Are dolls childish?

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Oh, hell yeah. $600 of resin, imported from foreign countries most of us would never have the chance to visit, and the whole paint-their-face and buy expensive dollie clothes is totally childish.

You give me a ten year old who can do that responsibly and still come out with a gorgeous work of art, and I'll rename my dolls Barbie, Ken, Stacey, and Skipper.

 

haha my paresnts are like that too! I always layed with model horses I HATED dolls as a child. My little BJD is my first doll ever! I'm 22 and I enjoy the hobby, it's also fun to incorprate her into my other hobbies as well (like with my mast herd of horses x_x) LOL

 

I am very childlike in many ways. It's not like I run around stomping my feet throwing fits, but I don't really consider myself a "mature" adult I still watch cartoons every day, play video games and on playgrounds, etc. And I'm 26! According to society I should be drinking Vodka and reading the latest gossip on celebrities. Never have, never will. I like being like a kid And dolls (albiet expensive ones) are a part of that.

 

These Dolls arent childish because when it comes down to it, no child can afford a $300+++++ doll. I mean, honestly yeah I play with my kids, its what brings joy in my heart. Its my passion for life and I can honestly say that Ill always love them no matter what.

Im a child out of 8, myself being the baby. My brothers and sisters have children themselve, and honestly, it doesnt bother anyone at all that I play with dolls. It keeps me happy and thats all that really matters In the end, it keeps me home mostly away from parties and such, so inevitably everyones alot happier that I have dolls lmao.

Honestly I believe, we all have a child in us *nod

 

I think that it can be, if that's what you make of it.

For an extreme example, is doodling in your schoolbooks while you're supposed to be learning childish? Very much so. Is painting a portrait that someone commissioned childish? Not in the least.

Very few people can have their mind changed about something they take for granted. It's just... They don't understand, so don't try to make them understand. And really, seeing the world through the eyes of a child is something to strive to do, so that everything is fascinating and beautiful, whether it be dolls or bugs.

I don't believe that people should think that BJDs are childish just because they are what they are.

 

I would say that dolls are a good way to keep alive the memory of one's childhood. I still like a lot of the things that I did as a kid (My Little Ponies, animation, painting, playing with Sculpey, etc.), but I also own a house, am finishing my B.A. come December, and hold down a full time job. As long as dolls don't become such a strong form of escapism that I can no longer pay my bills, or start neglecting my work/school/social life, then I think that they are a positive aspect of my life. Being a sensible adult means being able to schedule play/relaxation time for oneself, in moderation. Work is so much easier when you know that you can play later

*Now has the Toys 'R Us jingle stuck in her head*

 

I have always loved dolls. Barbie's, Porcelain's, you name it! But there was one doll I always adored above all others. She was produced by K/B toys I think, and I've had her since before I was even born. She seemed like a pre-BJD/resin doll as she was partially ball jointed, and had a very beautiful face almost exactly like a DOT Shall. To me she was priceless, and to this day I love her, even though I broke one of her legs when I was young, and haven't been able to fix it. I always wished I could find another doll just like her, as Barbie was never satisfying for me. I hated Ken dolls even more, ugly meaty, Oaf looking dolls without peens-UGH! So when I saw a BJD for the first time, it was like something sparked inside me. Those were the dolls of my dreams!!

Is it childish to pursue a dream? Lots of people have hobbies, and some of them are more childish than others, and yet are excepted pretty well by society. I think doll collecting has had a noticeable renaissance in the past ten years, certainly where porcelains are concerned...why should it be any different with BJD's?

These are artisan crafted works, and should be thought of as such. They aren't just toys for adults to play with, they're beautiful treasures.

That and they're a doll lover's (at any age) dream come true.

 

I have always loved dolls. Barbie's, Porcelain's, you name it! But there was one doll I always adored above all others. She was produced by K/B toys I think, and I've had her since before I was even born. She seemed like a pre-BJD/resin doll as she was partially ball jointed, and had a very beautiful face almost exactly like a DOT Shall. To me she was priceless, and to this day I love her, even though I broke one of her legs when I was young, and haven't been able to fix it. I always wished I could find another doll just like her, as Barbie was never satisfying for me. I hated Ken dolls even more, ugly meaty, Oaf looking dolls without peens-UGH! So when I saw a BJD for the first time, it was like something sparked inside me. Those were the dolls of my dreams!!

Is it childish to pursue a dream? Lots of people have hobbies, and some of them are more childish than others, and yet are excepted pretty well by society. I think doll collecting has had a noticeable renaissance in the past ten years, certainly where porcelains are concerned...why should it be any different with BJD's?

These are artisan crafted works, and should be thought of as such. They aren't just toys for adults to play with, they're beautiful treasures.

That and they're a doll lover's (at any age) dream come true.

 

I was thinking about this last night, and I remembered all the barbies I had as a child...I wasn't allowed to play with. They were all collectable. It's nice, now, to have a doll that I love and can play with.

 

BJD's in and of themselves aren't childish, but playing with them is. Making them talk to each other, dressing them up... That's what children do with their dolls. It is weird for adults to do, but still fun nonetheless. I think people are right to goof on others who play with dolls. I'd fully expect my friends to make fun of me for even owning a "doll". If I knew a person who loved customizing cars, and talked baby talk to their cars as they worked on them, I'd laugh at them and make fun (I laugh and make fun of the NASCAR fans all the time... Not to their face of course). But that's because I am childish, and I play with dolls.

 

I don't think dolls are childish at all (says the 22 year old surrounded by toy horses, stuffed animals , Disney DVDs and a couple MLPs). It's all in what makes you happy, if you get joy out of something, I don't think anyone should have the right to say that you're too old or call you immature over it. The most fun "adults" I know act like big kids a lot of the time, and there's nothing wrong with that at all!

 

I think any spending on things that we don't *NEED* to stay alive is equal in its frivolity... it really all just boils down to pleasing ourselves.

A few years ago I bought my Mom the Molly American Girl Doll because it was born in the same decade she was, and because she WANTED it. She wanted that doll as a means of reconnecting with her childhood... something people pay thousands of dollars to therapists for... and with a $90 doll, she found exactly what she was looking for.

I think dolls help revert all of us back to our childhood a little bit... they encourage some of the creativity that, as adults, we kind of let slip from our lives... and I don't see anything unhealthy, or "childish" about that at all.

 

If someone hasn't already said this...... Defining Dolls as childish is a socially correct stereotype of what as adults we should not be doing in our spare time..... So... I'm not trying to be socially incorrect..... I just like my doll.

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"...That Place Between Sleep and Awake..."

 

I don't think there's any need to 'outgrow' something you love. What's your mom's favourite hobby? You should tease her about how she should 'outgrow' it.

 

My mom said exactly the same thing! (Well change the age a bit.) And I think my reply to her was something similar to what you said.

Oh and dolls are not childish.They're just objects.

 

I don't think it is, but I have a different outlook on things than most of my friends. I enjoy watching anime (in japanese), reading manga (in japanese), listening to korean or japanese pop music, cosplaying, collecting MLPs, romance novels, and soon going to be adding BJDs to it. And the one thing that makes me "weird" according to most of them is I write and want to get something published. All of the above things make me happy so why should it matter if some consider it childish or weird or "waste of money"? It's a hobby, an expensive hobby, but a hobby none the less.

 

man, they're not just any dolls! that's how i look at it. but even so, i play with action figures and played with barbies until i was almost in highschool. also, if i'm gonna pay 500+ for one of the dolls i'm gonna play with it no matter what anyone says! XD