I saw this doll on a news site as well because of the contoversy. I remember reading a statement from the company saying they hoped the doll would encourage the idea of breastfeeding. Many mothers don't breast feed and don't even try because they feel pressured by the public that they can't breastfeed in a public place and after I saw this doll I did think about how all baby dolls tend to come with bottles to feed the baby. At the same time since breastfeeding is from the body the only way they could illustrate alternatives to bottle feeding on the box of a baby doll would be to have a drawing or photo of a girl pretending to breast feed her doll and that would get the same reaction as this - a reaction which, I think, is really because people are thiking it's wrong to draw attention to little girls boobs (which are really just flat boys chests!)
With the whole promoting breast feeding thing - like Zuse said little kids see breast feeding more than most because someone with a baby isn't going to be so hesitant to breast feed in front a child, given the child is surrounded by little kids and pregnant mums and mums with babies so the kid doesn't bat an eye when someone whips out a boob! The embarrassment or uncomfortable-ness comes later when people get older and we aren't used to seeing other adults body parts and having kids wearing a breast feeding vest isn't going to alter the adult perception. Little kids already pretend to breast feed their dolls, having a doll that's meant to be breast fed isn't changing a childs perception of what you do with a baby, they're already fine with it. Some people get weirded out when a mum breast feeds in a food hall, even though you can't see anything because they have a wrap over themselves or something (but they know the boob is out and the baby IS SUCKING ON THE BOOB OMG!) and those same people are going to be completely freaked out about this toy - even though the toy does not make a child bare their chest (and a kid will do that themselves anyway!) but OMG THE FLOWERS REPRESENT NIPPLES AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A BOOB!
I don't think it would be worth the money. I never had dolls that did anything... wait I lie. I have a newborn cabbage patch that was supposed to cry but even from when it was first bought it never worked! I wanted a baby born or whatever doll it was that you could feed and give a bottle and then change it's nappy but how many kids after using up the intial feeding sachets and nappies had a really expensive doll that COULD do bodily functions, but didn't because no one wanted to buy the refills! At least you don't have to buy a new vest after every 'feed' for this doll.