Portraying Dollie Drug Use?

I get what you're saying on the last part and completely understand, but as for the first part... Photoshoots aren't always great and glamourous. I took photography in high school and it's just like any other art form. You portray your thoughts, opinions, and feelings through it. So photoshoots can be good or bad, depending on those factors. I myself don't take very many "happy" photos - things are often distorted or dark because that's what I like to portray in all my artistic endevours. Of course bright and optimistic photography is great too, but I was just trying to explain how it can go either way.

Anyways, I guess that's sort of off topic... Just wanted to toss in my two cents on how I interpreted what you were saying.

 

Yeah reading back the first part isn't what I meant at all... like I said I find it difficult to explain *edits*

 

It's okay. XD Language barriers suck. I thought maybe you could have meant it differently with everything you said after it, but I was still compelled to reply. :X

 

To me, what is most important: Plot. And since these involves dolls, good photos and well-thought out chronology as well.

Basically, if the plot and photos are good, I'll be there reading it. It's the same for any fictional piece of work. Drug usage is a part of the world now a days and to pretend it doesn't exist...is idealistic to the point of danger. In stories, it's either part of the plot or part of characterization. If they're done well, all the better. If they make the readers think, then it's even better fiction. If they're used as a cheap 'shock' factor and glamorization, then it gets distasteful fast and becomes unappealing to me.

 

Dose it bother me personally, no, but I choose not to look at it. As our doll "world" is completely made up, I prefer things that are nicer. Not to say I don't like a good plot and more realistic in them, but why the really bad side of life. I know it's there, all I have to do is turn on the news or look on the internet at our current events and there will be a killing over drugs, or a young kid that overdose and dies or the really good ones where they figure out how to make it look and taste like candy and give leave it on a bus for little kids to find. I see enough bad stuff as it is. Here for me is a place to escape and enjoy, not see more, even if they are just dolls.

 

I personally don't think its that crazy. They ARE just characters, if drugs tend to be a part of their character, I guess thats fine too.

In photoshoots, I tend to think its kinda ridiculous. I mean dolls doing drugs? Just like the dolls who cut them selves, its the owners prerogative I guess.

 

I have no problem with dolls using any type of substance, real or made-up. So long as there is a reason and not just doing it to be "cool" or "everyone else is doing it". Characters are often very much like normal people and sometimes problems come up and it is easier to go to a substance rather than dealing with it.

 

As someone who's has a direct experience with drug abuse (no, not myself), I can honestly say it would not offend me. I personally like angsty stories where the author tourtures the character by having them be a certain way.

Having my experience specifically with heroin doesn't change my opinion at all as well. Part of me wants to say that "joking around with it" would be okay. I joke about a lot of serious and personal things I deal with to lighten it. It makes it easier on me personally as well.

It obviously doesn't belong here, but it isn't wrong. Like I said in the "nude child dolly" thread: No real fleshy, mind, soul, or body is being harmed. Just a character that the creator loves and loves to torture.

 

I wouldn't be offended, per se... but stories/movies/etc. involving drug abuse is a serious turn-off for me. Thankfully, I'm well-versed in the art of 'I don't like it, so I don't look at it'. So I wouldn't be offended, and I wouldn't think poorly of the writer/poster who did include such things in their story, but I myself wouldn't be interested in reading.

 

I was not implying that it disturbs me or makes me think that there is something wrong with the owner. I said that it would make me worry about the owner. That says that I do not assume that there is something wrong, but see the possibility. Dolls and characters do reflect the psyche of the owner though not their real life in my opinion, as every decision made is made by thoughts in the owners head. As an example, I have never considered using drug use or alcohol or anything like that in my dolls, as they are not part of my life so I do not even think about them unless someone else brings them up.

I genuinely am concerned for the health and happiness of all the many nice people here on DOA! Though I know that everyone has problems with their lives and may enjoy working through things with dolls, which can surely be very therapeutic - that is something that I rarely see on DOA - not that I look - and so it usually does not pose a concern for me. I would be equally concerned with someone showing any sort of serious problem with their dolls. My background makes drugs all the more serious to me.

From a writers perspective I do understand that not everything is applicable to the direct psyche of the writer or owner, but can be a desire for a plot challenge. That is why I said that as a reader I would like it if the doll were triumphing over drug use, just as I would think that is valuable in a book or real life, whereas I would not like to read a book of a desperate addict who never makes progress or gets worse.

 

Personally, I have nothing against it. Almost everything else is depicted in various photostories. If you're glorifying hard drugs, well, that might be something to reconsider but one of my characters is a pot smoking retired goddess & it's all done in fun.

 

I think it's against the rules on DoA, so this probably isn't the place for it.

That being said, my personal feelings on dolly drug use? I don't have much of a problem with real person drug use so fictional doll drug use really doesn't bother me either. I grew up with a family of avid pot smokers who always made sure that the line between drug user and drug addict was very clear. And as awful as some of the consequences are, characters with addictive personalities tend to be rather interesting and involving to follow.

 

it doesn't bother me if it's in a story or not. One of my own boys has a very serious problem with addictions, and not all are drug related, but some are. It's part of his character and how he handles some of his own rather debilitating problems. I myself would never do anything of the sort and I try not to associate myself with people who do indulge in some form of drug addiction, But it works for my character, story and setting. He's just a doll, so there's no real danger in any of it ^-^;

 

I don't think I would be offended, If I saw a photo/photostory of a doll that's addicted to drugs. I would read it. I guess it's just part of the background someone would give to their doll, maybe to enrich their doll's experience in its life or just to show the doll's life situation. In some ways, it might be projecting drug use and it could even be a way of promoting it in cases, but in my opinion, it depends on the doll's character and its owner, how the owner is portraying the drug use on the doll. I would feel the same about alcohol addiction.

However, I wouldn't like to see it happening in doll backgrounds/stories often, it might indeed be too "gritty" like you said, like too much of a dramatic situation. At the same time, it might intrigue people to read your doll's story and it might be interesting to them. I would probably be intrigued, myself.

That's the case with me, too, drug use or generally pain, a troubled mind or a troublesome past in a doll's life can make things more interesting for the reader. It's just in the story. ^^

 

I wouldn't be offended at all if BJD stories included addictions, drugs, alcohol and the like. It adds character depth and makes them more unique, and much more interesting to read. The idea of a Mary Sue when owners of dolls expand out of the comfort level of some individuals can make a really awesome story. There are so many people who own dolls that really expand the dolly universe with their amazing attention to detail and the depth they put into their characters.

 

But what if this is what the owner is trying to show? I mean it might be the dolls character, it seems like an undesirable characteristic to me but some dolls (I don't want to generalise by saying 'all') are like characters which people may find easier to relate to if they have good and bad qualities to them.

 

EDIT: Double post

 

I dont think its a problem bec. its a story.

 

^This. Plot is important. If the character is an asset to the story, than this character needs to be written. It it's merely done for the 'shock' effect or 'cause it's 'cool' it gets boring soon enough.

I do not agree with some that photostories need to be full of peace and happyness. I'd like to see photostories the same as movies or novels, and there are pretty much stories out there that do not have a happy ending and are still good. (Atonement, anyone?) What's important to me is what the motivation of you writing this is. Do you have something to say that's important. Because then I'm interested and I don't really care if it is about drug-use or daisies.

@MareOfNight: I do not really understand what it is you're trying to say, because I think you're contradicting yourself.
First you say that you do not think there's something wrong with a person that's having a troubled character-doll, but that you worry for him/her. To me this is just softening your opinion, because someone might feel offended. The whole first part of your reply shows you dó think something must be wrong with the owner.
And yet by the end of your reply you say that 'not everything is applicable to the direct psyche of the writer or owner, but can be a desire for a plot challenge.' See, here you're contradicting yourself. So what do you want to say?

For me, one character doesn't have to say anything about the writers life. The stóry however does. It shows with what themes the person writing it has worked with. It shows what he or she thinks is important in life. It shows his or her view of the world. And you usually need very opposite characters to make the story work. In one story you'll have sweethearts and sadists and presidents and paupers. But taking only one of them isn't enough to have a clear look into the writers psyche.