Lammily: A Review of the “Real Girl” Doll

My Lammily needs a name! Can you help me? Leave a comment and suggest a name!

My Lammily doll cheap nfl jerseys arrived today! I’ve been looking forward to this since I became a backer back in March of this year. One of the biggest issues people have with dolls is the way they present, and celebrate unrealistic body proportions to young girls, kind of the way magazines, and music videos do for the rest of womankind. In some circles Barbie is considered the Photoshopped Kardashian of the toy industry. I know in my house we debate the issue quite often, but Lammily aims to solve that problem by making realistically proportioned dolls.

Now, let me explain something, I love Barbie.

I just wanted to get that out there. I am not the kind of cheap nfl jerseys woman who blames her body image issues on a plastic doll. Although, I am considered a minority by heritage, and am a member of the female gender (and sex), so I’m used to being different. When I was a kid there wasn’t a huge ethnic variety of these dolls. Yes, they made Teresa, the Mexican doll, and, there was a The Black friend, an Asian friend, with Ken dolls to match. But the friends weren’t Barbie. Only Barbie was Barbie, and she had blonde hair. I didn’t have blonde hair. For me that was the only issue I had. I did grow up wishing I could have blonde hair, probably in the same way straight haired girls wish they could have my spiral curls. I did grow up and give blonde hair a shot–it was terrible, now kind of in the same way a perm is terrible, I imagine. I did not, however, wish I had Barbie’s body. Her wardrobe, I wanted, but I don’t really know many women who wouldn’t like the flexibility of having enough clothes to go from Curls construction site, to a bar for happy hour, a gala, the moon, and a white house press conference…just saying.

For me, Barbie was a tool to act out stories. Yes, I loved her clothes, but I didn’t want to be Barbie. I just wanted to play with her. I also didn’t want to be an Atari, but I sure wanted to play with one. Without getting into a conversation about humanoid toys versus non-humanoid toys, let me just say that the body image thing wasn’t something that affected my life.

Now, the personality Barbie portrayed, and the image she projected has always been annoying. I mean, why does she have to be so sexualized? My daughter got the Doctor Barbie and I spent quite some time explaining to her that real doctors wouldn’t be caught dead performing surgery in six inch stilettos, no one you want operating on you at least.  The cute and cuddly thing, the princess thing, the celebu-tante goody-two shoes perfectly manicured part…that was a Fall problem for me. I wasn’t that kind of kid, and it really would have been nice if Barbie could have used her celebrity to help educate. That is what makes Lammily extra special to me.

On trends the Lammily website, the creator of the doll asserts his belief that the journey towards a goal is just as important as the goal itself, and I couldn’t agree more. Barbie jumps directly from career to career without showing us how she got there. From that angle, Barbie is the Paris Hilton of dolls. She didn’t do anything to earn her dream house, or convertible. From that perspective Barbie only teaches us that a pretty smile is all you need to succeed. That, and lots of really pretty clothes. It’s the very essence of consumerism. A doll that requires you to buy your dream, instead of work for it. This is precisely what Danielle Lammily hopes to combat.

“I want Lammily’s accessories to be reflective of real life in miniature form. I envision her reading books that inform and playing instruments that educate on the sounds and intricacies of music. I see her constructing her own home, cultivating her own garden while learning about the wonders of plants and vegetables and eating these nourishing and healthy foods. All of these aspects are authentic, and can be complimented with an online world where children can explore these realities in depth.”

Today she arrived. I’ve got to admit that it was surprising to me how much different she is than Barbie. At first glance it’s a little jarring, to be honest, but take a look at what I’ve been making comparisons to for most of my life.

Case #1: Barbie as Juliet, and Lammily.

It seemed the ultimate irony to use the Barbie who is supposed to be playing a thirteen year-old girl as a comparison to Lammily, a doll based on proportions of the average 19 year-old girl. Barbie is clearly a taller doll, but looks considerably older that the Lammily doll. Forgiving the uncomfortable gown, since she is only playing a part in a play, Barbie is wearing tons of make-up, and the awkward angles of her arms really make her look uncomfortable juxtaposed against a doll with moveable wrists, and knees.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Case #2: Katniss & Lammily

I’m a nerd, and I love the Hunger Games. I love Jennifer Lawrence too, if you’re wondering. I love that Jennifer Lawrence doesn’t fit the emaciated body type. It’s the curve of her body, as well as her session cheek, that makes her so seductive. That and her fearless authenticity. So it seemed a natural comparison to make, Katniss Everdeen, who was built like the regular District 12 citizen.

As you can see, Barbie’s imagining of Katniss is a lot more like the magazines than the book. #Epicfail Mattel. 19 year-old Lammily looks younger than the 16 year old heroine too. This makes a big difference in the way I appreciate Lammily. It makes me realize my own biases in a more profound way. Call me naiive, but how did we let this one get away from us, Mattel?

Katniss & Lammily

Case #3 The Monster High Doll & Lammily

So, one of the things I liked about Monster High Dolls was how weirdly proportioned their bodies, mainly their heads, are to the rest of their bodies. They’re monsters, so it’s okay for them to be askew. When you put Lammily next to Monster High Doll, though, it’s kind of gross how thin these dolls are. wholesale mlb jerseys In fact, their bodies have permanently arched torsos. I’m not sure the big head is a good enough reason for it.

Monster High Doll & Lammily

I really hope that Lammily is a success, I’m intending to buy more, and maybe even score the Lammily Marks wholesale jerseys for my own doll. I really like the idea of being able to customize her to look more realistic. You can choose to give your doll acne, stretch marks, cheap nba jerseys grass and dirt stains, but I’m looking forward to some tattoos.

The most realistic custom doll you can find anywhere.

I’m interested in hearing what you think about the Lammily doll. Is it an amazing addition, or taking things too far? Does it succeed in giving girls a healthier concept of self? Does it blur the barrier between fantasy and reality, or make it more accessible to young girls?  I’d love to hear your reactions to her.

Leave me a comment.

Like this:

Like Loading…

Like this:

Like Loading...