Unicode Consortium rejects proposed hoagie emoji from coming update

Sometime this summer, an esoteric group known as the Unicode Consortium will unleash upon the world an update to the minuscule phone art we all know and love in the form of an injection of dozens upon dozens of new emoji.

And, unfortunately, the proposed hoagie emoji didn't make the cut.

It is, for Philadelphians, a small, digital tragedy, seeing as we've been collectively calling for Philly-related emojis since at least June 2014. Doubly so, considering the coming update will add food items like burritos, tacos, cheese wheels, baguettes, Chinese takeout containers, avocados, and popcorn.

Really, though, we cannot blame Unicode too much seeing as they reportedly employ just three people full-time. Those people, of course, must sift through the suggestions for new emojis, settle upon final ideas, and institute the update — in this case, version 8.0. In that sense, letting the hoagie emoji slip (however great it is) is understandable.

What's not, though, is that Unicode also rejected proposed eagle and owl emojis. So, yes, you'll still have to spell everything out when texting about local sports and affordable higher education.

Oddly, Unicode does not provide reasoning for their rejections or inclusions, and relies primarily on a "deeply formal system" for approval. This time around, the list of proposed emojis saw a cut from some 80 ideas to about 40 final products.

Despite the lack of a long-awaited hoagie emoji, Unicode will include more racial diversity in their icons showing humans, adding in six skin tones to the set, which currently contains only one. Sandwich diversity, on the other hand, appears not to be a concern.

That is not to say that we need to give up the dream just yet. The Unicode Consortium is still accepting proposals for future emoji updates, but the approval process can take years to complete. To hoagie lovers everywhere, the wait may well be worth it.

Next time, though, maybe we go for roast pork.

[Gawker]