Internet reacts to Paris 2024 Olympic mascots

The Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee unveiled the new mascots for the 2024 Games, and the Internet is skeptical. It’s difficult to know what they are meant to represent–both mascots display the French colours of blue, white and red, and they are vaguely triangular.

The organizing committee revealed that they are meant to represent Phrygian caps, which originated in Eastern Europe and came to represent the freedom won during the French Revolution, but the Internet has other ideas.

“They look like one of those hats Papa Smurf used to rock,” wrote one Twitter user.

“What’s it supposed to be? A bird with sneakers?” wrote another.

Several others expressed the peculiar triangular-shaped figure looks like a cartoon of a female body part brought to life.

According to the Olympic organizing committee, the mascot, who goes by the nickname Les Phryges, was designed to represent the Phrygian cap, a red bonnet famously worn by Marianne, the personification of freedom and democracy against all forms of oppression during the French Revolution.

This is the third connection the 2024 Games has made to the French Revolution (1789-1799). The route for the Olympic marathon follows the same course as the women’s march on Versailles, which was one of the earliest and most significant events of the French Revolution. The logo for the Paris Olympics also pays tribute to the French Republic, combining three symbols–a gold medal, a flame and Marianne.

Although we are 600 days away from the start of the 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games, the mascots are already on sale online. The goal of the mascots is to connect with kids, fans and French culture. 

posted Thursday November 17th
by Marley Dickinson