Barack Obama 6

Product Description
A certain collectible political item for years to come. Our Barack Obama 2008 Novelty Dollar Bills will be the talk of the town. A great Obama collectible. It is the same size as real US currency. Printed on the front and back. The Barack Obama 2008 Dollar Bill is beautifully designed. Use these Barack Obama Bills in schools, at parties, sell them at retail stores, sell them in online auctions or use them in promotions. Our Barack Obama Bills make for a great gift or collection item. All of our novelty money, funny money and fake money is extremely popular and can be used in hundreds of unique and fun ways. ALL OF OUR NOVELTY BILLS ARE 100% GUARANTEED TO BE THE BEST QUALITY.
Confession: I bought this within a few minutes of learning of it's existence. I think that reaction is fairly typical. It's definitely one of those items with a certain guaranteed "pre-sold" audience. I knew what I was getting, and as it was an impulse buy for sure, I wilfully brushed aside the number one issue that exists with this toy. It's an issue which will probably grow on you -- or come back to haunt you time and again -- the longer you have it.

The issue is the matter of likeness. The little guy is really hurting in that department. I don't know who they had sculpt this, but I have to venture that he was no name in the business. The figure merely "checks the box" in the most perfunctory manner by being male, recognizably dark-complected and wearing a suit. As a caricature of Barack Obama, it utterly fails. That's pretty harsh, but let's be honest: If the box didn't say "OBAMA, An Action Figure You Can Believe In", you could believe it was just about anybody else.

I don't want to plug any competing item too hard, but I'll just share this pertinent experience with prospective buyers of this product: Later the same day I ordered this, a friend who reads all the animation blogs pointed out to me that the creator of Ren and Stimpy has his own set of political caricatures coming out in a few weeks. THAT'S where I should have put my political figurine dollar. These figures aren't timid, generic, ersatz likenesses of the candidates, but sharp, savage, funny political caricature in the grand tradition.

This is the after thought figure that I'll set out at work, probably keeping it in the box so people know who it is supposed to be. The "conversation piece" factor is there, which may be all many people expect from something like this. But even given that this may have been rushed out by the toy company, I wish they had nailed a relishable caricature. Bottom line, I believe a funny likeness here would prompt a smile that would last; what we get instead is a brief chuckle at the simple fact that someone came up with the concept for a political candidate action figure.