At first glance, the Paris Olympics mascot is not easily identifiable to the uninitiated.
The pair of fiery red, triangular blobs — complete with cartoon eyes and the Games logo — have been likened to waggling tongues or, for those with minds in the gutter, a clitoris.
However, the anthropomorphized mascots are inspired not by a body part but, rather, they’re les Phyrges, a cartoonish reimagining of a Phrygian cap, a symbol of liberty dating back to the French Revolution.
And the peculiar-looking Phyrges — pronounced “fri-jee-uhs” — come from a long line of bizarre Olympics mascots that have perplexed viewers over the years.
One 2024 games guru, though, gives the red blob high praise.
“We chose the Phrygian cap because it’s a very strong symbol for the French Republic,” Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said in a previous statement, noting that they chose an “ideal” rather than an animal.
“For French people, it’s a very well-known object that is a symbol of freedom, an object that will represent mascots across the world.”
For the rest of the world, it may be more easily recognizable as the bright red caps worn by the cotton candy-blue Smurfs.
Each Phyrge represents the Olympics and Paralympics, the latter imagined with a prosthetic running leg and described as spontaneous and energetic. The Olympic Phyrge, on the other hand, is “a tactician with a calculating, mathematical brain,” per the official Olympics description.
Together, they “complement each other and make each other better” — and, of course, fulfill their mission of “revolution through sport” in the City of Light.
Whatever the color, shape or intent, the Phyrges continue a tradition of unique mascots that have raised eyebrows for decades.
Here are six previous wacky ones.
London 2012: Wenlock and Mandeville
Wenlock, which represented the Olympics, and Mandeville, repping the Paralympics, were the mascots for the London Olympics in 2012.
While it’s nearly impossible to tell what the pair were supposed to be, according to their creator, Wenlock’s lore involves being “made from one of the last drops of steel used to build” the stadium for The Games.
The pointed light on top of its head — adorned with a “W” — is supposed to be an infamous black cab light.
Turin 2006: Neve and Gliz
Neve, meaning “snow” in Italian, and Gliz, short for “ghiaccio” and meaning “ice,” were the mascots for the 2006 Turin Olympic Games as a snowball and ice cube.
Neve, dressed in red, was meant to represent “harmony and elegance of movement,” while Gliz, in blue, was designed to “recall the power and strength of athletes.”
Athens 2004: Phevos and Athena
A nod to two Olympus gods — Phevos, another name for Apollo, and Athena — the pair of smiley mascots at the Athens Olympic Games connected the country’s history and mythology to the sporting palooza.
Apollo or Phevos was the god of light and music, while Athena was the goddess of wisdom and acted as a protector over the city, according to the official description. Meant to be brother and sister, their design was mimicked after terracotta clay dolls that were shaped like bells, called the “daidala.”
“They symbolize the pleasure of playing and the values of Olympism,” the Olympics site reads. “The choice of a brother and sister was deliberate: they embody the unity of men and women, through equality and brotherhood.”
Vancouver 2010: Miga and Quatchi
The 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver saw Quatchi, a sasquatch, and Miga, a sea bear, as the mascots, derived from local fables of the First Nations in Canada.
Quatchi, imagined with pillowy brown fur and a pair of bright blue earmuffs, was said to be living in the forest. Miga, on the other hand, was a mythical “sea bear,” a hybrid of a killer whale and Kermode bear, or “Spirit Bear,” native to British Columbia.
Atlanta 1996: Izzy
This amorphous blue creature created for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta was originally called “Whatizit” before a focus group of 32 kids, ages 7 to 12, renamed it Izzy following a “mixed” initial reception from the public.
Still, it’s unclear at first glance what the mascot is supposed to be.
With lightning-bolt eyebrows and a vibrant blue body, Izzy wasn’t a living creature at all, nor was it even a gizmo.
In fact, according to the games’ site, it was a “product of information technology” — whatever that means.
Nagano 1998: Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki
A group of “snowlets” were the mascot for the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
The owl-like flock derived its name from two words: “snow,” due to the season, and the word “let’s,” as in “an invitation to join in the Games celebrations,” per the official Olympics site.
It is also a nod to the word “owlets,” which refers to the young birds of prey.
Each owl, with its own distinct color, also has a name: Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki.
They pay homage to the four elements — fire, air, earth and water — representing “the four years that make up an Olympiad.”