With a consignment of two million Jimmy Savile dolls being ordered in August 2011 and delivered in September 2012 in readiness for the Christmas spending season, executives at toy manufacturer Mattell faced a difficult decision: Ditch the lot or convert into a more acceptable likeness. Mattel chose the latter to avoid massive losses but faced the dilemma of on-whom might the dolls be remodeled?
'The choice was narrow' admits Mattel CEO Zach Richards 'Savile had such a unique visual appearance that our options were limited. The ideal candidate would have long hair, wear glasses and possess a strange appearance as well as needing to be well-connected with royalty and top politicians, so we thought of other famous public figures such as Rebekah Brooks, Rod Stewart, Sue Barker or Richard Branson.'
'At the time we decided on Rebekah because we only needed to punch the head with a hammer and give the hair a fizz, but I think we may have made a mistake in not taking account of the Leveson inquiry.'
'Although we will need to spend some extra cash, we think that a short back and sides might lead to a credible Nick Clegg, and if we spend a few extra quid on glass eyes maybe we could get away with Nick Griffin.'