London 2012 backs the coalition
May 19th, 2010 Posted in Culture by Andy Mayer
Given the new Olympic mascots Wenlock and Mandeville must have been many months in development the similarities between them and the symbols of the new government are just eerie.
- Both are men of steel forged in the last gasp of manufacturing under the last Government
- Both are shiny and claim to be ”reflecting the people, places and things we meet along the way as we travel around the UK. You might see yourself reflected if we meet you!”
- They’re both “novices”, who learn as they go
- Wenlock looks rather like the Liberal Democrat logo has exploded on his chest.
- Mandeville the more traditional of the two looks rather like the old Conservative torch
- Wenlock the Parliamentary constituency was abolished in 1885. It was a multi-member constituency… split between one Conservative and one Liberal
- Stoke Mandeville is in the constituency of Aylesbury, a seat that has only ever been held by Liberals or Conservatives.
- The Wenlock Olympian Games are to the modern Olympic games rather like the Liberal Democrat party to the rest. Gloriously amateur, locally focused, and inexplicably still going on largely unchanged after 150 years.
- The Stoke Mandeville Games gave rise to the modern Paralympics. Originally a contest for old soldiers with crippling limitations, the association gradually grew in scope through troubled flirtations with Europe before accepting the need to look to the rest of the world and accept a wider variety of people with different limitations. Despite that change by the modernisers the core of movement is still going and remains focused narrowly on their original tradition.
- Ominously Wenlock and Mandeville claim their “final destination is 2012″…
May 19th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
It looks like they just turned up in time for the 1922 Committee vote.
May 19th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
My analysis is a little different.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:11 am
Q Did anybody ask anybody living in London whether they wanted the city they live in to host & pay for the Olympics?
A No
May 20th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Oh my God. It’s Nick and Dave!
Well I’m sure Labour will be blaming the new coalition for the design on the mascots.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Well if the image above doesn’t feature in the caption competition on Have I Got News For You, then I will be very surprised.
May 21st, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Caption’s been done: http://twitgoo.com/wijwn
May 26th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Andy,
I commend your decision not to state the obvious, but I can’t resist.
The colours, man! THE COLOURS!!
June 7th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Well I’m sure Labour will be blame for the design on the mascots.
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