Vinicius: Bringing the 2016 Olympics to life with his energy

The 2016 Olympic mascot was a character named Vinicius. Vinicius was designed to represent the diversity of Brazil's culture and wildlife. The mascot's name pays tribute to Vinicius de Moraes, a famous Brazilian poet and composer. Vinicius is a vibrant yellow creature with multiple colors and shapes, representing the harmony and joy of Brazil's people. The mascot has various elements from different Brazilian animals, such as the agility of a monkey and the grace of a bird. Vinicius also has the ability to stretch its limbs and body, symbolizing the Olympic values of overcoming boundaries and achieving greatness.

Vinicius (Rio 2016)

According to an animation of their origin story by Design and Animation team, Birdo Produções, they were born when an explosion of Brazillian joy lit up the sky when Rio was chosen to host the Games in 2016 back on October 2, 2009 at the 121st IOC Session In Copenhagen, Denmark. But what concerns me most is that one of the most troubling aspects of this year s Olympics hasn t really been addressed by the mainstream media at all.

Vinicius also has the ability to stretch its limbs and body, symbolizing the Olympic values of overcoming boundaries and achieving greatness. The mascot played a significant role in building excitement and engagement for the 2016 Olympic Games, creating a sense of unity and pride among the Brazilian people. Overall, Vinicius was an important symbol for the 2016 Olympics, embodying the spirit and diversity of Brazil.

The Rio Olympics mascot is totally bizarre, but Olympics mascots are never normal

The Rio Olympics have been under fire for many things — the water quality, the conditions of the athletes’ housing, the prevalence of Zika in the region, the security concerns. It hasn’t been, shall we say, a walk in the village by any means. But what concerns me most is that one of the most troubling aspects of this year’s Olympics hasn’t really been addressed by the mainstream media at all. In fact, I’ve seen very few articles about this, which, frankly, makes me concerned about the state of journalism in 2016. Because the real problem with the Rio Olympics is the gangly-looking, anthropomorphized, cat-like, football-headed creature that has been named Vinicius and deemed the mascot. Look.

What even is this dude? A monkey? A cat? Is it a Minion that someone stretched out on one of those medieval torture machines? Someone should tell that girl hugging it to watch out, I bet Vinicius could go crazy and turn on her in a second. According to Olympic.org, Vinicius is named after the Brazilian musician Vinicius de Moraes, who is very good. Here is some of his music.

Vinicius is apparently “a mix of different Brazilian animals. His design takes inspiration from pop culture, as well as video game and animation characters.” Okay, now things are making sense: Whoever was in charge of coming up with this creature of the huge hands and feet did exactly what it looks like, which is mash up a bunch of animals, video game characters, and cartoons, stuff it with some synthetic filling, and call it day.

But we shouldn’t be surprised, really. Mascots at the Olympics have never been normal. Twitter moments has a really great feature going right now where they make exactly this point. For example, Izzy, the mascot from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, looks like a rejected, cross-eyed Sesame Street character. Or maybe a blueberry that got stepped on and then reincarnated as Mr. Potato Head.

Then you’ve got this motley crew from the 2000 Sydney Olympics. They look like scarier versions of Pokemon.

And check out these guys from the 2004 Athens games, which crack me up/scare the living daylights out of me. What are you?! What honestly are you guys? Are you supposed to be Doric columns? Are you fingers with feet?

And last, but not least, we have these horrifying cyclops from the London games in 2012 that — this is something I would bet hundreds of dollars on — gave people nightmares and still haunt the dreams of those unfortunate enough to run into them.

I’m terrified of mascots in general, but not all of them are as bad as the line of creatures that have historically been designed to represent the Olympics. It’s not that hard to come up a mascot that doesn’t look like something out of a sci-fi movie where a bunch of gunk spilled out of a vat and turned a dog into a mangled, demonized version of itself. MLB teams and colleges have actually managed to present the world with some delightful creatures, such as this guy.

And while Sochi might’ve been mostly a total disaster, they did do one thing right: The mascots were actually kind of cute.

So consider this a plea for PyeongChang in 2018: Give us something better to embrace as the fuzzy face of the games. It’s not rocket science.

Vinicius, named after Brazilian lyricist Vinicius de Moraes, is the Olympic mascot. Vinicius's design represents Brazilian wildlife, combining "the agility of cats, sway of monkeys and grace of birds." The character's arms and legs can stretch unlimited distances. Vinicius's mission is "to spread joy throughout the world and celebrate the friendship that flourishes between people from all over the world" at the Olympic Games. [1]

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Reviews for "The creation of Vinicius: A tribute to the 2016 Olympic host city"

- Emily - 1 star

I found the 2016 Olympic mascot to be unoriginal and uninspiring. It was just a colorful creature with some random shapes and lines. There was nothing unique or memorable about it. I couldn't connect with it on an emotional level, and it didn't represent the spirit of the Olympics for me. Overall, a disappointing choice for a mascot.

- Mike - 2 stars

The 2016 Olympic mascot was a real letdown for me. It lacked creativity and charm. The design seemed rushed and generic, as if they didn't put much thought into it. I couldn't even remember its name because it was so forgettable. I think the Olympics deserve a more imaginative and captivating mascot.

- Sarah - 2.5 stars

I wasn't impressed with the 2016 Olympic mascot. It looked like a mishmash of different animals and shapes, without a clear identity. The colors were vibrant, but they didn't make up for the lackluster design. It didn't leave a lasting impression on me, and I quickly forgot about it once the Olympics were over. I believe they could have done better with the mascot.

The cultural significance of Vinicius, the 2016 Olympic mascot