"Its a doll, its not a real person."

To something like that I'd probably have to razz the person just for insinuating that I might believe my dolls to be anything similar to a living organism. I simply find it as a silly, unnecessary comment that doesn't reflect too well on the person who said it. Although I'd definitely let it slide if the person was actually afraid of them in some way. I'm not cruel just sarcastic and enjoy joking around.

Honestly I don't see how it's any different from examples above provided by other members. From my experience it isn't at all uncommon for people to personify inanimate objects. I think the only thing different with dolls is they look human or relatively so and people outside the hobby would think you expect some type of response from your item. Personally I've found it more strange for people to name and love on their vehicles like they were a godsend of some kind, but at the same time guilty of saying "C'mon you can do it!" when it's having some kind of problem. Dolls are an outlet for a persons imagination and creativity much like most hobbies out there. With that fact it only makes sense to personify them and become attached. That is a good portion of their purpose after all.

 

i think people that dont collect any type of doll just dont get it. when we buy an expensive doll and then buy or make clothing for them and personalize the doll to how we like we get atached to the doll and there more than just another doll. i think its fun to pretend like there real people but they are dolls.... just more special

 

[paragraph]Haven't got a doll yet, but the one I'm planning on getting, I have so many ideas for already. A writer considers his characters as people, how is a physical representation of a mental character and expression of artistic ideas from inside my head any different?[/paragraph][paragraph]I know it's not alive in the literal sense of the word. For cryin' out loud, I'm a biologist! But it's important to me. Should I put down on your beloved dog that you humanize by saying it does or doesn't like something, by saying, "It's just a dog"? No I shouldn't. It's your dog. It's my doll. We shall call them as we please.[/paragraph][paragraph]Just because I don't feel like a responsible enough adult to take care of something with a pulse...*sheepish grin*[/paragraph]

 

As said before, people who don't have dolls just don't understand it. Looking from a wider point of you, there are people who understand that others might have different interests/opinions/loves, and there are those who don't understand it. I think of my dolls as something more than just a piece of plastic or a sum of money spent, on other hand, I don't talk about them as real living creatures because just don't think the others would be interested listening

 

hmm. I honestly don't really play with my dolls very much. I haven't felt the need to talk to them or "play" with them in that way. I was never a doll person growing up so I never really learned how to play with dolls like that. However the reason why I have BJD's is because they are highly customizable and I enjoy the customizing part I suppose I sometimes talk to them when I'm customizing them but I guess from the non-dolleh type people's perspective, it makes them feel silly and childish do talk or play with them as if they were real people. However being a newbie bjd collector myself I love the dolls because it feels more like an adult version and so I treat them as such. That's just me though.

 

Honestly, it would depend how they said it, whether or not I'd get upset. So my question is this...How did he go about it? I understand where non-doll collectors come from, but I believe friends should always be considerate before giving a heads up or an opinion in case it ends up coming out bitter or mean. In any case, if he isn't interested in them, just find something the both of you enjoy/like.

 

I think it's a personality trait to treat things that aren't alive as if they are. I mean I'm like that. Mostly with stuffies since I don't have a BJD yet, but if I do I'm pretty sure I'll treat her like a semi-real girl. I'm just so excited to find my first doll

 

I've gotten this my whole life, and not just from dolls. I've always lived half in my imagination, and I tend to get really involved when reading books, watching movies, ect, and when I talk about the characters from a book, movie, anime, or my own characters, talking about them if they're real just comes more naturally to me, and so when I get attached to a doll and their character, yes, they do feel real to me and I will get upset if I'm reminded that it's a doll. I get very upset, because I've copped that from my mum almost my whole life, and really, what kid wants to be told that what their imagination creates is weird?

For me, if you put enough thought and effort and love into a character, they become real to you, and treating the character like they're real can help to give them a believable character. and so when someone tells you 'it's just a doll' - and I've found that rarely does someone not say it callously, because the people who say that to someone seem not to think about whether it might hurt that person's feelings - it's like a slap in the face.it's like they're telling you the love and effort you put into your hobby is worthless, which I find quite hypocritical when you see how much effort, money and time people put into other hobbys and things they love, like football.

Ever heard of the saying that if you give something a name, you give it a soul? yeah, it's like that

 

I agree. It’s very difficult for people to understand your “relationship” to your dolls if they are not doll collectors themselves. I believe each of my dolls have a unique personality, feelings, and emotions. When people, for example, come up and ask me to strip the doll so they can see their genitalia, I politely tell them ‘no’ because it makes the doll uncomfortable. I get looked at like I’m crazy, but worse things have happened.

 

I do not start to talk about my doll unless someone want to know something but i also do not really mind if i let people know that my Lola is kinda real for me. My workmate who is not into doll but knows that i own one, asks me sometimes about my doll like "how is your Lola doing?" XD. Maybe it is because she likes her, even if she is not into dolls. My other workmate and my whole family is as crazy as me so i can talk the whole day about my girl

 

It is a doll, not a real person. IMO.

My dolls all have names. Some have characters, but to be honest, I am a bit envious of people who have well developed back stories and characters for their dolls. My creativity tends to go into making their clothing, and my characters stay on the written page.

Having said this, I see a big difference between the characters lovingly developed by an owner/creator and the actual hunk of resin portraying that character. So if I were to say, "---- doesn't like green," I wouldn't be talking about the doll, but about the character I've homed in that doll.

Therefore I have no problem putting my doll in a box, etc. And although I would feel horrible if my dolls were lost in a fire, I wouldn't mourn them like a lost human or pet. Because unlike the other two, I can rehome my characters in new shells if necessary.

Upthread, someone mentioned J.K. Rowling's characters as examples of characters that are real to their creator. I don't dispute this. I am sure Rowling knows more about Harry Potter than she knows about some of her neighbors or friends. But Harry Potter would continue to exist in Rowling's mind if he had never been published, that is, if he hadn't "taken form" in books and movies. Likewise, the characters created by doll owners exist with or without the doll. But the doll itself is still plastic.

 

I think this is a really interesting topic because I've seen doll owners that are very blunt about the fact that their doll is, well, a doll, and some who are very possessive and truly do treat their dolls with the quality of a real human being.

Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I understand that my girls are just dolls--and really, truly, dolls are just dolls--but that doesn't mean I can't have fun by pretending that they're a little more. Like many people, I pretend to see expressions on Elodae's face from time to time, or pretend that her kicky legs and arms are in protest to whatever I'm doing. Trouble getting dressed? It's not me, clearly she just wanted to be naked! I take the best care possible of my dolls, but if I do mess up somehow... It's not like I feel I should go to jail for dollie-neglect. Nor should anyone! After all, these ARE just dolls.

However, do I think other people need to make borderline rude comments about how I treat my dolls? No. For example, my boyfriend knows that I understand Elodae is just a doll and that I like to play pretend with her sometimes. He knows better than to make comments about it because it's just an unspoken agreement that we both have: he knows that I know, so why mention it? People who do comment on it are only commenting because they're uncomfortable with the idea that a doll might have a personality, or that you might think it does.

So I guess in the end... While I would argue to anyone in daily life that my dolls have personalities and lives of their own, I know (logically) that that's not really the case.

 

Yeah, but I agree with what another person wrote, doll people get it. I try to be aware of my surroundings when I discuss my dolls, because if they're not gonna get it, why set myself up to get upset. However, you're not alone. If you ever come across someone that is insanely, unnaturally obsessed (if there is such a thing), with their dolls, perhaps you'll see things from an outsiders perspective.

 

How many of you see your dolls as real people? And treat them as such and have feelings for them as such? Empathy, Love, etc.

It's not so much that my Marc is seen as a real person, but it is the personification of him. Giving a personality to an inanimate object. I know he's "just a doll", but I love him and cherish him more then most people I know.

Have any of you had a situation like this where your ideals were shot down or objected?
How did you react?


All the time. For everything. That's life. Like Friedrich Nietzsche says: "What does not destroy me, makes me stronger."

I am stubborn, so when people try to shoot me down or tell me "no" or "you can't"...I tend to do it anyways. XD

 

I only do the whole "pretending the doll is alive" with my best friend, because we both know it's a play. I wouldn't say something like "Luna is sad today, because the other dolls ignore her" to a stranger. Because it does seem creepy, if they don't know the game.

 

I often talk to things that aren't alive, usually when they make me angry.
Though the only place I attribute emotions to a nonliving thing is when it comes to dolls. My doll friends and I are always talking about what kind of mood our dolls are in and what makes them angry or happy. It just seems natural. While i do realize that my dolls are not alive I do find that they have a certain bit of personality whether it is through the character they are portraying or just through all the customization and attention they have been given.

I think I would be upset if someone rudely told me it's just a doll when I was talking about how putting that random duck costume on him made him angry. If they meant to be joking that would be a different story. Luckily for me all my non doll friends are used to my strange behavior and they just humor me and play along. ^-^

 

I see them for exactly what they are, as dolls.

I'll talk to other doll people about what type of personality my girls would have if they were real, but that's as far as I go.

 

ahha if i'm talking about "a new family member is coming home soon" (Talking about that I bought a new doll) then my sister just rolls her eyes and smiles :-) I think she can understand it

 

LUCKY you!, I am envious.

 

I think you really have to be in the hobby to understand the special bond between dolls and humans! I don't really get my friend's burning love for automobiles because im not a car enthusiast like he is but i'm sure that it's similar to how I feel about my dollies!