Do you feel that ABJD's compensate for something you don't have IRL?

When I first saw the topic, I thought, "Compensating? Of course not!" But now that I think on it some more, maybe it's not so far-fetched. I joked in another thread about owning a pet bishonen without the drama or food bills, but perhaps there's a bit of truth to it. I enjoy yaoi (obviously) but I sometimes get frustrated with being at the mercy of some artist to draw what I'd like to see (I have no drafting skills whatsoever, and while I can write fanfic and visualize what's going on, it's not quite the same). Dolls offer control of that part of my inner landscape by allowing the possibility of composing photographs and photostories based on my vision.

Additionally, I used to dress very goth, but ever since my father had his strokes, I've found that I have little interest in dressing up. My default outfit for the last 3 years has been jeans, a t-shirt and a suit jacket (kinda Miami Vice, except all black. In a very real way, I became the man of the house!). No dresses, no skirts, no velvet, no makeup, hardly any jewelry. It just feels like too much work, too fussy and too precious. However, I can dress up my doll any way I please, limited only by my imagination, my sewing skills and my bank account. I may cross-dress my boy(s), or I may get another doll just to model loligoth dresses. Somehow, it's very liberating.

 

They compensate for the fact that i do not have the badonkadonk (or too much of it, as the case may be) to wear the outfits that my characters do. I will be totally straight about that.


It comforts me to know, though, that even if i'm having a bad writing/RP day/week/lifetime, that my boys are still there, just waiting for me to (literally) pick them up and make them lovely again.

 

With their outrageous outfits, they're compensating for my personal lack of an expensive, impractical, cool-looking wardrobe and expensive, impractical, cool-looking accessories. Thus they are a creative outlet.

--MW

 

Well I only have my Homme Ducan right now, but he was a character created long before I even knew about BJDs. I know for a fact that he doesn't compensate for anything. He just gives me more of my creative flare. That and I find him truly beautiful. Even though he will fight with me, he brings a smile to my face whenever I look at him.

 

I don't know if I'm the same or opposite to the fashion doll owner.

I was brought up as a 'dolly'. Dressed up pretty and taught to be quiet and sweet (of course it's always been my natural nature to be quiet and eager to please so it wasn't hard to learn) so it's just me. A doll is similar. My dolls are always a 'furthering' of my ego ideal. So does that mean I feel I could be quieter and 'cuter' so the dolls do that for me? I'm more inclined to say that I base the dolls around myself, but it could be that I'm trying to live up to their standards.

In any case, dolls are beautiful in a completely non-threatening way. So I don't see the harm in using them to achieve the beauty that no human can.

 

I'm simply blown away by how beautifully expressed this is.

jaxa

 

i want a doll ...because..... well, i dont know why i want a bjd. i think it might be because they are really beautiful, and i think it's one of the coolest things a person can be into. that and anime. so im into the two coolest things a person can be into. XD haha.... yeeeeaaaaahhhh.... right.
also, my doll is(will be) a male, gothic/visual kei dresser. even though i am a girl, i would totally wear those clothes in public if i had them ^^ (i might get a couple double-takes as to my gender, which is what i always love. XP)
also, its kind of for shock value. im not sure why, but some people seem to get freaked out when they see bjds. or they flip out over how pretty they are. personally, i prefer ther latter
also, when i dress lolita, i need a counterpart for my clothing.
-Hachiko

 

For me I will admit that I do use Rhiannon to fulfill everything I feel I am not. But she was an rp character long before I gave her a "physical" form. Rhiannon, when she was created, was supposed to be me and how I would handle the Vampire the Masquerade world. She is still sexy, beautiful, thin, successful, and can outright say things I would never be able to say in public (rarely do I speak as she does in front of my friends, and i don't speak that way around family at all). She also accomplished things that I would love to accomplish, but haven't gotten around to just yet. Her whole personality is much more free, as she wasn't given my childhood or exact values that I have instilled in me. Now that is not saying I hate how I was raised or have had a fear of god put in me, it's just that is where Rhiannon has come into my life. Her story is quite extensive and there are many reasons why she has turned out where she is now, and through her I have learned how little things can change the biggest things.

Even the doll I have planned for my original sailor moon fan fic character, another character I created that was much more heavily based on me, while she shares many many more things with me than Rhiannon does, she is not me. Asuka was growing up much like me, same values placed in her that I have in me, but some of the choices she made I can say I would probably have never made at that age. She, like Rhiannon, was thin, beautiful, and a bit more outspoken than I was. Although she helped me grow up and see the world in a way I never would have had I not wrote that particular story.

 

First let me say that I lol-ed at this until my mom had to hit me on the head. Second my priest says that I can not borrow his robes to cosplay from Trinity Blood, but thanks for the idea anyway.

Now, back onto the topic at hand.

Absolutely not. Everthing they have I have something similar in my size, except for Lyr's motorcycle becasue my mom won't let me have one.
Hobbies are just a hobby. And I have many hobbies. I don't think the hobby is an extension or replacement of self. Each of my dolls reflects a bit of my own personality. And any fantasy creatures in my dollie line up are bits of playful imagination that the world tries to destroy little bits at a time.

 

The first doll I purchased was my AR Cien boy, Tohaku. After several makeovers later, he's is kinda my dark gothic bad boy. At times, I guess you could say he has a personality like my husband, but yet he's I guess more like my husband more back before we started dating.

After a few selling of SD girls that I just didn't get a long with cause they seemed to bitchy for my tastes...I got Tohaku a girlfriend. My MNF Shushu Vampire, Kaimei is a very sexy seductive one. She's obsessed with two colors, black and hot pink. I'm not really into hot pink really, but I've always pretended I was a vampire when I was younger and enjoy a lot of vampire lore. Kaimei is also very sexy like I stated before and I kinda think she's a side of me I'd like to be as we are about the same figure...minus the boobs(she's bigger than me).

My odd girl out, my catgirl(DOC Leya), Ciera...is also a little bit of a reflection of my life. She's is more of the innocent young teenager, but she's very courageous and daring...as well as very very hyper. She is made up to be an original character from the anime series, Bleach, but she does have some of my traits as well. Ciera has a darkness/sadness that lurks within her...that is what her Hollow mask represents. There are some things in my past that were just very tragic that I want to overcome as Ciera wants to overcome and conquer the Hollow within her.

I have two new boys, both SD coming soon, but I don't have a clue what kind of personality or anything I'll have for them yet. It was great sharing, very interesting topic!

 

Maybe a little. To an extent, I think dolls almost represent something that you want to be but can't or are too afraid to be.

Karo is a sweet little thing, and honestly would seem just like a regular boy if he were a person. He's sweet and shy and doesn't really have any strange quirks. Well, except for the fact that he was born and raised in a tribal environment. xD But that's another story.

Sultra is really out there and wild, something I love to be but only to an extent. I wish I could be as wild as him, just for the fun of it, but I'd rather people think I'm sane. xDD

Karrian has his ups and downs. He has a wonderful relationship with two beautiful sons.. except he isn't the real father of the younger son. xD He's having some problems roleplay wise, but if it were all reality, he'd have a beautiful life.

I also bought my first doll back when all of my really close friends were over the internet. I moved from a VERY religious area (absolutely nothing against religious people by saying this.), and I didn't really get along with a lot of people there. I had maybe two real friends, and the rest were miles and miles away. But now that I've moved and DO have lots and lots of real, five minutes from my house friends, I still couldn't live without my dolls. They keep me company, even though they're just pieces of resin. And even though they ARE pieces of resin, they have their own personalities and it's good to feel like there's a presence in the room.

Whenever I'm upset about something, I just cuddle my dolls for a while. I know it sounds stupid, but I actually talk my problems out with my dolls -- and it really helps. Even if they don't answer back, it's good to get it out of your system and feel like something is listening -- once again, whether it's real or not. But talking to a wall is much different than talking to something with a (resin) face.

All in all, I do think the dolls complete a part of us that were never there.. even if it's something simple, like something extra to enjoy and do with our hands. And even if we gain that part of ourselves with other things, we've already grown to love these dolls and could never let them go. ^_^

 

I am new to the bjd world, having just bought my first doll recently. I have always had an active imagination and varied interests including doll house minatures, sewing, quilting, etc. I also am a teddy bear artist, desiging and selling my bears and their buddies. I find the dolls very beautiful and a wonderful new way to experiment. I think that we all have "alter ego" personalities that express our different interests. I love to get all dolled up and go out on the town. I also love dressing in a bohemian style with lots of colour and flowy skirts. Then there is my ultra casual side, etc etc. I think that my doll gives me a chance to take those sides of my personality and express them, in a way I may not do in real life. Since I only have the one doll at the moment, I am envisioning her as having a "split" personalities" and with different wigs and clothes she can be anything I want. I would certainly never dress in a goth style because I am a grandmother and it would look rather silly on me, but I can dress my doll that way and have a lot of fun with her. I bought her a guitar and plan to do a "hippy" look. You get the picture. For me, my doll is just another way of using my creativity to have fun. I accesorize my teddy bears in a lot of ways too. The fact that these dolls are so poseable gives them a lot of play value, and lets face it, keeping in touch with our inner child is just too much fun! So in closing. I don't think my dolls represent somthing missing or lacking in my life. They just give me a chance to go either back in time or into uncharted territory. Exploring is always so much fun! I also take great pride and satisfaction in designing and being able to create to "look" I want to achieve.

 

I don't think the 'confidence' aspect sounds weird at all, in fact, I agree wholeheartedly... in DND we have a charisma score and it can either mean how attractive you are or your force of personality (or both, *shrugs*) people who have confidence in themselves SEEM more attractive than those who don't. A very attractive person who doesn't say much won't be noticed as much as someone who is more outgoing.

I personally don't think I'm as attractive as some of my friends but I still seem to attract more people than they do because I guess, I'm REALLY outgoing, I am not a shy person, and I have confidence in myself.

I am really happy that this hobby has helped you gain self-worth because I think that's really important. NO ONE is worthless... but some people just haven't realized that yet and sadly, some never will. *gives you a hug* yay for personal growth!

AS for the topic (yes, I still know there was a topic) yes, I'm basing my dolls off characters in my head, stories and stuff I've written, and of course, these stories are visions of situations I would like to happen to myself or something along those lines. The characters are idealized (with their own flaws and everything, I've learned to make a well rounded and realistic character) so yeah, my dolls will represent something of myself that I can't have (or maybe, haven't gotten yet, oh!) or they will once I actually save enough to buy a few, I have my family pretty much planned now *squees in excitement

 

Nope, not really. My dolls get to wear a few brand name clothes that aren't made in my size that I would love to be able to wear, but other than that, they're pretty much just fun ways for me mess around with my imagination.

And it's perfectly possible to be confident, happy with yourself and your life - which I am besides your normal complaints - and still want to lose yourself in fancy every now and then.

 

Compensate?
No.
They enhance and enrich.

 

y'know what? i just realized my dool IS going to compensate for something. a BOYFRIEND! haha, sad, you say? i think not! muahahaha!!! show me a human boyfriend thats as pretty as a delf shiwoo!

 

My friends are very convinced of this, and I have to say I agree from what I've seen. At first, I didn't understand why they would look so negatively on the dolls, but as I did more and more research, and came across more doll communities, I began to see their issues with them. For example, I see so many pretty boy dolls, photographed enticingly with other pretty male dolls, and I can't help but think that a lot of it is the dreaming of female owners, living through their characters.

But, I don't think everyone who owns or wants a doll is compensating, or living out some sort of fantasy roleplaying life. I think in every community, some people are going to take things to the very extremes. I think most people in this community and others walk a healthy line between apathy and obsession.

 

erm, well no not really. i have a healthy attitude to my dolls, they are just dolls that i enjoy. if i had to use them as some kind of replacement for any shortfalls i may have - which is ridiculous as i am like Mary Poppins, "Practically Perfect in Every Way" - i would check myself into a clinic
I suppose i am just boringly normal

 

I am soon to be 50 yrs old and my childhood and some of my adult life was very tragic. It wasn't until I met and fell in love with my DH that life got better. These dolls give me a chance to see what life would have been like if I had gone to college, had a career, adventures not problems. Plus they keep the brain going with story ideas. This is the first time since collecting dolls that I have had really a great time, not just spend money.

 

Mmm I don't really think they are compensating for anything that is lacking for me.

They are more like a bridge for me to use my limited creativity and lead me to learn more crafts and skills than I might have not been interested in otherwise.

I don't really feel any different having dolls other than my free time can be put to some sort of use (soon, free time will be a thing of the past ). I don't interact with my dolls or show them off or anything.

But if I didn't have dolls as a creative outlet, I would have something else.