'Lammily', the 'normal Barbie', is introduced to help kids embrace their own distinct brand of beauty.
"Normal Barbie" has recently staged her debut as dollmaker Nickolay Lamm introduced an "alternative" version of the typical perfectly groomed and reed-thin Barbie doll.
"I created an alternative to suggest that it's okay to not look like a supermodel, it's okay to look like a normal person," Lamm explained.
The entrance of 'Lammily' aims to encourage children and adults alike to take a step back and reflect on the importance of embracing their own distinct beauty instead of punishing themselves for failing to attain the standards of beauty set by society as indicated by the appearance of the popular Barbie dolls.
"I'm just trying to create a product which shows that reality is beautiful," Lamm shared. "It's not always perfect, but it's all we have, and it's awesome!"
Lamm also revealed that 'Lammily' comes with various stickers, which kids could attach to their dolls. These stickers depict normal everyday things a typical 19-year-old girl deal with, such as acne, warts, stretch marks, cellulite, mosquito bites, and tattoos. According to the graphic designer from Pittsburgh, these stickers serve as reminders to everyone that a normal human being has to contend with these concerns throughout her life. Hence, children should be taught not to exhaust all their efforts into attempting to achieve unrealistic appearances as advocated by Ken and Barbie dolls.
In addition, Lamm aims to inspire young children to "think more about what they love and what they do and not as much as how they look. So if they have a doll that looks like everyone else, they won't have to focus on looks so much."
However, Lamm is quick to clarify that his dolls are made to criticize people who managed to achieve such ideals or to insult supermodel.
"There's nothing wrong with being a supermodel but I just had the impression that the wall of supermodels suggests that something is wrong with you if you don't look like one," the artist asserted.
The introduction of such dolls, however, has not occurred without its fair share of critics.
Nikki Gloudeman, a writer with a blog at the Huffington Post, blasted the 'Lammily' doll for its "controllable imperfections" due to the fact that the stickers could be easily peeled off.
"Little girls are already taught that they can and should manage how "perfect" their body is, and these stickers only work to enforce that dangerous and false message. If the intent was to show that average bodies have things like freckles and scars and stretch marks, why not build those features into the fundamental design of the dolls," lamented Gloudeman in her post.
The 'Lammily' dolls are available for online purchase at roughly $25 each. If the child wants to buy the reusable sticker pack as well, then an extra $6 would be charged.
