Life is fantastic when you're plastic
Bush now a "Top Gun" (from
Talkingpresidents.com, different from the first flight suit figure). I
highlighted my favorite parts of this article...
A U.S. company that sells foot-tall "action figures" of President George W. Bush has added a new "Top Gun" model sporting a fighter pilot's flight suit in time for Christmas.
The new doll comes with helmet and visor, goggles and oxygen tank, recalling the president's May 1 landing on the flight deck of a Navy aircraft carrier when he declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq.
Since then, 190 U.S. service personnel have been killed in action in Iraq.
Talkingpresidents.com has sold about 60,000 of its original, talking President Bush dolls -- clad in a conservative jacket and tie -- since the launch in December 2002, said co-owner John Warnock.
Phrases in the president's own voice, placed on the doll's sound chip, include, "Terrorism against our nation will not stand" and "Working to put food on your family" (sic). The dolls are assembled in China.
Warnock said, "I just thought it would be a fun, cool toy. The president has that neat Texas accent and he does mangle the language sometimes. It just made for an interesting toy."
Competition for Warnock has sprung up from the president's home state, Texas. Toypresidents.com of Houston began selling a talking, business suit-wearing Bush doll with "real presidential cowboy boots" in August, said company president Jesse Combs.
"We've sold about 10,000," said Combs. "Our product is all positive. It doesn't make fun of the president."
Talking Presidents, based in Irvine, California, also sells talking dolls of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, former President Bill Clinton (news - web sites), former President George H. W. Bush, conservative political commentator Ann Coulter and comedian Dennis Miller.
"The Ann Coulter doll is our best seller this year," Warnock said.
I get the sense lots of people are buying these dolls ironically, the way you buy bobbleheads. Am I way off? Wouldn't you want to one day hand your grandchildren a Bush doll that said "Working to put food on your family"? Kinda captures it all. Also, why did the toy company president think it was necessary to say, "It doesn't make fun of the president"?
In other doll news,
Barbie and Ken now come as Arwen and Aragorn. Aragorn is dressed as a king, I hope that doesn't ruin the story for anyone. I like the link description on Fark that read, "One ring to rule the malls."
* Ray, 12/06/2003 11:29:07 AM
