It would be fair to say that America is still enamoured with Michelle Obama. From her down-to-earth attitude to her fashion sense and impressively toned upper arms, the First Lady has caught the public's imagination just as much as her husband. So it perhaps comes as no surprise that an action figure in her likeness is being released next month – just in time for Christmas.
Following on from the 2008 launch of a Barack Obama doll which has since sold over 200,000, the six-inch figure will sell for $12.99 – or £8.22 – and will come with three recognisable outfits copied from Michelle's wardrobe.
All the designs reflect the mum-of-two's well-known penchant for sheath dresses that bare her arms. First up is the purple number she wore when the Obamas shared their famous fist bump during the president's campaign in June last year. Next is the red-and-black frock Michelle wore on Election Night, and finally is a black-and-white floral dress she chose for an appearance on US talk show, The View.
"Following the runaway success of the Obama Action Figure we simply had to make Michelle because Barack and Michelle are a team in the best and truest sense of the word and you can't have one without the other," Jason Feinberg from Jailbreak Toys said. He added that the company expected the doll – which the White House have declined to comment on – to be popular with girls, but said the target audience was adults "who collected toys as a child, who haven’t lost that kind of whimsical enthusiasm."
Earlier this year, the White House objected to figures made in the likeness of Michelle and Barack's two girls, after Beanie Babies released two dolls named Marvellous Malia and Sweet Sasha following January's presidential inauguration.
