Barbie under attack after book gaffe, rival doll

Mattel Inc.'s Barbie is facing a double dose of flak this week after a book featuring her was branded as sexist and a new rival doll with more realistic looks -- including acne and stretch marks -- ramped up its marketing.

After a Barbie book called "I Can Be a Computer Engineer" depicted the doll as less technically savvy than her male peers, Twitter and Facebook users called it an offensive portrayal of women. Mattel apologized for the book, which was published in 2010, and it was yanked from Amazon.com and other outlets.

Barbie's new competition comes from the $25 Lammily doll, whose physique is designed to match an average body. It also lets you add imperfections, such as cellulite and freckles, via a $6 set of stickers. While the crowd-funded project hasn't attracted major sales -- preorders totaled about $500,000 -- Lammily has drawn praise on social media for giving girls a more realistic option than Barbie's ultrathin body.

"Lammily's instant popularity was largely driven by a concern for body image," Nickolay Lamm, a digital artist who designed the doll, said on his website. "Every one of our bodies is different, so we should not be aspiring to some idealized standard."

While Lamm's doll has received kudos, it's hard to tell if the negative attention will affect El Segundo, California-based Mattel, the world's largest toymaker. Though Barbie sales have suffered a decline, past controversies have helped spur demand rather than hamper it. The Lammily doll also won't start shipping until Nov. 28, according to its website.

Swimsuit Barbie

When Barbie appeared on the cover of a special version of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue in February, it rekindled criticism that her unrealistic runway-model looks sent the wrong message to girls. Mattel published an editorial saying there was nothing wrong with being a model or wearing a bikini. Demand for the version of the doll that appeared in the magazine then surged, with more than half the inventory at Target selling out in two days.

Still, the Barbie brand -- estimated by analysts to have about $1 billion in annual sales -- is in need of a turnaround. Worldwide sales of Barbie sank 21 percent in the most recent quarter, as Mattel's largest property lost fans to other dolls, such as Monster High and toys tied to Walt Disney Co.'s smash hit "Frozen."

Mattel declined to comment on the Lammily doll, though it did apologize for the book gaffe on Barbie's Facebook page.

"The portrayal of Barbie in this specific story doesn't reflect the brand's vision for what Barbie stands for," the company said Nov. 19. "We believe girls should be empowered to understand that anything is possible and believe they live in a world without limits."

Lamm, meanwhile, already has a brand extension in the works. Next up is an average boy doll.

Watch out Ken!