Don't be embarrassed!

It's so strange. I'm a long-time science fiction fan and a writer; I'm used to not caring what the public thinks about me or the things I'm into. I've cosplayed, I've LARPed, I've read speculative poetry to nuns while wearing a vinyl corset and a hat with horns on it (although I think they thought we were quite cute; gotta love the Sisters of St. Joe!). Yet I do feel a certain embarrassment, because being interested in dolls is so out of character for me. I think it's the stereotype of the doll fanatic--feminine, maternal or maternally-frustrated, you know the drill--that has me uncomfortable, even though BJDs aren't bebes or Barbies, and I haven't found many stereotypical personalities on this board. You guys are much more like the SF and anime fans I live around--some of you are the SF and anime fans I live around! And yet, I still haven't told my friends I'm getting a doll. I don't like this state of mind I'm in, and I hope I get my "damn the torpedoes" attitude back soon. It's not the general public I'm concerned about--who cares what mundanes think, if they think at all--but if my friends thought the whole thing was silly and tedious and wished I'd leave him home when we went to a convention, my feelings would be hurt, and since I haven't any family my friends mean a lot.

 

Homans, I LOVE this thread!

I still don't have my doll, and I'm just getting his head right now. Although, once I get his eyes and face-up done, He's coming with me to a lot of places xD

I like getting stared at, it give me resons to educate or tell off these people xD

 

I totally agree ^^ I've had a lot of put-downs from my parents and my sister for wanting a "dolly" but I guess I just have to stick to it and ignore them. They obviously don't understand how important it is to me! ;P

 

I wouldn't be embarrassed. o.o

 

I'm not and never will be embarassed at all. It's kinda funny cause I'm a really shy person, yet at the same time I can walk around in frilly dresses, green hair, or any other crazy fashion I feel like wearing at the time. Nothing really phases me anymore, it seems.

 

Im not the very least bit embarresed about my resin kids at all. I'm just expressing my right of individuality when I take them someplace! ^-^ Smile and be proud. You have something that they probally dont have , and secretly there probally extreemly jealous about it!!

 

I think that oftentimes people put dolls into the category of "childhood", and so when an "adult" (I'm in my twenties) is seen with a doll, it makes these persons more uncomfortable than they make you. It questions their thinking.

My mom, who is in her sixties, still buys dolls, and is proud of showing them to anyone who comes in the house. Be proud that you can still use your imagination, no matter what "age" you appear, a lot of people can't. And THAT is a pity.

 

Haha. When I walk around with Digi or Jhonen, people usually stare but don't say anything.

One of my friends said "Oh thats frikken awesome" and one random dude asked me if I made it.

I wish. Pffft.

 

After walking into a 7-11 in full renaissance dress and flowers in my hair, in a town that doesn't have a renaissance festival, carrying a doll around the mall is nothing. Or, try walking around in Wal-mart dressed as a gypsy, barefoot with tummy bare... Oh yeah, I'm not embarrassed by my dolls ^_^.
I do live in the city, though. I am careful about where I take them. I don't want to take them somewhere were they might get ruffled by children I don't know, or snatched by some punk, nor would I want to attract the attention of some nutty street person on public transit.
But when it comes to people asking me, "Aren't you too old for dolls?" I have a set of answers, honest and ready. 1. No, 2. I like to sew their clothes, sewings hasn't been a kids thing since after industrial revolution and child labor laws. 3. I'm a photographer/artist, 4. Are you jealous because my kid's quieter than yours? ... and so on, and so forth.
Last week at the mall I went shopping with Nathan peeping out of the top of my bag. I kept a hand on him, so he wouldn't fall out, but no one really gave him a second glance, or if they did, I didn't' notice.

 

The only time that I could say I've ever been embarrassed would be if I were alone in public with my kids. If there are other doll people around then I'm ok, but by myself I get nervous, and I tend to think that random people are staring at me.

 

^^ I just wanted to say that this is a very encouraging thread. I am currently very, very embarassed about my BJD hobby, and I've only shared my enthusiasm with the people that I care about immensely -- even that was hard. It's gotten more and more natural as time goes on, and now I think I've gotten a very close friend into BJD's. But I still tremble slightly when I go out in public with my girls, though I've only done this at anime conventions anyway. And it's still hurtful when someone calls them 'creepy'. But I think that it's because they ARE such a huge personal part of me that I'm so scared of people poking at them. After reading this thread, however, I am beginning to think that maybe I CAN work on this facet of me, and become more proud not only of my BJD hobby, but also of myself and my personal style. Thank you!

 

A friend of mine (who only knows about my cosplay, anime, manga and gaming addictions...uh and knows of my yaoi obsession but doesn't want to know any details lol) laughed at me when I told him that I bought a beautiful doll and was customizing it, simply because he found the idea of me playing with a doll so out of character. I find things like that funny, you know, suprising the people who thought they knew you best .

 

Well put, everyone! Personally, I don't think that you SHOULD be embaressed... but sometimes it happens anyway. You shouldn't feel like you have to make your hobby public... but don't take great pains to hide it, either.

 

I think I would be embarrassed if people found out...(If this was mentioned before, sorry-I didn't look through all seven pages!) In America, dolls and kitschy things are regarded as only meant for young children. Even my ten year old niece refuses to play with dolls-they are only for 'babies'. Women as a whole seem to abhor cute(unless it refers to cell phones or incredibly tiny dogs). Where in Japan, the birthplace of dollfies-cute is embraced everywhere. Here in Jersey, if my family found out I was saving up for a doll-and not just to set it up on a shelf as a accent to collect dust, but to dress it up and play with it-well, "O.o", sums it up nicely.

 

Well, I'm kind of shy in the first place, and that poses a problem. But when It comes to something I love I'll stand up for it.

 

I just had to say that the comment about tiny dogs was awesome. And so is your Britney avatar. Best movie ever.

And back on the doll thing xD, I'm more embarrassed than ever. When I got my first doll I took him out of my room once or twice and just had him hang downstairs. My parents didn't really say much ;_; but now I'm way too shy to take them out unless I'm sewing for them. I only really do it around my sis, even though that's embarrassing too, sometimes she'll make a nice comment like, "I really like that outfit on your doll!". I'm older than her, but she's more "grown up" (not mature, "grown up") than me in many ways, so having a doll hobby just makes me look even more childish than her in the eyes of my family

 

admittedly I don't take my dolls very many places, as I like to have my arms free for shopping and such, but I was asked by my mom to bring a few dolls to a party she was giving to show some of my relatives..and I brought 4...I found out the party was a surprise birthday party for me! and then she had all my relatives sit in a circle around me and wanted me to show them off...that was a bit embarrassing but I figured that I spent a lot of money on these dolls, why not?
My uncle was showing off his new Van he got that was redid for him being in a wheelchair, and I thought well if he was doing show and tell so could I... I only had a few relatives that were really paying attention..and they thought they were pretty nice....if they thought anything else they didn't say...they probably just talked about me on the way home... then again I am the only one in my immediate family that has 9 tattoos and facial piercings and I live with my ex husband as friends..so I am a bit of a black sheep anyway

 

I haven't had my doll for very long, but I don't think I'd ever be embarrassed of him. I used to be horribly shy, but I'm not anymore and I'm very proud of my little Ian.. and as what illyrimur said, I'm also an artist, art supplies is expensive 8D so I know what she/you mean, but my doll is definitely inspiring or artistically-motivating ^-^

 

What is normal, anyway?? LOL

I don't think I'd carry my doll (that I don't have yet... ) around with me when I'm out and about. I live in one of those communities where I'd probably get shot for being a wuss or something. Or, knowing my luck, I'd end up running into somebody who knows the doll's worth and he'd get stolen. But I wouldn't be embarrassed at all to talk about them or show pictures. I just wouldn't mention the price even if you tried to torture it out of me. Personally, I really don't care what people think about me, although I am careful in how I dress and whatnot, because I do need to present a clean/sorta professional image because of the career I'm going to go into, but I don't care if people think my hobbies are weird. So I kinda care, but I am selective about it.

 

This thread helps me gain confidence about my next outing ^^. I mean I wear allsorts of random clothes dye my hair funky colours but I've gotton used to the nasty people who shout random abuse I guess I could when I take my boy out. ^^

I'm also an oddball in my family so anything weird or strange to them they just accept