According to a recent report, representatives of MGM studios are suing the University, alleging that the athletic department violated copyright laws in the creation of the new Quakers mascot.
Penn athletics introduced the new version of the mascot at a Feb. 25 basketball game against Harvard. At the time, Red and Blue fans were outraged at the switch, but now they aren't the only ones.
The movie production powerhouse cites the uncanny resemblance between the new Quaker and Chucky, the main character of a series of motion pictures beginning with the 1988 hit Child's Play.
"I am just as shocked as everyone else," Penn athletic director Steve Bilsky said in response to the lawsuit. "I'm just surprised that anyone even remembers or cares about that horrible movie. I mean, my wife and I walked out halfway through when we saw it in the theater."
Though the first of the Chucky movies premiered almost 20 years ago, MGM has followed this hit with a slew of spin-offs and sequels, including 2004's Seed of Chucky. Debates have ensued as to whether the Quaker actually looks most like Chucky Sr. or Chucky Jr.
"I knew the new Quaker looked familiar" Engineering junior Leah Wong said. "I just couldn't quite put my finger on it. Now that you say it, though, there really is a resemblance. And I guess I would have to say that it looks most like Chucky, you know, the main doll from the original movies."
The University denies all charges, claiming that its new design for Penn's mascot came strictly from the imaginations of the athletic department's design coordinators and Pierre's Costumes, a local design house. University officials have stuck firmly to this claim, professing that they were completely unaware of the important role such a media icon has commanded for almost two decades.
Despite the University's staunch declaration of innocence, some students have proposed that the athletic department deliberately sought to create a connection to Chucky the doll, thus inciting fear in the hearts of Penn opponents.
"Think about it: How could our old mascot even compete with the much more intimidating figures of our rivals?" Wong said. "Who is going to win a brawl -- Princeton's Tiger or our Quaker? If the Quaker were to meet a Brown Bear in the woods one day, who do you think would be the last one standing? At least now we have something to bring to the table."
Other Penn officials simply don't care.
"I don't understand what the problem is," Penn basketball coach Fran Dunphy said. "To me, it's just a matter of respect. If the athletic department wants to honor or pay tribute to an important media icon like Chucky, then we have to value and prepare for such a colossal undertaking."
