Say It Aint So, Diego

The voice of Dora the Explorer has claimed that she has been cheated out of big profits from the Nickelodeon franchise that hired her to sing such classic songs as "We did it!" The young actress, Caitlin Sanchez, states that her contract unfairly denied her a share of the billions of profits generated from the hit kid show and that she was coerced into signing it 'as is' at the risk of losing the role.

While the studio claims that the lawsuit is without merit, it looks like it may go forward anyway, much to the chagrin of the studio. It doesn't make an educational children's show look good when the child star sues the studio for such treatment. Parents may not react well to that kind of publicity.

But while the actress is making claims that her contract was unfair, she did make a staggering $5115 per episode. The actress claims that this didn't take into account the hundreds of hours spent in the studio making the episodes, yet, it's hardly an amount to cry over.

Then again, the $40 a day stipend to travel and promote the show doesn't look nearly as generous. While it's safe to assume that being a child actress has its other merits and perks beyond the poor per diem, it's a fair bet that the show has generated a lot of profit and that the studio wanted to keep as much of it as it could. After all, who would have thought that a show about colours and numbers could turn into such a consumer generating machine?

The lawsuit claims damages in the tens of millions worth of potentially lost revenue due to the shoddy contract. While this is likely a drop in the bucket for the studio, they will do what all people with money do- protect it to death. Deny the charges and claim that they've been 'more than fair'. It's a familiar song and we've all heard it before.

I just hope that this actress does get what she deserves. And that she doesn't dance when it's all over.