View source for Lufsig

{{Short description|IKEA plush wolf}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
[[File:Five Lufsig dolls.jpg|thumb|Five Lufsig dolls inside an IKEA store in Taipei, Taiwan]]
'''Lufsig''' is a [[stuffed toy]] wolf sold at Swedish furniture chain [[IKEA]]. The toy, designed by German designer {{Interlanguage link multi|Silke Leffler|de}}, is inspired by the fairy tale "[[Little Red Riding Hood]]" as a representation of the [[Big Bad Wolf]]. The plush was sold as part of IKEA's annual ''Soft Toys for Education'' campaign, where the company donates a portion from each toy sold towards various causes. The name "Lufsig" is derived from the [[Swedish language|Swedish]] verb "lufsa", meaning "to lumber", and its transliterated Chinese name sounds similar to a [[Cantonese profanity|profanity]] when pronounced in [[Cantonese language|Cantonese]].
In December 2013, the toy became a symbol of opposition to the [[Government of Hong Kong|Hong Kong government]], after an incident during a town hall event where a Lufsig was thrown by a protester at [[Leung Chun-ying]], the [[Chief Executive of Hong Kong|Chief Executive]], who had been nicknamed "the wolf" by his critics. Following the incident, Lufsig experienced a surge in popularity, selling out at IKEA stores in Hong Kong, as well as in several outlets in mainland China.
== Development ==
Lufsig was designed by German designer {{Interlanguage link multi|Silke Leffler|de}},<ref name="ikeahk">[http://www.ikea.com/hk/en/catalog/products/20247576/ LUFSIG – Soft toy, wolf $99.9] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213032748/http://www.ikea.com/hk/en/catalog/products/20247576/ |date=13 December 2013 }}. IKEA Hong Kong.</ref> drawing inspiration from the fairy tale ''[[Little Red Riding Hood]]''.<ref name="bbc" /> The toy consists of a wolf, wearing a red checked shirt and braces, and the diminutive grandmother which fits inside the wolf's belly.<ref name="20131212standard">[http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=11&art_id=140527&sid=41111173&con_type=1&d_str=20131212&fc=7 "CY gobbles up critics' wolf cries"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510095514/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=11&art_id=140527&sid=41111173&con_type=1&d_str=20131212&fc=7 |date=10 May 2015 }}. ''The Standard'', 12 December 2013</ref> Lufsig was sold as part of the company's 10th annual ''Soft Toys for Education campaign'', where IKEA would donate a portion of the profit from their stuffed toys and accompanying storybooks sold during the holiday season to [[UNICEF]] and [[Save the Children]].<ref name="bbc" /><ref name="theindependent-softtoy">{{Cite web |url=http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/ikea-and-unicef-ensure-soft-toys-are-an-education-29817384.html |title=Ikea and Unicef ensure soft toys are an education |date=6 December 2013 |website=Irish Independent |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104212528/http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/ikea-and-unicef-ensure-soft-toys-are-an-education-29817384.html |archive-date=4 January 2014 |access-date=4 January 2014}}</ref>
The product was sold as "Lufsig" in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but was named "路姆西" ({{zh|p=Lù mǔ xi}}) within [[Mainland China]].<ref name="invasion">Friendly (10 December 2013). [http://www.invasianmagazine.com/hong-kong-most-wanted-toys-ikea-lufsig/ "Hong Kong Most Wanted Toys: IKEA Lufsig"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20131213023723/http://www.invasianmagazine.com/hong-kong-most-wanted-toys-ikea-lufsig/ |date=13 December 2013 }}. ''Invasion Magazine''.</ref><ref name="chan" /> The name of the toy means "lumbering" in [[Swedish language|Swedish]], as the adjective form of the verb "[[wikt:lufsa#Swedish|lufsa]]". According to IKEA representative Carin Wengelin, the company maintains a naming schema for its products, with woven fabric products named after feminine given names, bathroom products named after Scandinavian lakes, and products for children named after animals, birds, insects or "descriptive words".<ref name="Ming Pao">{{Cite news |url=http://news.hk.msn.com/instant/%E7%91%9E%E5%85%B8%E5%AE%9C%E5%AE%B6%E8%B7%AF%E5%A7%86%E8%A5%BF%E5%8E%9F%E6%84%8F%E3%80%8C%E4%BC%90%E6%9C%A8%E3%80%8D1301 |title=瑞典宜家：路姆西原意「伐木」 |date=10 December 2013 |access-date=16 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213205522/http://news.hk.msn.com/instant/%E7%91%9E%E5%85%B8%E5%AE%9C%E5%AE%B6%E8%B7%AF%E5%A7%86%E8%A5%BF%E5%8E%9F%E6%84%8F%E3%80%8C%E4%BC%90%E6%9C%A8%E3%80%8D1301 |archive-date=13 December 2013 |publisher=[[Ming Pao]] |language=zh-hk}}</ref>
== Symbolism in Hong Kong ==
[[File:Usc2013 softhard.JPG|thumb|The Hong Kong rap duo [[Softhard]] with a Lufsig doll]]
[[Leung Chun-ying]], the former [[Chief Executive of Hong Kong]], has suffered low popularity ratings since his [[2012 Hong Kong Chief Executive election|election in 2012]]. Of particular criticism was the election process itself, where the new Chief Executive was chosen by the [[Election Committee (Hong Kong)|Election Committee]], a group of 1200 individuals, many of whom belong to the [[Pro-Beijing camp (Hong Kong)|pro-Beijing camp]]. The election of Leung, combined with speculation during the campaign that Leung was connected to the [[Chinese Communist Party]], brought about a pro-democracy movement and protests calling for the adoption of [[Democracy in Hong Kong|universal suffrage in Hong Kong]].<ref name="bbc-cytroubles">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23193421|title=CY Leung: The troubles of Hong Kong's unloved leader|last=Liu|first=Juilana|date=6 July 2013|website=BBC News|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718192506/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23193421|archive-date=18 July 2013|access-date=4 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="bbc-elected">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17503171 |title=CY Leung elected Hong Kong's new leader |date=25 March 2012 |website=BBC News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717001407/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17503171 |archive-date=17 July 2013 |access-date=4 January 2014}}</ref> His approval ratings among citizens reached a record low in December 2013.<ref name="thelocal" /><ref name="bloomberg" /> Leung's critics have nicknamed him "the Wolf", alluding to his perceived cunningness, and as a [[pun]] of his name and the Chinese word for wolf.<ref name="bbc" />
On 7 December 2013, during a town hall meeting, a Lufsig plush toy was thrown at Leung by an anti-government protester.<ref name="bbc" /> Following the incident, it was also discovered that the [[transliteration]] of Lufsig's name as listed on IKEA's Mainland Chinese website, "{{linktext|路|姆|西}}" (pronounced as ''louh móuh sāi'' in [[Cantonese]]), could be misinterpreted as [[Cantonese profanity|profanity]]; in particular, ''louh móuh sāi'' could be read as a pun on ''lóuh móu hāi'' ("{{linktext|老|母|閪}}", lit. "mother's [[vagina]]"), and that the expression "{{linktext|丟|你|路|姆|西}}" (''dīu néih louh móuh sāi'', lit. "throw your Lufsig" or "throw a Lufsig at you"), could be a pun on the vulgar phrase "{{linktext|𨳒|你|老|母|閪}}" (''díu néih lóuh móu hāi''), which can be translated as "[[fuck]] your mother's vagina."<ref name="chan">{{Cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yuen-chan/lufsig-hong-kong_b_4414080.html |title=IKEA Toy Wolf Becomes Unlikely Anti-Government Symbol in Hong Kong |last=Chan |first=Yuen |date=9 December 2013 |website=[[Huffington Post]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213081735/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yuen-chan/lufsig-hong-kong_b_4414080.html |archive-date=13 December 2013 |access-date=11 December 2013}}</ref><ref name="thelocal" /><ref name="scmp" /><ref name="20131210mcbain">McBain, Sophie (10 December 2013). [http://www.newstatesman.com/business/2013/12/how-lufsig-cuddly-wolf-became-hong-kong-protest-symbol "How Lufsig the cuddly wolf became a Hong Kong protest symbol – A short lesson in the art of mistranslating names into Chinese."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130153502/http://www.newstatesman.com/business/2013/12/how-lufsig-cuddly-wolf-became-hong-kong-protest-symbol |date=30 November 2016 }} ''The New Statesman''.</ref>
Following the incident, Lufsig experienced a surge in popularity in Hong Kong; people lined up outside IKEA's three Hong Kong locations the next morning to purchase the toy, which were sold out within hours.<ref name="bbc" /><ref name="chan" /> The popularity soon extended overseas. In China, buyers [[Flipping#Product flipping|flipped]] Lufsig dolls for a quick profit, with some [[Taobao]] sellers selling the toy for {{currency|188|CNY}}, up from the official price of {{currency|59|CNY}} in Chinese IKEA stores.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/realtime/article/20131210/51981121 |title=內地路姆西斷市淘寶炒價高見188人仔 |date=10 December 2013 |website=Apple Daily |language=zh-HK |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217163119/https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/realtime/article/20131210/51981121 |archive-date=17 February 2020 |access-date=17 February 2020}}</ref> In Canada, the toy went out of stock at several Toronto- and Vancouver-area IKEA stores.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20131215000011&cid=1103 |title=IKEA toy wolf popular in Canada after being thrown at HK chief executive |date=15 December 2013 |website=Want China Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216182948/http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20131215000011&cid=1103 |archive-date=16 December 2013}}</ref> A Lufsig Facebook page amassed over 50,000 likes,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/31/world/asia/ikea-lufsig-hk-restock/index.html |title=Protest symbol or plush toy? IKEA's Lufsig makes Hong Kong comeback |last=McKirdy |first=Euan |date=31 January 2014 |website=CNN |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217162122/https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/31/world/asia/ikea-lufsig-hk-restock/index.html |archive-date=17 February 2020 |access-date=21 February 2020}}</ref> and Lufsigs were being put up for sale in auctions for a symbolic [[Hong Kong dollar|HK$]]689 &ndash; 689 being the number of votes Leung received in the election.<ref name="bbc" /><ref name=20131210mcbain/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://blog.lewispr.com/2013/12/lufsig-or-how-a-wolf-teaches-a-communications-lesson.html |title=Lufsig Or How A Wolf Taught A Communications Lesson |last=Streder |first=Ruth |date=12 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220042106/http://blog.lewispr.com/2013/12/lufsig-or-how-a-wolf-teaches-a-communications-lesson.html |archive-date=20 December 2013}}</ref><ref name="20131211standard">{{Cite web |url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=140470&sid=41100584&con_type=1 |title=Cuddly wolf sinks teeth into Leung |last=Luo |first=Qi |date=11 December 2013 |website=The Standard |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214032152/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=140470&sid=41100584&con_type=1 |archive-date=14 December 2013 |access-date=24 February 2020}}</ref>
On 11 December 2013, Leung posted a picture of himself with a Lufsig he bought as a Christmas present for his daughter, and praised the "creativity" of Hong Kong people. IKEA called the unintended pun "unfortunate" the same day, and changed the official Chinese name to "路福西" (pronounced as "Lufuxi" in [[Standard Chinese|Putonghua]] and as "louh fūk sāi" in Cantonese), incorporating a Chinese character meaning "good fortune".<ref name=20131212standard/><ref name="bloomberg">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-12/ikea-wolf-toy-gets-renamed-in-china-after-old-one-deemed-vulgar.html |title=Ikea Wolf Toy Gets Renamed in China After Old One Deemed Vulgar |last=Lee |first=Simon |date=11 December 2013 |website=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213132117/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-12/ikea-wolf-toy-gets-renamed-in-china-after-old-one-deemed-vulgar.html |archive-date=13 December 2013 |access-date=12 December 2013}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=
<ref name="bbc">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-25314580 |title=Ikea toy wolf becomes Hong Kong protest symbol |date=10 December 2013 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211032122/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-25314580 |archive-date=11 December 2013 |access-date=11 December 2013}}</ref>
<ref name="scmp">{{Cite web |url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1377705/hong-kong-toymakers-upset-over-stuffed-symbol-protest-lufsig-wolf |title=Hong Kong toymakers upset over stuffed symbol of protest Lufsig the wolf |last=Chan |first=Candy |last2=Chong |first2=Tanna |date=10 December 2013 |website=[[South China Morning Post]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213042114/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1377705/hong-kong-toymakers-upset-over-stuffed-symbol-protest-lufsig-wolf |archive-date=13 December 2013 |access-date=11 December 2013}}</ref>
<ref name="thelocal">{{Cite web |url=http://www.thelocal.se/20131210/ikea-stuffed-wolf-sells-out-amid-hong-kong-fury |title=Ikea stuffed wolf sells out amid Hong Kong fury |last=AFP |date=10 December 2013 |website=[[The Local]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214124125/http://www.thelocal.se/20131210/ikea-stuffed-wolf-sells-out-amid-hong-kong-fury |archive-date=14 December 2013 |access-date=11 December 2013}}</ref>
}}
==External links==
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804094929/http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00247577/ |title=LUFSIG Soft toy – IKEA |date=4 August 2014}}
{{IKEA}}
[[Category:2013 in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Fictional wolves]]
[[Category:Homonymy in Chinese]]
[[Category:IKEA products]]
[[Category:Politics of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Stuffed toys]]
[[Category:Toy animals]]
[[Category:Toy controversies]]