Our new president has barely finished taking his oath of office (for the second time) and already his two daughters, who he and wife Michelle fiercely hope to protect from the media spectacle that is the White House, are grabbing public attention.
This is nothing like the partying of the Bush twins that got Washington tongues wagging -- in fact, it's the exact opposite.
Dolls made in the likeness of the girls and bearing their names are being sold by Ty Inc., the makers of Beanie Babies. The dolls, called "Sweet Sasha" and "Marvelous Malia" were released this month. And while Ty Inc. initially hoped the girls would like the dolls, it's backing down on that now and claiming they are not modeled on the new occupants of the White House.
C'mon, really?
Michelle Obama's spokesperson released this statement about the dolls: "We believe it is inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes."
In case Ty Inc. is having trouble understanding that, it means you won't see the real Sasha and Malia carrying around the doll versions of themselves anytime soon.
If Ty wanted good publicity around this, maybe the company should have waited to cash in on the Obamas until the new presidential puppy is in the White House.
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