Didn’t we all grow up playing with Barbie dolls and Barbie doll lookalikes during our childhood days? The fabulously idolized, super thin, long-necked doll which makes us, real ladies, cast a shadow of doubt upon our own body images? The one which triggers our desire to be size-zero and go on some unhealthy diets to become unrealistically thin? Yes, you get that! But hang in there! Does the doll encompass what all women look like or what constitutes true beauty? Just think about it. When we or our kids are seeing or playing a Barbie Doll, it’s more than that. While we might admire Barbie’s career aspirations, the dolls famously unrealistic body proportions leave a lot to be desired.
Well, this artist, Nickolay Lamm of Pittsburgh, has raised enough crowd-sourced funds to design a doll with normal body proportions in response to Barbie’s unrealistic body. The “Normal Barbie”, Lammily, has the average measurements of a 19 years-old-girl – about 5 feet 4 inches, with a 33-inch waist. And her motto is, “Average is beautiful”. She is more anatomically correct than our Barbie Dolls, who couldn’t function if she were human.
Lammily’s makeup is minimal. And her joints are bendable. Though she is not tall and skinny, she certainly has a fit and athletic body, which promotes a healthy lifestyle. Lammily’s accessories are reflective of real life in miniature form. And her wardrobe is realistic as well. She just wears the outfits similar to what we buy. But the designer of the doll has made sure Lammily’s clothing line will incorporate a range of fashions so that there is something for everyone. The designer thought about teaching girls to compare by saying this is what normal looks like in the form of a plastic mold.
The doll has brown hair by default and comes with minimal make-up:
She also promotes a healthy lifestyle:
And advanced design allows the doll to move her wrists, knees, elbows, and feet:
That means she can wear sneakers and sensible heels:
Some interpreted the crowd-funding campaign slogan “Average is Beautiful” as a message of aspiring to mediocrity or creating a new societal standard. However, Nicolay Lamm said,” I see “average” as inclusive of all of us. I want to show that reality is beautiful, that life is beautiful, and there should be a line of dolls, which reflects this fact.” Indeed, Lammily Doll beautifully represents the idea of being true to yourselves in a world that too often convinces us to pursue an unattainable fantasy.
