform … luckily the hippy flower mane doesn’t deter from his fierce spirit.  On the whole, he’s pretty agreeable. He symbolises agility, skill, speed and strength – and he rates high above Team GB’s “Pride the Lion”, who looks a bit like Zac’s ghost in comparison.

2.  Twin Mascots

The 2004 Olympic mascots for Athens were called Athena and Pevos, and were based on a pair of ancient diadala (objects of worship), discovered in Greece. They’ve got elongated necks, stocky legs, and though they are smiling, they look a lot more alien than human. The UEFA mascot twins, Slavek and Slavko are a great polar opposite for Athena and Phevos. Slavek and Slavko are dressed respectively in red and white, and blue and yellow, with glowing skin, and funky two-toned hair. Though their heads are larger than their bodies, they’re an example of what good mascots embody – thoughtful design, some kind of skill, and proudly worn national colours.3.  The official Olympic Mascots 2012 – Wenlock and Mandeville

I think there is nothing wrong with Ogres, heck, I loved the Shrek franchise! But metallic ogres with no fingers, feet, or facial features are plain creepy – and with no mouths, how are they producing those adorable sounds?! People have called them the love child created from a Dalek (from Dr Who) and Teletubbie’s one night stand, and did I forget to mention they travel via rainbows? The Olympic organisers have said their eye is a camera to record everything … which makes me feel like an unwilling Big Brother participant – especially when you hear sweatshops in China are working around the clock to have one in every child’s home. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but could you fall asleep with them watching you, constantly, never blinking or sleeping? If so, please read the ‘oh so witty’ reviews for their dolls on Amazon …

What are your thoughts on the above mentioned mascots – are they proudly displaying their nation’s pride, or have they turned into predatory puppets?

Image Credits

1st image courtesy of Ordinary Angel
2nd image courtesy of cricket.co.za
3rd image via imgur
4th image courtesy of B1mbo
5th image courtesy of Freepicturealbum
6th image courtesy of Soerfm
7th image courtesy of Wenlock-mandeville.com