On "Mascots"

I don't believe in "mascots" - I think they really look like that! The idea that it's just a "costume" is a white lie, because society has a hard time accepting people who look different. You should be nice to them.

I think mascots deserve rights! It's not fair that the only context they're seen in society is as second-class citizens designated to working in the public as walking advertisements, or with children. (Not that there's anything wrong with those who do.) They have dreams and talents too! Look at the kind of things they could accomplish if they were freed from these societal shackles!

When a mascot dies, it’s not like a typical death. Their soul leaves the body and it deflates. You guessed it, the deflated body can be kept and is often worn by people. That's where the misconception that mascots are "costumes" comes from. But the way a human acts when pretending to be a mascot is so uncanny and fake compared to a true, living mascot...I don't think the lifespan of most mascots is very long due to the kind of work they do. They probably don't even get days off or paid well. Isn't that sad? That's likely why people get hired to wear them after their quick deaths. This increased tenfold during the pandemic, where so many mascots died and the human essential workers had to don their skin as a replacement.

When it comes to mascot rights, we're really far behind. Currently, Japan is the least bad place for a mascot to live in. It's within the shackles, but in a more liberal way - They're still walking advertisements and work for the public, but they're also treated as individuals with their own personalities and interests. Mascots in Japan tend to live longer (closer to a human lifespan, sometimes even longer) and are allowed to retire instead of being worked to death, too. Here's some information on mascots in Japan.

There are also costumes made to cheaply resemble mascots, but you can usually tell it's fake skin meant for a human to inhabit. Just compare this photo of some real mascots VS some cheap costumes. The space mascots live in society is taken for granted and seen as disposable in this harsh economy.

I hope this page taught you something. Please be kind to any mascot that you may meet, most people don't think twice about the things they go through.