DM Model Doll Film Noir Lawrence -Incredibly Offensive Pictures

I'm actually not impressed by the set-up, but for totally different reasons from the ones people are citing here. I just all looks very...fake...to me. Not so much the effects, but the actual posing of the dolls. Most of the positions look very unnatural, and not in that "the dead body looks awkward and unnatural because a live human wouldn't ever be comfortable in that position" sort of way. They just aren't well posed. I mean, the way he's holding the gun? It's horrible. I have trouble taking the pictures seriously because of the posing issue.

That said, I think the "horror" effect would have been better achieved (and much stronger) if the "dead" dolls weren't naked, no matter what their gender. I feel that the way it IS being done, they just detract from the overall effect of the photos.

 

You know what...I'll agree with you...the poseing sucks! Espesacly the one where he's standing with his arms to his side kinda in a mhahaha type of pose... And the "dead" bodies dont look fairy dead....just sorta like "Hey lets put a couple bodies right here and not try to make it look good!" But in some way it's still creepy...and kinda funny...

 

I actually was just looking at this earlier and couldn't help but laugh at how the dolls were posed at his feet.. it just amused me because of how they were just thrown there. I honestly don't see whats so offensive about these pictures. i've seen much much worse. And trust me.. i've been through things you wouldn't imagine.. these images just don't affect me. besides how can anyone even prove he done 'anything' to them? you really can't.. I wouldn't be so quick to assume things.

They are dolls... keep that in mind. if you can watch horror films and what not.. then surely you can handle dolls

 

To be honest...I don't see what all the fuss is about. I saw the photos of him earlier in the day and I was more impressed with Dollmore stepping out of the norm and creating such a doll. The face up and concept are wonderfully original compared with other companies.

Becoming riled up about the photos is, in my opinion, ridiculous. Just as Kiyakotari pointed out, they're not life like. Nothing about those pictures shows true murderous intentions and rape? Really? That is not shown in any of the pictures.

Sometimes I hate being apart of a country where we like to shelter children to the point of ignorance. Also, please check out the meaning of "Film Noir" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir

 

well for me i think that they should have had a warning up on their page... you see, I was actually searching dollmore earlier and I happened to click on his photo[of course, i see"new doll? lets look!"] Those images were quite disturbing but I shrugged it off and while I looked to find potential underneath the gore and... ick...

my 4 year old niece and 10 year old brother walked in. Now my brother ran off screaming and crying, telling mom how I was looking up scary pictures while my niece stared at it in shock and later on that night we had to stand in the bathroom while she went potty because she was scared... victoria never gets scared, in fact, she walks around saying "michael mayers is my boyfriend".

That is traumatizing for a child to see and its not safe for work. They should label their page clearly with a warning or remove those photos. I was just browsing and happened to have it up long enough for the little ones to get a glance... its horrible to think that a picture scared a very brave 4 year old in a matter of seconds.


edit: It was pretty innovative-for dollmore- and I see where they were trying to go with it. Its a great doll, but dollmore really should have put up a "gore" warning somewhere in the title.

 

Thanks for posting that link, I can see what dollmore was going for now.

 

I am so far from offended. I feel that abjds are an adult hobby, and as with all websites parents should be looking before their children anyway. '
I think the pictures are a little creepy, but in a artful way.
I like dark-themed art, and this is what I see this as...

 

Actually, despite the fact that it's not directly portrayed in the photos, I think it makes sense that people are thinking of rape and/or sexual predation when looking at these pictures. It does seem like they're implying something sexual in some of these shots, from the nudity of the female dolls to the "caress" photo, and there is at least a perception (not sure if it's statistically supported) that the majority of creepy violence against women is sexualized. If it doesn't strike you that way, fine, but I definitely understand why some people see it as rape-esque.

I agree, I wasn't that impressed by the photos as art, although I do really find the one with the hanging bodies in the background pretty well done. But the first photo with the naked girl dolls looks to me like he wandered by and went "oh...somebody should have put their doll in a stand!" They look like they just fell down!


Hey, everyone's assuming those female dolls were alive before he met them...what if they weren't? What if he just happened upon some dead bodies? What if the blindfolded girl is his girlfriend who is happily willing to take ice-cold baths and roleplay with him? Is that better? Is it worse?

I'm also thinking of Notdoll Miriam First (warning: nudity and gore), and wondering if there was this kind of outcry against her, and I just missed it, what with being new and all? I'm curious if it's as uncomfortable for people to see the marks of violence on a woman without actually seeing the person who put them there (of course, Miriam's wounds could maaaaybe be imagined to be self-inflicted).


Anyway, I didn't find this photo shoot to be horribly offensive. I guess my main beef with it (aside from the mediocre artistry) is that it's kind of off as an advertisement. If it was somebody's personal photostory, I feel like that would put it more in the same category as things like TV shows (have you watched CSI lately? Or worse, Criminal Minds? Way more uncomfortable stuff there, nevermind horror movies & etc!). But for an ad? Enh...kinda poor taste.

 

I dont like it, regardless of its implications conotations or whatever. I dont like it, simple as that. I found the whole setting to be disturbing, and yes I believe that people have become so numbed by the site of violence that its often shrugged off as okay and "oh that happens all the time"

I'm a little offended that its come into our hobby, I was also offended by "Miriam - I am so fine" If we continue to shrug off vulgar displays such as this - no matter how "make believe" it is what sort of behaviour are our grandkids going to condone?

And in reply to what another member mention previously, Bart Simpson flashing his penis in a movie is a vast contrast to the site of three naked hanging bodies, blood sprayed on the wall and the image of a man holding a gun. That is without reading in to it, naked or not female or not I did not assume it was sexualy related, but found it tasteless to advertise a doll in this manner.

I like gothic looking dolls, a little bit of "rough-play" implicated in photostories, and even a bit of sexual domination when photographed well, but I most clearly draw the line at what these photos represent. If you are all okay with it, its your choice but in a nutshell I think its sick twisted and totally uncalled for and has absolutely without a doubt NO right to be labeled as art!!

That being said I chose to look at it and I wont be again. I think that a simple warning should be in the title or something of the sort on Dollmore's web-site and I'll drop them a polite e-mail to that effect. I suggest anyone who feels the same should do so too. Keep it somple and polite and to the point.

edit: Also in rebuttal to previous comments, yes children have access to the internet and yes there is a lot worse available but there are a LOT of minors who specifically go looking on the net for a DOLL, parents are responsible for vetting what their kids can see on the net, thats what parental safety lock are for, to lock out web-sites that are 18+ R rated, Pr0n related Adults only etc... but can you see the mother/father of a 14 year old pre-empting that her/his love of dolls would lead to a graphic display like this?

 

I. . .can't bring myself to care, actually. I think that having the 'dead' dolls naked kind of cheapened the whole shoot, though.

But I kind of liked the one where all you could see was feet.

Seriously; they're just dolls. Those girl dolls aren't dead. They haven't been raped. They weren't tortured. They were posed and a photo was taken.

Why is there a need to read more into this? Dolls do not equal reality.

 

Yeah! Finnaly some one makes sense! But they are just dolls...yes they were put in a postion that makes them look...well weird...but there just dolls, they cant feel pain. It's all pretend.

 

Mukino Kuneka - I agree with you 100%

 

Intelligent and sensible life! They are dolls, not people. They're not even life like silicone reproductions used during the haunted hay rides I see parents taking their children to visit each Halloween season...and I don't see people raising a ruckus over those bloody things after they exit the ride lol.

 

I was surprised, but I don't see what's so offensive about it... Though it's pretty creepy. I took it as they wanted to make the doll a villain character. Like a serial killer for Halloween? Not like dolls are role models for good behavior... :-/ Though I have a weird threshold for this sort of thing. I love to watch CSI, but I can't watch horror movies without laying awake in bed all night...

I didn't see rape implied... Looked like murder to me... though the only blood is on Lawrence's head... which confuses me...

 

I don't find this offensive and my mind did not think rape. If any of us have ever watched a horror movie or that all time great, Silence Of The Lambs then I don't think this is so terrible as he is just your run of the mill macarbe serial killer.

I do think there should be an age warning ie; MA 15 perhaps as most of us would not let our children be exposed to violence,( this seems laughable when I consider the content of most popular games out there on the supermarket shelves:do

Think the doll is awful but thank goodness even bad shooter's with messy make up have good taste in coats!

 

I think the doll itself is so horrible. What an absolutely awful waste of one of the most gorgeous sculpts. I don't know what possessed them, apart from the fact that they're trying to be unique. I think the nude female dolls are a bit off, but nothing is as bad as that dodgy face-up.

 

hmmm, I really want to comment more, but it would appear that it would paint me as a "prude" were I to really voice my opinion. LOL so further to my previous post I agree a warning would be a simple solution.

 

neither side is wrong on this issue. Art--be it cheesy photography to wonderful paintings--possesses the dangers of invoking certain emotions. That someone was seriously offended by the dolls to the point of tears doesn't mean others are offended or even care. Still, that doesn't mean those hurt my the images shouldn't be hurt, because they have every right to be. I've had trauma to where for awhile, I couldn't sleep in the dark. Say i go on a roller coaster where we were plunged into darkness. yeah, I'd be scared out of my wits. The person next to me though, might not think anything of it. But, Just as how some of us don't see what the big deal is about the dolls, it doesn't mean others are overreacting. If it really disturbs someone so badly, I think that someone should put up a request for at least a warning, and my heart goes out to you all who feel that these images bring back bad memories or fears!
From an artist's point of view? I don't think the photos have anything to do with the glorification of rape. Rather, it seems to me, the overall theme is the seduction of violence and death. I wasn't reminded of domestic violence. I was reminded of a scene from Anne Rice's earlier works. It does have a more adult tone than most Halloween things normally have, and I do agree some sort of warning should be posted up.
I think the children mentioned earlier in this thread were more frightened of the doll itself, and not the fact there were dead dollies in the background. I have to admit, that doll is scary looking. ^^; Being a coward of the night, I can't look up the photo again for reference before bed... I won't be able to sleep!

 

Yes it was the main doll that they were so shell shocked over. They couldnt notice the other dolls, it was him that was horrifying. They really need to change the main picture or something[the icon] to a symbol that says "gore". But now I've got a 4 year old cuddling with me because she is too scared to sleep and doesnt want to be in her bedroom alone.

I e-mailed dollmore with my story and why they need to fix it, I mean, the kids just walked in, like they always do, and I couldnt get the picture off the screen fast enough.

 

Another thing... I know a lot of people are saying, "but they're just dolls." That comment has shown up in many threads--from pornography with dolls to dolls who smoke. Really. If it's a photograph, it has ceased to be "just a doll." it's now art, and the doll represents something, and their actions represent something. Lawrence isn't just a doll in those pictures. He's portraying something. And the dolly bodies? They're portraying something. The photos are telling a story, left up to the interpretation of the viewer. If the viewer's interpretation offends them, well, they can't help it.
Now, as far as lawrence the Doll goes, okay. I don't see why people wouldn't buy him because of how he is portrayed in the pictures. Rapist or not, that's not going to mean whoever owns him will have him be a serial murderer/rapist/whatever. In that case... yes. He is just a doll. So don't get mad at him!

On a side note... those poor kids. I know that doll would have made me cry if I saw it as a kid. And in my opinion... I think the faceup is pretty awful. ^^;; but that's because I don't like faceups that smother the natural beauty of the sculpt.