There’s a new doll that's making a lot of headlines and getting praise for… well... not being Barbie.
Pittsburgh artist Nickolay Lamm created Lammily, a more lifelike doll, which is shorter, broader and has a thicker neck than the traditional Barbie. Lammily also struts in sporty clothes to promote fitness. (Via KTVK)
“I used this model. It represents the average 19-year-old American woman.”
"Using data from the Centers for Disease Control website, Nickolay made a 3D image of his own doll." (Via KMBC)
Lamm raised more than $300,000 to get the project off the ground. He's been pretty warmly received by media outlets, with many praising the doll for its "Average is beautiful" mantra. (Via Lammily, Elle, The Guardian)
“She looks fit and healthy, and normal.”
"And still cute, beautiful, but realistic." (Via WTHR)
The comparisons are unavoidable, and the reviews are in: Lammily is nothing like Barbie, and that’s a good thing.
“Some people feel like her beauty is unattainable because, well, it is.”
“Yeah, well.”
"It's not real. It's a plastic doll." (Via KIFI)
Barbie has long been criticized for affecting the way girls view themselves. A study published last week found after playing with Barbie for just five minutes, girls rated themselves less capable than boys of pursuing certain careers. (Via Springer / Sex Roles)
And those fears have been spurred on by stories of women literally transforming themselves into dolls. (Via YouTube / Ismail Karaman)
"She is passionate about looking like a doll, and she's getting plenty of coverage for it. What message is that sending to young girls?" (Via ABC)
But in a recent interview, Barbie’s lead designer Kim Culmone defended the dolls measurements, saying body image issues aren’t coming from dolls.
"Clearly, the influences for girls on those types of issues, whether it's body image or anything else, it's proven, it's peers, moms, parents, it's their social circles." (Via Fast Company Design)
And a columnist for The Kansas City Star says, even though Lammily's figure is more realistic, labelling her "normal" is still a problem.
"When we start using words like 'normal' and 'real,' we are teaching girls to compare by saying this is what normal looks like in the form of a plastic mold. What if we don't have an athletic build or wear preppy clothes? What if we don't fit that mold?" (Via The Kansas City Star)
Lamm says Lammily should hit the shelves in November of this year, just in time for the holiday season.
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