Dolls and your own body image

Have you ever felt that You wanted to look just like your dolls?
Yes and no. It'd be nice to have perfect hair and make up all the time but other than that, not really. I've seen a girl that supposedly looks like a ABJD but her eyes are like huge alien eyes and looks spaced too far apart. Then again, she looked more like a Volks doll. I might maybe want to look like a more realistic mold though.

Have you done anything about it? (Whether that is weight loss or gain, cosmetic surgery, clothes, hair, or other body modification)
Body-wise, I would need a bigger chest but that's about it and there's not much I can do about that so nothing there. xD Before dolls though, I was interested in make up but I never really got around to it. But after I've seen more BJDs, I tried a little bit of make up again but it only makes me look older so I stopped. OTL

Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do?
Not really. Sometimes I see a really beautiful doll and I'd think "I wish I could be that beautiful" but even if I could look just like that, I don't feel like I would be *me*. I guess I actually think that I want to be THAT beautiful, or maybe just have THAT kind of beauty but I wouldn't want to look just like a certain doll.

Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty?
Well most ABJDs don't look realistic and the hobby isn't very mainstream so I would say no? I think people would rather look like real models. And while I do feel like there is a lot of pressure to conform to an idealized body, I don't think it's a bad thing so long as it's not taken too far. Looks *are* important because people *will* be judgmental. Perfection isn't necessary but you can't really go around like you don't care about yourself.

 

Have you ever felt that You wanted to look just like your dolls?
Yes and no. With my genetics what they are, I'll never look like them. And I don't need too. Still, they are an extension of me, and my desires. I have all girl dolls. I like the way girl dolls look, and I can dress them in ways I'd love to be able to dress.

Have you done anything about it? (Whether that is weight loss or gain, cosmetic surgery, clothes, hair, or other body modification)
Not really. I am attempting to lose weight for the sake of health, not so much because of my dolls. They certainly don't care if I'm fat. I wouldn't mind being overweight either, but for the healthy part. I'm not healthy anymore.

Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do?
Nope. If I did I probably wouldn't have them. I don't really resent inanimate objects. I like pens and pencils, too, but I don't resent them for being thin or pretty or whatever.

Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty?
I've never felt any pressure to conform to dolls. I'd be horrified to see people that looked like some of my dolls (some of my other off-topic dolls particularly!) I think there's pressure to be thin and pretty and all that, but I don't think dolls are the cause.

 

Oh, I completely agree. It just seemed the OP was stating that we're all unattractive because we she is oh so 'pretty and petite'. Got under my skin since there really is more than one type of attractiveness, even if it isn't deemed as normally beautiful.

 

I have never seen a doll I wanted to be...but I have seen a few I wanted to date. :-)

 

well, <blush> <embarrassing grin> <right foot brushes the floor> sometimes I was poetic over the American Girl catalogs and dream about matching outfits of a different sort, like those boots I just got for one of the tall girls...way cool. I have boot envy. Just as well, I couldn't walk in them truth be told.

 

No, you never did claim to be "pretty and petite", nor did you say that the rest of us all need to go on a diet-- it's just that people with chips on their shoulders tend to read things that aren't really there. It's like hearing without listening.

 

I'm sorry, I will clarify. I wasn't referring to you as the OP. I had quoted the user Mirrin of which I was responded to, and when I meant OP I was meaning her. That was my bad. And Jenny I was not "making things up", simply commenting on her actual, blatant statement that she is "pretty, perfect and petite" and was so baffled as to assuming everyone who is not so and owns BJDs are unattractive which I find extremely rude (hence my original comment letting her know we can't ALL be pretty, perfect and petite no matter how hard we try). So you don't have to pick on me when you can try looking back one page and read exactly what it is I read myself.

 

If you reread what Mirrin said, she nowhere said that she feels anyone who isn't like her is unattractive. She actually said that looking at the questions asked, the questions asked can lead people to believe that most doll owners are not attractive. And I can see that myself and have been asked if all doll owners are fat and socially awkward by non-doll people in the past - it is a very common perception outsiders have of us. Just because Mirrin has a positive view of herself and how she looks, and I will take her word she's pretty and thin, doesn't make her opinion or feelings any less valid. She even then went on to state she prefers a wide variety of body shapes for her own characters.

 

Just to clarify, it wasn't Mirren, it was Mirrin.

I've been petite all my life.... and that's all I'm owning up to.

 

Have you ever felt that You wanted to look just like your dolls?
No, I'm a human they're little resin people, it never occurred to me to try or even want to look like they do.

Have you done anything about it? (Whether that is weight loss or gain, cosmetic surgery, clothes, hair, or other body modification)
No, I've never had an issue with body image relating to dolls. While I do have features I am less fond of, they are a part of who I am and my genetic make up (this is one reason I really dislike plastic surgery -- by changing my self surgically, I would be losing part of who I am). Since dolls don't have to worry about watching what they eat or getting enough exercise, it is natural that they would be slimmer than I am. My weight has not been a big issue, though some medication that I have to take has caused me to put on a couple pounds, and I'm getting to the point in my life where I have to be more aware of food/exercise because I just don't burn off everything like I did when I was in my teens and twenties. However, this has nothing to do with dolls whose aging process seems to comprise mostly of turning yellow (see, at least we don't have to worry about that!).

Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do?
Not at all! I love the way my dolls look, otherwise I wouldn't have bought them.

Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty?
I think there is definite pressure when it comes to society -- women are very much expected to look a certain way that is often quite unrealistic. However, I don't really think that abjds necessarily play into this. Just because a doll is slim doesn't mean it's striking a blow against women everywhere, and there are people who are naturally quite thin. There are definitely very negative messages out there when it comes to body image, but we have to be careful to not read those messages into things where they don't exist.

 

I wonder if you could flip this around. I was thinking of the gals from BBB/RS and Impledoll's Christopher. They're skinny to the point of looking emaciated. Are there any dolls you wouldn't want to look like?

 

First of all, good for you for taking the initiative to change what you wanted to! You're right, it's a ton of work, and it's not always fun. So, gotta give props where props are due; congrats!

My dolls have inspired a few "looks" for me in terms of make-up. I love how their eyes seem to be brightened when they have the blush around their eyelids and defined lashes. I started doing my make-up like that and lo and behold, it looked pretty good! While I've never wanted the clothes they have (on me, it would look silly, but on them it's great!) seeing the different face-ups have changed how I do my own make-up for every day life and for costuming.

I wouldn't want to look like a lot of the Notdolls, not because they aren't gorgeous dolls, but when I scale that into real life proportions, it wouldn't be my ideal.

 

I know what it's like to be very thin (for health reasons), and I just remember feeling cold all the time. I was glad to return to a more acceptable size. I like the EID and SID bodies for their lovely curves. I have an RS Mei and it's true she's very skinny, but she's an elf, so it's allowed.

I don't really look at my dolls (or other dolls) and wish I looked like them.

 

Questions: Have you ever felt that You wanted to look just like your dolls? Not really as I am drawn to the male dolls more than the female and I am a female. But I have some female dolls and like their looks. I just never considered looking like them.






Have you done anything about it? (Whether that is weight loss or gain, cosmetic surgery, clothes, hair, or other body modification) NO
Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do? NO

Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty? Well, I do think Society has a certain look it presents.
Models are usually so thin you can almost see through them. I do not agree with that health wise, unless someone is naturally that way. I do feel there is pressure for people to fit a certain mold, yes.

 

Well, I am the opposite of you, I am a big girl and I want my dolls to look like ME! Cute and Fluffy!!! Sadly, in this hobby it is near impossible to find bigger dolls.

 

Also, bjds would need much bigger breasts before I would want to look like them ^_^;

 

The thing is, aside from the wide hips, as a teen I DID look like the Doll Chateau dolls. And I was perfectly healthy, and got a LOT of grief from people about it. Being told that I was gross, or anorexic, or a boy really did a number on my self-esteem. I tried and tried to gain weight, and nothing worked for me. It wasn't until I became chronically ill (from non-weight issues) that I put on pounds.
So I'm THRILLED to see dolls like the Doll Chateau line out there. It makes me happy that there are doll makers that think my body type is as beautiful as I do. (Stylized yes, but what doll isn't?) Is that a weight that someone who isn't naturally like that should strive for? No! But it would have been (and still would be!) unhealthy for someone like me to strive for the Iplehouse EID ideal. That doesn't mean I love my Iplehouse EID any less, or that she makes me feel bad about myself. All kinds of body types are beautiful, and nothing is more beautiful than being your healthiest.

All that said, I've never wanted to look like any of my dolls. Growing up, Barbie was a toy, not an ideal. Why would I want to look like a toy? I have been unhappy with my body as a teen, and at times now as well, but I've never felt pressure from an inanimate object to change my appearance.

I love that the BJD world is growing to include a wide variety of body types! Something for almost everyone. I hope the trend continues.

 

If I was declared completely healthy by my doctor, I wouldn't care how big or thin I was. I actually don't see the BBB/RS girls as looking too thin, either. I think they look just fine. I do see how the Doll Chateau dolls look very thin; it's part of why I don't buy dolls from there. The bodies just look stylized to the point of unhealthy-looking, and that would weird me out some if I had a doll with that kind of build.

I can only say, in terms of a doll I wouldn't want to look like, I wouldn't want to have the DD Dynamite bust. A lot of owners seem to have a hard time dressing dolls with that bust, and I can only assume that it would probably be even harder for a real person to have to deal with.