Chipmunks vs. Hamsters: Same animal (ANV or Alias)?

IMO Chipmunks can only be alias to Hamsters, but not ANV:
The Happy Hamsters - The Happy Hamsters Sing Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits
The Happy Chipmunks - The Happy Chipmunks Sing Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits

How could they be ANV if the name is completely different and they are even different animals?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipmunk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamster

typoman2
How could they be ANV if the name is completely different and they are even different animals?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipmunk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamster

Exactly my words! Couldn't agree more.

When I saw this title on the forums, I thought it was going to be a joke thread. Guess not.

Normally I'd say to go with Alias, but in popular culture, especially cartoons and animated characters, there is little distinction between squirrels, chipmunks, mice and hamsters.

That's not reason enough to allow an ANV when they are such different words (and animals), but somehow Alias doesn't look quite right either. Besides, we allow different words in a few cases (Robert -> Bobby) because it's generally assumed they mean the same, like all furry little high-pitched rodents look the same...

Why not an ANV? After all they are not 'real' animals so the separation to alias based on taxonomy is not relevant. Is this some sort of 'differentiation' of work? No, same song.
This is a case I feel where the rigid parameters of the DB can be bent a bit for commonsense purposes.

Ut seems there was a legal conflict for usinfthe name Happy Chipmunks and the release was reissued as Happy Hamsters (as all other releases under this moniker).
In this case, I think an alias would be the best solution. Chipmunk is not an ANV for Hamster.

typoman2
they are even different animals

But they looks exactly the same ;)

seehaas
Ut seems there was a legal conflict for using the name ...

Unofficial [rodent] tag?

Alias. Hamster is not a variation of Chipmunk. Now if it was Chipmonkey you'd have a case for an ANV :D

Fauni-Gena
Alias. Hamster is not a variation of Chipmunk. Now if it was Chipmonkey you'd have a case for an ANV :D

+1. This thread is awesome.

seehaas
Ut seems there was a legal conflict for usinfthe name Happy Chipmunks and the release was reissued as Happy Hamsters (as all other releases under this moniker).
In this case, I think an alias would be the best solution. Chipmunk is not an ANV for Hamster.

+1

Mop66
IMO Chipmunks can only be alias to Hamsters, but not ANV:
The Happy Hamsters - The Happy Hamsters Sing Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits
The Happy Chipmunks* - The Happy Chipmunks Sing Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits

As Discogs self-proclaimed "Rodent Invasion" expert, I agree these are aliases.

The powers that be over The Chipmunks were particularly litigious about protecting their brand name.

PAN already exists for the pre-lawsuit version at The Happy Chipmunks

Fauni-Gena
Alias. Hamster is not a variation of Chipmunk.

+1