He, She or It?

I think this is a really a good point and a useful way to explain it to someone outside the hobby who thinks you're mad for referring to a doll as he/she!

I'm sure I've referred to my dolls as "it" - like "where's your doll?" "It's in my bag" - and I would always use "a doll" rather than "someone" - like "shall I bring a doll with me?" - but if I'm describing a particular doll I'll use she - like "I really like this one, she's got nice eyes" or something.

I have a weird habit of calling all animals "he" even though most of my pets have been female. I think it's because in cartoons all animal characters are male unless they have big eyelashes or a dress, or something really obvious to show it's a girl!

 

Yeah, like, I think anything that has a face I sort of get this vibe of personality from, like it's a real thing, and I actually never thought of it actually being considered weird to call your doll by any gender. I don't understand why that'd be strange.

 

I usually use "she" or "he" when referring to inanimate objects if they are meant to represent a living thing/character. Which is why I naturally refer to my doll as "she", though this could also be habit as when I was little I always used "he" or "she" when referring to my toys.

 

I probably use all of them, though in Finland we don't have he or she word in the gendered sense.

 

For me, defiantly "she" or "he"

 

I find myself always referring to my dolls as "he" (they're all boys, at the moment.) Of course, I also occasionally refer to various other inanimate classroom objects as "he" or "she," and that probably comes from a number of years of trying to pin down the appropriate pronouns in French class.

I also teach preschool, so I am used to referring to toys, dolls, and stuffed animals as though they are alive. The children, of course, think this is perfectly normal, and adults usually accept the idiosyncrasy without comment.

 

Using "it" would make me feel like I was artificially distancing myself from my BJD who happens to be a boy. I'm getting difficulties when it comes to a body without the head (yet).

 

My dolls all have names and personalities. I refer to them either by thier name or thier proper gender. Of course, I do this for my Windstones as well because certain sculpts have certain genders.

 

I refer to her as "she"

 

Hmm, guys usually call mechanical things 'she' or 'her' like planes, cars and boats, etc. "She's running good" usually for a smooth running engine. So I find that odd in a guy, unless someone lectured him at a tender age about it. I'd ask him about that, like, did someone correct him when he was little? Just out of curiosity.

I have one YoSD (I would say the equivilent of 3 to 5 years age) and he/she switches genders depending on the outfit and wig. I try to just call the doll by name, rather then gender him/her. The others are who they are, gender or by name.

I know some people refer to all cats as She, and all Dogs as he, though.

 

I call my dolls by their gender as if they are a person. I think people should do whichever makes them comfortable and shouldn't be judged based on that choice.

 

He/she all the way! I just can't help but think of them that way! I guess it's a sign of how much they mean to us Though if I'm buying something for them in a shop I'll sometimes say "it" because not many people have heard about them in my town so they might judge me.

 

I'll always use 'he/she'.

 

My dolls have 'gender' so I use 'he' and 'she', buy they're still an 'it', you know? ,':/

 

Since I'm French and we don't have an "it" I call her she (well, in french it's "elle" ) but even in english I find it quite weird to call her "it", I can't even explain why...

 

I do call my dolls he or she, depending of the gender of course. Either it is my parents, friends, or boyfriend, they all know my hobby soince a long time and they get used to it and all this he/she thing. My mom even call 72 cm boy by his name because she helped me out to choose it for him.

 

All the above and their given names.

 

Usually I'm calling my dolls 'it' becouse they're just things.

 

He always, and my boys, since I only have males. If I had a girl doll she would be she. Maybe if I had a genderless one I might call it it or ze.

 

Interesting question! I do not think it is strange at all, although I can see why others may see it that way. I personally use he/she when I refer to my dolls, but when I'm talking to someone I barely know, I will use "it", just because I don't want them to think I am /too/ weird... XD