White House Blasts Makers of Sasha and Malia Dolls

Sunday January 25, 2009 02:00 PM EST

Sweet Sasha (left) and Marvelous Malia dolls

Charles REX Arbogast/AP

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Yahoo Buzz
• E-mail

Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but Michelle Obama is none too happy about a toy-maker ripping off the likenesses of her young daughters for profit.

Ty Inc., the company that makes Beanie Babies, has released a pair of new dolls named Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia, both with brown skin and brown eyes, according to the New York Times.

But what seems like a sound business decision – the president's daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, nearly stole the show at the Inaugural celebrations – has clearly miffed the Mom-in-Chief.

"We feel it is inappropriate to use young, private citizens for marketing purposes," Mrs. Obama's press secretary, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, said in a statement.

The Obama girls are in good company: dolls in the TyGirlz Collection include Jammin' Jenna, Happy Hillary, Precious Paris and Bubbly Britney, according to the Times.