Chatty Bush doll a 'hot stocking stuffer': Toy promises to 'defend freedom', 'put food on your family'
Joanne Laucius
Ottawa Citizen
Fri Dec 06 2002 09:36:32 ET
A California garage renovator turned toy entrepreneur has had a surprise hit with a George W. Bush doll.
The Washington Times declared the 30-centimetre doll to be the "hottest political stocking-stuffer this holiday season." Push a button on the doll's back and it plays back 17 pieces of presidential wit and wisdom, including some examples of the president's famous mangling of the English language. In all, there are two minutes of bon mots from "freedom will be defended" to the head scratcher, "putting food on your family."
The $29.99 U.S. doll, which is being sold through TalkingPresidents.com , has been available for about two weeks. But no one paid much attention until yesterday, when the Drudge Report featured the doll.
Company founder John Warnock of San Diego and his father-in-law, Jim Wessling, the company's entire staff, have been inundated with orders and requests to appear on talk shows.
"I don't even know how many we've sold today. It's been thousands," said a weary Mr. Warnock, who ordered the mould for the doll and had 20,000 made in a factory in China.
Mr. Warnock is now working on retailing deals with gift store chains and has an appointment to talk to Wal-Mart.
Plans for four other presidential dolls are in the works. No word on whether the Bill Clinton doll will quip: "I did not have sex with that woman Monica Lewinsky."
