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American Morning

Reaction to Osama bin Laden

Aired April 19, 2002 - 08:56   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Just what the world needs. There is an Osama bin Laden action figure.

And CNN's Jeanne Moos got a hold of one and took it out into the street for a little action and what she got is a lot of reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's as you cross Barbie with G.I. Joe.

(on camera): You know this guy.

(voice-over): Adding a beard and a turban.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now we have Jihad Joe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's beautiful!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anybody that buys this doll is not a true American.

MOOS (on camera): How many Osama bin Ladens have you sold so far?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thousands.

MOOS (voice-over): Amil Vikali (ph) is the owner of a tiny Connecticut toymaker called herobuilders.com, which started out featuring only heroes, from the presidential doll to Rudy "The Rock" Giuliani to Tony "The Ally" Blair.

But when folks starting asking for Osama, Hero Builders added him to the line as a villain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't offer the outfit.

MOOS (on camera): Dress comes separately.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dress comes separately.

MOOS (voice-over): Bin Laden comes wearing military garb. The tutu was something they added for fun on the Web site.

The real Bin Laden seems pretty skinny, but this one is buff.

(on camera): It's one body fits all, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is correct.

MOOS (voice-over): George W., Rudy and Osama all use the same body, but it turns out the president wants to be used on any body. The White House council has asked herobuilders.com to stop selling the presidential doll, citing a long-standing premise not to allow the president's likeness to be used for commercial products.

So far, no legal threats from Osama bin Laden, though one e- mailer called the toymaker "scum" for profiting from tragedy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't want to give them to any children that I knew.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't even like to see him get publicity. I think the less I see of him the better.

MOOS (on camera): You don't think this is kind of glorifying him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. No, I think people should buy him burn him, shoot him, do whatever they want.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And some people say I'm going to give it to my rotweiler and have him tear it apart. There is another woman, she is going to make a noose and hang bin Laden from her rearview mirror.

MOOS (voice-over): The hand-painted dolls cost $26.95. Maybe you'd prefer a doll of yourself. Send in photos, and they'll turn you or your loved one into an action figure for a mere $400.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their wife's head on a doll of Lara Croft. That's our biggest e-mail.

MOOS (on camera): You got to be kidding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Their men.

MOOS (voice-over): One guy couldn't keep his villains straight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saddam -- what's his name?

MOOS (on camera): No, Osama.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Osama Hussein.

MOOS (voice-over): Actually, Saddam Hussein will be the next villain action figure, and the Pentagon don will be the next hero.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As for Osama.

MOOS: I think this does disrespect all cross-dressing men. With comments like that, bin Laden might as well stay in a cave reading or watching videos.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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