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Wenlock & Mandeville[]

The two mascots for both the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were Wenlock and Mandeville, metallic creatures created from the last two drops of steel used to construct the Olympic Stadium in London. They both have lights on their heads inspired by London's black taxis, and one of their most distinctive features is that they are always changing their appearance.

Wenlock[]

Wenlock is the official mascot of the London 2012 Olympic Games. He was named after Much Wenlock, a town in England that hosted a competition inspired by the Ancient Greek Olympics called the Much Wenlock Games. When Baron Pierre de Coubertin visited the town for these games, he was inspired to begin the modern Olympic movement.

Mandeville[]

Mandeville is the official mascot of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. She was named after the hospital of Stoke Mandeville in England, where the first Paralympic games were created.

Popularity[]

These two fairly new mascots were recieved with mixed reviews. On one end, many people complained that the mascot were creepy and were taken a step too far with the one eye, relating it to Illuminati frequently. Some said it lacked the cute and cuddliness needed to sell well among most children. Others say they resemble the characters Kang and Kodos from the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. Others also compared them to Izzy, Atlanta 96's mascot, who was also critically panned. Another said they were both the product of "a drunken one-night stand between a Teletubbie and a Dalek".

On the other end, people thought the idea was very creative and united the past and present well. A portion of kids wanted the mascots to visit their schools. Media Critic James Bridle said that their huge eyes fit well with the city of London, as it is the most surveilled city on Earth, having the highest CCTV camera to inhabitants ratio. Creative Review said about them, "Both are clearly from the digital age. And we have to say, we think they look rather good."

The arguments surrounding these two mascots are featured on many websites.

In the Youtube Channel of the London 2012 the story about the Mascot shows how they form from steel.

According to then-Chair of the London Assembly Baroness Dee Doocey, she said that only the "richest of schools" would be able to afford their appearance fee. A regular appearance would cost 850 British pounds (or $1.2 thousand) while overnight stay requirements would cost 1.7 thousand British pounds.

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