China's Olympic mascots [Archive]

thaite

11-11-2005, 01:48 PM

http://en.beijing2008.com/37/03/column211990337.shtml

China chooses five 'Friendlies' as Olympics mascots

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/pop/articles/1111friendlies1111-CP.html

BEIJING - A giant panda, of course.

An Olympic flame, naturally.

A Tibetan antelope? A swallow? A fish?
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Beijing on Friday announced the mascots for the 2008 Summer Games - dubbed the "Five Friendlies," five characters to match the five Olympic rings - at a ceremony complete with drum troupes and fireworks in the Chinese capital.

The stylized characters, with bulbous heads and colorful headdresses, "express the Chinese people's wishes for peace, friendship, progress and harmony," said Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games.

"Beibei," the fish, "carries the blessing of prosperity" and is a "symbol of surplus in Chinese culture," a press release stated.

"Jingjing," the giant panda, was chosen, Liu said, to represent Beijing's desire to protect the environment and to stage a "green" Olympics.

Fewer than 1,600 giant pandas remain in the wilderness in western China. Numerous international environmental organizations have worked with the Chinese government to protect the animals.

"Huanhuan" symbolizes "the Olympic flame and the passion of sport," the press release stated, while "Yingying," the Tibetan antelope, and "Nini," the swallow, represent health and good luck.

kpih

11-11-2005, 01:52 PM

Should have been "Bruce Bruce", the super martial artist with nunchucks.

Arex

11-11-2005, 04:01 PM

They look like blow-up dolls made specially for people with fuzzy fetishes.

Faithless

11-11-2005, 05:39 PM

They look weird.

Where's the mouth? The red thing near the eyes or the cut-looking thing near the bottom of the face? :frown:

Leinad

11-13-2005, 03:37 AM

What do you think about them?
Link; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4430260.stm
http://en.beijing2008.com/37/03/column211990337.shtml

There's five of them, Bei Bei, Jing Jing, Huan Huan, Ying Ying and Ni Ni - which, put together reads in Chinese "Beijing welcomes you!" lol

O and if u look at the bottom of the 2nd link, there's the past mascots... pretty cool site i reckon... which mascots the most boring 1? and the best?

simayi

11-13-2005, 04:05 AM

What do you think about them?
Link; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4430260.stm
http://en.beijing2008.com/37/03/column211990337.shtml

There's five of them, Bei Bei, Jing Jing, Huan Huan, Ying Ying and Ni Ni - which, put together reads in Chinese "Beijing welcomes you!" lol

O and if u look at the bottom of the 2nd link, there's the past mascots... pretty cool site i reckon... which mascots the most boring 1? and the best?

In short, I like them.

For a start, they have very strong Chinese flavour, and not influenced by the Japanese or Amercian designs, and that's very important.

And I genuinely really find them likeable.

Leinad

11-13-2005, 04:06 AM

They look weird.

Where's the mouth? The red thing near the eyes or the cut-looking thing near the bottom of the face? :frown:

holy thay do look weird... they mite give my brother hard time sleeping

Filiprish

11-13-2005, 04:40 AM

I like 'em.

kimpossible

11-13-2005, 09:02 AM

They look weird.

Where's the mouth? The red thing near the eyes or the cut-looking thing near the bottom of the face? :frown:

The mouth is near their eyes with the opening just above the collar making them all look like they have tracheotomies.

Leinad

11-13-2005, 02:57 PM

The mouth is near their eyes with the opening just above the collar making them all look like they have tracheotomies.

true... o u no that firey one, looks like chester from linkin park http://starposters.com.au/images/big/linkinpark-live.jpg lol

tvbdude

11-13-2005, 10:57 PM

they're ugly. reminds me of the fucking teletubbies

Faithless

11-14-2005, 01:05 AM

The mouth is near their eyes with the opening just above the collar making them all look like they have tracheotomies.
I was gonna say that the red mouth on the one mascot makes it look like an inflatable fuck doll. :frown:

Leinad

11-14-2005, 03:11 AM

they're ugly. reminds me of the fucking teletubbies

indeed! ...they could make another teletubbieish program with the mascots

bluemonq

11-14-2005, 06:00 AM

The mouth is near their eyes with the opening just above the collar making them all look like they have tracheotomies.
actually, i believe those are the viewing and breathing holes for the people inside them. the mouths are the red and black crescents. compare to these official mascot cartoon figures:
http://images.beijing-2008.org/98/04/Img211990498.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/97/04/Img211990497.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/11/05/Img211990511.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/68/07/Img211990768.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/93/04/Img211990493.gif

kimpossible

11-14-2005, 07:51 AM

The irony that it's a breathing hole.

SunWuKong

11-14-2005, 08:40 AM

actually, i believe those are the viewing and breathing holes for the people inside them. the mouths are the red and black crescents. compare to these official mascot cartoon figures:
http://images.beijing-2008.org/98/04/Img211990498.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/97/04/Img211990497.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/11/05/Img211990511.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/68/07/Img211990768.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/93/04/Img211990493.gif

they look so much better as cartoon characters than the real life costumes of them.

but anyway, i like what they're supposed to represent.

snailpoo

11-14-2005, 09:26 AM

Should have been "Bruce Bruce", the super martial artist with nunchucks.

Actually, judging from the picture, it's "Jackie Jackie," Chan is sitting on stage.

nonamerasian

11-14-2005, 04:43 PM

actually, i believe those are the viewing and breathing holes for the people inside them. the mouths are the red and black crescents. compare to these official mascot cartoon figures:
http://images.beijing-2008.org/98/04/Img211990498.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/97/04/Img211990497.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/11/05/Img211990511.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/68/07/Img211990768.gifhttp://images.beijing-2008.org/93/04/Img211990493.gif

Am I the only one who finds them cute?

bluemonq

11-14-2005, 09:53 PM

i don't think anyone has any problems with the cartoon figures; it's the real-life execution of them that doesn't go over so well.

AliBabaIncorporated

11-15-2005, 06:10 AM

I'd say they're not so bad compared to previous mascots, which have been almost uniformly ugly, poorly executed, and lacking in personality (with the exception of Vucko from Sarajevo and Hodori from Seoul):
http://www.hickoksports.com/history/olmascots.shtml

pikachupacabra

11-15-2005, 02:10 PM

What's with the two kids next to Jackie doing the double-arm-"aw yeah i gonna get me some action"-hand-pumping?

demoore

11-26-2005, 04:34 AM

The french name of the mascots : "Les ch'tits copains" !