mascots are icons

The term comes from Greek eikOn, from eikenai, "to resemble". An icon is a pictorial representation, typically, a religious image painted on a small wooden panel and used in the devotions of Eastern Christians. The term has a negative connotation: often it is used to define objects of uncritical devotion. Icons are also graphic symbols on a computer display screen which suggests the purpose of an available function. The mascot comprises all these meanings: it’s both esoteric and functional, ancient and ultra-modern. Behind its apparent nonsense, the mascot condenses a plurality of meanings. Just like the religious icon, the mascot evokes an "Outer" dimension that does not own. The mascot is simultaneously sacred and profane.
matteo bittanti