1 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. Guess what Will? 3 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 2: What's that Mango? 4 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: So I was tracing the history of mascots this week, 5 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: in particular the furry, foam headed ones we see at 6 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: sporting events. 7 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 2: I'm glad that you just told me what a mascot 8 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 2: looked like. So what did you find? 9 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: It led me to the French opera, which is not 10 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: what I think you'd expect. Now, you might assume that 11 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 1: the word mascot has something to do with the word mask, 12 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: since so many mascots wear them, but actually mascot was 13 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: derived from the French word for good luck charm. The 14 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: term first came to prominence thanks to an eighteen eighty 15 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: French operetta about a witch called La Mascott. 16 00:00:58,200 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: I have never heard of this, so tell me a 17 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: little bit of this opera. What's it about. 18 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: So in the story, there's this young farm girl named 19 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: Bettina who is born with a magical influence and it 20 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: brings good luck to all the people around her. So 21 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: the plot is mostly everyone just trying to take advantage 22 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: of that. Before this operetta, good luck charms in France 23 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: had always been objects, but this operetta posed the question 24 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: what if a person was a good luck charm? So 25 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: Betina was actually the first modern mascot. Now, unfortunately she 26 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: doesn't wear a goofy costume or even try to hype 27 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: up the crowd with free T shirts, but she does 28 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: represent the very beginning of these living good luck charms 29 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 1: that we find everywhere from pro sports to corporations to 30 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: elementary schools. And you know, with fall sports just around 31 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: the corner and starting to heat up, I thought now 32 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: would be a perfect time to check out some of 33 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: the world's strangest mascots and the colorful stories behind them. 34 00:01:49,080 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 2: Definitely let's dive in. Hey their podcast listeners, welcome to 35 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 2: Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and is always I'm 36 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 2: joined by my good friend manguesh hot Ticketer and this 37 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: morning I wish I had eaten breakfast because on the 38 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 2: other side of that soundproof glass making me hungry because 39 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 2: he is dressed up like a biscuit. I mean, there 40 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 2: is butter drooling down from that biscuit. It looks so good. 41 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 2: That's our friend and producer, Dylan Fagan. 42 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: He is not just dressed up as any old biscuit. 43 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 1: He is Monty, the anthropomorphized biscuit from the Montgomery Biscuit. 44 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: I think that's a nod to your Alabama. 45 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 2: Roots R and my love of carbs. 46 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: Now, thank you so much for that, Dylan Will. We're 47 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: talking about mascots today. Do you have a favorite team 48 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: name or mascot from growing up, or anyone you were 49 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: particularly happy to see. 50 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, as a kid, I always thought 51 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 2: it was so funny that you know, again you mention 52 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 2: this growing up in Alabama and having the University of 53 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 2: Alabama have this elephant as a mascot. Never quite understood 54 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 2: why they have this giant elephant of a mascot. I 55 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 2: don't think elephants were around Alabama, but that always cracked 56 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 2: me up. But now I love the mascots. That's part 57 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 2: of the fun of when you're picking the NCAA tournament 58 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,959 Speaker 2: every year during the basketball season and just getting basically 59 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 2: to pick based on mascots. That's the more fun way 60 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 2: to do it, how about you. 61 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: You know, we grew up outside of Philly, so of 62 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: course there was the Philly fanatic nat Are Gritty, But 63 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: speaking of elephants in Brooklyn, I can't believe how excited 64 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: people get for the New York Liberty mascot Ellie Elephant. Yeah, 65 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: she is honestly like royalty around these parts. She has 66 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: a whole Nicki Minaj video where she walks out onto 67 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: the floor and people are just so happy to see her. 68 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: She's in Vogue magazine. It's unbelievable. Ruby's basketball team is 69 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: also the Brooklyn Pickles, and I think if they had 70 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: a mascot, that would be my favorite. 71 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 2: Why is it so funny when it's food like the 72 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 2: biscuits we were talking about, there's something so funny. 73 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: Do you know why is an elephant though? It's because 74 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: when they built the Brooklyn Bridge p. T. Barnum had 75 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: elephants walk over it. 76 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 2: Because its strength or something. Oh that's so cool. Yeah, well, 77 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 2: it has been a lot of fun to see how 78 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 2: crazy they are for Ellie. 79 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: Right. 80 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 2: Well, I'm excited to dive in just generally today. I'm 81 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,720 Speaker 2: really thinking we should get started with a deep cut 82 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 2: a mascot that's one of the true ogs, and that's 83 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 2: the owl of Athens. We're going way back here now. 84 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: You know. 85 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 2: Owls have been associated with the Greek city since the 86 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 2: classical era, and reportedly they even nested in the rafters 87 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: of the original Parthenon. 88 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: And there's also a connection to Athena. Right, wasn't she 89 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: a big fan of ols? 90 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 2: That's exactly right. So the goddess of wisdom was the 91 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 2: patron deity of the Athenians, who happened to be pretty 92 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 2: brainy themselves. And because Athena was thought to have a 93 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 2: special kinship with owls, her followers started treating the birds 94 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,159 Speaker 2: as this sacred symbol of her intellect. Now that's why 95 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 2: so much of the pottery and statues from that era 96 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 2: are chock full of Athena and her different owls. So 97 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 2: you've got Athena with an owl on her shoulder, Athena 98 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 2: with an owl flying overhead. Then you've got Athena with 99 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 2: an owl flying overhead but preparing to land on her shoulder. 100 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,359 Speaker 2: Just all these different options here. So if you go 101 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 2: to an exhibit of the city's relics, it's a lot 102 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 2: of Athena and owls. 103 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 1: And where owls just a symbol of Athens or were 104 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: they considered lucky to well? 105 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 2: Athenians took the site of an owl as a good omen, 106 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 2: especially when they saw them on the battlefield. In fact, 107 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 2: There's a famous example of this at the Battle of Salamus. 108 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 2: This is when the Athenians were squaring off against Persian 109 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 2: invaders and an Athenian general was trying to convince his 110 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 2: fellow citizens that it was time to deploy the fleet, 111 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 2: but the people weren't buying it because victories seemed like 112 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:45,919 Speaker 2: too much of a long shot. Then all of a sudden, 113 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 2: an owl landed right on the mast of the general's ship, 114 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 2: and people were so won over by this support from 115 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 2: the gods that they immediately deployed the Athenian fleet. And 116 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 2: the rest is ancient history. Isn't that wild? 117 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: I mean, inspiring a crowd is classic mascot behavior. So 118 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: that's really great job on the el's part. 119 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 2: It is pretty amazing. Well, I've got an even better 120 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,279 Speaker 2: bird mascot story for you. Have you actually heard of 121 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 2: the Roman army and their vultures? 122 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: No? 123 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 2: I haven't. So you know how some colleges have live 124 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 2: animal mascots that they keep on campus, like a bulldog 125 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 2: or a horse or things like that. I give you 126 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 2: examples of other animals if you need them. Well, the 127 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 2: practice of bringing a live mascot along to rouse your 128 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 2: team may have actually started with the Roman army about 129 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 2: three hundred years or so after the Battle of Salamus. Now, 130 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 2: at the time, the Romans were constantly fighting off the 131 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 2: Germanic tribes of Europe, and as you might imagine, scavenging 132 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 2: vultures were a pretty common sight on the battlefields. So 133 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 2: two vultures in particular, though, would actually follow the Roman 134 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 2: troops as they marched, and this is because they knew 135 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 2: that once the fighting was over, there would be a 136 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 2: pile of corpses to snack on. 137 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: Actually, did I ever tell you about the time I 138 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: saw a sky burial intive? 139 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 2: I don't think so. 140 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: No. They basically wrap a body and prepare it in 141 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,720 Speaker 1: this sacred way so that vultures and wild dog and 142 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: crows leave no body behind. And it's really powerful to see. 143 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 1: But I have these two contrasting images, because you know, 144 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: we'd hiked up to a monastery and it's this gorgeous, quiet, 145 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: quiet ceremony where you're there to observe this sky burial. 146 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: But also, vultures are super weird creatures, really like, they're 147 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: so majestic in the air, and then when they land 148 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: and they waddle quickly towards the food, they are so 149 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: ugly and so ill mannered, and they're just bopping their 150 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: heads in this funny way. 151 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 2: It is so weird to see them on the way, 152 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 2: definitely is. 153 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: Anyway, So I cut you off. So the Romans like 154 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: their vulture friends accompanying them on these war escapades. 155 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean weirdly, it boosted their confidence, like they 156 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 2: believe that vultures weren't following them because they were goners, 157 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 2: they were following them because they knew that Romans were 158 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: reliable killers or meat providers. So at any rate, the 159 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 2: soldiers were such fans of those two vultures that the 160 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,119 Speaker 2: army blacksmith made bronze collars for the birds to wear, 161 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 2: and from that point on, whenever the soldiers caught a 162 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 2: glimpse of the birds and their shiny collars in the wilds, 163 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 2: it would rally the troops and spur them on to 164 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 2: yet another victory. But if you're not sold on a 165 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 2: vulture mascot, there are still plenty of other examples that 166 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 2: we can pull inspiration from. Actually realized this when we 167 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 2: started the research for this episode. But history is littered 168 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 2: with mascots. 169 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: Well, here's something funny. In the early days, just having 170 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: a mascot around was seen as beneficial, right, so just 171 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: seeing an owl or having a vulture accompany you to 172 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 1: a battle. But that actually seems a little passive compared 173 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: to today's mascots, like they're always cheering and dancing, trying 174 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: to work up the crowd. But here's something I just read. 175 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: There's actually an industry rule about not standing still during 176 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: the game. The mascot always has to be moving. 177 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 2: No, I've never thought about that, so so why is that? 178 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: Well, it's partly to keep them from blocking anyone's view 179 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: for longer than a couple seconds, right, But it's also 180 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 1: because motion helps sell the illusion that the character is 181 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: real and not just some random in a lion suit. 182 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 2: Thinking back about that with us in college, that giant 183 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 2: duke Blue Devil, whenever it ended up in front of you, 184 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 2: were like, please move. So that actually makes a lot 185 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,079 Speaker 2: of sense. And has that always been the case, like 186 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 2: ever since humans started dressing up as the Philly Fanatic 187 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 2: or whatever. 188 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: Well, the expectations for mascot behavior have soolutinely changed over 189 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: the years. What is interesting, though, is that it didn't 190 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 1: happen all at once. So like baseball, for example, in 191 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: the early twentieth century. Just a decade or so after 192 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: Lama Scott debuted in France, American baseball players had already 193 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 1: lashed onto the idea of ordinary people acting as good 194 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: luck mascots. For example, imagine there was a player who'd 195 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: been in a slump for the whole game or whatever, 196 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: and then in the last inning he noticed the kid 197 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: in the bleacher smiling at him, and the very next second, 198 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: the player hits a home run and wins the game 199 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: for his team. Now, most likely it was coincidence, but 200 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: there's also the off chance that the kid is good luck. 201 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: So the player decides, what the heck, I'll give the 202 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 1: kid some free tickets for the next game, just to 203 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: be on the safe side. And that's how an instant 204 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: mascot would come about. 205 00:09:57,880 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 2: Wow, and is this something that actually happened, Like player 206 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 2: rope strangers into being their own personal mascots. 207 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, and not just individual players. Sometimes the entire team 208 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: would adopt a standout fan as their mascot. So if 209 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: a pro team went on a winning streak, they would 210 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,199 Speaker 1: usually find someone or something around them to credit for 211 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 1: that success. And this applied to college games too. For instance, 212 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: the Harvard team's early mascot was John the Orange Man, 213 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,679 Speaker 1: who was a local man who sold fruit during the games. 214 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 1: And over at Yale they had a bulldog named Handsome 215 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: Dan that the team would walk onto the field before games, 216 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,080 Speaker 1: and in fact they still do. Yale is currently on 217 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: its nineteenth Handsome Dan. 218 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 2: I mean, fruit vendors and wandering pets aren't generally the 219 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 2: kind of mascots that you see these days, but that's 220 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:41,559 Speaker 2: still pretty wild. 221 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: Definitely not. So why don't we take a quick break 222 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: and then we can talk about how sports mascots went 223 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: from good luck charms to the wild costume performers we 224 00:10:49,840 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 1: know today. Welcome back to part time Genius. Before we 225 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,200 Speaker 1: dive back into the weird and wonderful world of mascots, 226 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: I just wanted to remind you that if you want 227 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: to share a fact with us, suggest a topic, or 228 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 1: ask us a question, you can always give us a 229 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: call on the PTG hotline. The number is three zero 230 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: two four zero five five nine two five. We are 231 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 1: waiting to hear from you. Okay, Well, so, costume characters 232 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: on the sidelines are a pretty standard site in sports today, 233 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: but that hasn't always been the case. So why don't 234 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: you tell me how it happened, Well. 235 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 2: The rise of elaborate costumes actually didn't happen until the 236 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 2: seventies and eighties, but you know, there was a move 237 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 2: toward more active team mascots that began in the nineteen forties. 238 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:45,839 Speaker 2: There's this one famous example from an exhibition game that 239 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 2: Joe DiMaggio played in with service members in Hawaii, and 240 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 2: this was during World War Two. Now, one of the 241 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 2: pitchers was a guy named Max Patkin, who was a 242 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 2: former minor league player who joined the Navy. So Demaggio 243 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:58,680 Speaker 2: hit a home run off of Patkin, and then, to 244 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 2: everyone's surprise, the pitcher left the mound and started mimicking 245 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 2: the way that Demaggio ran. Pat Can chased him around 246 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 2: the bases, and the crowd ate it up. So news 247 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 2: of the event spread, and once the war was over, 248 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 2: the Cleveland Indians actually hired pat Can to entertain crowds 249 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 2: at their games. 250 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: So he just chased players around the bases after they 251 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: hit home runs, like that was his act. 252 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 2: I mean, that was a big part of it. I 253 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 2: mean you could actually still picture this, like when you 254 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 2: go to baseball games, see them always be on the 255 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 2: bases and everything. He'd always make funny faces, do slapstick routines, 256 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 2: like you know, use five bats to hit a ball, 257 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 2: or jumping out of the way when someone threw them 258 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 2: a pitch. Whatever. It was always up to no good. 259 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: He was kind of like a baseball at Rodeo Cloud. 260 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 2: I guess that's exactly right. In fact, Patin became known 261 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:42,680 Speaker 2: as the clown Prints of baseball, and he was a 262 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 2: real legend in his own right. He wracked up more 263 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 2: than four thousand appearances during his career and supposedly never 264 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 2: missed the game between nineteen forty four and nineteen ninety three. 265 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 1: Almost fifty three. That's insane. So did you wear a 266 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: mask or a dress up? Uh? 267 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 2: Kind of like he never put anything over his head, 268 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:03,720 Speaker 2: But he did help promote the idea that mascot should 269 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 2: wear costumes, so in his case, that meant a baggy 270 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:09,559 Speaker 2: baseball uniform with a question mark instead of a number. 271 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 2: But in nineteen sixty four, the New York Mets kind 272 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 2: of won up Patkins' mascot game, so they gave their 273 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 2: mascot a giant baseball shaped head to go along with 274 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 2: the uniform, one that we can all picture these days. 275 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, and so that's how mister met got to start. 276 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, mister Met is considered the first MLB costume mascot 277 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 2: to exist in human form rather than just as artwork. 278 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: Huh. 279 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 2: So he was a big hit with the crowds for 280 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 2: about a decade, but then in the mid seventies he 281 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 2: was phased out due to waning popularity. Now, luckily for 282 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 2: mascot fans, a college student in San Diego stepped up 283 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,199 Speaker 2: to fill the gap, and he did so by wearing 284 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 2: a giant chicken suit. I knew people were wondering when 285 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 2: that one was coming. 286 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: Which team has a chicken for a mascot? 287 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 2: Again, Well, he wasn't an official team mascot per se, 288 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 2: but he was a fixture of Padres games through the 289 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 2: nineteen seventies. Back then, there was a radio station in 290 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 2: San Diego called kg and they hired a college student 291 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 2: named ted Yelunis to put on a chicken suit and 292 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 2: promote the station at Padres games. But here's the thing. 293 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:11,559 Speaker 2: The Padres were so lousy at the time that most 294 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 2: people went to their games just to see the giant chicken. Unfortunately, 295 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 2: the stunt didn't increase the station's listenership, which had been 296 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 2: the whole point of it all along. 297 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: So did they fire the Chicken? 298 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 2: Then they did. Unfortunately, the radio station fired Ted and 299 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 2: took back the costume, but he bought his own chicken 300 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 2: suit and kept ride on performing, so pretty soon the 301 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 2: Famous Chicken became a local hero, despite the fact that 302 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 2: he wasn't officially affiliated with anybody. 303 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 1: I love that they took away his chickensit and he 304 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: was like. 305 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 2: Yes, show you, I'll show you. I can. I still 306 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 2: know how to be a chicken anyway. Thanks to the 307 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 2: Famous Chicken, teams began to realize how popular and potentially 308 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 2: lucrative mascots could be. So most official mascots at the 309 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 2: time were maskless, like Max Patkin and his baggy uniform. 310 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 2: But with a full body costume and mask, a team 311 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 2: could create is larger than live character and better yet 312 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 2: an anonymous one, so unlike traditional mascots, no one would 313 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 2: be able to tell who was actually wearing the costume. 314 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 2: That meant the mascot couldn't age or retire or do 315 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 2: something scandalous to tarnish the team's image. 316 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: Well. Not only that, it also allowed for mascots that 317 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: could be turned into merch. 318 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 2: Right, It's exactly right, And they're all reasons why lots 319 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 2: of brands use mascots, not just sports teams, and think 320 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 2: about you know, like Geico's Gecko, right, and it puts 321 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 2: a friendly face to something as abstract as insurance, and 322 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 2: it gives them something cute to slap on T shirts 323 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 2: and coffee mugs and other merch. 324 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 1: So definitely lots of advantages to using a non human 325 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: character for your mascot. And that's whether it's a cartoon 326 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: or somebody in costume. So who were some of the 327 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: first teams to realize this and kind of follow in 328 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: the steps of mister met and the famous Chicken. 329 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 2: Well, your home team mascot of course, the Philly fanatic 330 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 2: for one. And when the Chicken came to the scene 331 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 2: in the seventies, the Phillies were in need of a 332 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 2: new mascot. At the time, they were repped by phil 333 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 2: and Phyllis, who were just two people dressed in colonial 334 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 2: go How I just learning this, Yeah, you should have 335 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 2: known your city's history. They stood on the field during 336 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 2: the National anthem and that was pretty much it. Phil 337 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 2: and Phillis came out for the national anthem and then 338 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 2: I'm guessing they were a little tired and went on 339 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 2: to bed, but the Phillies called in a designer named 340 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 2: Bonnie Ericson. While her name may not ring a bell, 341 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 2: I guarantee you that you're familiar with her work because 342 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 2: her resume is ridiculous. It includes the creation of not one, 343 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 2: not two, but three all star muppets. You got Statler 344 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 2: and Waldorf and Miss Piggy Wow. So Ericson designed them 345 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 2: while working for Jim Henson at the children's television workshops. 346 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 1: Such a legend. So you always hear about the people 347 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: who performed those characters or did the voices, but you 348 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: never really think about who actually designed and built those 349 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: muppets in the first time. 350 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 2: That's really cool, Yeah, it really is. And in addition 351 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 2: to building muppets, Ericson designed life sized versions of Sesame 352 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 2: Street characters for their ice shows. And this was a 353 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 2: big thing in the seventies, Sesame Street doing these big 354 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 2: ice skating shows, and so she had experience making full 355 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 2: body costumes that performers could move around in, and that's 356 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 2: why the Phillies knew she was the right person for 357 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 2: the job. 358 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 1: It's funny because like, look at the fanatic now, it 359 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: makes so much sense that he was made by someone 360 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: who worked on Sesame Street, like he's just such a 361 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: crazy mishmash of Muppet features. 362 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, the Fanatic does look pretty muppety, but it's not 363 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 2: like Ericson threw the character together using leftover Sesame Street 364 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 2: parts or anything like that. Like she put a lot 365 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 2: of thought into every single element of the design. 366 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 1: Huh. 367 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 2: I actually found this great article on Slate about the 368 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 2: Fanatics history, and it includes a breakdown of the choices 369 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 2: Ericson made. So here's what it says. Every part of 370 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 2: the Fanatic is like a masterclass in mascot design. For starters. 371 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,159 Speaker 2: He's green, not the standard Philly's red, so he stands 372 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 2: out in the crowd. The dug butt and the pear 373 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 2: shaped body ensures that no matter how the performer moves 374 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 2: in the costume, it's funny. His eyes are low on 375 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 2: his face, which makes him look childlike. He also comes 376 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 2: with a backstory, which involves being from the Galapica's Island. 377 00:17:58,080 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: Short. 378 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 2: The result is a character that's good and slightly aggressive. 379 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:04,240 Speaker 2: He'll rub a ball guy's head or rip the hat 380 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:06,920 Speaker 2: off of somebody cheering for the wrong team, and usually 381 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 2: he gets away with it. 382 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, because he's so darn cute. I'm not sure what 383 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: being from the Galapagos Islands has to do with any 384 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: of that, but he is very cute and very monstery, 385 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 1: and I do love how he's beloved by both adults 386 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: and kids. 387 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:22,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, the appeal to all ages ended up being what 388 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:24,880 Speaker 2: drew in so many different fans, and it wasn't long 389 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 2: until other teams caught onto the Phillies strategy. Ericson and 390 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 2: other designers became really busy over the next decade designing 391 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 2: new costume mascots for every team in the league. Other 392 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,640 Speaker 2: sports got in on the action too, and pretty soon 393 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 2: every pro team in the country had a big headed 394 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 2: mascot in its corner. 395 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, and the world was as it should be. 396 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 2: That's right. 397 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: But all right, now that we've given sports mascots their due, 398 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 1: I want to spend some time on one of the 399 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: stranger branches of the mascot tree, which are the so 400 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: called civic mascots that are popped up all over Japan. 401 00:18:54,920 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: But first, let's take another quick break. Welcome back to 402 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,120 Speaker 1: part time Genius. Okay, So, in Japan there's something called 403 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 1: civic mascots. At last count, there are around two thousand 404 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,920 Speaker 1: of them, And a civic mascot is like any other mascot, 405 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,879 Speaker 1: except it represents a community or a public service instead 406 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,119 Speaker 1: of a team or a business. So, for example, if 407 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 1: you walk around a city in Japan, you might see 408 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: a cartoon version of the local mascot on street signs 409 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: or posters, and if you attend a public event like 410 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: a store opening or a festival, you'd probably find the 411 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 1: costumed version standing there for hugs and selfies as well. 412 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 2: So are they all different characters? Like every town has 413 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 2: its own mascot. Maybe not every town, but all of 414 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 2: the major ones and many of the smaller ones do too. 415 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 2: At this point, it is more unusual to not have 416 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,200 Speaker 2: a mascot than to have one, and some of the 417 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 2: larger cities actually have dozens of mascots. It's almost like 418 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:02,159 Speaker 2: one for every district, plus one for each public service 419 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 2: like hospitals, schools, police, sanitation, you name it. Some prisons 420 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 2: even have their own mascots, largely as a way to 421 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,639 Speaker 2: make their presence less intimidating to local kids, which is 422 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 2: both kind of cute and dystopian. I'm curious, so, like, 423 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,160 Speaker 2: how much are these towns spending on mascot costumes, because 424 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 2: I mean dozens of custom made costumes that can't be cheap. 425 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, it gets pretty pricey. In fact, some politicians have 426 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: condemned the mascots as a waste of government funds, and 427 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 1: one of the most famous cases is a bureaucratic pushback 428 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 1: from twenty fifteen, when the governor of Osaka finally put 429 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: his foot down. His prefecture had introduced ninety two different 430 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: mascots over the years, and there were so many he 431 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: argued that most residents could no longer keep track of them, 432 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: including himself. So his solution was to eliminate the twenty 433 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:53,120 Speaker 1: least popular characters, bringing that mascot headcount down to seventy two. 434 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: And yeah, I get where he's coming from, but it's 435 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 1: also kind of funny and sad to think about those 436 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: twenty mascots getting the acts Like That's why I preferred 437 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: the solution that a small town in Hokkaido came up 438 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: with back in twenty fourteen. The Rumoi sub prefecture needed 439 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,920 Speaker 1: fewer mascots, but they couldn't bring themselves to axe any 440 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: of them, so instead, the town combined its ten characters 441 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: vultron style. The one giant robot mascot. 442 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 2: I like the vultron callback there. That's pretty great and 443 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 2: what a genius solution, you know. I'm curious though, like, 444 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:27,199 Speaker 2: are all the civic mascots really that creative? Like with 445 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,919 Speaker 2: two thousand of them running around, they can't all be 446 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 2: generic tigers and bears or whatever. 447 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, japan civic mascots do not disappoint on the variety front. 448 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 1: For starters. Most of them reflect something unique about the 449 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 1: place they represent, like local wildlife or produce or a landmark, 450 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 1: and that specificity cuts down on the repetition while also 451 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:51,199 Speaker 1: ensuring that each mascot boosts regional pride. For instance, the 452 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:55,879 Speaker 1: southwest town of Mizumaki is known for its unusually large 453 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: garlic clothes, and its mascot reflects that he's a chubby 454 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 1: little guy in a with a giant garlic clove for 455 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 1: a head. Now, other towns have gotten even stranger with 456 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: their designs. The city of Hakuto's mascot is a googly 457 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: eyed piece of sushi with spinley arms and legs. There's 458 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: also a cheetan, a clumsy otter that wears a tortoise 459 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: as a hat, and probably the weirdest of the lot, 460 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:22,680 Speaker 1: is Amazoni's, which Atlas Obscura describes as a scowling, masked 461 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: woman who whips people with a locally grown Welsh onion. 462 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 2: I feel like you just like put words into a generator, 463 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,199 Speaker 2: a sentence generator. Those are not words I expected to 464 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 2: hear in the same sentence. But how do they come 465 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 2: up with this stuff? 466 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: Most civic mascots are voted on by the public, and 467 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: often they're based on designs submitted by local children. That's 468 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 1: probably not the case with the onion lady, or that 469 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:48,239 Speaker 1: the rest of them are all right. 470 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 2: Well, one more question about this. I'm really curious how 471 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 2: this mascot craze even got started, Like, is this a 472 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 2: long running tradition in Japan or something. 473 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 1: It's actually a pretty recent phenomena. It only dates back 474 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: to two thousand and seven, and that's the year that 475 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: a white samurai cat mascot named Hikoonyan was created in 476 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,439 Speaker 1: the city of Hikone, and this was to celebrate the 477 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: four hundredth anniversary of a local castle. The idea was that, 478 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: you know, it might help boost tourism, and needless to say, 479 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,640 Speaker 1: the fluffy cat and a samurai helmet worked pretty soon 480 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 1: people were flocking to the castle from all over the country. 481 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,000 Speaker 1: But much like the famous chicken in San Diego, the 482 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: mascot actually became a bigger draw than the main attraction. 483 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,439 Speaker 1: The castle was great, but people really wanted to photo 484 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: op with this cat, and of course the chance to 485 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 1: buy some cute souvenirs. All told, the Samurai cat brought 486 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:39,239 Speaker 1: in billions of yen from merchandise and from tourism, and 487 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,199 Speaker 1: it prompted other cities to create cash cow mascots of 488 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: their own. One of my personal favorites is melon Kuma, 489 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 1: which was invented by a city called Yubari shortly after 490 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 1: the samurai cat craze happened. Yubari is best known for 491 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:57,199 Speaker 1: two things. One is melons and the other thing is 492 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:57,919 Speaker 1: grizzly bears. 493 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 2: Oh okay, and one of those things sounds like a 494 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 2: good reason to visit. The other sounds like a good 495 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 2: reason to avoid. 496 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, but they're both a part of the local culture, 497 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 1: So rather than choose between the two icons, the city 498 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 1: merged them into one bizarre mascot, an extremely angry grizzly 499 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: bear wearing a melon on its head. The best part 500 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 1: is he's not supposed to be nice. So at public 501 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:20,880 Speaker 1: events he terrorizes other mascots and chases the kids around. 502 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:24,240 Speaker 2: Wow, that's pretty funny. I'm just trying to imagine this 503 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 2: happening in the United States. I mean, we all have 504 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:29,120 Speaker 2: a lot of places that depend on tourism, and people 505 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 2: everywhere love to make a bug But somehow, I don't know. 506 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 2: The only example of I can think of really is 507 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:35,879 Speaker 2: like the Time Square Elmo. I can't really see it 508 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 2: anywhere else. 509 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:38,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, So one reason this is so big in Japan 510 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: might have something to do with Japanese culture and how 511 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: the country handles physical interactions in general. I read this 512 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 1: interview with a professional mascot turned instructor named chik Ohira, 513 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: and according to her, a big part of the peal 514 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: is the way a costume lowers people's inhibitions. So this 515 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: is how she put it quote, Japan is a society 516 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,959 Speaker 1: that isn't big on t handshakes and hugs aren't common. Instead, 517 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,200 Speaker 1: we bow or we maybe do a small wave, But 518 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,400 Speaker 1: mascots do hug. It's not to say that we constantly 519 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:11,359 Speaker 1: walk around thinking that we want to be hugged but 520 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: don't do it. Rather, we just think not doing it 521 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,239 Speaker 1: is normal. But when you end up being hugged by 522 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:19,119 Speaker 1: a mascot, you do get that fuzzy, happy feeling. 523 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:21,200 Speaker 2: It actually makes a lot of sense. And like you mentioned, 524 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 2: the trend started in the two thousands and so that 525 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 2: kind of means a whole generation has grown up with 526 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,720 Speaker 2: these characters in their communities. Right, Like, it feels very sweet. 527 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: I know, And I really want my hometown of Hocus 528 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 1: and Delaware to come up with a mascot now. 529 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,719 Speaker 2: Right before you waste a lot of time brainstorming on 530 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:40,160 Speaker 2: what that should be and petitioning your local politicians, let's 531 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 2: quickly do a fact off. Being a mascot is not 532 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 2: easy work. So according to ESPN, the temperature inside a 533 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,680 Speaker 2: full body mascot costume can be up to forty degrees 534 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 2: fahrenheit hotter than the external temperature. So if it's eighty degrees, 535 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 2: it's one hundred and twenty degrees inside that suit. A 536 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 2: former mascot for the Baltimore Orioles once compared the experience 537 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 2: to quote, doing aerobics in a sauna, and the numbers 538 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 2: actually back up that comparison. According to a two thousand 539 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 2: and one study on mascot injuries, the average mascot loses 540 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 2: eight point six pounds of waterweight per performance. 541 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 1: That's crazy. Everyone should stop doing spin cycle and. 542 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 2: Start getting mask mascot training. 543 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,520 Speaker 1: So, speaking of costumes, one thing I've always wondered is 544 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,919 Speaker 1: how mascots keep them clean. Well, it turns out the 545 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: solution is to spray the whole thing with a bottle 546 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:40,159 Speaker 1: full of vodka. That tip actually comes from Bonnie Ericson, 547 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: the woman behind the Philly Fanatic. Apparently alcohol kills bacteria 548 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:46,879 Speaker 1: in the suit without discoloring it, and it's still a 549 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: go to method for mascots today, but there are a 550 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 1: couple other options as well. Now some teams use clear 551 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 1: listerine and others use a special cologne for dogs. It's 552 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: called for Breeze, and I guess it works on fake well, so. 553 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 2: Fur breeze that's pretty good. Actually, do you know? There's 554 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 2: an official mascot Hall of Fame and it's in Whiting, Indiana. 555 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:09,960 Speaker 2: There's a three story museum there and it opened in 556 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 2: twenty eighteen as the first of its kind dedicated to 557 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:16,880 Speaker 2: these unsung heroes of pro sports. When you're inside, guests 558 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:20,160 Speaker 2: can actually find historical exhibits on the origins of the mascots, 559 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 2: as well as a Hall of Fame with plaques for 560 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,400 Speaker 2: all of the inductees and maybe best of all, an 561 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 2: interactive area where you can fire real T shirts at 562 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,679 Speaker 2: a digital crowd. And before you ask, yes, the Mascot 563 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 2: Hall of Fame has its own mascot. His name is Reggie. 564 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 2: He's this giant, purple muppety guy with a bunch of 565 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:40,919 Speaker 2: fries sticking out of the top of his head. And 566 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 2: for the record, he has not been inducted into the 567 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:43,760 Speaker 2: Hall of Fame. 568 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, of course, Reggie's got more working on Regy. Well, 569 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 1: moving away from sports mascots for a second, I have 570 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:55,159 Speaker 1: to share a quick fact about the Vlasic Pickles mascot, which, 571 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 1: as you know, is a stork, but not many people 572 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,879 Speaker 1: know why it's a stork. So, according to the company website, 573 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,679 Speaker 1: the spokespird with a graccho Marx voice was chosen in 574 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy four because quote, the national birth rate was 575 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 1: dropping at that time and babies were in short supply, 576 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 1: so concerned flastic managers simply offered the stork an opportunity 577 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: to deliver pickles instead, and as ridiculous says that sounds, 578 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: the real world rationale was actually very clever. The company 579 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:26,159 Speaker 1: combined the classic myth of storks delivering babies with the 580 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: widespread belief that pregnant women crave pickles, and voila mascot 581 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 1: was born. 582 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:35,159 Speaker 2: One of my favorite mascot stories, hands down, is the 583 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 2: tragic tale of the Crazy Crab aka the most hated 584 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 2: mascot in MLB history. Creative for the San Francisco Giants 585 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 2: in nineteen eighty four, the dopey looking Crab mascot was 586 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 2: intended as a satirical take on the proliferation of mascots, 587 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 2: so as more teams adopted mascots, some fans actually weren't 588 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 2: happy about the silly characters invading games, and the Crazy Crab, 589 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 2: with his ugly, awkward costume, was meant to chant those 590 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 2: feelings into jeers rather than cheers. He was kind of 591 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 2: like a heel character and pro wrestling, and as cynical 592 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 2: as this mascot was, it probably would have been fine 593 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 2: if not for the fact that Giants did horribly during 594 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 2: the nineteen eighty four season. In fact, they finished dead 595 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 2: last in the league, so as you can imagine, all 596 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 2: those losses left fans feeling bitter, and the Crab became 597 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 2: the target of their frustrations. Pretty soon, at every home game, 598 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 2: fans would pelt him with everything from food and trash 599 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 2: to empty bottles even in batteries. Things got so bad 600 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 2: that his shell had to be reinforced with fiberglass to 601 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 2: prevent the actor inside from being injured. Needless to say, 602 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 2: the Giants pulled the plug on the whole idea and 603 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 2: the Crazy Crab was retired after just one season. So 604 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 2: it appeared during a two thousand and eight game, but 605 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 2: he was promptly booed and has not re emerged since. 606 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 1: That is amazing. Okay, here's a fun one from Metalflass Sports. 607 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: Mascots don't get to interact with each other very often, 608 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: but the one exception to that is on their birthdays. 609 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: Teams like to use a character's birthdate as a chance 610 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,040 Speaker 1: to do some marketing, and that usually means throwing a 611 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 1: pr party and inviting other mascots from the league to attend. 612 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 1: These get togethers are as silly as you might expect, 613 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 1: but they go a long way towards making the mascot 614 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 1: and their fans feel like one big, happy family. And 615 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, isn't that what mascots 616 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: are all about that and making money. 617 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was gonna say also, that was a nice 618 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 2: palate cleanser after my Crazy Crab story. So I think 619 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 2: you deserve this week's trophy. 620 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: Congrats, Thank you, Will, and I'm going to dedicate this 621 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 1: one to Crazy Crab. He feels like he could use 622 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 1: a win. That is it for today's show. We'll be 623 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 1: back next week. If you have a question you'd like 624 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: us to answer, or if you'd like to make a 625 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 1: suggestion for an official part Time Genius mascot, give us 626 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 1: a call on our hotline. That's three or two four 627 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: oh five five nine two five. We really love hearing 628 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 1: from you, but from Dylan, Mary, Gabe, Will and myself. 629 00:30:55,800 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening. Part Time Genius is 630 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:15,160 Speaker 1: the production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. This show is hosted 631 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: by Will Pearson and me Mongashtikler and research by our 632 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 1: good pal Mary Philip Sandy. Today's episode was engineered and 633 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: produced by the wonderful Dylan Fagan with support from Tyler Klang. 634 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: The show is executive produced for iHeart by Katrina Norvell 635 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,560 Speaker 1: and Ali Perry, with social media support from Sasha Gay 636 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: Trustee Dara Potts and buy Me Shory. For more podcasts 637 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: from Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 638 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.