Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Does Mattel have a crush on Obama

Stopped over at Toys R Us over the weekend to look at the closeout Barbie dolls. I had not gotten a good look at the new pink box play line, or the companion pieces to the DVD “The Island Princess”. I always like looking at the male dolls, unlike the female dolls, which are always named Barbie, and have the same modified superstar face. Mattel uses a different name and face mold for each male doll.

The white male face is a nice one, a strong profile, a slight Prognathism of the chin and sharp blue eyes. One of the better male faces to come from the direct to DVD movie line. The surprise is in the African American prince Antonio. At first I thought the face was a repeat, I had seen the face before, and I just could not remember which African American doll had worn this head mold before.


As I slid the doll out of the box for photos and started setting up the camera it occurred to me the doll had a slight resemblance to Democratic Presidential Candidate Barrack Obama.

Don’t see the similarities; let me point them out for you.







The points where the Obama and Prince Antonio share facial features.

Obama and Prince Antonio facial comparisons.



1- Both ears stick out just a bit more than average from the sides of their head.

2- Each has a slightly square chin. Mattel normally gives their male dolls a slight bit of Prognathism, or jutting jaw. This male doll has a smooth chin.

3- The noses are identical.

4- While I have been unable to find a picture of the back of Obama’s head, Prince Antonio has his exact haircut.

5- They both have the same eye color.



Since the dolls are made in Indonesia and made for the American market, it could be the painters at the Mattel factory took it upon themselves to pattern the doll after Obama. He did live there for a short time as a child, and his face is very well known. Still I think the doll image is intentional on Mattel’s part. While the doll’s eye color is painted on, the remaining features are based on the head mold. A head mold designed by Mattel, and painted based on instructions by the company.

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