What started as an art project in 2013 has turned into the holiday’s most coveted — and kid-accepted — toy. Graphic designer-turned-toymaker Nickolay Lamm revealed to Time parents started emailing him asking if they could purchase his “normal Barbie.” Lamm’s creation is a doll named Lammily, who is what Barbie would look like if she had the measurements of an average 19-year-old woman and brown hair — and she’s now preferred over Barbie. When presented to a group of second graders, Lammily, who also comes with a $5.99 sticker pack which includes cellulite, acne, and scar stickers, was chosen over Mattel’s doll.
Some comments made by the children include: “She’s not like other dolls, she isn’t really thin,” “she’s wider,” “she looks like my sister,” “she looks more like a real-life person, and “she looks more like me.”
The kids said Lammily’s occupation would most likely be a “teacher,” while Barbie would be a “model” or “work in a fashion store.” (One girl even said Barbie “doesn’t look like she would do any job.”)
Lamm also created a video to show the transformation of Lammily into a typical Barbie-like doll to prove her unrealistic proportions, I.E., her teeny waist, oversized cleavage, and tiny head and feet. “I wanted to show that reality is cool,” Lamm told Time. “And a lot of toys make kids go into fantasy, but why don’t they show real life is cool? It’s not perfect, but it’s really all we have. And that’s awesome.”
Watch the videos above for yourself.
