Rally Monkey & Indy Colts' Monkeys

[Laurence Horn]

At 8:14 AM -0400 10/21/02, James A. Landau wrote:
>In a message dated 10/21/02 3:46:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Bapopik at AOL.COM
>writes:
>
>>  Those following the baseball World Series are familiar with the Anaheim
>>   Angels' "Rally Monkey."  I didn't find that trademark, but the football
>>   Indianapolis Colts have registered Touchdown Monkey, Field Goal Monkey, Two
>>   Point Conversion Monkey, Extra Point Monkey, Safety Monkey, and
>>   Sack Monkey:
>
>I remember about ten years ago when a sportscaster named Howard Cosell

Actually, it was closer to 20 years ago, in reference to Alvin
Garrett as a "tough little monkey."

>got
>himself into an Africa-size pot of hot water by using the term "monkey" to
>refer to an African-American football player.
>
>Does this mean it is possible for a word to get OFF the politically incorrect
>list?
>
I'm not sure it was the WORD that was politically incorrect, but its
use to denote a human being.  In this case, the various monkeys are
(representations of) monkeys, not running backs or outfielders.

L