Opinion: Wax figure of Michelle Obama debuts, but can it compete with the Lego version?
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
It’s one of the downsides—or upsides, depending on your point of view--of being a public figure. Sometimes you literally become a public figure.
Today Madame Tussauds in New York unveiled a wax figure of First Lady Michelle Obama. The faux Michelle captures the excitement and glamour of last year’s inauguration, wearing a one-shouldered white gown inspired by the one she wore to the inaugural balls. (It certainly thrilled TV personality Wendy Williams, above.) The wax first lady joined a wax president clad in a tuxedo.
A look at Tussauds’ website reveals that the attraction, which can be engaging or creepy — again, depending on the point of view — dates to the 1770s in Paris. The site notes:
At a time when news was communicated largely by word of mouth, Madame Tussauds’ exhibition was a kind of traveling newspaper, providing insight into global events and bringing the ordinary public face-to-face with the people in the headlines.
Consider it a primitive form of Twitter.
The First Family have been portrayed in a variety of media. A Ticket favorite: Lego. Really. Go to the jump for a look at how Lego designers captured, with amazing accuracy, inauguration day last year.
-- Steve Padilla
Click here to receive Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item. Or follow us @latimestot. You can also go to our new Facebook fan page here.
