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

It's a DOLL COLLECTION. And being what it is, it's like the rainbow. It cones in different colors. That's what makes it fun. Collection means it's varied. It will come in different forms and sizes and looks.
Opinions are ok since it's a free world but it doesn't give us permission to be rude.
We should all RESPECT one another choice and preferences.
As one great philosopher said "beauty is subjective" what we see as ugly maybe beautiful for others and vice versa.

 

I think that telling someone that you dislike a particular mold should be fine. And opening up a calm debate about the mold is fine, so long as it is calm. Telling someone that you don't like a mold should be accompanied with why, however. This is because being able to explain your reasoning is important. My example: "I tend to dislike large bust bodies because they have very pointy nipples. If there were a large bust body without that particular trait, however, I may consider getting one." The reason why this is less offensive than just saying, "I dislike large bust doll bodies." Is because the first statement only dislikes a small part, whereas the second statement dislikes the entire thing. Personally, by the way, I prefer the small/medium bust dolls. Don't know if that really mattered to anyone But anyway, something that also helps keep the bite out of a comment that can be abrasive to someone is to use hedging words and non-absolute words. a non-hedging word would be like "hate," whereas "dislike" would be hedging. An absolute would be saying "all" and a non-absolute would be "most." Pretty simple, correct? Using these may be helpful to you when you're trying to make a post that you think may rub someone the wrong way.

 

I like ALL types of dolls, all BJD companies and I'm serious when I say that I like all of them and I haven't found a sculpt that makes go "eww". What I don't like is the way the owner customizes that doll (when a certain doll looks so unkept and like the owner doesn't care) so my dislike for a doll is not because of the sculpt or company...you can say it is because of the owner.^^ There are dolls I would never buy just because they don't interest me but it doesn't mean I dislike them...I just get the dolls that hold my attention 100%

 

I dislike realpuki for the most part save a few very cute ones. As well as several companies and even lines. Most sd male dolls and like 90% of all child body yosd.
But. I know the difference between personal taste and fact.

 

Personally, I see the bjd hobby as a ultimate form of art. Would I ever go up to an artist/ doll owner and say their doll is straight up ugly? No! I would respect that they put time and effort into their art and either give them polite critique or move along silently. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all

 

I don't pretend to like what I don't like unless I'm eating dinner at someone's house and don't wish to offend. And even in that case I just eat the food and don't give it fake praises or anything.

When I was looking at dolls, there were some that weren't my taste. I wouldn't outright say this unless someone asked for my direct opinion about it. Everyone has their own cup of tea, so of course some people are going to have different tastes. I wouldn't attack the sculpt or anything, I would probably just mention the parts I don't like and explain that I am into different types of things.

I don't care if someone talks poorly of my doll's sculpt or says that they think Mystic Kids Illy is the worst doll ever. That's their opinion and they're free to make it even if I personally think he is adorable.

 

-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 so as long as it's not overly cruel. Like I wouldn't go in there and spout out something like, "All *insert company name*'s dolls are hideous. All of em'... I don't know why they even try!". I'd say something along the lines of, "Not my taste, personally".

-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 think there are some people here who are a bit overly sensitive, but I didn't really give it much thought until I saw some of those confession blogs. We're all different and we all have different tastes. If all dolls looked and were styled the same, I wouldn't be in this hobby. It'd be a drag. I personally, don't really care if someone doesn't like my doll. It's my doll, and if I like it then that's what matters. I don't feel like everyone should only say good things about all dolls. Where would creative criticism work into that? We should be able to respectfully share our opinions with one another.

-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.

Yes. Like in the first question, I'd be respectful. That being said, it's difficult to just straight out dislike a certain sculpt. I can really don't care for a doll, then someone will come along who has painted or styled it a certain way and I'm like "Wow! I gotta get me one of those!"

-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!)

Not at all. It actually makes me smile when someone will come into one of my photo threads and say something like, "Wow! I usually don't like this sculpt, but yours is gorgeous!". I'm not silly enough to think that everyone everywhere is going to like the same doll I've chosen.

-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?

No. To each their own. It's your opinion. I can't PROVE an OPINION wrong, so why get defensive?

-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. Unless we're doing some sort of buying/selling deal together and you screw me over, I don't really get angry at anything on this board. This is all art, and art is objective. If the hobby community ever made me mad enough to over react about anything, I wouldn't be here anymore. BJDs are for my enjoyment, as is the community. If it ever became negative for me, I'd leave. I can play with my dollies all by my onesie, thank you.

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

Not applicable. Unless you come into my thread (critique thread excluded) and blast off about how hideous MY doll is, then I won't get mad. Even then, I wouldn't be angry about your opinion, but at how rude you are.

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

Eh, no. I can tell you that almost any sculpt in the right hands can be completely transformed though. I may show you some various owner photos to show how different the doll can look, depending on the owner. But, if you just don't like it any way it's spun, then that's fine with me. I can't warp your personal taste, nor would I want to.

 

I think in discussions on DoA, at least the ones I've been in, everyone was able to express their opinion of a newly released sculpt without defensive comments. I mainly linger and post in the Soom Super Gem discussion, and everyone is very respectful even if they don't care for the sculpt. It is usually followed with "I'm glad it will fit into other people's collections" comment. If someone dislikes a doll I do like or own, I wouldn't get defensive about it. It just means our tastes aren't quite the same.

 

While I don't think anyone should have to pretend to "love" a sculpt they don't care for, they should also exercise a degree of tact as well. It's okay if you don't like sculpt X from company Y, but it's not okay to post in the gallery thread of someone who owns X "Oh my God why would you ever buy that doll, it's so disgusting!"

Similarly, unless it's a direct personal attack on one's particular doll, I don't think anyone should have to get upset that someone expresses a dislike for sculpt X or company Y. Not every company appeals to everyone, and that's what keeps the hobby diverse and developing, instead of sterile and stagnant. Sure, you may prefer more realistic sculpts and not even see the appeal of the more stylized companies, but that doesn't mean you have to get mad when someone says they dislike realistic sculpts and would rather have all anime-styled ones.

And as for the question of convincing someone who doesn't like a particular sculpt? No, I wouldn't, because I don't know the reason behind their dislike of the sculpt. It's likely something they'll have to come to see for themselves, though--seeing a particular styling or faceup that makes it appealing to them at last. And it may never happen--if they're that lover of realistic sculpts and it's extremely stylized, or they're only into human sculpts and it's an elaborate fantasy sculpt, then they may never come to love it. And that's okay too! We all love our own things, and we all have things we don't love, and both are okay.

 

I have an appreciation for all dolls. I am no artist at all. I can't paint, sculpt, draw, make clothes or anything the least bit creative or artistic. So I have the utmost respect for all artists and all art forms.

I for one feel my dolls are an extension of myself therefore I feel if someone insults my dolls they are insulting me. I would never put down someone else's doll plus I can always find something to appreciate and admire on any doll.I like that on DOA you can't be rude like on other forums. There is absolutely no need for rudeness. . I for one can't help but be sensitive. I was bullied my whole childhood. Because I was short and skinny and olive skin and had an overbite. Then for being overweight and having very large breasts and for my name being unusual. I was always called ugly so it does hurt for my dolls to be called ugly. I have a couple of popular dolls like Sooah. But I tend to like unpopular and unloved molds that others shun. In fact when I first joined the hobby my first doll was a 60cm Obitsu with Haruka head. I was shunned because she wasn't resin.

I tend to like to go to photos that have little to no comments and make a compliment about the doll. I find the owners appreciate the compliments more than to comment on a photo with tons and tons of compliments.

 

I posted a picture of my Hyoshin once because someone asked for pictures of X2 Elizabeth, and I believe she's the only one on here, but then they started saying Dollzone dolls were prettier.
That was offensive, especially since they asked for pictures in the first place and I couldn't defend it because I was alone.

 

To me, if someone didn't like my doll, I really wouldn't care. If people who didn't like my doll wouldn't stop expressing how much they dislike her, then I come to one of 2 conclusions: 1) they really don't like my doll and have nothing better to do 2) They really are jealous about my doll. Usually, it's the first one. I kind of understand why some people get upset when people don't enjoy their dolls. They payed hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars to get a doll that they believe is beautiful. When others don't see this beauty, the person who bought the doll become frustrated that the piece of art that they worked so hard to get, isn't as pretty as they once thought. Personally, I wouldn't straight up say "I don't like your doll," but I would give someone constructive critisisim. For example: If someone did their first faceup and it the eyebrows were drawn sloppily, you can suggest different brushes or sharper pencils (maybe different brands of pencils/chalk/paint/etc.)

 

-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?

Well, they could have had a bad transaction and that does weird things to the psyche. If the transaction left a bad taste in their mouth, from then onwards, anytime they look at the sculpt or hear about the company, distaste and all kinds of negative feelings will surface and there's really not much anyone can do about that, is there?
However, if someone says stuff without a good reason, then that's probably not acceptable.

-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.

When something comes out and I KNOW nobody has it, I'm more prone to either gush over it or critique it. But after people start filling out their orders in the waiting rooms, I'll tend to keep quiet because then it would be like saying, "oh you've made a bad choice, or you have bad taste." Even when the person gets their doll and they say they hate it, I'll try to convince them to think about its good points or give the doll more time EVEN THOUGH I DISLIKE THE SCULPT. Because, they might have been persuaded by other people to dislike it but deep down, they still like it. I think they just need time. I mean, I do feel bad that an artist put so much time to sculpt something and then people bombard them with hate emails.

-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!)

Course, there are certain things I dislike about certain dolls so how can I stop someone from disliking my dolls?

-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?

Actually...I'll feel glad that at least SOMEONE in this world appreciates the sculpt I chose - me. So everyone else's opinion is not important.

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

No...what's the point? Maybe one day they'll turn around and say they love it. It's happened to me so it can happen to anyone.

 

I don't care what people thinks about my dolls, I did not buy it to please people at the first place, and it is normal thing that people are having different tastes so what I like is not necessarily what you like, that's the reason all those companies are still existing and selling, although I prefer realistic dolls and I only buy dolls from iplehouse, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate dolls from other companies like fairyland, dollshe craft, souldoll & soom

doll chateau dolls used to creep me out, but with time I learned to see the beauty of them as art dolls, I know I will never buy one of them, but I respect the artistic look that their owners gave them.

also have seen people having their taste changed over time at their doll choices, so its not good to limit your self and not to see the beauty of each sculpt individually without comparing It to what you prefer.

another point is it's really useless to tell someone that his doll is ugly, a lot of the beginners will have not perfect face up or hand made dress, always remember that not all people are equally gifted with the same talents, and you will never gain anything by putting someone down, instead better to give some useful advices

 

-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, if done in a civil manner. (Not like "UGH they're so UGLY, I don't get why anyone would buy those" - rather "well, they're not my taste.")


-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.

Actually I can't remember seeing anyone getting offended, so - n/a, I guess.

-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

Yes. If I don't like a sculpt (or a company's style, or a kind of aesthetic in general) I'm perfectly fine with saying "not my cup of tea". I do, however, appreciate the effort that goes into sculpting, even if the result is not my taste.

-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!)

Not at all. In fact, someone whose stories / pics I follow to some extent has stated multiple times they don't like Iplehouse, and most of my collection are Iples ... in my little world, different tastes are not something to get offended over.

-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?

Not really. If someone outright insults my dolls I might, but polite disapproval is fine.

-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?

I can't recall getting mad at anyone.

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

n/a

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

It depends. If someone were to say "that sculpt always looks the same" I might try and convince them otherwise - I've seen some amazingly styled dolls that are not immediately recognizable as the sculpt they are. But if it's about "they're not to my taste" I leave it at that. Taste is nothing to argue over. (Besides, tastes change all by themselves. I used to really not like Dollshe Saint - somehow by now he ended up on my wishlist ...)



MoorRomeo - I'm right there with ya about Doll Chateau!

 

-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 can say I'm not much into that company's dolls and it's fine. I'm not rude about it. I don't make blanket statements like "All dolls from company X are ugly."

-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.

Sometimes, but it's not just that. It seems that a lot of people in this hobby can be about various things. Again, I don't let it bother me personally.

-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.

Yes.

-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!)

Nope. Taste is very subjective. There are a lot of things that I don't like, and I know there are things I do that other people don't so I don't take it personally.

-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?

N/A

-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 honestly don't care. It's my doll. I like it. That's what counts.

I've been told I am a very confident person. I've been liked for it, but also criticized for it. The way I see it there comes a point in your life where the opinions of other people should not matter as much to you. It's always nice to be liked and it hurts to be disliked but the more you're your own person, the more you believe in yourself and in your choices the less negativity will affect you. You're the one who has to live with your choices, in this case your dolls. If I can look at mine and be happy then all is well. I'm the only one I have to please. If someone else likes my dolls that's great. If they don't, they don't. It's fine. They're entitled.

I expect courtesy from people. I don't like rude people, but I also like honesty. It's okay not to like my dolls. It's not okay to pick on me and make nasty comments. That's where I draw the line. Someone expressing dislike for a particular doll or company isn't going to bother me, not unless they make it personal. Everyone is entitled to decide whether or not something is for them, but they're not entitled to attack someone who doesn't like the same things. That's bullying and I won't tolerate that.

 

I don't think it's that big a deal either way tbh There's obviously dolls I'm not that into, but I have no burning urge to unleash my "meh" on other people xD I don't really understand where a debate like that would come from. If somebody responded on one of my photos "You know, I just don't like Doll Leaves..." I would be kind of confused I guess? Because... Why do you feel the need to share that to me? lol Is it that big of a deal? So I can see people getting annoyed in that respect. But I also don't think it's a big deal for people to ramble about disliking certain sculpts on their own blogs. They're not trying to demean people or pick on someone in particular. So overreacting to that would be equally wtf

I don't know, man, I just kinda see this as a non-issue... Who cares? xD

 

Yes and no, Its safe and acceptable, but its not polite so I tend to avoid using strong words about it. I do often find that I prefer the owner photos to the company photos anyway.

I do find that some people can be over sensitive, but thats how it is with just about anything, there will be people who are more sensitive than others or are simply having a bad time and react badly at the time.

I'll say it right here: I don't like Doll Chateau or DollZone much. but have found a couple of sculpts i enjoy from each company, their faces just arent really my style, and the extra joints kind of bug me for some reason, not sure why XD

I don't particularly care about other people's opinions on the dolls i happen to like, everyone has their own tastes. I can totally understand how some of my dolls are slightly odd, so they might not appeal to everyone.

No, I do get offended when they set out to specifically call out MY doll, saying its "ugly" or something like that. i worked hard on making my dolls exactly how i want, and i do it to please myself, not them. If they dont like it, they can say as much and express why it bothers them, but dont call a doll ugly.

To my knowledge, no I haven't, but if I have, well, whatever they've said to offend me i've already forgotten so it obviously wasnt that important.

It depends on what someone says, often if i get offended by a comment, i'll go in my little corner and cry then get over it, lol.

No, i dont, they're allowed to their opinion, and so am i. I like my dolls, but i might not like theirs, so i guess that makes us even

 

-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 do actually .

I will never blatantly say "this doll is ugly", but if you say it in a respectful way I feel that's totally accepted here.


-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 definitely don't think people should only say good things about all dolls. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to doll. If you don't like a certain doll, it doesn't mean you don't like people who own it, or that you make fun of people that own it, it just means the dolls aesthetics etc. are not what you prefer to see in a doll. So far I haven't met anyone on here that was overly sensitive, but then again I am not one of the most active people on here, so I'm sure I miss a lot.


-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 am, but I always look at the situation first. If a person posts a thread in the arrival section, I feel it's unnecessary to comment on their thread that you don't like the doll. That kind of feels like ruining someones excitement. I think it's best to just skip the thread. In threads where people are discussing companies I think you're free to say you don't like the dolls they make, but I do think it's fair to keep it nice and explain WHY you don't like them. All while staying respectful of course, as I think that's one of the most important things. Always be respectful!


-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 wouldn't mind at all. They're not judging me by saying 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?

No. If someone said to me "eww I cannot believe you like that doll, what is wrong with you?" I would be offended though, as that would be a personal attack. But otherwise, no .


-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.


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

n/a


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

No. I can try and convince them all I want, but that's like trying to convince someone to like a pink sweater, when they really hate the color pink and the shape of the sweater.

 

Ha! I love that bolded line. And I feel about the same way. The only way I'd tell someone I don't care for something is if that person was helping me pick a new doll and we were trying to narrow things down.

The way I see things is what my mother always told me, "If you can't appreciate something, it's your loss". So, if nothing else, I try to see the doll from another person's eyes and appreciate what I see there.