You might remember back in 2013 when artist and researcher Nickolay Lamm created a Barbie type of doll with the measurements of the average 19-year-old woman. The images of his new Barbie doll went viral, influenced the toy industry and spearheaded a crowd sourced campaign that raised over $500,000 to manufacture thousands of dolls.
Lamm was frustrated with Barbie’s highly unrealistic proportions when he went to buy a doll for his niece. He couldn’t believe that there still wasn’t a doll with more average proportions in this day and age.
Lamm has just created a pack of ‘flawed’ stickers of cellulite, stretch marks, acne, moles, freckles and tattoos that the children can stick on the doll’s body. He’s trying to show children that a normal girl has flaws, it doesn’t make her less attractive and it means she’s out enjoying life.
“I feel that, right now, dolls are very ‘perfect’ looking, when, in real life, few of us have perfect skin.. So, why not give dolls a ‘real treatment?’ Things like acne, stretch marks, and cellulite are a natural part of who we are.”
Stretch marks often found on the found on the breasts, abdomen, hips, and thighs and between 50 to 90 percent of women will develop them. Well over 90 percent of women have cellulite on their bodies.
Now Lamm has created a Lammily man based on the dimensions of an average 19 year old man. It doesn’t have defined muscles and or an obvious six-pack like some action figures do. Lamm hopes his doll will promote a healthy body image for children and redefine what it means to be a man. How do you define a healthy masculinity and what do you think it means to be a man?
“I feel that the media promotes a very ‘macho’ image for guys, which promotes a culture of sexism at the same time. By making a realistic boy doll, I feel it can not only start a conversation about what it means to be a healthy man, but also lead to a more ‘real’ image which helps everyone. Let’s continue to support healthy bodies and minds.”
Lamm hopes his dolls will show boys that real is beautiful too. His website explains,
“(we are) re-innovating the idea of what a physical “idol” can and should be, encouraging parents and children to challenge the way they think of normative body image and, in the process, have largely influenced an entire toy industry.”
Here’s some questions for you to ponder..
What societal pressures did you feel when you were growing up about how your body should look?
Did you compare your body to dolls, movie stars or models?
How do you feel better about your body when you’re not feeling good about it?
How do you look after your body?
What have others said about your body that’s impacted your self esteem?
What did you learn about your body growing up? Did you learn that it was a beautiful thing or a dirty shameful thing to be hidden?
What messages about your body did you learn from your community, your family, friends, religion and wider culture?
How do your feelings about your body influence your sexual and intimate relations? Does it impact how you go about finding a lover or instigating a sexual experience with your partner?
Are you comfortable naked?
How do you feel about your body?
Get in touch today if you’d like to overcome your body issues and enjoy intimacy more.