It seems Bucky Badger is a lot more human than we thought, at least according to a study released by the Francovis Institute of Science.
According to the study, the mascot has the ability to convey 33 different human emotions, including happiness, anger, sadness and fear.
“We carefully observed Bucky in his natural habitat, the sidelines, for more than 10 years,” Dr. Harold Francovis, a leader in the field of Mascot Biology, said. “We were amazed at the wide array of human emotions Bucky expressed.”
These findings may not be surprising to Madisonians, Francovis says.
“Every Badger fan knows Bucky is very animated on the sidelines, beating his head into the goal post to demonstrate frustration after a turnover, or covering his eyes with his hands to express fear and anxiety before a field goal attempt.”
But, while Bucky can display many human sentiments, he can’t display emotions the same way humans do.
“He can’t move his face,” Francovis said. “Bucky must use his entire body to express himself, which is why he must pantomime disgust after a Badger fumble, or use props, like an inflatable guitar, to demonstrate his joy after a successful badger drive.”
However, although Bucky may appear jubilant after a Badger touchdown, or distraught after an interception, scientists are unsure if Bucky actually feels any emotion at all.
“There is still much debate over whether mascots really feel human-like emotions,” Francovis said. “His reactions could be a learned response to certain in-game situations, derived from years of stimuli from the student section.”
There’s another piece of the puzzle Francovis hasn’t solved.
“We’re not actually sure what emotion Bucky is displaying during the pushup sessions,” Francovis said. “But, due to the fact that he’s the only Mascot of his species, we assume it’s sexual frustration.”
