
CHICAGO, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. first lady Michelle Obama is taking a Westmont, Ill., company to task for marketing dolls with the same names as her children, Malia and Sasha.
Ty Inc., the company that created and distributes Beanie Babies, has been promoting two dolls with dark complexions and dark hair -- one named "Marvelous Malia" and the other named "Sweet Sasha" -- as part of its TyGirlz line. The items hit the market this month, prior to President Barack Obama's inauguration.
"We believe it is inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes," a spokeswoman for the first lady told Crain's chicagobusiness.com.
A Ty spokeswoman had told Crain's the dolls were created with the Obama daughters in mind, but the spokeswoman Thursday said the dolls "were not designed to look like any living person."
"Somehow there was a misunderstanding," the spokeswoman said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Additional Top News Stories | |
TACOMA, Wash., Feb. 9 (UPI) --
The mother of Josh Powell, who killed himself and his sons in a fire in Washington state, said in divorce papers he exhibited disturbing behavior as a teenager.
|
NEW YORK, Feb. 9 (UPI) --
Macaulay Culkin is in "perfectly good health," his publicist said after the former child star was photographed looking gaunt and disheveled in New York.
|
TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 9 (UPI) --
The Israeli government plans to build a floating liquefied natural gas terminal with a sea-based defense radar system off its Mediterranean coast while forming a naval force to protect its rich offshore gas fields against terrorist attack.
|
ASHLAND, Mass., Feb. 9 (UPI) --
An Ashland, Mass., driver was arrested and charged for throwing a handful of pennies at another car, police said.
|
| Stories | Photos | People | Comments |
View Caption