First Lady Michelle Obama has spoken out about two newly-released dolls that share the same names as her young daughters, Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10.
As previously reported, Ty – the maker of Beanie Babies – recently released the 12-inch "Sweet Sasha" and "Marvelous Malia" dolls as part of its TyGirlz collection.
Although the Oak Brook, Ill.-based company says the dolls are not based on the Obama girls and are not made to be exact replicas of their images, the mother of Sasha and Malia Obama felt the use of their names is irresponsible.
"We believe it is inappropriate to use young, private citizens for marketing purposes," Obama’s press secretary, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, said in a statement Saturday.
Reprinted with permission
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