The end of the Sahsa and Malia dolls

What would you think if you were famous, everyone thought your young daughters were adorable, and a company started making dolls to represent them? You might be flattered; you might find it amusing. Or you might not. The Obamas did not, and they said so when Ty came out with “Sweet Sasha” and “Marvelous Malia”.

Ty has now decided to desist, as they certainly should in a situation like this.

White House officials were very, very pleased on Tuesday after learning that the company that makes Beanie Babies had decided to stop selling its Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia dolls.

A spokeswoman for the first lady, Michelle Obama, had protested that the dolls were inappropriately using “young, private citizens for marketing purposes,” even though the company, Ty Inc., insisted that the dolls were not intended to depict the Obama girls, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7.

Good on them for stopping, but here’s the thing: why do they see a need to be disingenuous? Not intended to depict the Obama girls? Come, now; who believes that? Let’s see:

1. They have the girls’ names.
2. They have brown complexions, like the girls.
3. They were presented as a pair.
4. They came out at the right time.

There’s no way on Earth that these dolls were “not intended to depict the Obama girls.” And it’s insulting to everyone for Ty to think we might believe such an obvious lie.