Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat
Encyclopedia
Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat was an unofficial mascot
of the Sydney
2000 Summer Olympics
created by Sydney cartoonist Paul Newell with Roy and HG
from the Australian Channel Seven
sports/comedy television program The Dream with Roy and HG
, which covered the event. He took the form of a life-size stuffed toy wombat
with a lazy, cheerful expression and comically pronounced rump, and usually appeared on The Dream broadcasts on Roy and HG's desk.
Fatso was a spoof of the official Olympic mascots Syd, Ollie and Millie, whom Roy & HG disparaged as "Syd, Ollie and Dickhead". He was nicknamed "the battlers' prince" and proved to be more popular among Australian fans (and some visitors who viewed the program) than the official mascots. Fatso appeared with Gold Medalists Susie O'Neill, Grant Hackett
and the Australian men's 4×200 metre relay team on the winners' dais. He consequently appears on an official commemorative postage stamp
of the Australian men's 4×200 metre relay team in the arms of Michael Klim
. During the Olympics, the Australian Olympic Committee
attempted to ban athletes appearing with Fatso to stop him upstaging their official mascots. The ensuing public relations disaster forced the president of the AOC, John Coates, and the director general of the IOC
, Francois Carrard, to distance their organisations from these attempts.
In keeping with Fatso's role as a protest against the commercialization of Olympic mascots, only two Fatsos were officially produced: one for use in the studio and the other for use in the athletes' village. At the end of the Olympics, one of the Fatsos was auctioned for the Olympic Aid charity, selling for A$
80,450 to Seven Network
executive chairman Kerry Stokes
. Fatso is currently housed in a glass box in Kerry Stokes's North Sydney office. A number of unofficial Fatso toys and memorabilia were sold by merchants without authorization from the producers of The Dream. A statue of Fatso appears as part of an official Olympic memorial outside the Sydney Olympic Stadium, commemorating the volunteers who worked during the Olympics. The Fatso statue was vandalised in late September 2010, then stolen sometime before 8 October 2010.
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
created by Sydney cartoonist Paul Newell with Roy and HG
Roy and HG
Roy & HG is an Australian comedy duo, comprising Greig Pickhaver in the role of "H [Harry] G Nelson" and John Doyle as "'Rampaging' Roy Slaven". Their act is an affectionate but irreverent parody of Australia's obsession with sport. Their characters based on archetypes in sports journalism: Nelson...
from the Australian Channel Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
sports/comedy television program The Dream with Roy and HG
The Dream with Roy and HG
The Dream with Roy and HG was a sports/comedy talk show, broadcast every night during the Sydney 2000, Salt Lake 2002 and Athens 2004 Olympics, presented by Australian comedy duo Roy and HG....
, which covered the event. He took the form of a life-size stuffed toy wombat
Wombat
Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately in length with a short, stubby tail. They are adaptable in their habitat tolerances, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as...
with a lazy, cheerful expression and comically pronounced rump, and usually appeared on The Dream broadcasts on Roy and HG's desk.
Fatso was a spoof of the official Olympic mascots Syd, Ollie and Millie, whom Roy & HG disparaged as "Syd, Ollie and Dickhead". He was nicknamed "the battlers' prince" and proved to be more popular among Australian fans (and some visitors who viewed the program) than the official mascots. Fatso appeared with Gold Medalists Susie O'Neill, Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett OAM is an Australian former swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him to be regarded as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history...
and the Australian men's 4×200 metre relay team on the winners' dais. He consequently appears on an official commemorative postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
of the Australian men's 4×200 metre relay team in the arms of Michael Klim
Michael Klim
Michael Klim OAM is a Polish-born Australian swimmer. He was born in Gdynia. He was educated at the University High School, Melbourne and Wesley College, Melbourne where he is currently employed as the College's elite Head Coach of swimming...
. During the Olympics, the Australian Olympic Committee
Australian Olympic Committee
The Australian Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee in Australia for the Olympic Games movement. It is a non-profit organisation that selects teams, and raises funds to send Australian competitors to Olympic events organised by the International Olympic Committee .-Background:The...
attempted to ban athletes appearing with Fatso to stop him upstaging their official mascots. The ensuing public relations disaster forced the president of the AOC, John Coates, and the director general of the IOC
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
, Francois Carrard, to distance their organisations from these attempts.
In keeping with Fatso's role as a protest against the commercialization of Olympic mascots, only two Fatsos were officially produced: one for use in the studio and the other for use in the athletes' village. At the end of the Olympics, one of the Fatsos was auctioned for the Olympic Aid charity, selling for A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
80,450 to Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
executive chairman Kerry Stokes
Kerry Stokes
Kerry Matthew Stokes AC is an Australian businessman. He holds business interests in a diverse range of industries including electronic and print media, property, mining, and construction equipment. He is most widely known as the chairman of the Seven Network, one of the largest broadcasting...
. Fatso is currently housed in a glass box in Kerry Stokes's North Sydney office. A number of unofficial Fatso toys and memorabilia were sold by merchants without authorization from the producers of The Dream. A statue of Fatso appears as part of an official Olympic memorial outside the Sydney Olympic Stadium, commemorating the volunteers who worked during the Olympics. The Fatso statue was vandalised in late September 2010, then stolen sometime before 8 October 2010.