Lammily doll
REALITY CHECK
Sorry, Barbie, but it's time to get real.
Just in time for holiday shopping, Time magazine reports on the release of a brand-new doll – named Lammily – modeled in the likeness of a real human female.
According to researchers, if the average Barbie doll were an actual woman, she'd have to walk on all fours (because of her extra-tiny feet) and would be incapable of lifting her own head (due to her abnormally long and thin neck).
But not so with Lammily, which was conceived by graphic designer Nickolay Lamm. The new doll is modeled on the proportions of a typical 19-year-old woman (based on current U.S. Centers for Disease Control data).
"I wanted to show that reality is cool," said Lamm in the Time interview. "And a lot of toys make kids go into fantasy, but why don't they show that real life is cool?"
Lamm introduced the Lammily as an art project last year and launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $95,000 (U.S.) to start producing the dolls for retail consumption.
"Parents and their kids were emailing and asking where they could buy the 'normal Barbie'," he told Time.
Lamm's crowdfunding campaign eventually raised $501,000 (U.S.) to create the dolls, which became available for purchase and delivery this week through his web site.
The doll retails for $24.99 (U.S.), with the first 19,000 being shipped directly to backers. Lamm promises that 25,000 more Lammily dolls will ready in time to be shipped before the holidays.
In support of the doll's release, Lamm also created a video comparing the drastic physical differences between Lammily and Barbie.
And just like Barbie, Lammily owners will be able to purchase accessories – except the Lammily extras are steeped in reality.
Starting in January, Lammily owners will be able to order a sticker-extension pack that will allow the user to affix acne, freckles and moles to the doll's face, and even make her blush. The sticker pack also includes scrapes, bruises, scars and stretch marks and cellulite.
When asked about the potential for controversy in releasing a doll with stretch marks, Lamm suggested some owners will actually welcome the option.
Lamm expects to make other fashion choices for the Lammily available in the near future. "This is the doll people have been waiting for," he said.
In other doll-related news, USA Today reports on the public apology issued by Mattel this week for making Barbie look like a dizzy blonde in a book.
Originally published by Random House, the book titled Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer depicts Barbie conceptualizing a computer game involving a robot puppy, but then enlisting the assistance of male programmers to actually build the game.
"I'm only creating the design ideas," Barbie tells her sister Skipper in the book. "I'll need Steven's and Brian's help to turn it into a real game!"
The book was lampooned in various media outlets and on Twitter.
On Wednesday, Mattel executive Lori Pantel told Time that the book was originally published in 2010 and that "since that time we have reworked our Barbie books."
UNDER FIRE
Jamie Oliver has an unorthodox method of punishing his 12-year-old daughter: By rubbing spicy chilli pepper into apple slices and then feeding them to her. The celebrity chef admitted to the technique during a recent interview with The Daily Mail. "I give them chillies for punishment," said the father of four. "It is not very popular beating kids any more. It's not very fashionable and you are not allowed to do it and if you are a celebrity chef like me, it does not look very good in the paper." Oliver said he exacted the punishment after his daughter Poppy was "quite disrespectful and rude." Oliver added that his wife Jools told him: "Don't you ever do that again."
Source: Daily Mail
MIND READERS
Who knew that the ability to read people could pay off? If your workplace specialty involves discerning the emotions of fellow employees, you're likely bringing home a larger paycheck. A new study from the University of Bonn in Germany showed volunteers a series of images and voice recordings and asked them to identify the emotions being expressed. Those respondents who scored highest on the test were deemed to be more socially skilled by their colleagues and supervisors and also tended to make more money than those individuals who scored lower on the task.
Source: New York Magazine
BACK-TRACKING
Jerry Seinfeld has recanted his claim that he might be on the autism spectrum. During a recent interview with NBC News, the 60-year-old comedian said, "I think, on a very drawn-out scale, I think I'm on the spectrum." Seinfeld corrected his self-diagnosis on Wednesday during an interview with Access Hollywood by saying, "I don't have autism. I'm not on the spectrum. I just was watching this play about it and thought, 'Why am I related to it on some level? That is all I was saying."
Source: E! News
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
An illuminated bow-and-arrow and a machine gun knockoff have made this year's list of unsafe toys. On Wednesday, the Massachusetts-based watchdog group World Against Toys Causing Harm (W.A.T.C.H.) released their annual list of toys they consider unsafe for use by children. Included on the list was the Air Storm Firetek Bow, which advertises the ability to fire glowing arrows more than 45 metres and the Swat Electric Machine Gun, which actually comes with a warning that the toy could be mistaken for a real weapon.
Source: ABC News