Don’t Worry, MukMuk, We’ve Got Your Back

It had to happen sometime… yesterday, the Vancouver Olympics Committee unveiled the new mascots for the 2010 Olympics to a crowd of excited schoolchildren in Surrey, BC.

Hoo boy.

I have to admit, I’m already not a fan of the Inuksuk logo. While I love the story and aesthetic of the Inuksuk itself, seeing it commoditised into a hideous logo to be splashed across winter apparel doesn’t exactly float my boat. And so I was pretty sure that whatever the Committee came up with for mascots- the epitome of Olympic profit seeking via exploitation of young children’s desire for cute and cuddly characters- I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to be too impressed either way.

… Enter Miga the Sea Bear, http://mash.zincroe.com/mascot/en/profile_q.php " target="_blank">Quatchi the Sasquatch, and Sumi the Thunderbird. Based upon various Aboriginal myths, these characters are meant to embody British Columbian history, environment, and… well, I’m at a loss for a third example but I’m certain there’s one out there. They’re certainly an odd bunch, but I have to admit that they’re so cute that they’re starting to grow on me… kind of like a fungus, but more adorable.

I could complain about how these characters were clearly designed to appeal to the average eight-year-old (how else do you come up with a sasquatch who harbours dreams of one day being a professional goalie?). I could rant about the ridiculous musical performance that accompanied the mascots’ introduction (although watching a bunch of elementary-aged students scream themselves hoarse while frenziedly pointing out Sumi onstage was fantastically adorable). I could question the use of Aboriginal art and stories to create a sellable, idealized view of our country. But there’s something else that I feel the need to focus on: MukMuk.

Who is MukMuk, you ask? Why, MukMuk is the mascots’ sidekick, an adorable little Vancouver Island marmot… now, while I have severe doubts about the ability of a marmot to survive winter conditions (although he wears a little toque, so I suppose that gives him a fighting chance), I still think he’s being treated egregiously by the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC).

First, I’m wondering why it was decided that there needed to be a sidekick to the mascots- I mean, aren’t mascots the sidekicks of the event? Having a sidekick for a sidekick seems to be a bit too meta for the Olympics. But, mostly, I’m concerned that MukMuk gets barely any credit on the Official Mascot website, even though you often see his image floating around. Why must poor little MukMuk be treated like a second-class mascot? Why must he be forced to ride shotgun to a show-off sea bear, an activist thunderbird and a socially awkward sasquatch? Forget a theme song, MukMuk doesn’t even get a catchy little jingle! The Vancouver Island marmot is already endangered, and the VANOC has the audacity to further marginalize poor MukMuk by not even allowing him to take his place as a full mascot. What a blow to the lil fella.

A bigger problem, though, is that it seems that HBC doesn’t seem to want to lower itself to providing sidekick merchandise. While the online store has a plethora of products with Miga, Quatchi and Sumi plastered in every colour and direction, poor MukMuk doesn’t even have a travel mug to his name. For shame!

It is for all of these reasons (and the fact that I would totally buy a MukMuk toque) that I ask you all to sign my online petition to the VANOC demanding that MukMuk be given full mascot status. Together, we can make a difference!

Click here to sign the Make MukMuk A Mascot petition