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Portraying Dollie Drug Use?

Jan 15, 2008

    1. Thanks to unoa_im_afreak for the answer format.

      How would you feel if you saw a photo story of a doll who had some kind of drug addiction? Would you read it, or skip over it and move on, or even be offended?

      I would read the story if it appealed to me. The doll character's drug addiction itself wouldn't be the reason I skipped over the story. And I don't see why I would be offended.

      Would it make a difference if the character in question was addicted to alcohol or if they were addicted to heroin? How about a made-up drug?

      It wouldn't make a difference to me. It is the owner/author's personal preference and it is their character that they are creating.

      Is drug use/addiction too "gritty" for the BJD world? No

      Fiction (stories, art, poetry, etc) outside the BJD world covers topics that may be offensive to some but not others. I guess that I believe in the freedom of speech (expression), but I have my own personal limits. I wouldn't read something that offended me. As for stories posted on the DOA forum, the guidelines must be adhered to.
       
    2. It's a factor in story telling. I don't see why people get so offended by things in FICTION. When I get offended, it's at some person feeding the world some crap and saying it's truth, or okay. When it's in fiction.... IT'S FICTION. That's why I didn't have a problem with The Da Vinci Code. It's so laughably ill-researched... but it's fiction. That's artistic license, folks.
      A doll with drugs? Fine! Sadism? Homosexuality? Beasiality? Alchohalism? Pedohpilia? I don't get bothered, because they are things that a story writer uses in the story for the bettering of the story. I hate happy books, because they have no real conflict. It's boring.

      Then again, if you're using your dolls to make a positive statement about drugs (unless the person endorsing it is clearly mistaken in the story), I think most of us would appreciate that sort of thing not being exposed to the younger members of the forum.
       
    3. personally....

      what we see in photostories.... drug use, alcohol abuse... the different pairings people have and stuff...

      how tame it is compared to reality. you see worse on the daily news. I doubt what we do really makes a difference. Besides, It's not our responsiblity to 'protect' the 'kids' of the board.

      so i don't have a problem with anything like that. when i was 14 i had rp characters who were addicted to heroine and alcohol and that was like 6 years ago. How the times have changed... 10 year olds know more than i knew when I was a teenager.
       
    4. While i certainly don't advocate or approve of drug use in any way, I wouldn't be offended by it being used as a plot device for a doll's character or photostory. And, let's face it-people as young as 13 ARE aware that drugs exist. They're constantly being informed of that fact by popular culture. I, for one, would be less concerned about the influence that a pot-smoking doll might have on my child than the influence some real life "idols"-like Britney Spears or Lindsey Lohan-might have.

      As far as fictional drugs go-I'm reminded of one particular example in a young adult book (directed at younger teenagers) called Valiant, wherein the characters become addicted to a substance called Nevermore, which is essentially fairy dust (the plot of the book focuses on modern-day fairies and other such creatures) that causes them to hallucinate and develop abilities they wouldn't normally have. Though it's fictional, the drug still has consequences., and the book emphasizes the importance of understanding that things like that may have a power over you that you can't control.

      i'm trying to keep this from becoming *too* tl;dr, so the main point i'm making is this: Drugs happen in the real world, and as such there's no real reason that they couldn't be a factor in someone's dolly world as well.
       
    5. I don't really have any sort of ethical problem with dolls using drug use, but all the pics I've seen of such just make me laugh. Nothing like a laugh to make the day go better!
       
    6. There isn't much that bothers me in terms of fiction, and, that's really what we are talking about here.

      There are subjects I like better than others, but as other posters have said, I can choose to read or not read.

      I have a character that smokes a little herb, but I use that as a storytelling tool to bring forth an imaginary, magical character that interacts with the main character. Actually, I only "showed" it once, in the very first chapter, now I just allude to it as the story really isn't about drug use, it's about the interaction between the character and his imaginary friend.
       
    7. I can see it's necessary for certain story telling aspects. But personally I dont care to look at most of those pictures and dont really buy dolls with that character in their past. It doesn't meld with the types of characters I have for my stories, so the MOJO doesn't blend. Might be weird, but for me, the doll's past character/life impacts my buying decisions.
       
    8. I wouldn't see a problem with it. I'd probably read it, as long as it was presented tastefully and not in graphic, Requiem For a Dream-esque detail. I don't think there's anything wrong with writing about real things that happen - I don't think it's "glorifying it" especially the way drugs are usually written about.

      Honestly - I'm straightedge, and have had family members (/family-members-in-law) severely affected by alcoholism, so I don't see a significance difference between alcohol and heroin except that one is federally restricted. For that matter my epilepsy medication is a controlled substance (that people occasionally abuse)! I don't think ANY drug is a GOOD thing but I do think it's just as realistic as, say, violence or abuse.

      I honestly don't think it should be restricted on this forum. 13 year olds are probably dealing with friends of theirs doing drugs, or at least reading about it and seeing it on TV. This stuff EXISTS. To pretend it doesn't is a little far-fetched.
       
    9. How would you feel if you saw a photo story of a doll who had some kind of drug addiction? Would you read it, or skip over it and move on, or even be offended?

      I think it really depends on how it was portrayed. I see so much cliche' drug use/abuse stories that I really feel as if I've seen it all before. If it's something done that I can be interested in, then sure, I'll read it. It takes alot to offend me, and drug use, while I don't condone it, is a part of everyday life.

      Would it make a difference if the character in question was addicted to alcohol or if they were addicted to heroin? How about a made-up drug?

      I'm not sure about this one really. I might find it more interesting if someone could have made up a drug and it still make sense within its proper boundaries. I'd definitely rather read drug use than alcoholism though, as I feel it makes better fiction. Drunk people just fall all around, but the druggies tend to have more personality and more of a sense of absolute despair. My own opinion of course.

      Is drug use/addiction too "gritty" for the BJD world?

      This hobby is one filled with vampires, rape, homosexuality, abuse, drugs, smoking, torture, demons, murderers and everything else you could possibly think of. I'm pretty sure that this is the hobby for people who feel the need to be gritty. Nothing is too taboo in the doll world, I feel. Granted, you have alot of good too, but these things are just more widely accepted in this community.
       
    10. I'd be fine with it.

      If tastefully done or really well written / photographed with a good story line, I may even become a fan.

      I like a wide variety of books and movies. I see dolls and photo-stories as another way to breath life into a story one has in their head.
       
    11. How would you feel if you saw a photo story of a doll who had some kind of drug addiction? Would you read it, or skip over it and move on, or even be offended?

      I would read it. I wouldn't be offended, because I like a sort of story like that. [It's the reason I'm in love with Nikki Sixx's Herion Diaries.] But even if I didn't, I think an owner has the right to portray their dolls any way they want to.

      Would it make a difference if the character in question was addicted to alcohol or if they were addicted to heroin? How about a made-up drug?

      I personally think drug stories are more interesting, but it's not really a difference. A made up drunk would be interesting...As long as it's realistic.

      Is drug use/addiction too "gritty" for the BJD world?

      No. BJDs are mostly collected by older teens and adults anyway, and I would be surprised if a child was interested enough in the to make stories like that. BJDs aren't barbies after all.
       
    12. read it, or skip over it and move on, or even be offended?
      if it looked interesting and well done, I'd read it.
      Non-BJD stories can feature drugs and alcohol. I prefer it when the reactions are shown properly. In saying this, I mean, I'm a big fan of 2D from 'Gorillaz'. He's addicted to sleeping pills and pain medication and he also drinks and smokes but he is also portrayed to be 'out of it' most of the time.
      It's part of the character and if he wasn't like that, he'd probably be pretty normal and boring.

      Would it make a difference if the character in question was addicted to alcohol or if they were addicted to heroin? How about a made-up drug?
      Errr... I think the above answer kinda takes care of that.

      Is drug use/addiction too "gritty" for the BJD world?
      I don't believe in a 'squeaky clean' world of anything. There are probably horror photo stories that have lots of fake blood and gore and no drugs... Is that too gritty? I don't think it is...

      Thank you for taking time to read my opinion.
       
    13. In all honesty, this would not bother at all. Not one bit. This is probably because I'm on the side of the "most things are fine in moderation" when it comes to general recreational drug usage. Granted, I exclude a few from that for obvious reasons, but I'm sure you get my point.

      Does anyone have any actual examples of stories involving this? I'm actually quite curious now.
       
    14. Most of what I'd have to say about this topic has already been said. I like a well-told story regardless of the media used to convey it, and the same goes for photostories. It's all about how well it's portrayed and how deep the story goes.

      However, the above quoted comment kind of struck me. I'm not really going to touch the "most dolls are supposed to be innocent" part, but rather the last part. "If you wouldn't do it yourself why make your doll do it?" My dolls are exactly the opposite. My dolls are characters in a silly story of my creation, most of it complete fantasy. Generally my photostories cover lighter topics because it's my personal preference, but my dolls are sheer unreality. Most of the characters are mythical in some way... one of them is a Valkyrie and collects the souls of fallen warriors. I wouldn't do that myself because I can't. =P But also, some of the characters are more childlike, or more tactless, or more naive than me. Hue blurts out things that might be considered rude before he thinks twice about it. That's not something I would do, but that's why my doll's character does it... it's a way to explore something different. If my doll's character just went to work every day and had the same personality/likes/dislikes as me it would be rather boring to me. (Not to mention kind of creepy).

      I see the doll drug use the exact same way as I see most other topics. It's a story. That doesn't mean the owner has serious issues, just that they would like to explore a topic through fiction. I wonder if the answers would vary if the topic was about written prose, rather than dolls? As others have said, it all comes down to how well the story is told. Whether that story is of the goofy "Cheech and Chong" variety, or an intense drama about the consequences of serious drug addiction. It's all about the way the material is handled, and why it's part of the story/character. If the issue is there just for shock value, I see that as tasteless. But if it's a well-thought out element of the story and contributes something to the tale in general I'd probably read it, whether comedic or dramatic.
       
    15. Don't think it's any different from a picture of a person doing it. As long as it's not pro-drug propaganda, i'm fine with it.
       
    16. Hmm. I doubt I'd mind much, but then again it does depend on how it goes. I wouldn't mind, but I probably wouldn't appreciate it if it were executed undelicately.
       
    17. I wouldn't mind. I mean, why make dolls so lifelike if they can't have lifelike addictions?
       
    18. It doesn't offend me and I don't mind anything people do with their dolls or their own bodies if they are adults, but I don't think DOA is an appropriate place to post stories portraying drug use because there are kids who post and read here. I do not agree with the poster who said that most 13 year olds are dealing drugs anyway, so it should be ok, and I don't think that TV shows that portray drug use as recreation are appropriate for 13 year olds either. Rape, violent murder, and drug addiction are commonplace in our world and kids are exposed to these things on tv and newspapers, but I don't think that makes it ok for these things to be on a forum about dolls where kids are members. It wouldn't bother me at all to have drug stories here if the age restriction for membership was raised to 16.
       
    19. Well, conserding I have a recovering heroin addict doll, No I wouldn't be offended.

      But its all about tact, and realism in my book. I don't like photostorys in general, but if its something (say a doll in a downward addiction sprial) potrayed in a realistic, maybe heartbreaking way, well yeah I'm gonna read. I like stuff like that and I'm not easily offended.

      General rectational drug use for fun, well that dosent bother me either, again as long as its tastefull and realistically potaryed, why not give your doll some element of vice or let them be "expermental". I mean we are all human and we use our dolls to express the theams and ideas that maybe we cant or don't want to explore in our daily lives..or to reflect them, to me its whatever makes YOU interested as a photo story author.

      I just don't think these thing are appropriates for this broad of course, given its aduince, but of course right venue, nah. I wouldn't be offended by dolly drug use in the slightest. Fiction is fiction after all.
       
    20. I think it would depend on how well written the story is and the resulting emotional attachment to the character. I'm not sure if I would be completely comfortable reading it as I would about a real life story, as to be honest I hate seeing characters, real or not, in pain. However if the story had a happy ending I would be happy too as I'm a sucker for things turning out all right. :P