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Are ball joints ugly?

Sep 30, 2008

    1. When you think about it, just how attractive are elbows and knees. Ball joints are ok.

      I think you kinda get used to them.
       
    2. I don't know what your relationship to your friend is, but if it is more than platonic, I would say to him that "the design for my dolls may be too old for your taste, but the design for my body is more than 50,000 years old -- is there something you don't like about it?"

      But what he should have said in the first place is, "Your dolls' knees are cute, but I prefer yours!" The way to a woman's heart (and boudoir) is not to insult her dolls! What is he, an 18-year-old engineering student or something?
       
    3. "Ball-joints, peanut joints, those weird elbow plate things, jointed hands, they're all beautiful. It's what makes a BJD a BJD:" - ValiumCandy

      I agree, ValiumCandy. They are dolls after all - they have a long history, which includes all the things we've done over the decades to make them look real. I love the fact that their joints look Victorian. If your boyfriend want something modern, tell him to buy a cellphone or an I-Pod.
       
    4. The thing I love most about these dolls are the joints. They have special meaning to me.
      They bring the dolls to life, while barbies just stand around with their stretched arms and legs.
      Your friend should be a little nicer and respect the things you love.
       
    5. My mother has the same opinion as your friend, she doesn't like the ball joints, but I love them. I think it adds to their charm. I don't know, it's just something about their joints that makes them who they are... well I guess thats a given though... being ball joint dolls and all..
       
    6. I love that. I used to think ball joints were funky looking, especially in relation to some of the very realistic heads out there. But they've grown on me. The point of a BJD (one of the many, that is) is its ability to move. I guess they could be covered in some kind of sleeve, but I wouldn't want that. I think being able to see how the doll moves is fascinating; almost like watching a human skeleton move without skin and muscles on. You should just tell your friend, "Hey, I really like him, and check out what he can do. Bet you've never seen any Barbie do that." ;)
       
    7. How in the world is a barbie doll more appealing? >.<
       
    8. While I don't particularly like the look of the joints, they aren't ugly.

      When I first saw these dolls years ago the joints were one thing that I didn't like about them. But the more I looked into BJDs the less I cared about how the joints looked. Now I could really care less about 99.9% of the joints, they just don't really register on my visual radar any more. Except for that pesky .01% which for me is THE KNEES! Weird looking knee joints w/ bits that poke out oddly freak me the hell out but it's just the way it goes so I'm learning to deal with them.

      Morgan
       
    9. I am *not* a fan of the way joints look.

      I like joints. I like posing my dolls, so yes, I *like* joints.

      But I don't like the way they look. I still haven't softened up to them.

      At the same time, this has made me more open to weird joints, since I don't really like the look of any joints. XD
       
    10. [I'm not that new, I just never felt like posting in here.]

      I would definately not buy a doll without joints, even if they could move their arms and legs.
       
    11. It gives them such a 'doll' look. If the joints where 'hidden' the little guys wouldn't seem the same!
      I really like the round joints (DOD), the more square ones (Luts) just aren't the same.

      Over all, the joints sorta just complete the look! And I don't find them ugly at all.
       
    12. I don't remember how it happened but I used to dislike the joints a lot, I wondered why people didn't photoshop them out of their pictures, or cover them up with clothes..then one day it was like, oh- you know those
      joints are kinda of charming and I think thats what made me decide to get my own doll :)
       
    13. I can quote Zagzagael ^_^

      Anyway a Barbie has no joint and I suppose if you ask a barbie collector if he likes the rooted hairs he can reply "yes, why not?" A Barbie is a Barbie, a ball jointed doll is what it is: a doll with a better posability thanks to his joints that are, as for the ancient dolls found in tombs, a representation of the human body.
      You can remove joints in the photos to have the dolls looking as humans but... why you need to do it? A doll should looks as a doll, even if it is gorgeous and life-like.
      Of course I find the joints charming (but I am a BJD collector, this is pretty obvious) and more joints I can have, the best it is =D (hurray for the jointed hands ^^ ).
       
    14. I can sort of see what your friend was saying.... we do have the technology to make skin-sheaths for dolls, so his conception of perhaps a ball-jointed skeleton with seamless surface layer would be very much more realistic. I would definately look at a doll like that. Cause really, I mean.... COOL. hehe. But that wouldn't be an ABJD, in my eyes... something new. Maybe a persocom. :XD:

      Personally I have a bit of a ball-joint fetish. :blush I really enjoy the look of ball joints. It goes back to a steampunk/kink interest in animated machines, automatons, living statues. I even dressed my girlfriend up as a dark, falling-apart ball-jointed ballerina doll for hallowe'en last year, painted seams on all her joints and really played them up. It was really hot. hehe. I guess it makes me a pervert but what can I say? I love the joints.
       
    15. I've never really thought about it.. but actually I think the joints are kind of cute :)
       
    16. For now, I'm going to keep mine covered up. I'll probably get used to looking at them later, but for now they spoil the flawlessness of the doll's look for me. I love some of the more revealing clothes that show off abdomens, elbows and knees, but seeing the joints still kind of creeps me out a little.
       
    17. When I saw ball joints on promo-pics, before getting my first doll, I thought they were ugly, was going to hide them under clothes. But in reality - I love them. I even get offended when someone says that they are ugly :)
       
    18. Aww. D: Well, First off~ a lot of people have a hard time understanding something like that when they don't share the same interest in it as you. However, people also need to realize that their opinions can also be quite hurtful. Only a few of my friends are excited to see my new doll, while the rest of them can't believe the amount of money I spent on him- and think me crazy for it. xD; Everyone has different interests, and personally? I'm thrilled I made the decision to buy my doll, whether my friends or family agree with me or not. x3 And about the Barbie doll thing... xDD;; I was cruel to mine when I was a kid, you won't believe the embarrassing things I put them through. x ^ x;; But that could be just because I was just a kid, or because I showed no interest in them (Which is true, at the time I was more into boy stuff Dx). And I love the joints, even though others think it beats the whole realism effect they have. My Dad said he thought it was a real person until he noticed the joints. xD;
       
    19. I used to feel uncomfortable about the ball joints, trying to cover them with the doll outfits.
      Now I think it's the ball joints that make BJD unique.
       
    20. The ball joints are one of the things I love most about these dolls. The way they turn and hold the shape of the hand or bend at the knees are just beautiful. I kind of have an obsession for taking pictures of their joints. And even started to paint and draw them on their own. I think it makes BJDs unique from other dolls