Rebecca Rubin: American Doll & Wanted Criminal!

The new American Girl doll, Rebecca Rubin, shares a name with a woman who is wanted by the F.B.I., accused of arson.

American Girl, the doll company based in Middleton, Wis., is expecting strong demand for the newest doll in its historical character line. The 18-inch doll, which went on sale on Sunday, is named Rebecca Rubin and comes with a storybook that describes her life in 1914, growing up on the Lower East Side as the daughter of Jewish Russian immigrants.

But the F.B.I. is more interested in another Rebecca Rubin. 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.

How did the marketing slip happen? Julie Parks, a spokeswoman for American Girl, said that the company originally applied to register the name with the United States trademark office in 2004.

“Rebecca was one of the most popular names for Jewish girls in 1905, when Rebecca would have been born,” Ms. Parks said. “When researching last names, Rubin was on a list of a handful of other names that would have been appropriate for a Russian-Jewish family but, honestly, Rubin rose to the top because we liked the alliteration and knew that girls could easily pronounce it.”

The company was not aware of the outlaw Rebecca Rubin until last week, when Heeb magazine’s blog noted the similar name. “We feel confident that people will clearly see this as nothing more than what it is — an unrelated coincidence,” Ms. Parks said.

The F.B.I., on the other hand, is hoping the publicity for the doll will bring the flesh-and-blood Ms. Rubin, believed to be in her native Canada, to justice. “Any publicity that gets the word out that our Rebecca Rubin is wanted on various charges is certainly beneficial,” said Beth Anne Steele, a spokeswoman for the F.B.I. in Oregon.

Link:
NY Times