This year is Visit Malaysia 2014. I think this tourism event is very good for the country’s economy as a whole but I really have to comment on the government’s choice of this year mascot. Malaysia has plenty of endangered animals that would love the job as a mascot. But even in the tourism industry, looks does matter. Being a mascot is hard work. You’ve got to be a good luck charm, cheerleader, goodwill ambassador, look great in a costume and sell a lot of merchandise. All creatures great & small are for the most part perfect for the job – although there have been some strange pairings in the name of marketing. Reptiles, amphibians and creepy crawlies have been called on to peddle products from beer to insurance.
So turning to the Proboscis Monkey to entice the world to visit Malaysia in 2014 is not a hip choice to me. Because the monkey looks very ugly to me :( I am not discriminating, I am just looking at the commercial & marketing point of view. The long-nosed primate has its work cut out. It replaces the much loved Orang Utan as the face of the Tourism Ministry’s efforts. But why this monkey and not other monkeys with a bigger plush toy possibility (or the Hornbill or the Leatherback Turtle)? Well, the fact is that there are only 6,000 proboscis monkeys left in the jungles of Borneo (predominantly in Sabah), according to wildlife conservationist. And there are some several weird, wonderful things about this primate that make it an interesting choice for a mascot – its unusually large nose, big bellies, its webbed feet, it lives in groups, the fact that the males challenge each other for mates & leadership by comparing penis sizes :)
Still…I think it’s ugly, not cute or cuddly at all…
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