This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Admit it: You always wondered what was included in the celebrity swag bags that are given out at the lounges that pop up in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival, haven't you?
Here's a story that strips a bit of the mystery, and the allure, from the process.
One item that will be showing up in about 150 swag bags at the Independent Filmmakers Lounge — aka The Indie Lounge — is a plush doll and accompanying book that encourages small boys in their toilet training.
According to the Jacksonville Business Journal, the book, "The Troll on the Bowl," is inspired by the "Elf on the Shelf" books, and involves a woodsman-like creature who sprinkles bits of cereal into the toilet bowl — giving the boy something to aim at when he urinates. The troll leaves helpful notes and even treats for children who successfully toilet-train.
"The Troll in the Bowl" is the invention of Kevin O'Malley, a Jacksonville, Fla., native, who developed the concept with his wife, Michele Mathis. (The book's illustrations are by Mathis' mother, Kathy Butler.)
Getting "The Troll in the Bowl" into the hands of celebrities is part of a marketing push, O'Malley told the Jacksonville paper: "Hey, if Robert Downey Jr. decides he loves it and ends up wearing it around on his shoulder for the festival, of course that would be great!"