Dolly androgyny -why do we like it?

I can go for the concept, but I think my take on it is a little different than a lot of what I've seen done with it more frequently.

I tend to see it as the 'childlike' androgyny more often -- or just basic crossdressing of a sculpt, which to me isn't quite the same thing. I have no problem with either whatsoever, it just isn't something that leaps out at me as "must do that pronto".

I don't personally have a lot of limitations, internally, as to which gender should or should not wear what items; if it fits "what they would wear", it goes on 'em, so in that sense, it's not like I feel the need to cling to traditional gender roles in terms of my collection. I've spent way too much time around highly creative people who dress in a variety of crazy ways to think too much about "gendered clothing" as much as I might otherwise, or if I lived most of my life in a more traditional business environment. Beyond that, I think that while it's still not terribly common to see a boy in a skirt out at the market, most women can get away with wearing almost anything -- so the 'traditional frills' aren't even necessarily standard female wardrobe issue any more. (Says the woman who just sorted well over a dozen frilly skirts to hang in the closet... while wearing a men's thermal shirt with skulls on it from Target. *cough*)

Now, if there was a doll that looked mature and yet could easily pass for either gender? (Probably not easy without heavy modding... ) I'd probably jump on it faster than I drew my next breath. Think of Tilda Swinton's 'Gabriel' from the movie version of _Constantine_ -- clearly adult, but you look, and have to squint a bit and wonder. A body like that would -likely- have to be made from scratch to get the right shape, to my mind. (You could sand the boobs off a female sculpt, but the musculature might be underdefined and the shoulders not broad enough or the waist too narrow, etc. -- trying to 'feminize' a male shape has similar potential problems.)

 

I think one of the reasons that there aren't as many muscular dolls out there is that they truly aren't "elegant" or "pretty" I personally dislike to much muscle. my hubby to be is a twig and I love it. XD when we think of the word "doll" don't pretty, elegant, and cute things come to mind?

 

I think it's kind of the same with Dia, She has a very masculine mould so a lot of people like her better as a boy. I think people like that she can be a pretty boy but also very male looking at the same time.

 

It seems that a lot of this would have to come from the countries of origin.

Many asian males do not exactly fit the criteria for what is considered "manly" by the Western world. What I mean by this is physically. Most asians do not bulk up the way whites (and other races do) and the same goes with other features like facial hair and whatnot.

Keep in mind that I am speaking in general terms.

So part of it that the dolls, which come from Asia, tend to look more like Asian men than white men. From the eyes of the Western world, it seems androgynous.

As far as youth goes, that is also very important in many Asian cultures.

My personal tastes prefer adult man dolls who fit the more Western, especially in the face. This has more to do with diversity than anything else.

 

I'd disagree there; if you look at the male Super Gem dolls from Soom, for example, you'll see well-defined musculature that is not bulky, and plenty of that line is incredibly elegant, IMHO.

In my case? Not especially. It was more the case when I collected fashion dolls, but a large part of the reason I got out of that branch of the doll collecting hobby was because I was weary of seeing too much of that and too little else, and it had become stifling.

 

I do see what you mean when you mention Soom dolls. they are elegant in a very...majestic way.
and to respond to Leenah: I agree. when we think of "men" in the western world, half the time at least Arnold Schwarzenegger kind of guys comes to mind.

 

I like androgyny, I wish there were a lot more androgynous females. I'd like to see a girl doll that is able to pull of being a boy. My current girlfriend is a drag king after all.

 

Dolly androgyny -why do we like it?

I guess the majority of collectors like this look. I base this on finding so many out there. I personally would like to see more of a choice. I would make a guess that these dolls are suppose to look young.

derk

P.S. For a long time I didn't look at the boy faces as feminine, I just saw them as young. Then after looking at the 70cm guys - I was like ok to get a masculine guy doll I have to buy a big doll.

 

The strangest thing is...

A lecturer came to my school once and gave a short speech on this new freudian theory on how we all start off as homosexuals as children. This might explain why we kind androgynous stuff - because they are the best of both worlds...

Don't know too much about the child-like part though

 

I don't know if truly androgynous dolls are all that popular. Sure there are lots of young looking or feminine boy dolls, but how popular are more masculine girl dolls? Usually the more masculine females will either have low sales or be changed into boys. I like male dolls who are masculine, since I think the male body and facial structure are beautiful in their own right. I also like male dolls who are somewhat feminine because it's so different from what we usually see in the west. I admit though that I like super feminine female dolls, rather than a girl that could pass for either gender.

 

Hmm, my personal opinion is because we can dress them as "girly", young boys, or older, feminine guys.

Personally I LOVE androgyny in guys, it's hot. Ie. see my boyfriend, and Miyavi and Mana. XD

It's all a personal choice, but since alot of people on here are into animes and manga, they usually have girly guys, but they're awesome =]

 

Perhaps because I think people like that are stunning. Yes I can appreciate the Angelina Jolies and Brad Pitts of the world but there's something special about an attractively masculine woman or feminine man. I consider it to be a rarity in real life even though it's common in doll hobby. I have a beautiful Elfdoll Sooah boy and in my storyline not only is this a rarity but part of his persona to capture Japanese beauty and graces and fuse it with his protective and Gentleman nature.

 

I thought about why I like it and... came to no real conclusion. XD'
I'm still quite young myself, so maybe that's it.
But I personally do not like the young head + mature body concept. X____X'''

 

I love androgyny my favourite musicians are all fairly androgynous (Brian Molko, Marilyn Manson, etc etc) and while I can certainly appreciate the beauty of a masculine body, I find the more sylph-like elegant lines of the typical BJD boy body to be much more attractive. Think skinny punk. I like that ^^

Having said that, I'm attracted to androgyny in women too- always have been (I blame George in the Famous Five- she always saved the day!) but as long as it's the right kind of androgyny. Arty grungey intellectual= good. Steroid-pumped athletic body-builder= bad. In either gender and that applies to dolls too.

I have no feelings about the young face/mature body conundrum other than I don't like it and it freaks me out.

 

I like feminine looking boys I'm not at all attracted to more masculine men. You know there was a study that they did that said women were attracted to more masculine men (than usual) the closer they were to their fertile time and more feminine boys the further away they were.

Also I figure it's easier company if they have a head mold that can be either a girl or boy they could sell more that way right?

I feel that you can see the young face/mature body thing a lot with MSD size girls. And I can kinda understand because I like the MSD size and I like some of the heads already but I'm not particularly interested in buying a girl with a little kid's body.

 

Pretty boys are pretty and I don't mind the molds but I prefer the more mature ones over the pretty, baby faced ones. I don't know why but it's just something I've always liked. That is one thing I like about there being so many different looks for dolls, everyone can find their preference in a doll. I don't mind innocent girly looking dolls but I like them with a body that actually fits their faces, meaning a more teenage or childlike body over a WOMAN body. XD; But everyone has their preferences.

 

The first thing that comes to mind is the influence Japanese culture has had on me. And not even just me! Think, for example, how the princes in Disney movies have changed (body and face type) over the years. Compare what's-his-face from Snow White with the Beast's human self from Beauty and the Beast.

Now, me, personally... I've grown up on anime, so I've just gotten used to seeing androgynous characters. I also just think smooth lines and points are more visually appealing than harsh lines and squares. But that might be just me (and it's not just for dolls; it's how I draw and paint too). And I don't like extraordinarily child-like characters or dolls. Just ones with a hint of confusion. Like Daemon from the Black Jewels books (if you've read these you probably understand and if you haven't read them, you should; they're excellent).

In any case, I'm pointing the finger at Japan for the bulk of this one. I can't say I'm upset, though.

 

I'm a bit opposite than most answers in this thread, since I have two male sculpts on female bodies. I like manly girls rather than girly men. Simply, my attraction to androgynous dolls is very personal for me. I am androgynous myself! I like that gender is fluid, that it is not a binary, and my dolls are reflections of that. They feel more real to me that way. They're self-conscious. They're not quite comfortable with their birth body, just like myself. It's all an experiment with themselves, and gender always changes.

This response is all over the place, but it simply breaks down to I am an androgynous person, and so are my dolls, haha!

 

Ha ha... we like androgyny because it represents perfection, as in angels. We, humans, sadly lack.

 

I prefer the androgynous ones because the more realistic dolls creep me out. They're TOO realistic, if you understand what I mean.The more androgynous they are the less real they seem and the more comfortable I am.