Clitoris: We need to talk about the controversial French Olympic mascot

The mascot of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris has become known ... And this is quite a revolutionary move.

Firstly, because these are two anthropomorphic Phrygian hats called "frigi", which refer to French history and personify the revolutionary spirit of France.

“It's a symbol of freedom and it's also a very strong message about the revolution we want for these games. We want these games to be a great success,” says three-time Olympic kayak and canoe champion Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024.

Fair enough, Mr. Estanguet, but on closer inspection, this is also a very strong message related to female anatomy. Because the mascots - besides looking like crazy Smurf hats - unmistakably resemble gurgling plush clitoris with the cold, dead eyes of a killer that could be right at home in a particularly traumatic Cronenberg fever dream.

How it got past the (apparently all-male or blind?) design and selection committee is not bewildering. Surely someone in the office walked past the design studio with a stunned expression and asked, "Hmm, these talismans look suspiciously familiar... BURN EVERYTHING COMPROMISING!! BURN!!"

Or maybe it was a deliberate choice to promote a sexually positive message through a particularly red inverted womb? Or even a cheeky reference to last year's spectacular protests organized by Manif pour Tous on the eve of Women's Rights Day, during which hundreds of Marians denounced the alienation of women through assisted reproduction and surrogacy?

Hundreds of Mariannes condemn women's alienation through assisted reproduction and surrogacy - Paris 2021La Manif Pour Tous

Whatever the case, they went for it. And the Internet has let them know exactly what they think:

"Sorry, but if you photoshop some small sneakers and a French flag, we'll be there."

"Clits are like talismans, games are fun."

“We could have a beret, a baguette or even the Eiffel Tower, but no, we chose a Phrygian cap that looks like a clitoris. Those involved in decision making have nothing in their brains.”

We would add that they have one very persistent thing in the brain...

At least French men now have more of an excuse when it comes to what a clitoris looks like. Or where to find it.

The mascots are meant to represent the Olympic spirit - the emphasis on the "body" in 2024 - and to communicate with young fans to inspire the public to take up the sport.

While the message seems to have been lost this time around, there are also concerns that the mascots should represent the Olympics internationally. This raises the issue that many international viewers are unaware of what the Phrygian cap is, or that the red bonnet was known to be worn by Marianne and is an artistic representation of the free French Republic. Therefore, many viewers from all over the world will see, first of all, the clitoris.

Or not, depending on the circumstances.

In the UK, for example, a YouGov poll in 2019 found that 30% of Britons did not know what a clitoris was (29% of women, 31% of men), and in 2021 The Guardian noted that this percentage had risen to 37%.

Anatomy aside, the shape of a talisman is not in itself the only source of concern.

The co-production of the 2024 mascot was entrusted to two French companies, Gipsy and Doudou & Cie. More than a million toys are expected to be produced before the 2024 Olympics. However, reports state that only 20% of the total will be produced in France; the rest in China.

According to the French publication Ouest France, of the one million frigs produced, only 200,000 will be produced in the northwestern region of Brittany. The premium version will be developed in France and will be priced at 49.90 euros. The price of the Chinese-made version will be €34.90.

French Industry Minister Roland Lescure responded to criticism over the "Made in China" scandal by saying "20% made in France is not enough, but it's better than nothing."

“To do this, (the French company) is going to increase the size of its plant in Brittany and hire employees. This is the beginning".

After all, give us a clitoris with Bette Davis eyes over that unholy monster that Wenlock and Mandeville were in London in 2012 - there isn't enough time or therapy in the world to get rid of the nightmares caused by those drops of steel with cameras instead of eyes.

The Olympic Games in Paris will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024, and the Paralympic Games from August 28 to September 8.