Newly Marketed 'American Girl' Doll Accidently Named After Alleged Eco-Terrorist

Posted by Tara Lohan, AlterNet at 2:12 PM on June 2, 2009.

Apparently hoping to expand their marketing reach, Mattel recently released their Jewish-themed doll. But it seems the toy company may have accidentally stumbled onto another market. As ABC reports: "Rebecca Rubin -- an alleged domestic terrorist on the lam since 2006 -- appears to have devoted her life's work to bringing down the capitalist system. But Rebecca Rubin is also an 18-inch doll, the newest in the American Girl collection, which brings in a whopping $463 million each year for the toy giant Mattel."

Woops. Apparently Mattel does about as much research as those folks who organized the Tea Bagging protests.

The New York Times explains:

Rebecca J. Rubin, who sometimes goes by the alias Little Missy, is a fugitive who was indicted in 2006 in a series of arson fires in Oregon dating to 1997, according to her F.B.I. wanted poster.

The wanted Ms. Rubin carries a $50,000 reward and "should be considered armed and dangerous," her wanted poster says. The doll Ms. Rubin costs $95 and can be bought with pet kittens and a toy challah bread.

While Mattel is hoping people regard their Rebecca Rubin fiasco as an unfortunate coincidence, the FBI is hoping it may actually bring in their real suspect. But Hamilton Nolan writing for Gawker has a better idea: "Clearly the solution is to arrest everyone responsible for creating American Girl Dolls."

Tagged as: doll, rebecca rubin

Tara Lohan is a managing editor at AlterNet.