It seems to me that, given its location, The Statue of Liberty has
plenty of unrealised exploitation potential.

For example, instead of a Torch, why not have the Statue swigging a
huge can of Coke?

And surely if she wore Nike traners, this would be more in keeping with the times?

I would appreciate more ideas along these lines as this could be a
very important development for the US.

'At last', I can hear everyone proclaiming, 'An American cultural icon'.

Surely, it's long overdue and much needed.

---

Clarification of Question by probonopublico-ga on 16 May 2006 22:05 PDT

Many thanks for all your suggestions.

And now for an ANSWER let's have a shoot-out between the Ever Vescent
Boquinha, Queen of All She Surveys (who plumped for an iPod) and the
Ever Prescient Pinkfreud, Queen of Everything Else (who found an
elegant replacement for that ancient Torch).

C'mon Ladies who's going to post an ANSWER first?

Bryan,

My gracious (and brilliant) friend and colleague Boquinha has sent me
a message urging me to "go for it," and go I shall.

My proposal for exploiting the commercial potential of Lady Liberty is
that she be revised slightly and turned into a giant Dairy Queen sign.
I have done some preliminary artwork:

http://www.mortalwombat.com/Special/LibertyQueen.jpg

If the Dairy Queen corporation freezes us out, perhaps we might
approach McDonald's, by making a few changes in Emma Lazarus's famous
verse...

Buy one Big Mac, and get one free!
Your hungered masses crave some fats and starches.
Send these, the peckish, salad-tossed, to me:
I lift my neon beside the Golden Arches.

Best,
Pink

Wow, Pink, A Piccy as well!

Many thanks. 

It looks ever so much better after the make over.

I'd never heard of Emma Lazarus before but again you've improved on the original.

Very many thanks for your contribution to bringing a soupçon of
culture to your primitive land.

All the Best

Bryan

I understand that Admiral Nelson's statue on the column has just had a
facelifting.  Pity that the makers of glass eyes and arm prostheses
didn't take the opportunity to "fix" him and put sponsoring adverts on 
the column.

How would you feel about that?

But after Pres. Bush's latest move against Mexican immigrants, maybe
the poem at the base of the Statute of Liberty should be replaced:

"Send my your tired and your poor, your humbled masses yearning to be free, ..."

'Made in France' stamped on Marrianne's forehead might make people think.

@MyOarIn
- may be it is time to expand the USA up to the Panama Canal

Well, she should probably be listening to an iPod while she sips that
Coke and wears those Nikes, don't you think?

Queen Ha :)

Victoria's Secret dress shields for those humid summer days holding the torch.

Dr Scholl's sandals.

Lady Schick (hey, she's French!)

Lee Press On Nails.

An NSA recruiting poster for the ear(s).

And for really tacky:

Give us a look up her robe, five dollars.

Sandal fetishist tours, ten dollars.

Stops at the "naughty bits" inside would include... oh, I can't even
bring myself to suggest them.

With a few changes to the torch, she'd make a great Dairy Queen ad.

In case you don't get the reference, Bryan, here's a Dairy Queen sign:

http://pittsburghsigns.org/archives/DairyQueen.jpg

." What's next, adorning the Statue of Liberty with Levi's for a day?
Or worse: "Today's elevator ride to the torch was sponsored by
Stay-Free Maxi Pads?giving you the liberty to be free"?

http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/9944/at-stusser.php

STATUE OF LIBERTY PROPOSED FOR AUCTION ON INTERNET 

-- RentANationalMonument.com Plans to Sell Ad Space on Premier
Government-Owned Tourist Attractions --

http://www.junkbusters.com/nr26.html

Bryan, Lady Liberty belongs to the governemnt, so of course its
supposed to LOSE money.  What kind of governement would it be if
something actually broke even or made money.

From the very beginning, according to this article, the S of L was
used in advertising.

Rethinking the Statue of Liberty: Old Meanings, New Contexts
?Sculptor Auguste Bartholdi licensed the image for use in advertising
in both Europe and the United States, and if this was not the first
such instance of licensing it was an early one.?
http://www.libertyellisplan.org/docs/RethinkingTheStatue-Glassberg.pdf

Wow, Pink! I'm so glad that I've urged you to "go for it" as I'm not
sure I could've done Bryan's question justice (I wonder if that's part
of my hesitancy--I haven't ever answered a probonopublico question and
am always very admiring of the answers that do!). A picture AND a
verse! Most impressive! Well done, my friend!

Sincerely,
Boquinha-ga (Or "Queen Ha" for Bryan) :)

Bryan,

Merci beaucoup for the five stars and the tasty tip (which I enjoyed
with a nice bowl of soupçon).

~Pink

Bryan,

In an entertainment magazine I recently saw an advertisement for The
History Channel (a cable television network). The ad featured a photo
of the Statue of Liberty holding aloft an ice cream cone. When a great
idea comes, sometimes it comes to many minds. ;-)

~Pink

Hi Pink

Many thanks for the update.

Next thing you know SoL will be used for real.

Please remember that you are are the copyright holder and that, as
your agent, I get 95%.

All the Best

Bryan

Watch out Pink, your idea is taking off!

http://www.oeskovic.com/photogallery/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=0&pos=-85

I thought of this thread tonight when I attended a Mensa meeting and
heard someone who was allegedly a Mensa member refer repeatedly to a
legal concept which he called "the statue of limitations." By golly,
there's a great idea for a new national symbol.

Pink, What a great idea!

Have you already got a design in mind?

Here are a couple for a start:
http://www.statueoflimitations.us/images/statuelink.jpg

http://www.turtleportal.com/limitations.html