Did you watch the opening ceremony for the Olympics yesterday I was sadly driving home from a trip, so I didn’t get to see the fanfare. But from what I hear, viewers thought they were great (probably because legendary director Danny Boyle orchestrated them). What people don’t seem to be sold on, however, are the mascots. Last Olympics we had cute pandas dressed in costume. And this time, we have…what, exactly?

The mascots’ names are Wenlock and Mandeville, and they were apparently crafted from the ruins of an old Olympic stadium. They were chosen over other mascot ideas such as, “anthropomorphic pigeons, an animated tea pot, and a Big Ben with arms and legs.” (Pigeons would have actually been pretty awesome.) Wenlock is named after the town that inspired the modern Olympics, and Mandeville’s moniker comes from the birthplace of the Paralympics. According to their designer, the two mascots are supposed to, “excite and inspire young people and encourage them to get involved in sport.” [via Gawker]

What do you think of the mascots?