Is this for real?
The mascot for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games was revealed late last week and netizens are having so much fun ridiculing him.
The mascot was named Pami, short for “pamilya” the Filipino word for “family.”
Ramon Suzara, the executive director of the SEA Games, told GMA News’ Unang Balita today: “Pami, of course, represents every nation, every athlete, every person, coming together that (sic) support each other at the Games. Of course, it came from the word ‘pamilya’ meaning family. It’s created from spheres, squishy balls that is joyful.”
Judging by some comments, the mascot’s somewhat odd appearance has been a source of endless mirth. Pami looks like seven multi-colored bubbles strung together. If you’re more imaginative, you could even say that it’s the top view of a dragonfly, with a smiley etched on its circular body.
The mascot doesn’t appear well thought out, nor does it seem like the work of an excellent artist — or even an average one, for that matter.
One netizen called Pami a bilo-bilo, a local dish made of glutinous balls and called him the official “snack” of the SEA Games.
Meanwhile, Philip Abog said: “The stuff toys being sold for PHP20 (US$.38) in [the market in] Divisoria look even better.”
Over on Twitter, @unlicomments wrote that “Pami” stands for something else. He said it’s short for “pamimigay” (“to give away”) because he believes the government is handing over the West Philippine Sea to China.
As in Pami-migay na ang teritoryo.
— Charlie Mike (@unlicomments) December 1, 2018
Of course, pro-government individuals slammed naysayers, such as this netizen using the name Vladi Tismo. He wrote: “Some Filipinos will complain whatever you’ll put there. Why don’t you suggest or just make something else? Everyone thinks they’re an artist.”
Tismo is mistaken. When the SEA Games logo was unveiled in August, several artists came up with alternative (and far superior) designs, but the organizer stuck with the original, which one netizen said was similar to Baymax of the movie Big Hero 6.
So don’t count on the organizers changing the mascot, even if it reminds you of several molecules stuck together. Suzara said they’re sticking by him. He said: “We stand by it and hope the people who are negative about the logo will later understand.”
That sounds doubtful.
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