Fighting that Doll stereotype

Hrrrmmm... I never had this problem. It's probably because my personality is an unusual mix of straight-forward, businesslike, and cute. As for my sense of style, I've had several people comment that it's "unbelievably cute with a touch of prep." ......? So, no one would ever think I'm goth, dolls or no. Ever. I think they maybe lump it into the 'cuteness' factor and shrug it off, no one has ever been weirded out by them. It also helps that no one I know has been exposed to bjds, so they aren't aware of any underlying stereotypes. Bottom line is that I've been pretty lucky.

I can see how people would assume a goth or antisocial stereotype. As people have mentioned, please do what you can to ignore it. If someone is willing to judge you without even speaking to you or trying to understand you, their opinion simply isn't worth worrying about.

Nice discussion topic, btw.

 

Any hobby will get an overwhelming stereotype. I figure if you treat others how you'd like to be treated, things should be better. That, of course, doesn't always work out, but you'd be surprised how many things you may have in common with someone because of the differences.
I've noticed, although my family scoffs how much I spent on my minifee, just about every member of my family and friends have their own hobbies. Most of them have their respective forums they visit with the other "serious" hobbiests, and may spend just as much (time, money, effort, ect) on their own hobbies.
Some of which seem odd to me, but are normal and serious to them.

On the case of gothic, a percentage of dolls and owners seem to be this way, but I wouldn't account it over everyone. I'd think that even if you had a group of fifty people with dolls and just one was dressed to a noticeable extreme, then that one person may be noticed more than the other forty-nine. Then everyone who has seen that group may have a mental relation of that person and style to the dolls.

 

Before you worry about what others think about you, realize that whatever stereotype or stigma only lasts as long as the first impression/assumption. Because if you don't dress or look like a goth, I doubt anyone would consider you as one for long.

I actually don't find there to be much of a goth stereotype involved in the doll hobby. I've more commonly encountered stereotypes where people think doll owners are immature cause I'm still playing with dolls or need more real friends and a real life. Most of these assumptions are easily discarded the longer they know the doll owner...if the owner doesn't live up to the stereotype. *grins*

Only one person persists on stereotyping me but I'm aware enough to know that I don't have enough respect for their opinion to care.

 

I've actually seen more of an 'oh, no! I don't want to be seen as GOTH!' attitude around this hobby than anything else.

And I've truly seen surprisingly few dolls that truly look 'goth' or 'punk'. Just because they're dressed in plaid/all black doesn't mean a thing. It's clothing. On a doll.

I guess I should be worried that someone will mistake me for a Native American one day because of my barbies......

 

you're i'm assuming a girl over the age of 10 playing with dolls, and you're worried about someone calling you goth.

first of all might i state firstly there is nothing wrong with being goth or punk or lolita or any of that. and by saying that in that way it kinda makes you look silly cause you're doing what your complaining about.

secondly like other's have said i'd be more worried with the mind set of the doll poeple being mentally up stable than the they are gothic. cause trust me that's far more common than doll people are gothic.

and i actually haven't seen that sterotype, i've seen from people all different people, that doll people are; crazy, creepy, immature, are gay or lesbains. so yeah gothic sterotype should be the least of your worries.

edit: bove is stereotypes i've heard of doll people as in all doll people are insert word since i'm not understanding someone or they aren't understanding me. cause personally i'd be more worried someone found me to be immature cause i like dolls more so than gothic. and gay and lesbain is in that list because of the risks involved with being labeled as such if say family and freinds and highly religous and can mean homelessness and disownment for being labeled as such.

 

You might want to rethink how you've worded this statement.

 

beter? since i don't understand a problem?

 

I'm just concerned that you've lumped "gay and lesbian" as a stereotype with "crazy, creepy, and immature" and that it is a label to be feared.

 

I'm not really sure how exactly the "creepy" doll thing started but the media seems to love to play that card. There's chucky, doll master, the list goes on. I guess it's appealing to non-doll collectors because dolls themselves are so unthreatening and there is probably one in almost everyone's house. The idea of something so non-threatening and innocent looking being a murderous evil thing can make everyone feel unsafe because dolls are EVERYWHERE. Movies like Jaws aren't as scary becuase, seriously, how often are you in the middle of the ocean alone? The creepy doll works becuase while it is unrealistic, it's much more "probable" from the horror movie standpoint.

It annoys me that people seem to use this view as a blanket to cover all dolls, but it's being promoted left and right. While I liked that Kerli used the DIM Flora in her MV, I was upset that she portrayed it so negatively. I really belive that some of the dolls made by NotDoll Labs like Miriam the first are just perpetuating these ideas. There never seems to be much positive exposure for BJDs.

The only positive portrayal of a BJD I have seen in media that wasn't put out by a company, was in Super Junior's movie, Attack on the Pinup Boys. In the first few minutes, the school hearthrob (Sungmin) is being burried in valentine's candy and whatnot, when a girl gives him a BJD dressed like him. (It was a volks doll but i can't remember which one) He takes it, thanks her, and he can be seen carrying it home in his arms, and even kissing it on the forhead! That made me really happy. Unfortunatly the doll gets dropped when Sungmin gets hit with a bag of poo, but...anyway. ^^

 

considering it doesn't bother me when someone stero types me as a lesbain cause i play with dolls, but it is a sterotype that bothers other doll people i know who say parents or them are heavily religous and then someone tells them they are gay or a lesbain because they play with dolls, i do believe they would be far more worried with that sterotype than someone calling them gothic.

so yes it's fitting to throw in there. cause it depends on the person for what sterotypes are going to bother them the most. cause let's see creepy people don't talk to you or avoid you if that spreads, crazy, the men in white jackets come, immature again avoided. and for some of my freinds being called gay or lesbain can mean kicked out of the house or disowned. so agian it fits in there just fine.

 

Um, I don't really see the gothic stereotype either.. :
But i do see the lolita-culture catching on the wave though...

But I don't really care anyway!
They bring out a creative side of me, and make me do things i never really did before: paint, sew, sell things online
As far as I know, these stereotypes don't bother me at all~~ ^^

 

I haven't personally run into a gothic stereotype concerning these dolls; in my area they seem to be more associated with anime. People can label me however they want, though, because I really don't care about some random person's opinion. And whatever stereotype they stick on me because of dolls probably isn't much worse than the 'nerd' one I get for some of my other hobbies. ^^

 

Oh the irony, a load of my friends are serious old skool goths and none of them are into dolls. I'm far too tanned to be goth and far too much of a hippy.

As for being thought creepy, well that was happening before I'd even heard of bjds. I give it as little thought now as I did then. If someone judges you based on an assumption rather than checking the facts, do you really think their opinion is worth getting stressed about? Honestly?

And what does being 'creepy' for liking dolls mean? That they think we're latent serial killers? That we will do them harm? That we make them uncomfortable just by liking something that they don't? What? Maybe next time someone calls one of us creepy we should try asking them, "If you think I'm creepy or my doll is creepy, explain it to me so I can try not to creep you out." Betcha they haven't got an answer that doesn't make them look like a total dumb turd. "Chucky?" "What, you believe that whatever you see in a work of fiction is real? And you're calling me weird?"

What I've never managed to work out is that if these people honestly think you're some kind of deranged, creepy, sinister nutter who means to kill them in their sleep, (or get your doll to kill them,) then why are they going out of their way to give you a damned good reason to want to kill them? If they believe it then shouldn't they be trying to keep on my good side? Which tends to indicate that they don't really believe what they're saying. Which makes them rude as well as stupid.

But, yeah, it can still sting when someone you care about, or you can't really cut off contact with, says something negative about you or something you care deeply about, because you hope they would look further than a stereotype.

 

the words 'uncanny valley' come to mind. A large large number of people dislike humanoid things in general, which only contributes to the apparent 'creepiness'.
People are very generalized (sp?) in things they don't consider the norm. These things get jumbled together so at the end of the day they all seem the same.
While I love anime and cosplay etc there isn't a single part of me which would class me as a goth. From my point of view they are completely different things and in reality they are. The stereotypical views generally though blind people to this.

 

I'm 100% goth... have been since I was a child, and I've also loved dolls since I was a child. For me it's not about what I wear (I've never liked the color black anyway) for me the black is inside, where it counts (lol).

I don't know. There are a lot of stupid stereotypes in the world. I'd rather be this one than some others I can think of!

The thing about movies is that they always require a cheap/easy plot. Sex. Murder. Creepy Dolls. I don't appreciate stupidity either, but unfortunately most movies are made catering to the lowest common denominator.

I try not to take it personally, the only thing I can advise is try to do the same! ^_~

Raven

 

*shurg* Sadly it seems as if everything can get a negative sterotype. I think that with dolls, it's just seen more.

Though I have noticed a lot of people like the 'gothic' style dolls (As do I, I just don't have one) but just the same a lot of people like the cute ones.

As for the Kerli video... I like the song, but for the video..... it's only saving grace is the doll. (I kinda think the rest of the video is wierd, but the doll is so cute.)

My opinon.

~Chaos

 

hm here anime fans get dumped in a completely different group they are their own sterotype. i find it funny that you sad that. cause here a ton of preppy type kids are heavy anime fans. along with the goths, jocks, punk, and nerds. lol. anime is like the new trekkie.

 

haha that's funny. i hate the doll and the the doll plotline of the video, but think the look of the video is cool.

 

WHAT!!! EXCUSE ME!!! So according to you being gay and lesbian is something to be ashamed of? and a stereotype no one should have to be associated with? That's is discrimination and a homophobic statement. Gays and lesbians face enough discrimination and until you have lived the life of a gay or lesbian person then you have absolutely no idea what it's like to live a life which results in those same heavily religious people, who you mentioned telling you that you are going to hell. I am absolutely outraged that you would even think to post such a derogatory statement. Krissy had all the right to tell you to rethink your statement and i agree with her. You need to not only retract your statement but to apologise to everyone including myself for that statement. Because of your statement and that fact that it is flaming people on this board who maybe gay or lesbian, you have left me no choice but to contact a mod because you seriously should have thought before you posted that statement.

 

um hate to tell ya, i have alot of really close freinds and family that are homosexuall. and i don't feel a need to take it back. it wasn't an attack on gay people. yeah we have crazy people in the world who think being such is bad and one accusation of that can ruin someones life whether they are or aren't. so i still feel it fits as being lumped into to something that can have terrible reprocustions from certain people. in on way is that saying homosexual people are bad in any way, it's the exact oposite really, saying those who are that way towards gay people are in the wrong.

but from you reaction i'm going to assume you are and have felt that way from people before and i'm sorry for that and sorry you took that comment as an attack.

and to add nothing on that list do i feel really is something to be ashamed of. i'm ok with being called creepy i feel that i am. i'm ok with being called crazy, cause i'm not "normal" and i'm ok with being called immature cause i can be cause i feel maturity is highly over rated and subjective. and i'm also ok with being called a lesbain. cause even though i'm not. i see nothing wrong with it.