DM Model Doll Film Noir Lawrence -Incredibly Offensive Pictures

...I think perhaps we're missing the point a little? It doesn't matter who does or doesn't approve of the doll. It doesn't matter what Dollmore was thinking; it's their product and they can display it in whatever manner they choose. As near as I can tell the only question here is whether or not this doll will be permitted on the forum and whether or not it warrants a gore/violence warning in the title of the thread when it is.

Or am I missing something here, because it seems to have been demonstrated in the last 5-6 pages of this thread that most care far less about what anyone else thinks than about getting their opinion out. That's lovely and everyone's entitled to their opinion, but is there actually a question of what to do here, or is this just a stage for spouting personal views and fighting with whomever doesn't agree with them?

If that's all it is, by all means go to. I just wasn't sure if we were seeking to accomplish anything here.

 

I understand where you're coming from, but I also think you have to look at the context of the add. Dollmore does not habitually glorify serial killers or anything like what is depicted. What they chose to do (undoubtedly because Halloween is right around the corner) is to do a horror movie themed doll, and the subject matter is not at all out there when it comes to things you find in Horror movies. The zombie nature of the doll itself (I mean, it clearly isn't a living breathing human since it has a hole in it's head) makes it all the more unreal. Did they have to use exactly this angle in the adds? No, they could have done things differently, but considering the theme they were working with, I don't find it shocking. In a way, they at least went for something different instead of the far more common vampires (not that I don't like vampires, it's just nice to see something different for a change).

Personally, they could have made it far far more disturbing than they did--there are a lot of blood and gore details they did leave out, and as other people pointed out the posing could have been much more realistically done. It's the sort of thing that isn't going to appeal to everyone just as some people absolutely hate horror movies, but I don't think it's something that deserves the level of anger directed towards it that it's getting in this thread.

 

When I first saw the doll, I was merely ...suprised. First of all, the look of the doll in the first place creeped me out a heck of a lot more than the photos ever could. And second, it never states what he did, sure its pretty strong evidence what it implying, but in the end it's you translating it into "Rape, murder, etc" when it doesn't explicitley state it. Lastly, they aren't THAT shocking for photos. I've seen much worse in North American magazines, movies, and like media. Maybe they're just trying to sell more to the North American audience?
Some of you people are taking this way too seriously. Remember, in the end guys, it's just a doll. /:

....I know I'm just buying a verbal beating by saying this, aren't I?

 

I think the doll itself is very unique and interesting, but the photoshoot they've done. Especially the 2 photos, the first with the girl in the chair being caressed and the second being the one with the bodies hanging in the background. It's disturbing and it makes me personally uncomfortable.

But i can't lie, it is an incredible photoshoot. I think it's merely the shock thats gotten everyone riled up.

 

I start now to understand why BJD companies only make cute (and boring) fairies, angels, little schoolgirls and disney-like pirates.
When they take a risk to do something else its "How can you dare to hurt people with scary dolls??".

 

I think bad taste is an understatement. Extremely bad judgement on the part of the marketing team, and being from a different country and having different ideas about art and political correctness is no excuse in my book. Knowing the audience for these dolls are mostly (but, not entirely) women and young girls, it seems almost like a sick joke to put that kind of photoshoot on a doll company website. On a private over 18 forum that caters to goth, gore, maybe. On a company forum where 12 year olds and under can look at it...it is just wrong all the way around.

Goth styling is popular with BJD collectors, no doubt, but the portrayal of female dolls in demeaning, grotesque situations is certainly not the norm.

I think the doll's face-up and sculpt is tacky and poorly done as well...which is just as big a faux-pas as the serial killer marketing.

What are they charging for it? I did'nt think to look...

 

Having once studied serial killers, I don't see this reasoning at all.

 

Yeah, but you know some girls and women like horror films (which is the comparison I would draw, rather than comparing what is obviously an undead type doll to a real serial killer), and while there are young people that are into bjds, they aren't geared towards children. I would say they figured that their audience was old enough where the pics wouldn't be considered terribly disturbing, which isn't an assumption that's all that out there if their intended audience is mid/older teen and adult rather than 12 and under.

 

Cripes! This guy is a cartoon zombie of the type that one sees in third rate horror flicks. I really don't see this as a glorification of serial killers or an insult to women.

What is a shame though is that it has been so poorly executed. Dollmore have done some beautiful work, including the Abyss Kyle and Black Pabianne Hwi Ki. However, I think that faceup is just clunky. It is unsubtle and uninspiring. As one of the few owners of a Lawrence Owen, I know that sculpt has a lot of potential. This is going to do nothing to sell that under-rated sculpt to the world.

Ah well. In an environment where each company is trying to outdo the other, even Dollmore can make a mistake, I guess.

 

I'm not saying I am an expert in serial killers. My point was in opposition to the comment that the pictures only portrayed a serial killer and not a rape. Serial killers can rape and the fact that the doll is nude implies rape.

Originally Posted by coleen
The rape is implied by the nude doll. If it were only a serial killer then the doll could have been clothed.

 

Actually, I think the 'clunky' face-up might have been intentional. I mean, like you say- this doll is very much a low budget, B-Movie psycho- so the white grease-paint and tacky red eyes looks just the part, IMO. He kind of reminds me of the rock band KISS.

I dunno- I kind of feel that if they had gone for a more subtle or refined face-up, then it would look a lot more perverse than it does now.

 

I wondered how long it would take for some idiot to mention this What, so every single instance of long coats and shotguns are references to Columbine? Puh-leaze. Get off your high horse already. I have no problem with people objecting to this for moral reasons or personal preference or 'think of the chillunz' but seriously - you people need to get over this tragedy and stop being so vain. Do you hear Scottish people screaming 'Dunblane! Dunblane!' every time anyone shows a picture of a doll holding a revolver or a pistol? I don't think so.

(FYI - Dunblane is a town in Scotland where 16 children and a teacher were killed with two pistols and two revolvers. Wikipage)

While I wasn't all that impressed to have that doll thrust into my inbox, and I don't like the doll itself, I had to laugh when I read this thread and thought 'omg I have to see this' and then... a few lazily chucked naked dolls and a hanging scene. Even the 'choking' scene is lame.

I fully support the suggestion of a gore/whatever warning, since the doll is pretty scary for kids, and I think that the suggestion of changing the preview image to the gore warning for those of a sensitive ilk should be implemented.

But I do think that this whole 'moral outrage' thing has gone a little bit far >.> What's the point in insulting each other when so many people have already contacted Dollmore (and apparently from some comments in this thread left outraged messages on the Q&A board) and expect something to be done OMGYESTERDAY despite the fact that it's a weekend

I'm not, personally, offended in the slightest. I do agree that children could be disturbed by the look of the doll, but I don't think anything else that's been read into this is worth being so het up over. I don't like the look of him, but I don't find the photoshoot offensive any more than I find any of the other photoshoots around here offensive - business or personal. It doesn't appeal to me, but I'm really picky about my dolls

Of course, I'm watching my boyfriend play Haunting Ground right now, so I might be de-sensitised

Oh, and I agree that the internet should first and foremost be censored by the parent/guardian/responsible adult and not the rest of the net. Although I do think certain measures could/should be taken, it's the responsibility of the parent to supervise their child. While it's unfortunate for a child to walk in on someone viewing the site - that is not the sites fault. If you knew you had potentially impressionable children in the house, you, yourself, personally, shouldn't have viewed the doll. The preview image isn't exactly sunshine and roses >.> It's a bit silly to be outraged at the site because you couldn't get the image off the screen fast enough so they didn't see... Sorry, I'll probably get told off for that, but it's true

/ramble

 

Oh dear.....I hope to god some of you never go to an art gallery, there'd be a few heart attacks.....

 

Do you know what I find really awful? The double standard which we are in danger of getting into.

The fact that this doll causes so much outrage whereas there is nothing like this when dolls are dressed as nazi generals, or even have the character to match. We have photostories right here on DoA where dolls get frisky with other dolls only just over half their size. Sometimes these photostories involve the smaller doll being coerced into it.

People in this hobby enjoy all kinds of things others would find disturbing, so what's wrong with a little comical horror courtesy of Dollmore?

 

I read everything here and I agree and disagree with a lot of points.

I wasn't too bothered by it, but it was mostly the posing and very fakeness of it all. I saw a similar thing with a man that used Poser to depict nothing but naked women hanging and some man hanging them. That was sorta disturbing. I guess most of the reason I don't find this so offensive is that the company doesn't usually do this sort of thing. I am not as bothered by it as if some company always did this sort of thing.

I don't think the face-up is too bad. I think it looks like a lot of the gothy/gorey dolls, which I'm not interested in.

I do believe that if males were included in the victims (however, not a lot of serial killers work like that, so....) it would have been less offensive. While people are right, there is little to stop anyone from depicting anything. Maybe violence shouldn't be so glorified? Though, what can I say when I am also a big fan of crime shows?

I don't see "rape," but I definitely see something sexual. I also collect nude anatomy books for art practice. So, I don't think everything nude is automatically sexual in nature. But in this context (and I actually did look up Film Noir and found out that sexual themes are common in the genre) I find it to be sexual. If the females were clothed and the male was naked, I would still find it some sort of sexual connotation. Thinking about this like you are looking at a serial killer, there is usually some reason they would have to be naked (again, I probably watched too many crime shows!)

I also agree that there is definitely a market for the doll. But much like a lot of things, I think the bigger market would be the reverse. I think there would be a bigger market for a female serial killer. Though, I do think there will be plenty of female fans of this.

In the end, I think the photoshoot could have been better done if it implied the man chasing after the women in true Halloween movie spirit. More suspense. It would probably look less "fake" looking. (I'm sorry, but dolls make horrible corpses!) It could have even paved the way for a limited edition of the typical female heroine that gets terrorized, but eventually wins the day. Even something Lara Croft or Resident Evil-ish.

And the reason I don't find the gorey Miriam to be so bad, is because I always assumed she was possessed or something (like the Exorcist) and that it was the devil inside of her that made those scars. Too many assumptions?

In the end, I think maybe there could be a mature content warning. I don't think his face with gorey face-up suffices. There are plenty of Halloween-themed things with gorey looks like that. It's the second theme with the women that I think it kinda more disturbing.

As for children, I hear the story of children being scared from something someone was looking at on the internet a lot. I think the best way is to simply put the computer in a room where kids can't look over your shoulder. As it is true there are a lot of disturbing things on the internet (ever seen the sites showing real bodies of accident scenes?) and you never know what you are going to see is disturbing really until you click on it!

 

I agree with Ehryn above and others, I saw these earlier and wasnt impressed, I thought the pictures were badly done and didnt particularly like the doll.

I wasnt offended and didnt think about rape or anything else, a warning is prob a good idea, but thats all.

it is a doll, my kids saw the pics as did my niece non of them were upset by any of the pics they see worse on TV everyday, UK TV is alot gorier I noticed than USA TV at earlier times. My son thought it was funny... if honest..

I dont agree people should send Dollmore loads of messages etc condeming them for it, things are very different for different cultures, I know this ive been to many countries and what some find offensive others dont and wont.

This is JMO

 

This whole thread is absolutely ridiculous. I have seen far worse things posted here in the gallery. I, myself, don't see how you've all jumped to the conclusion that those dorries have been raped x___x Yes they are naked, but that does not mean they were raped.

I agree with everything eveshka said earlier. People on here love it when someone creates a Pyramid Head doll from Silent Hill. Now if you've ever played Silent Hill 2 you'll know that PH DOES rape and kill =/ You'd have more right to outbiiirk at those people than Dollmore.

Do you honestly think Dollmore would've published those photos to offend you guys? You full well knew there might've been some gore in the photoshoot when you clicked on the thumbnail of the guy with a bulletwound between his eyes....

Double standards ftw :B

Also agreeing with eleniel, I find it hilarious that you're all so offended XD

[edit]: Furthering what Maz was saying, I hope those of you who emailed Dollmore were at least polite. I repeat, they would not have done this on purpose and I'd hate to think you guys are being mean for the sake of it.

 

I haven't studied serial killers and I am curious. Would you think that there is some sort of sexual connotation to it? Perhaps not rape, but something perversely sexual?

All I know about serial killers is what I know from crime shows. Which isn't anything that's probably true, really!

 

I'm a little bit shocked by the images, and also saddened. They are misogynistic. They may be "art", the may be "in the spirit of halloween", they may be really cool in their technique and quality, but at the end of the day the spirit of the photoshoot is (in my humble opinion), unashamedly misogynistic. And that's not ok, ever.Why didn't they make a female psycho/killer with bodies of men all around? Because men are rarely objectified like that, rarely suffer violence and abuse like that. I think if they had thrown in a couple "dead" male dolls, or clothed the female dolls, the images would have a different focus. As it is, the focus is strongly on the naked female body being abused, objectified, and killed by the scary male doll. How can this be acceptable in what is largely a female hobby?

Just like child pornography, just like snuff films where they kills kittens with high heeled shoes, these images are focusing on something that (again, in my opinion) should never be considered ok, or dismissed with a "whatever rocks your boat". I don't mean to offend anyone who found the photoshoot interesting, or likes the doll. I'm just saying certain aspects should have been handled more delicately, and the underlying meaning of the photographs should have been considered before they put them up.