Has owning BJDs increased your tolerance toward other people's 'weird' hobbies?

No, I always have been open minded, so getting into BJDs did not change my opinion on weird hobbies. I was never into "normal" hobbies anyway... Now to look up furries...

 

I already had weird hobbies before i really got into BJDs so the dolls haven't done anything for me really.

 

I'd say no. I don't think doll collecting is a weird hobby. I think people who have a fear of dolls or people who believe dolls are for children makes it seem like the hobby is weird. I don't really care about other people's hobby, I'd be pretty open minded about it. As long as the hobby doesn't involve illegal acts or acts that can hurt any other living thing.

 

I think it has increased my tolerance toward "weird" hobbies as the years have gone by. But I could say this about any of my hobbies, really. I was a huge Star Wars fan in school and wore SW t-shirts every day of the week, so I wouldn't have made fun of anyone who was into comic books or trading cards or science fiction. I was a musician and a band geek, so I was accepting of theater people and people who were into Dungeons and Dragons, Renaissance faires and roleplaying. I started collecting fashion dolls as an adult, because I was finally old enough to buy them without people making fun of me. And I'm a Civil War reenactor, so although I wouldn't be a furry myself, I can understand why they do what they do.

There is a fan base of people who sexualize Dollfie Dreams, and I am certainly not a fan of THAT, but I have mainstream acquaintances and friends who think the same way about BJDs, that the dolls are abnormal and odd because they are anatomically correct and I must be some kind of closet weirdo. But I don't have to hang out with them or talk to them about my hobby, just as I don't have to associate with people who DO sexualize BJDs and DDs. I've had people make fun of me and my dolls and it makes me angry, but I'm not going to make them change their minds. I tell myself they're not worth the grief. It's certainly not the first time in my life someone thought I was weird!

And by the way, shame on that reporter. There's nothing wrong about her thinking the hobby is ludicrous, that's her opinion, but to allow it to interfere with the reporting of the serious and tragic story was unprofessional.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

I don't know...Since I always respect other people's hobbies and don't think it weird or so (unless this hobbies would harm others)

 

I've thought about this question, and I honestly can't figure out what I might define as a "weird" hobby. I grew up in a household where, instead of Monday Night Football, it was Monday Night Star Trek. (We literally never watched sports--the only occasion I can recall was going to a town bar where they were broadcasting the high school team playing in the state tournament, and that was probably more about image than anything.) I was in band, I read the old science fiction and fantasy novels that were on my parents' shelves; when I was in high school, I got into Disney's Gargoyles, which was my gateway into the anime fandom (got into that) and the furry fandom (never entered, but knew plenty of furries). I got into comics in college, and even took a history course on them. Got into tabletop gaming there, both the classic D&D and the more modern Euro-style games. Even got into Magic for a while (left that, then came back a couple of years ago). At this point in my life, I think collecting baseball cards is weird, compared to where I'm coming from! So honestly, BJDs are just another element of all that background, and they certainly didn't change my opinion on any other part of that. It's more likely that my appreciation for (I can't even call it "tolerance of") all that other stuff made me more tolerant at first, and ultimately accepting, of the BJD hobby!

 

Your last point is sort of what I came here to say. It's one thing to think someone's hobby is weird or crazy. It's on an entirely different level to laugh because the people getting hurt are dressed funny. I hope that reporter was reprimanded severely.

I wouldn't say I'm more or less tolerant than I was before, but I have a better understanding of people who spend small fortunes on Superbowl tickets, or classic cars, or scrapbooking, or whatever.

 

I wouldn't consider BJDs as a wierd hobby. I've been around people with various hobbies all my adult life. When I was in college I dated a guy who collected vintage appliance manuals. Not the machines themselves, just the manuals. He loved to read them out loud to me.
The answer to the question is, I already accepted people with all kinds of hobbies. When you get to be as old as I am, and have known all kinds of people, you realize that the people who collect "wierd" things are the most interesting and fun people there are.

 

I don't really consider BJDs as a "weird" hobby. Unusual, yes, but not really weird. Were I live, I don't think I've ever known anyone who collects or owns them, but just because it's uncommon that doesn't make it strange, if anything it just make it more unique and interesting. I tend to like a lot of things that other people would consider "weird," so maybe my opinion isn't the most valuable, but I'm pretty sure that most people would agree that as long as a hobby doesn't hurt anyone in any way, it's fine.

 

weird as in quirky is okay with me... I'd love e.g. my s.o. to have such a cute and quirky hobby, but owning bjds myself has made me eve less tolerant (why wasn't there such an answer in the poll???) I mean, there are lots of things that I got to know while being into bjds and some of them just disgust me. Some of the things that even other collectors themselves do are unbearable/incomprehensible for me.

 

I have always been into "weird" stuff. First, anime in post-soviet Russia (believe me it was considered ... abnormal). Later, I was goth who worked for a big international company in high position. And finally BJD. But as I was not that perfect image of a professional woman in business who volunteers at animal shelters for a hobby, other people's business was always just that for me - other people's business. So I did not judge. Now, I go one step further. I do not allow others to judge me either. If they don't like my hobby - tough luck. I don't exactly enjoy obsessing over football either. So we may just as well be civil to one another. If nobody gets hurt - that is is an acceptable hobby in my book.

 

I don't know! I usually am a tolerant person. Since I have been/am considered to be odd and have odd hobbies, all the time, it really isn't surprising to learn about another odd thing/hobby of someone else. So I don't know! Owning BJDs may or may not have helped.

 

Nope. I've always been tolerant of other's 'weird' hobbies, mainly because what someone wants to do with their free time is none of my business. If it's not hurting anyone, I honestly don't care.

 

No, because I have had some unusual hobbies -- when I started reading sci fi, it was actually hard to find. I've been a belly dancer, a Medieval
re-enactor, and collected assorted things like camels and dragonflies. Dolls are rather mainstream, comparatively.

 

No, I have always been open to others hobbies and learning about different ones. I always like things that were considered weird. What is weird if not something someone is not used to or even a society concept that you only should deal with it under certain parameters (have dolls if you have a certain age only)?
Considering the amount of media with talking animals that walk on two foots I could never understand why furries have such a hard time beside people being ignorant. that same is for a lot of other hobbies and entertainment like rpg, cosplay and so.

 

This is very interesting. I sort of fell into the roll of Furry at my job. I work at a library, and I'm short enough to wear the costumes such as curious george and Skippyjohn and Piggy from the Elephant and Piggy series. I don't do it outside of work, because those costumes are really exspensive, but they are fun (when you can see out of them).
I think there's always going to be a narrow minded judgemental element to things that people don't know wanything about, be it dolls, or toys or whatever. There's always going to be people that relate it back to something sexual, probably because they are always preoccupied with sex. Once again, people's judements have more to do with their own issues rather than the individual they are judging.

 

Maybe I don't have a really good notion of what "weird" is? I think I am pretty tolerant about other peoples hobbies. The only time I remember laughing at someone else's hobby was when a friend told me her father in law collected beer bottle lids. I don't like beer, so it seemed kind of odd to me. I would never make fun of anyone's interests to their face, that would be unkind. I have been known to wear Regency, Rennaissance, Medieval and other historical costumes, oh, and of course , my fairy costumes in public. I hadn't really heard of furries. Hilarious! I like to sew, hmm, maybe a bunny suit would be fun to make! Hmm, nice and warm too ... if you made it out of something soft and thick and fuzzy, useful for the winter.....

 

I don't know either, but I guess the best thing to do is to be tolerant of everyone's hobbies, whether weird or not? In the end it is up to them what they want to do in their free time. No judgment!

 

I LARP, design my own clothes, hang out with Gothic Lolitas, D&Ders, have friends who are furry, have friends who participate in international scavenger hunts and so very much more. I have never cared what someone's hobbies are as long as they aren't murdering people and cutting them up into little bits. Weird hobbies make for some pretty amazing people. Being in this hobby hasn't really changed my outlook on weird hobbies because I have always thought they were fun.

Shame on that reporter! That sort of behavior is discriminatory and just plain disgusting. Your on national television for petes sake!

 

Doll collecting in general is one of the most popular hobbies for adults. BJDs are just one type of doll. I know many people who collect Barbies, Madame Alexanders, Ginny dolls, 1950s hard plastics, Betsy McCalls, etc. Not to mention the millions of people who collect antique dolls. Doll collecting in general is probably a very respected hobby in the eyes of the world. BJD dolls are just not as widely known.

When I tell people I collect BJDs, they are like "huh?" But then when I explain what they are, the response is usually "Oh how cool".