China Pushes Merchandise For Olympics Mascots Despite Criticism

China Launches Extensive Merchandising Push For Beijing Olympic Mascots

China has launched an "extensive merchandising push" for the Beijing Games mascots -- known as the Fuwa -- that includes "animated television shows and a cornucopia of T-shirts and trinkets sold at about 6,300 Olympics shops and sales counters," according to a front-page piece by Geoffrey Fowler of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. But while the Fuwa are "ubiquitous, that doesn't mean they're universally liked." A nationwide Nielsen Co. survey in late June "found that 60% of Chinese liked the characters, while 40% were indifferent or disliked them -- a high negative response in a society that prizes consensus." The Fuwa most recently have been "beset by an online rumor that associates each one with a recent Chinese national disaster," and some Chinese "have lately taken to calling them Wuwa, Chinese for 'witch dolls.'" Critics have "complained it isn't clear whether the Fuwa are animals, children or aliens," and they suggest that the Fuwa "risk joining a long tradition of Olympics mascots gone wrong." Chinese artist Han Meilin, who created the Fuwa, said that the mascots "'could have been much better' had they not been so saddled with stuff." BOCOG would not discuss criticisms of the Fuwa, but said in a statement that "sales of Fuwa products are 'good' and the characters are 'very much welcomed by consumers'" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/23). The following are Olympic mascots from previous games.

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