“Using the word Zion in the logo of 2012 Olympic Games is a disgracing action and against Olympic’s valuable mottos.” ~ the unhinged state that is Iran
So, the London people hosting the 2012 Olympic Games have come up with a logo, whose main feature is being centered almost entirely on the fact that it’s the year 2012.
It looks terrible, to my eye, that of an untrained ex-newspaper paginator. And apparently, trained and untrained designers agree — it’s lousy. And may look like a depiction of Lisa Simpson doing her best Monica Lewinsky.
But hey, I understand why the logo turned out this way. Design had no chance against an approach to editing that was more like censorship, that was more like, “Don’t offend anyone, purposefully or accidentally.” And that logo meets that goal. It’s so bland it offends only style, which really won’t matter once the Olympics happen (and certainly not after they are over).
But, as editors realize when they make a hundred great catches but let one thing slip through, or when they, with reporters, balance a story without making it stupid but get pilloried anyways: There’s always the insane critic.
With great gusto, as usual, that part is being played by Iran, which says the logo is “racist” because it spells not 2012 — that’s just code. It really spells “Zion.” And we can’t have that.
Look: There are a lot of criticisms of this logo, and, similarly, of journalists’ efforts. The ones that are wrongheaded can be shrugged off; the ones that are true (or funny) may sting, but are understandable. It’s the insane ones that make people wish they themselves were insane, for they might not be so frustrated.
So, take to heart the good criticism, listen to and consider, if not adopt, the bad, and then you’ll be much more inured to the ridiculous. And, fortunately, most of that you’ll be able to ignore, unlike the world trying to ignore Iran.
James daSilva 
