We are pro-mascot.
麻豆传媒映画Canadians鈥� .
Even Philadelphia Flyers鈥� nightmare-inducing
They tickle us in a way few costumed adults have before.
But the City of Vancouver鈥檚 latest foray into policy-themed mascottery is just sad.
The city trotted out 鈥淎shley鈥� 鈥� a human-sized ciggie 鈥� to dance for media types this Wednesday as a way of promoting its .
Admittedly, 鈥淎shley鈥� was an inspired nickname choice. Way better than Butty. Mind you, not nearly as cool sounding as Cig Vicious. Just sayin鈥�.
But the name is not the problem. It鈥檚 a few other things.
First off, shouldn鈥檛 a mascot promoting what effectively is a personal, portable ashtray for cigarette butts be an ashtray? If you鈥檙e a mascot that looks like a cigarette, aren鈥檛 you essentially promoting cigarettes?
And what to make of Ashley鈥檚 flaccid appearance. There is something unsettingly phallic about that Ashley.聽 Seriously. Take a close look. Take away the filter and you basically have a mascot for an erectile dysfunction product.
And lastly, on a personal note: As we stared for far too long at Ashley, the city鈥檚 life-size cigarette mascot, and the dark jeaned-human who inhabits it, we couldn鈥檛 help but think how someone at the city was paid to invent Ashley. Someone was paid to put forth the notion that a campaign such as this required a mascot that looks like a cigarette, a mascot that requires hiring a person or persons to design and make a cigarette costume, and a person to wear said costume and dance at a press conference.
And that person at the city probably earned more than the reporters, photographers and other members of the media covering the event.
Talk about a kick in the butt.
聽 聽
