Re: "Sue" at Disney's Animal Kingdom

["D.I.G." <dinosaur@interport.net>]

The issue, lately, about DIsney and MacDonalds is not that they helped
pay for the dinosaur, but rather something else.

This t.rex has been named, in the minds of millions -- especially
children -- "Sue" after the woman who discovered it. She and the BHI
have not made even a penny off the sale of the bones, and, in fact,have
suffered great personal and financial losses.

To add insult to injury, the Field Museum announced that they would
change the name of the dinosaur to something else... purportedly because
BHI offered to let them use the name "Sue" for educational, but not for
commericial purposes.

While no one has issued a statement to this effect, it does not take a
great leap of imagination to see the tremedous commercial possibilities
of "Sue" t-shirts and "Sue" model kits and "Sue" burgers... with all of
the revenues flowing back to the investors and NOT to paleontology.  Why
else would there be a sudden interest in changing the dinosaurs name.

Speaking for DIG, we are ENORMOUSLY supportive of nearly anything that
promotes paleontology and science in general knowing full well the lack
of funding for many worthwhile endeavors. Disney's public educational
efforts are nearly unsurpassed, and we admire and support them
unconditionally.

We have trouble, however, when the rightful discoverers of a major
fossil find are excluded from the fruits of the labors.  What if MGM
bought the rights to Einstein's life, removed his name and called his
work the  Metro Goldwyn Theory of Relativity?

Can't wait to go to DInoLand USA. Let's hope it is "sue" that we all get
to see, and not "Minniesaur"



Dick & Rita Shaffer wrote:
SNIP
> I have been lurking on this list for several years and have never posted
> before...but the snobbish attitude about Disney and McDonalds helping the
> Field Museum get "Sue" really has me hacked off. I think we should be
> grateful to the private sector for helping to foot the bill for research
> etc... NOT make fun of their respective business. If Disney has a replica at
> Disney World....SO WHAT??? More people will get the chance to see it......

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