Introverted extrovert? Scared of public speaking? Feeling under appreciated? Be a mascot!
As someone who was a mascot for one glorious day – I had to beg them to let me do it – If I could, I would make it my lifelong career.
- It’s whimsical! The entire job is reliant on the performer oozing whimsy. Moreover, one must utilize their own whimsy to inspire it within their audience. Whimsy is something people should possess throughout their entire lives; you are never too old for it.
- It brings people together. The goal as a mascot is to bring up the energy. Your job is to rally the people. Successfully hyping up a group of people is such a rewarding feeling. It’s like being out with your friends and single-handedly getting them all going crazy on the dance floor.
- People are (ALMOST) always happy to see you. Personally, I am always ecstatic to see a mascot. Best believe I’m getting a photo with them. However, I know some people have masklophobia (the fear of mascots), so I understand not everyone shares my joy.
- There is no need to speak. Mascots typically do not talk; they are actually discouraged from it. From my understanding, it’s kind of the golden rule. I hate public speaking. The only thing I hate more than public speaking is improvising. Thus, this is genuinely the perfect setup for me.
- It’s a crazy confidence booster. If you can bust it down in a costume in front of people, interact with strangers, and pull off some crazy tricks, I’m sure something that makes most people nervous, like speaking up in a class discussion, would seem trivial.
- You never take a bad photo. You can’t blink and ruin the photo. NO potential double chin. Your poses are limited to a costume. Honestly, how could you really pose awkwardly in a mascot costume? The costume automatically makes whatever you’re doing cool.
- It’s the perfect excuse to learn how to do a backflip. This is probably just a me thing, but I want to be able to do a backflip so badly. Even so, I have never actually committed to the bit and put in the work to do it.
I’m not saying everyone should dedicate their lives to the craft of mascotting… I don’t want the competition. Though, I hope to have provoked a new appreciation for mascots. Next time you see a mascot, maybe I’ll be the one behind the costume.