Extreme Obama: Boo! First Daughter Beanie Dolls

Sweet Sasha, left, and Marvelous Malia dolls sit on the counter at Lamont’s gift shop in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Chicago. (By Scott Olson — Getty Images)Toy maker Ty swears its new Beanie Babies, “Sweet Sasha” and “Marvelous Malia,” are not named after the two daughters of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Riiiiiiiiight.

First lady Michelle Obama, who has described herself “first and foremost . . . Malia and Sasha’s mom,” has defended her daughters’ likeness, saying it is not proper for a company that makes the plush Beanie Babies to produce dolls called Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia.

“We feel it is inappropriate to use young, private citizens for marketing purposes,” Obama’s press secretary, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, said in a statement yesterday.

Ty recently released the 12-inch dolls in their collection called TyGirlz. The dolls have soft brown skin and big eyes. Ty’s Web site shows Sweet Sasha wearing two pigtails and a pink and white dress, with Marvelous Malia doll wearing her hair to the right side and a blue-green shirt.

The company, which is based in Oak Brook, Ill., has said the dolls are not made to be exact replicas of the first couple’s daughters and are not based on the Obama girls.

As offensive as playing possum on this latest case of Obama-based “Hustlenomics” is, what I find even more glaring is why do the dolls have boobies? Maybe that’s how they thought they could get around the criticism by presenting some early-onset puberty. We’ll make the two dolls named for the President’s kids look like teens. Yeah. That’ll keep Michelle Obama from ordering a fiat against us. We’re geniuses. Slaps on the back all around.

While it’s one thing for the Japanese to make a kick-ass Barack Obama action figure complete with a light saber, katana blade and riotious microphone fiend hand gestures, Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10, are not your new marketing ploy. They didn’t get to choose to be public figures. They’re the progeny of one. Michelle, who has made the protection and healthy adjustment of her daughters her priority as First Lady, naturally is ready to set someone’s hair on fire.

I don’t understand why Ty just couldn’t make cute black girl dolls without exploiting the First Daughters for profit. My mother bought me nearly every black Barbie in the existence of the world. I’m pretty sure lots of black parents would love to buy their daughters adorable dolls who look like their adorable girls — without fame-jacking a pair of elementary school kids. (Source: Washington Post, Politico)

daniellebelton

17 responses to “Extreme Obama: Boo! First Daughter Beanie Dolls”

  1. Robert M Avatar
    Robert M

    I warned you. I warned the folks at JJP. DamnDamnDamn, the dolls have breasts. WTF!!>>&^%How do we stop it from going any further?

    Reply
  2. Danielle Belton Avatar
    Danielle Belton

    @ Robert MI’m not surprised either, although the unnecessary boobs are HIGHLY disturbing. The most we can do though is create a big stink and encourage people to not purchase them. Corporations don’t have hearts, but they do care about their wallets. As long as the press is bad, but the dolls still sell they will weather the bad press. But if people are persuaded not to buy them (or any other Ty products) while the company receives bad press, they will concede and pull the dolls.So a boycott of Ty Co. would probably do the trick. I don’t buy stuff from them so … I’ve already begun!

    Reply
  3. Ethereal Avatar
    Ethereal

    I love your website. You’re so frank and so funny. Relish all snobbery. TY is lying and should be ashamed. How dare they pretend they chose sasha and malia names when they have known about the girls for over almost 2 years. It wouldn’t take more than 2 years to develop those dolls SO lady michelle was right to say it is inappropiate -x-

    Reply
  4. rikyrah Avatar
    rikyrah

    they don’t look like them, and they have boobies. they really needed to stop this foolshness, and I’m glad the First Lady came out with the smackdown. it’s gonna be a long 4 years trying to protect the WeeMichelles.

    Reply
  5. starrie Avatar
    starrie

    ty…i am not amused…

    Reply
  6. Chloe Avatar
    Chloe

    I agree. The boobs completely freak me out.

    Reply
  7. Alexis Avatar
    Alexis

    Somehow I didn’t even realize they had boobs. Whoever Ty is, they get an F.

    Reply
  8. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    It would be interesting to see Michelle Obama take lead as a lawyer in this to set a precedence. She is an intellectual properties attorney and she has allowed the marketing of her husband help his ascension. I don’t blame her or them for taking advantage of the opportunity to capitalize on hero worship. The hero worship is an industry. But I like that she put the her foot down on wanting to protect her babies. But it is twisted. They perform for the cameras with the excessive PDA that people think is natural. It’s unnatural for anyone with a real job and is on time schedules no matter how much in love they are. People eat it up and can’t tell the Obama’s love is concentrated for public display which is magnetic. It’s romanticism. I had a two senior cousins that were in love but they were busy even in their old age that they did not have physical time for that much kissing and cuddling and they were in love in their old age. They were moving about doing so many things and no one was taking photos. When at their anniversary parties they gave the family the hamming PDA but when just at regular family events and at church they were too busy doing work to perform "we are in love". They were old people that talked aobut being in love and we ate it up but they were not part of the camera phone era where they had to perform it for people to believe it. We saw in nuance ways they lived and asked us to be that they were crazy about each other. The Obamas know the media eats it up and markets the beauty but average people along with the same media can’t tell them are hamming it up at people’s desperation to see images like that. In the real, no one has that much time unless they had nothing to do or unless they were setting up the photo ops. But hey, no one thnks the Obamas would be so calculating like Hollywood celebrities.People know we need to see a couple LIKE each other. Many people love each other but not like each other. And I think the Obamas know people are hungry for it. Our culture needs to see models of vulnerability and a man of power humble to his wife and adoring in her presence instead of the usual opposite with the wife doting. But they, the Obamas, fed this insatiable hunger that feeds people trying to find ways to continue to exploit them. They and their campaign realized they could do some good by being duplicitious exploiters of themselves in intensified in presentation. They are part of the problem in that they licensed it. People don’t stop to question if they saw each other backstage, why are they kissing like they didn’t just see each other a moment ago. It’s marketing. They know people craved it and will adore them for doing it. But now it has gone too far. Now the consequences settle in: Malia and Sasha.The Obamas will want to have it both ways. Why wouldn’t they? They get their way all the time. Whatever they say, sticks.That toymaker probably thought The Obamas would get a kick out of seeing their daughters’ have dolls named after them because they did not stop web fansites from adoring them from Huffingtonpost to this blog. It was campaign strategy and the campaign still continues in "approval ratings" and what free market writers will publish about them in theories, as well as official historians. A lot of people are greedy but a lot of people really think they own this family now. The Obamas make it hard for Simpletons–even the greedy ones, from understanding because they allow this to fester to make it to this place.I like that Michelle Obama sent a warning shot. I would love to see her lead this as a lawyer though as well. That would be fascinating instead of having her lawyers lead this this.

    Reply
  9. Dorothy Avatar
    Dorothy

    I just dont get why the boobies were necc. The dolls could have been perfectly acceptable should they have kept the girls to their more (ahem) natural proportions.

    Reply
  10. The A Avatar
    The A

    1. Boobies. WTF? So creepy. 2. Names. Name one other couple of anything with the names Sasha and Malia. Times up. Ty’s gonna catch some Southside if they don’t pull those dolls!!Yeah, so um Andrea….Geez.Wow.I’m so sad for you. Not like snarky sad. Sincerely sad. Heart-achingly want to reach out and hug you tight sad. Andrea- Don’t you know ANYONE in your world that is in love like that?! Do YOU love anyone in the world with that level of unquestioning intensity and ease?! Anyone -a mate, a parent, a child, a friend, a dog? Part of their appeal is that I recognize my love for the people I love. I’d call it True God Love cuz I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s like seeing someone else the way God sees them. I’ve never seen that kind of authentic love celebrated on TV, print or any kind of media in such large doses. WE NEED MORE OF IT.President and Mrs. Obama’s relationship has been that way for years. True God Love cannot be convincingly faked for so many years. YEARS – not campaign months, years. Long before he set his sights on the Presidency. Have you seen their wedding photos? Check past pictures and the Jan12 Snob post about the French interview http://blacksnob.blogspot.com/2009/01/awww-young-obama-love.html I’m not sure if it’s that their PDAs have increased or if the cameras are just following their every sneeze now.Do they play it up for the camera? probably. I hope they never stop.If CSPAN started running another cable channel of 24/7 Obama PDA, I’d subscribe to the podcast, trick out my car with screens, and put an HDTV in every room of my house.

    Reply
  11. Denene@MyBrownBaby Avatar
    Denene@MyBrownBaby

    Ewwa… for shame, Ty, for shame. I’m guessing they don’t want none of Michelle… I hope someone has sense enough today to come up with some new names in the morning meeting.

    Reply
  12. steph T Avatar
    steph T

    THANK YOU! This is more than typically offensive. Let’s start with the hair, move on to the boobs, and add in the face. Exoticized much?Bad enough to exploit the first kids, then continue to nastiness of exoticizing anyone "ethnic" BUT to sexualize children is unforgiveable.I say boycott.

    Reply
  13. Common Avatar
    Common

    Here’s their corporate contact info: Why not tell THEM exactly how you feel?Ty280 Chestnut Ave.Westmont, IL 60559 Phone: 630-920-1515Fax: 630-920-1980

    Reply
  14. texasladybird Avatar
    texasladybird

    "It’s unnatural for anyone with a real job and is on time schedules no matter how much in love they are"There is something odd about this statement. Do you honestly believe that two people with hectic schedules can’t truly be in love and enjoy PDA? Do they ham it up a bit? Probably, but I’m all for seeing a couple who, for the most part enjoy being together. Pop culture tells us that after years of marriage, a couple is to despise each other and stay together smply because neither can/could do better. I’m all for seeing a couple buck this ideal.

    Reply
  15. Marla Avatar
    Marla

    I never even noticed the little dolls were… developed.Mmm mmm mmm.

    Reply
  16. Deepa Avatar
    Deepa

    Andrea, this is crazy talk. Firstly there’s very little kissing. I should know, I’ve seen almost every single picture there is, lol. He’s been more likely to kiss her forehead or hug her close – hardly excessive. But for the most part there’s been mostly loving looks, slight touches, hand holding and a playfulness with each other that can’t be faked. If it were, then these 2 are hollywood actors not a politician and his lawyer wife. People are drawn to it because it is REAL. After years of fake Hollywood passion and icy cold political marriages, a real loving caring relationship in the public eye freaks a lot of people out. Also check out the youtube video of the Obama kids being interviewed, where they stated that they like and approve of their parents being that romantic with each other all the time – it’s clearly what they are used to. http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fvxk3st-p_I&feature=channel_page

    Reply
  17. The Legaci Avatar
    The Legaci

    The fact that this company made these dolls and tried to hide the likeness of these dolls to the Obama daughters is crazy. Furthermore, the additional breasts that they dolls were endowed with also raises many issues in my mind. I will try to refrain from thinking to deeply into black sexual politics on this one. What a mess.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Live Your Best Life.