Re: NANFA-- PR-friendly common names

Bob Bock (bockhouse_at_earthlink.net)
Sun, 11 Mar 2001 09:45:18 -0500

That's hilarious! The advertising field is lucky to have your talents.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Scharpf" <ichthos_at_charm.net>
To: "NANFA Mailing List" <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2001 7:18 PM
Subject: NANFA-- PR-friendly common names

> Bill Allen said:
>
> >PS - - Names also often impart marketability, among other things. How
many
> >"red tailed sharks" would the pet shops sell if they were called "red
> >tailied minnows", a much more accurate name.And would the Snail Darter
get
> >as much press if it were referred to by a long Greek/Latin name instead
of
> >something cute?
>
> Excellent point, Bill. (Although Percina tanasi is not the much of a
mouthful.)
> Still, you've gotten me thinking...
>
> "Snail" sounds pejorative and lowly, and perhaps connotes unpleasant
things to
> some people. Do you think the snail darter would have had more public
support if
> it had been called, say, freedom darter? Imagine the PR complications the
TVA
> would have faced if it were being charged with the potential extinction of
the
> "freedom darter"?
>
> From now on, maybe undescribed "cold and slimies" should be given "warm
and
> fuzzy" or "patriotic" common names to serve as a form of public relations
> "protection." Disregard whether these names have any descriptive value
> whatsover. We're talking conservation here!
>
> Here's some suggestions:
>
> * teddy bear topminnow
> * Bambi madtom
> * cuddly sculpin
> * Valentine dace
> * Charlie Brown sucker
> * yankee doodle darter
> * charity shiner
> * hoosier chub
> * independence pupfish
> * volunteer firefighter minnow
>
> Can you think of others?
>
> Chris "Apple Pie" Scharpf
> Baltimore
>
>
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