Do you feel that you should pretend to love dolls that you don’t?

I think the only time it is acceptable for someone to get offended over another not liking a particular sculpt/company/etc (and expressing the opinion) is when that opinion is being expressed in a gallery thread or the like (and even then, I see a lot of "I've never really liked this sculpt but your boy/girl..." which seems perfectly fine/a compliment, rather). A sculpt or company discussion thread, though, is fair game as far as I'm concerned.

My only rl friend that is into this hobby and myself don't even pretend to like the sculpts the other likes/has. And generally our conversations are riddled with "cute~ too bad all -insert company- are crap" or her ever articulate "ew".

If someone doesn't have a thick enough skin that they get truly offended over someone disliking a doll (no matter how that dislike is expressed), which is purely anesthetic based in the first place, then I'd imagine them having a rather difficult time in life... So I suppose my short answer to the thread question would be "no".

 

-On the DOA boards where discussion and debates are the norm, do you feel that it is acceptable and safe to express dislike for a doll or doll company?
I think it should be, I have favorite companies, and there are companies whos dolls are just really not my taste. Its just personal prefrance. And as long as you express that in a tactful way then thats your right to dislike something. Just as long as your not aiming the dislike at any one persons doll and being un-nesesserily rude about something someones worked hard on but instead are just expressing an opinion on a companys sculp.

-Do you find that DOA members are overly sensitive to someone not liking their doll? Or do you totally understand the offended party and think people should only say good things on DOA about all dolls.
If someone is singling there doll out and being rude about there hard work without being asked for criteqe then I think they have ever right to be offended and get defensive. If you dont like someone elses doll then fair enough but dont make it an issue keep it to yourself unless they ask you for there honest opinion.

-Are you willing to admit that you don’t like a doll on the DOA board? I don’t mean in a thread where someone is showing off their particular doll. More like in a thread where people are discussing companies or aesthetics. It would be awkward to drop into someone’s thread just to tell them their doll was not to your liking wow.
I would admit to disliking a sculpt yes. But never a paticular doll.

-Would you mind if someone said they were not into a doll you happened to own? (please, I am not looking for examples of one weirdo telling you to your face that your doll was horrible, anyone would hate that!)
If I saw someone saying they disliked a sculpt I own thats fine by me, there intitled to there opinion and we obviously just dont have the same taste.

-Do you find that you can’t help but feel offended/attacked/defensive when someone does not approve of a doll you happen to own? If so why?
If they dont like what iv done with the doll? Then I guess I would be a little hurt. After all I put alot of work into them.

-If someone dislikes a doll you happen to own do you try to convince that person that the doll is beautiful! If so why?
Nope, I dont think id waste my breath. Its there opinion.

 

I definitely agree...simply put and well said!

I know everyone has a right to their own opinion but as much as I try to shrug it off, I really do care what people think about my dolls. I know they're mine and it shouldn't matter what others think, but I like to share what I admire, and I'd hope others could enjoy them too. (hehe such a shameless way of putting it. XD; ) My point is, I'd be hurt if someone blatantly told me they didn't like my doll. Especially if it was totally out of the blue, just to say it in an intentionally degrading way. If there is a doll that doesn't really appeal to me I don't tell the owners I dont like them, I try to find something nice to say and possibly move on from there. As sometimes superficial kindness might offend them too. *sigh* Its all so complicated. ^^;


It's best to just maintain a positive attitude and atmosphere around people and dolls you might or might not like.

 

I surely hope that if one comments on a thread, which has been set up as a debate or where public opinion is being sought, that this person is not crucified on the altar of being rude. There is a way to state your case without ever being rude or speaking negatively about someone’s else's pride and joy. We all have different tastes and affinities for certain types of dolls. Sometimes it is a size, genre, company, sculpt, and skin tone, or any other attribute of a doll that does not appeal to one but totally captivates another.
I think that is the beauty of the collecting and appreciation of BJD. Everyone can explore either; an idealized version of themselves or create and display highly stylized and somewhat extreme alter egos in fantasy and other genre. The fact is; there are always going to be people who either love or hate your doll. What should matter is the value, real or perceived, that YOU see in your doll.

 

i can't say anything to that. Just that i always love dolls, but shouldn't love them because of the high prizes! I'm totally in love with Dollfie Dream Characters and they are sooo prizey._.

 

-On the DOA boards where discussion and debates are the norm, do you feel that it is acceptable and safe to express dislike for a doll or doll company?
Yes, even though they make say something not so nice back, it is both of our rights to have an opinion.

-Do you find that DOA members are overly sensitive to someone not liking their doll? Or do you totally understand the offended party and think people should only say good things on DOA about all dolls.
I wouldn't say overly sensitive, that sounds a little drastic, and not just on DoA either but people can be a little sensitive since the doll is very special to them but DoA should not be all sugar! ^^


-Are you willing to admit that you don’t like a doll on the DOA board?
Yes, of course! It's like I can admit I dearly love Luts (totally a understatement there to!) but some of their dolls just aren't my style.

-Would you mind if someone said they were not into a doll you happened to own?
No, because it's what they think; just as I might not like one of their dolls they own either ^_^

-Do you find that you can’t help but feel offended/attacked/defensive when someone does not approve of a doll you happen to own? If so why?
Nope! ^^

-Have you ever thought that you over reacted in the forum to someone expressing dislike of a doll you happen to own? If so what was it that made you so mad?
Nope!

-If you are someone who does get defensive do you feel totally justified when you are mad? If so why?
I wouldn't get mad but no, since (as stated above somewhere) that it's their right to have an opinion.

-If someone dislikes a doll you happen to own do you try to convince that person that the doll is beautiful! If so why?
I might say a few nice points (like 'but do you like their eyes? I think they are pretty!') but I would not shove it down their throat, and if they let on there that was nothing they liked then I wouldn't even do that.

 

I think context is the biggest factor here. If we're talking subjective qualities alone, nobody should go around making declarative statements one way or the other.

Personally, I'm much quicker to react to someone who voices their opinion as though it were a fact even if they're kind about it, than I would to a person who makes a rude remark but doesn't imply my taste is somehow illegitimate.

Whether or not I keep talking to the person depends on if they're really inviting discussion or just being snooty. Since I know why I like the things I do, I can explain it if someone really wants to know...but I don't have any real stake in their approval. I've never looked through pages of different dolls thinking to myself "gee, I wonder if random people I might meet will like it or not".

Similarly, if your opinion is invited (which is the only reason I'd make a negative comment, if I was asked for my honesty), as long as you're respectful, nobody should get offended about it.

 

This all boils down to the old saying: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

I personally like dolls or characters with unique features. If somewhere down the line somebody got a doll head with a crooked jaw or a squished nose, I would pick it up in a heartbeat if I could afford it. In all honesty, to have something that is perfect to me and is horribly distorted to somebody else just shows I'm an individual.

Yea, I'll get a bit miffed if somewhere down the line somebody does not like my doll and says something rude to be me about it. If, however, they just don't like the doll because they're not partial to the mold, that's fine. I'm not going to like every doll I see on this board either. I have found myself not liking a LOT of dolls that are popular. They just do not seem to have a personality to me. We all look for the aesthetics that we enjoy. If you're happy with your doll, love it. If somebody shows you their doll and you despise how it looks, don't trash them, simply state that if they love the doll, wonderful, but you're not a fan of the style / mold.

I don't think you should put on a brave face and smile to lie through your teeth about a resin doll's appearance.

 

There are some dolls that I find unattractive. So far mostly I've stuck to the thread specific to my type of doll, and there are some sculpts that I feel neutral about and others that I outright dislike because they look really vacant and kind of brain dead to me. However I wouldn't tell any of their owners that I feel that way. If someone posted a picture of a doll they just got and I didn't care for it's looks, I would just say, "I'm glad you're so happy with your new doll!" because that's definitely true. No need to gush but also no need to say you think it's ugly or something.

 

-On the DOA boards where discussion and debates are the norm, do you feel that it is acceptable and safe to express dislike for a doll or doll company?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It varies. I have openly said on the boards that I don't like certain companies AS MY PREFERENCE, but in topics discussing particular manufacturers it's often looked down upon to even pop in and say something along the lines of "they aren't to my tastes".

-Do you find that DOA members are overly sensitive to someone not liking their doll? Or do you totally understand the offended party and think people should only say good things on DOA about all dolls.
People are overly sensitive about everything. XD I don't just mean here, but everywhere! I mean you should be at leased allowed to say that something isn't right for you without someone taking it as an insult.

-Are you willing to admit that you don’t like a doll on the DOA board?
Yep. I'm really picky and generally don'y like any young-ish, feminine, or anime-ish sculpts. That rules out quite a few popular companies altogether.

-Would you mind if someone said they were not into a doll you happened to own?
I own the least popular dolls possible so no, I take no offense. I'm cool with having strange tastes.

-Do you find that you can’t help but feel offended/attacked/defensive when someone does not approve of a doll you happen to own? If so why?
Nope, not at all

-Have you ever thought that you over reacted in the forum to someone expressing dislike of a doll you happen to own? If so what was it that made you so mad?
Hasn't happened.

-If you are someone who does get defensive do you feel totally justified when you are mad? If so why?
NA

-If someone dislikes a doll you happen to own do you try to convince that person that the doll is beautiful! If so why?
If they had misconceptions about the doll or company that were false I'd try to correct them (like they thought the wait would be ridiculous but it's only a month) but otherwise, meh.

 

-On the DOA boards where discussion and debates are the norm, do you feel that it is acceptable and safe to express dislike for a doll or doll company?
Yes, even at the risk of a counter-argument that might not be so nice. As long as you aren't a jerk about it, then I think it is fine to express your dislike for a doll or doll company. Not everyone likes the same thing, and I think it would be silly if we all pretended we did.

-Do you find that DOA members are overly sensitive to someone not liking their doll? Or do you totally understand the offended party and think people should only say good things on DOA about all dolls.
I haven't been here long enough to really witness anything like this, but I can see how someone might be a little sensitive to negative commentary. I do stick by what I said above, though. We all like different things, and we should express it. It's what keeps conversation/debate/whatever, going!


-Are you willing to admit that you don’t like a doll on the DOA board?
Yes, I am. If something doesn't appeal to me, I'll say so. I just won't be a jerk about it.

-Would you mind if someone said they were not into a doll you happened to own?
Not at all. Heck, I wasn't even too fond of my lonely little doll at first.

-Do you find that you can’t help but feel offended/attacked/defensive when someone does not approve of a doll you happen to own? If so why?
Well, I haven't run into this situation yet. But, I don't think I'd really care. It's not that person's doll--it's mine. My doll that I love and put a lot of work into so I could enjoy it. If someone else likes it, then great! If they don't? Well, that's just fine, too.

-Have you ever thought that you over reacted in the forum to someone expressing dislike of a doll you happen to own? If so what was it that made you so mad?
N/A

-If you are someone who does get defensive do you feel totally justified when you are mad? If so why?
I wouldn't really get mad...

-If someone dislikes a doll you happen to own do you try to convince that person that the doll is beautiful! If so why?
I don't think I'd waste their time. I think it would lead to more confrontation, and potentially more nasty comments on his or her part. Let people think what they want to think.

 

My mother taught me that if you can't say anything nice, say nothing. Sometimes however, there is nothing nice that you can say. Therefore, if I see a doll that every body is cooing over and I think the thing is hidious, I just smile and book in the other direction trying hard not to look back lest I turn into a pillar of salt or worse yet to stone. Every doll is not for everybody, however: there are just some sculpts that I look at and wonder how anyone could possibly love them. i do realize that collectors can be very sensitive and invested in their dolls so i would never express my feelings about anyone's dolls. After all i may htink mine are the most beautiful in the world but garanteed, there is someone out there who may not like the ones I own.

 

I'm a blunt person by nature and I think the whole 'if you can't say anything nice' phrase is load of crap, but generally if the sculpt doesn't appeal to me or I just don't care, I just don't click on the thread.

 

There's a difference between being blunt and being rude. Why is minding one's manners such a difficult concept nowadays? Does being polite hurt people? Politeness doesn't mean lying or sugarcoating as so many people seem to think it does.

 

I think that everyone should be allowed to express their feelings about other dolls, as long as they do it in a respectful way. No "OMG THAT DOLL SUKZ" or anything. Constructive.

All of our dolls are beautiful and unique, and while some people prefer their models over all others, I haven't yet found a doll I don't like to look at. The only time I even came close was at a convention where someone had one of those little elf-dolls, like 6cm, and I thought they had brought a Treasure-Troll. Turns out it was unpainted and that's why it looked a little strange, but after I stared at it for an hour (during a panel) it started to grow on me.

Moral: Give new things a chance, and don't judge!

 

Well, yes, I know this. I don't usually try to be rude on purpose (Even though I'm stuck in the mindset that people can say whatever the hell they want, however they want). I just have the tendency to say exactly what I'm thinking. Not something I'm proud of, but I have a hard time not reacting on impulse.

 

-You have the right to your opinion andyou should be allowed to express it freely. That being said...youhave to be gentle with your comments, because you don't want someonefor whom the comment applies to, to get their feelings hurt.


-Generally speaking, a lot of people onthis forum tend to have a special relationship with their dolls. Sowhen someone says that they don't like something about him/her, theymight feel sad FOR their doll. As they would feel sad for themselvesif they had been called “ugly” or “tacky” or whatever. If itis a critique thread, go ahead say what you want. BUT STILL...be niceabout it and give good feedback as to how you think the doll can beimproved. Obviously if the sculpt is what you don't like about thedoll, you can't just say “get a new doll” so I would just suggestthat you don't say anything at all.
-Of course it is okay to say what youdon't like about a doll on specified threads. I think you should havereasons, though. I wouldn't just step into a dollshe thread and saythat I don't like them. I would say that their mouths are too smallfor my tastes and thats why they don't work for me.


-I would be okay with someone notliking a sculpt that I owned. If it were my doll in particular thatthey were not into (eyes, hair, motif and all), then I would want toknow why. Maybe they see something that I don't. Maybe there is roomfor improvement. Or maybe we just have different tastes?


-I have been offended once. A couple ofmy non BJD friends liked one of our mutual friend's dolls better thanmine. My friends were bitches about it though and they just didn'tunderstand what my doll means to me.


-I am a pretty layed back person,really. But to be fair, I haven't seen anyone say anything bad aboutthe AOD Yu Lou sculpt, and there are probably about 7 pictures totalof my doll on the internet. Not even on this forum. So it hasn'thappened to me yet.


-No use in trying to change someone'sopinion on aesthetics because it doesn't matter.

 

if you dislike the doll sell it....

 

So the questions are:
-On the DOA boards where discussion and debates are the norm, do you feel that it is acceptable and safe to express dislike for a doll or doll company?

Yes but in a non offensive way. There are limits to how much you can rant about not liking something. It should not be hateful.

-Do you find that DOA members are overly sensitive to someone not liking their doll? Or do you totally understand the offended party and think people should only say good things on DOA about all dolls.

Some DOA members are very sensitive I find. I don't think you should was only positive things about dolls you don't like, but you should also be aware that anything you post is read by others and they may not read your words the way oyu intended to write them.

-Are you willing to admit that you don’t like a doll on the DOA board? I don’t mean in a thread where someone is showing off their particular doll. More like in a thread where people are discussing companies or aesthetics. It would be awkward to drop into someone’s thread just to tell them their doll was not to your liking wow.

I would. I'll say here that I don't find dolls with very wide hips aestetically pleasing, especially if they have the features and proprtions of children.

-Would you mind if someone said they were not into a doll you happened to own? (please, I am not looking for examples of one weirdo telling you to your face that your doll was horrible, anyone would hate that!)

I would probably mind if it were actually a list of all of the negative things about the doll, but if it were just a comment that they are not so fond of the sculpt and prefer another one, I'd be fine with it!

-Do you find that you can’t help but feel offended/attacked/defensive when someone does not approve of a doll you happen to own? If so why?

If the comment is aggressive or dismissive or rude, then yes I get offended. But if not... I usually don't.

-Have you ever thought that you over reacted in the forum to someone expressing dislike of a doll you happen to own? If so what was it that made you so mad?

No, I don't think I have. I usually just post something along the lines of "lits agree to disagree" and leave it at that.

-If you are someone who does get defensive do you feel totally justified when you are mad? If so why?

Yes, but I cool down pretty quickly. I think it's because it's normal to get a bit miffed at people saying they do not like somehting you love.

-If someone dislikes a doll you happen to own do you try to convince that person that the doll is beautiful! If so why?

I don't. I may express my disbelief that they can not appreciate the doll the way I do, but other than that? To each their own.