Criticisms of Barbie's unnatural proportions and (usually) vapid lifestyle are nothing new; believe it or not, it's been twenty years since Lisa Lionheart took on Malibu Stacey on The Simpsons. But there's never been a rival doll that's looked quite like this before.
There's currently a crowdfunding campaign going on to raise funds for "Lammily", the brainchild of Pittsburgh designer Nickolay Lamm.
"I just tried to make it look like if you blew this doll up, she'd be a healthy, happy girl," Lamm tells Fast Co. His Lammily doll doesn't just look "normal", though; many of her outfits reflect a healthy lifestyle, and most importantly (since this is now a commercial project) she looks great, with an unexpectedly high level of polish to her design and construction. She's even properly articulated.
My daughter is just getting old enough to not just own Barbies, but understand what they're about. And that sucks. I'd much rather get her one of these instead.
Lammily [Site, via Fast Co.]