It mimics their mannerisms, ten most overused phrases, physical appearance and voice. Its face has been crafted from finest plastic to re-create every spot and overgrown nose hair. And all you had to do was provide the manufacturer with a photo, voice sample, list of most commonly used phrases and baseline mood type (anywhere from 'fecking misery guts' to 'irritatingly over-positive').

Share your friend's delight that you have managed to completely capture and assassinate their character with little more techno- wizardry than found in a Happy Meal toy.

Just remember it will say as much about you as it does about them.

Of course, you may find you like the replica more than your friend, in which case you have a choice to make. A bit like Stepford Wives in miniature, I guess.

[Edit:

Just to be clear, this is not meant to be a good idea. It's not a gift I'd want to give or receive. It stemmed from reading another 'magical' idea that involved keeping miniature versions of yourself, friends and others in something like a fish tank, as a spectator piece.

That got me thinking how self-conscious I'd feel watching a mini-me whose (future) behaviour I had no control over. That thought was then coupled with:

i) the philosophical argument that we are what others perceive us to be (which I don't subscribe to, but anyway),

ii) the way that children sometimes sum you up brilliantly with a simple drawing and a couple of speech bubbles, and

iii) the awkward issue of just how do you tell a friend about that particular habit, (should you even tell them?),

...and this idea was born. The scary thing is I really think there'd be a (laddish) market for this sort of thing.]