Spoofs, Send-ups, and Other Taunts for London's Brand Police

Saying that London’s Olympic organizers have been slightly too protective of the Games’ image is as much an understatement as saying that London’s weather this year has been somewhat damp. Not only are designated brand police now poised to swoop across Britain to maintain promotional exclusivity for sponsors, organizers have also tried to stifle dissenting voices under the guise of brand protection. Even the London 2012 website’s conditions contain a clause saying that you’re only allowed to link to them if you’re nice.

As you’d expect, this control freakery is probably inspiring more critique than it silences. It’s highly possible that London will end up throwing a lovely party that runs fairly smoothly, with a security presence that manages to find a middle ground between neglect and intrusion, where the sun even comes out for a few days. But when Olympic organizers’ hawk-eyed watch on the country make the bristles stand up on many people’s necks, the temptation to kick back and poke fun is too great.