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

I completely understand how you feel. I have always considered my dolls, bears, etc 'alive' with personalities since I was a little girl (I'm in my thirties now). I kinda thought that they would play, talk, fight, or whatever whenever I wasn't around and after Toy Story came out, it felt like more people thought the way I did, you know?

Heck, I even think my car has a personality, and I talk to her (yes, it's a she!) since she can be as moody and stubborn just like I can . I know a lot of people who feel the same way about their cars, so why not dolls? They are even more 'human' then a huge piece of movable metal, plastic, belts, tubes, rubber, oil, and gas!

 

i always act like my dolls and plush were alive. ''you must think i look stupid now, Aiden ''
i've been like that since i was a kid. i talk to things. i feel like they are watching me...
i have to convice myself they dont really see and hear me
im selling one of my doll and my friend said ''you're so crual! hes gonna be so sad, left alone in a box, thinking you no longer love him!...'' and i replied ''its just a doll! he doesnt think or feel!'' back home i apologized to him for selling him (like: its not you, its me! ||| xD)
ah la la, im a lost cause xD

 

I do not have a doll, but when I am around any other doll I always talk to them. I treat them like they are real people even though I know they are not. I like to treat them like that becouse to me they deserve it. They are unique and have personalities all to themself. Many people outside of the BJD world do not feel this way, but I believe they should. When someone says they are creepy I just say, "Not to me." Most people don't understand but they should.

 

XD I explain my doll habit to people like it's a medical problem, slowly and with a lot of proven facts.

My dollies are like people, granted, people who sleep in their clothes on a doll sized bed and who can't dress themselves...but people none the less. Sometimes with my other BJD friends we have conversations if our dolls were talking and we make "dolly jokes" But all in all it's like having a whole bunch of miniature people.

My mom always gives me a crooked eyebrow when I say stuff like " He doesn't like it when someone mentions his wobbly waist" or, "He wouldn't wear something like that, he wouldn't like it."

i've gotten a few "it's just a doll" comments before but I normally glare and then ignore it.

 

I actually don't do anything that would elicit the "it's just a doll" remark. If I have to change the eyes, I open that head and take those suckers out without thinking about it (except the time I cut myself on the eyes, but that's a different story ). I always treat them very nicely and make sure that they're not in any kind of trouble, but I'm like that with all my stuff. I don't put them to bed or talk to them.

There are only two things I do. When I'm not with them, I miss them and sometimes express it to whoever is with me. I also am very careful about what I buy for them and think "is this something that fits with the character? Would s/he wear this if s/he could pick for him/herself?" But... I know the characters and I want to make sure the way they dress fits in with their personality.

Honestly, when I was at a doll meet, I was make a little uncomfortable by people saying things like "Oh, he doesn't like that I'm changing him in public" or things like that. I understand the feelings that these dolls elicit, as I love them myself, and I don't judge people for saying and thinking stuff like that, and I would never say anything about it to the person. But it can take getting used to, even to someone who has dolls and loves them.

Try not to be too bothered by it Everything is about perspective and what you're used to, and most people aren't used to hearing how your doll is feeling. Give them time and they'll come around. I'm working on it too

 

I don't believe that my dolls are real people, BUT I do talk to them and stuff and apologize if I happen to bend Aieko a certain way she doesn't seem to want to go. I don't think she's a person that will talk back to me or anything like that, but I do talk to her and stuff.

I actually have a few friends who will ask how my girls are doing! ^^ It always makes me feel good.

 

I don't actually have a doll yet (she's on layaway and should be home by early April) but I'm sure that once she gets home I'll get the "it's just a doll not a person" remarks a lot. It's not that I see her as being human, but I talk to inanimate objects all the time.
For as long as I can remember I've fussed at my computer when it misbehaves, I've spoken kindly to an old beater of a car that didn't want to cooperate, and I've even been known to try and bribe a traffic light with cookies to make it hurry up and turn green. So the idea of talking to a doll that's actually made to look like a miniature person isn't exactly all that strange to me.

 

If referring to a doll as a 'he' or 'she' rather then an 'it', changing their outfits because they've gotten tired of the old one, saying they don't like something, that they like something, or even saying how they feel to other people means you think of it as a real person then yes, yes I do.

I mean, I'll talk to other people about my dolls and most of the time they either don't respond or say something odd. Like Elli, my PukiPuki Cupid, has been called a 'little troll doll' and a 'little elf doll' among other things. I don't take offense to it though because I know my friends mean no harm. Some of them think she's cute and others just think she's the creepiest thing in the world. But please notice, I said my friends. If I just 'talk to you' on occasion I don't even mention dolls because I don't want to hear what you might have to say.

When I was in the processes of buying her and I over heard some of my relatives comments by saying 'She spent that on a doll?" Or, 'It's just a doll', 'Or let me see the creepy doll." Then yeah, I was a little hurt but I didn't say anything. I mean I know collecting dolls isn't a very common habit but I've never been a very common girl. I've always prided myself in doing things other people don't, or taking interest in things other people find odd, and expected them to know that.

But I guess the bottom line is I see Elli as a person and I treat her as such. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

It's really funny, but most of my "human" friends (which aren't that many) have started to treat my dolls as real people, or at least they humor me about it. At first, they always find it a little weird when I start talking about the drama that goes on among them to my boyfriend, and they'll go, "Who is she talking about...?" And he'll point at my dolls. XD He's actually accepted them as a huge part of my life, and he really likes them as well (even saying stuff like, "Don't put her over there, she doesn't like that!" and asking that I set Ross next to him on the couch when he's playing games. )

I think of my dolls as my friends, especially Megan who I consider to be my best friend, since she was there during a point in my life where I was practically homeless and completely alone. I come home from work or class, and if something happens, I'm all like, "Oh my God, Megan, guess what." And she'll listen and give me advice. Maybe it's odd, and taking it a bit too far, but I find my relationships with my dolls are much more satisfying than any relationships I've had with real people.

I like to use them as a support system as well. If I'm feeling nervous about my first day at class after a long vacation, I'll take Megan or Soo with me because they have strong, confident personalities, and I don't, and they give me an encouraging boost when I need it, just like friends should!

My classmates and coworkers also find it entertaining, to say the least, especially the fact that they are anatomically correct, which can spark really interesting conversations.

I only hang around people who are pretty accepting of me. They know I'm weird in other ways, so it's just something else that adds on to their amusement.

 

no i don't think that doll just a doll, its more then just a doll.....

 

I often talk about my doll as if he were a real person. However, this is referencing his character and not the doll itself.

I did feel bad the first time I took his hands and feet off for cleaning. I thought to myself, "It's like I'm amputating him." I also flip every I drop him, then hold him gently and I say I'm sorry. So I guess I have some hidden, deep view of my doll as a person that can be harmed.

As for instances that "hit a nerve," I had an odd one with my boyfriend.
Me: "What would you do if Axlinde came to life?"
Bf: "Throw it in a wood chipper."
Me: "But what if it wasn't like The Doll Master and he didn't try to kill me?"
Bf: "Still throw it in a wood chipper."
Me: *silence*

This hurt me because, while I know it's impossible, if my doll were to ever come to life (non horror movie style) I would be completely ecstatic. My boyfriend would want to not only destroy my doll, but that experience as well.

To Sho-chan, don't be put off by the, "it's not a real person." It's perfectly fine to talk about and treat your doll as though they were real with feelings. We often personify things we love/are attached to. For example, many people are attached to their cars and may use "she" or "her" when talking about it. They also make comments about the car as if it were a real person with thoughts and feelings. My father is a good example of this. While working on his car, "She just doesn't want to cooperate today. Gonna have to talk real nice to her." When the car was finally fixed, "Such a woman! Gotta give her everything she wants before she'll do anything for you." Stuff like this happens all the time with all kinds of people and objects, so don't feel bad about it, especially with a doll that looks like a person (as supposed to a car which doesn't).

Hope this helps.

 

Well, it's a fact: they're dolls, not real people. The fun part with this is that i've had other people talk about my dolls like they were alive, wich kind of spooks me.
Clear example: i amputated Haru's arms and legs, some time ago. (I've put her legs back now) Everyone went "ohmygod what did you do, it's so CRUEL!" and such. Well, one can't be cruel to an object. And it's a fact: no matter how much you care about them, they're fake items. You can dress them warm in cold days, or make sure they are sitting comfortably and such, but even if you leave your doll armless, headless and in an uncomfortable position, it won't mind it at all. That's one of the reasons why i like them so much.

 

I talk about my dolls like they're real. But I know that they aren't, plus I've always been the type of person to personify everything... I have an overactive imgination.

My dad makes fun of me, but I ignore him because he pisses me off most of the time anyway. But my mother seems to enjoy it and will actually help me find things for them. Even thoug she can't keep their names right.

 

I'll admit I don't really talk to my dolls and never infront of other people. I just don't feel the need to in a way. They have their backstories and personalities but they are clearly non-living to me. The only thing to slip out is the odd apology when I mess up their hair accidentally or something. That doesn't stop me from loving them to bits though!

 

I don't actually see my dolls as "real people" as a lot of doll people do. I do talk to them, and talk of them like they are, however, but my friends don't see it as odd as I tend to animate a lot of inanimate objects through speech.

But I can't say I'd ever have my ideals like that crushed, since I don't see them as real to begin with.

 

I haven't saved up enough money to get a doll yet, but I'm lucky enough that my two best friends are as into dolls as I am, and my other friends accept that we're kind of freaky in that respect ^^ . I don't think of them as real people as such, but as with other things that I own, I'd feel really bad about leaving them on a shelf for ages. I used to collect model horses, and it was the same with them. I'd feel horrible if I just left them. I don't think I'll ever be able to sell any of my dolls, for exactly that reason.

I think I'll talk to my doll, for sure, but I'm never going to expect her to talk back to me. :P I don't see dolls as lumps of resin, but I don't see them as being people. I do love my doll, but I would never value her over, say, my dog, because I accept that dogs are living, breathing creatures. When it comes down to it (and I ignore my overactive imagination), dolls are just dolls.

 

hmm I"m pretty attatched to my baby.. but I do understand he is just a doll. It's more of the character that's ended up being built around him that I'm attatched to. And, I know I'll get just as attached to my second one. But, all my characters I get like that, and will refer to them as if they where real people... be they characters in a DnD game, a comic, story.. or just ones floating in my head. Because to me, they are real in a sense...

 

Nothing that people spend this much money on or work this hard on is "Just a doll" ....it takes a lot of effort to put together something beautiful and if it is what your into... weather it's "alive" or not it really is important your friend respects that! I have had people be really rude to my dogs... and they actually are alive... because "Hey... they're just dogs" ....I am old enough now that I don't keep people around who are going to be rude to me or disrespectful of the things I care about. I wouldn't treat others like that and I prefer to hand out with people who are nice.

 

I'm awaiting the arrival of my first doll, but I honestly don't see a problem with the "It's just a doll" comments. Honestly, I doubt that I'll treat my doll like a real person, and don't really believe that a doll will have it's "own personality" or whatever. I have a character for my doll, but it's my creation, not something that the doll developed.

While I don't really understand why people would glare or be upset over the comment of "It's just a doll," I'd have a little bit of tact in explaining that I would prefer to talk about the dolls as objects for a while.

As for the comments of "They aren't real friends if they'd stop hanging out with you over talking to dolls like real people."- I disagree with this statement primarily because if I made my friends feel uncomfortable and their hints and talks to me weren't getting through my thick skull, then I'd understand if they drifted away.

I'll admit, I have some pretty weird hobbies. Currently I pretend to be Vampires, Fairies, and Wizards with a bunch of my friends on the weekend, and I've started to collect "creepy looking dolls". The key is to not "freak out the Norms" as we say in LARP. Basically, ensure that you aren't creeping your friends out by cooing and talking to your doll as if it was a real person around those who aren't into it.

That's my two cents.

 

I do talk to my (and my daughter's) dolls, and often attribute wants, likes, and dislikes to them. Yes, I am an adult and able to function quite well in the "real" world, but I don't believe I have to give up imaginative play just because other people think it's weird. (Hell, I've NEVER cared if people think what I do is weird. That's THEIR problem.)

And that's my problem with this post. What you choose to do is your choice. How you treat your dolls is your choice. Why should you care how other people think of/treat/refer to their dolls? It's like saying "I don't think people should read (insert author's name here)." You choose not to read that author, but it's really not your business to decide what other people should read.