Should Some Sort Of Age Limit Be Imposed Regarding The Sale Of Gore-Themed Dolls?

My fiancé is afraid of dolls and physically recoils when he sees antro dolls (he finds those really disturbing while most people find them adorable and cute), so each time I want to look at pictures of antro dolls (I don't own one) I check if my fiancé isn't around. I also warn him when I take my dolls out, but he has not forbidden me to buy dolls. Not even the antro dolls. I can buy an antro as long as I don't expect him to like the doll.
If you treat each other with respect which is something that goes both ways, there is no need to censor buying "scary things".

 

Okay, here's a reaction from a very squeamish person. As a child, I was very easily frightened of all sorts of scary visuals - not scary things in books (text), but in illustrations or on tv and things like that. I would very definitely have been scared of a gore-themed doll and if I'd accidentally stumbled across one, it would no doubt have made an appearance in one of my many nightmares. I even had nightmares about ET, whom I thought a horribly ugly, creepy creature. All my friends thought ET was cute -_-.

I'm still squeamish. I don't like horror movies, zombie comics or ... gore mods in dolls. Scary images can still haunt me - and that certainly goes for reports about war zones on the news, too! So I really appreciate a warning. On the news, you get warnings that images may not be suitable to sensitive viewers. That's my cue to look away. I avoid horror movies and horror comics (though I like vampire shows like Buffy and True Blood, because they are so over the top). When a gallery thread has a gore warning in its title, I'll probably skip it (not always - it's about dolls, not people, and I appreciate a skillful mod). I just don't like it if people spring gore on me, because the surprise is always unpleasant.

So: I was the kind of child you would have wanted to keep those dolls away from. But would I ever have gone *looking* for them? Goodness no! I wouldn't have spent money on them - I would have spent money to keep them away from me. There would have been absolutely no point in forbidding me to buy a gore-themed doll; it would have been unnecessary.

As for whether a gore-themed doll could inspire a child 'wrongly' (or something - I'm trying to think why you might not want your child to have one), I think that children who don't buy their dolls 'ready-maimed' can very easily do their own custom doll-maiming. Who doesn't know a girl who used to mistreat/hurt/dismember her 'harmless' Barbie dolls? They weren't made for that, but children will experiment with this anyway. That doesn't mean they are going to grow into violent adults. There seems to be a fascination with the macabre in human nature, adults as well as children. It's age-old and I think it's neither right nor wrong.

 

I figure that if the child is mature enough to understand the value of these tremendously expensive dolls then they're plenty mature enough to make a decision about a doll with a gore theme. And if we are to start down this road then surely we should be preventing children under a certain age from buying anatomically correct dolls in the first place. Not to mention removing said correctness from dolls with the appearance of being under the age of 18, because OMG THAT'S PRONOGRAFFIK!

Honestly, most children are more mature than we give them credit for these days anyway, and it's not up to us to police the internet for every child everywhere - that's why parents are supposed to monitor their children online if they're concerned.

I'm sorry that you were upset by the dolls on Ringdoll's site, but that's not a practical nor reasonable solution to your personal objection.

 

Looking at Ringdoll's sales page of Norman Dark Side and Jessica, I admit it does look scary but I think it is mainly due to the special effects, composition and photography style which makes it look creepy.
If the doll was bought and seen in real life then I think it would be similar to horror action figure or the Living Dead dolls mentioned earlier.
In regards to children buying these dolls, I think the price alone would deter them (most children) from buying it.
There are kids who loves watching horror films and I think the content in horror films would be scarier than these dolls.

 

Let's get real.

Kids are going to see things like this regardless of whether or not you allow your child to have Jessica or Norman in your home. Horror is everywhere. It's on the news. It's on TV. It's in magazines. It's in video games. Even if YOU dont allow your child to do these things, they're going to do it at a friends house.

Trust me. I know. I've been a horror fanatic since I was 5 years old. My parents tried to hide it from me, but I found it elsewhere. The first time I saw anything horror related was when I was at a friends house and we watched Are You Afraid of the Dark?

SHOULD there be? I mean. I guess. But just like age restrictions on CD's, Movies, and video games, they are still easily obtainable even without parental consent. This is why I believe age restrictions are kinda dumb. They don't work. Kids are going to get exposed to these things whether or not there is an age restriction.

In a perfect world, I'd say yea. Let's keep our kids from the terrifying, horrible things that are in this journey of life. But the world is not perfect -- so, until it is, I say age restrictions are a waste of time =\

 

Both of my young nephews just saw How To Train Your Dragon. The 4-year-old thought the dragons were awesome, swooping in on people and breathing fire. The 2-year-old thought all the dragons were scary, and kept saying "SCARY DRAGON! SCREAMING!" over and over again.

That isn't much of an age difference. "Scary" is in the eye of the beholder.

I don't approve of any limitations when it comes to buying dolls. If it's what you want and you can afford it, then for resin's sake buy it! If it freaks out your sibling then store it in a closet/shut your bedroom door/don't chase them around the house with it. Honestly, can't we take some kind of personal responsibility with these things? Do we really need some random company policing what we can and can't buy?

 

Hmmm.... I have seen some barbie dolls made by kids to be gore with blood etc. So I guess putting restrictions on a dealer is kinda late plus they already placed a warning signs about that doll and that's more than responsible for me.
As most of the comments said, it will be the parents who will eventually end up paying these dolls so again it's up to the mature buyer to decide if it's ok or not to proceed.
We all have different labels of maturity and preferences so let those who wants to purchase it have their dolls. We have the power to police ourselves and that for me is enough restrictions. Let's not force others to have the same reaction just because we do find them offensive. I have seen dolls so offensive to look but the artist did with purpose of opening our eyes to a reality she wants to express ( it's a doll that show bruises and abuse). That made really take a second look at the doll and see it for what it was meant to portray.
Now with vampires and what have you....I am not into that but if others are it's fine with me. Live and let live. If i do not like it I do not spend time looking at it. I just let it go

 

Age doesn't really apply to it because the company thinks that the age of the individual qualifies a person to buy the doll, when really they have no ability to enforce this idea. If a minor is going to buy the doll, the parents will most likely know - if not from using their credit card, it might be because the child lives with their parents, and might see the box. Anyone afraid of these dolls wouldn't buy one for themselves, so it makes the age of the individual irrelevant.

It's much more a respect thing, like I said before. The person buying the doll doesn't have a fear of it, but someone in their household might. It doesn't seem like it could be enforced because someone that the buyer encounters might be freaked out by the doll - it just doesn't have to be the buyer.

 

I could not agree more writerm.

Well, it might be very, very hard for a company to reinforce "sales to respectfull people only"

Sadly I know some extremely disrespectfull adults, and a lot of respectfull teens.

 

The respect issue could quite easily apply to far more subjects than gore or horror-themed dolls. Fear isn't the only strong reaction possible, or the only potentially traumatic one.

For someone who is simply afraid of dolls, the horror themed dolls or gore modded dolls may be no more distressing than the sweetest child-like sculpt on the market.

A friend of my mother's, for instance, could not stand to see child-like and especially baby dolls after a miscarriage. This had nothing to do with horror-themed sculpts, but was for a long time a very acute sensitivity to a certain category of dolls, toys, and imagery. It's just one that, while the reaction is just as strong and just as valid, is necessary to keep in mind when considering respect for those around them.

The respect issue is broad like that, and it certainly doesn't apply to just one category of dolls.

 

So...this isn't a question of gore mods at all then, more of whether parental consent should be sought for the purchase of ANY doll? In which case, I have to ask why on EARTH would you even attempt to enforce that on something as frivolous as buying a DOLL in the first place?! If some kid gets given one as a present, then the parents are going to be angry with the person that gave it to them who, presumably, if they knew the kid well enough to drop that sort of money on a gift for them, also knew full well the parents didn't approve, not the kid themselves. Consent would be rendered entirely moot anyway because the child wasn't even involved in the purchase.

Honestly, there are more worthy causes for my concern than whether some hypothetical child somewhere is going to be given a doll their parents might not appreciate. It's a doll, the world will not end and no puppies will be harmed if the kid doesn't get to keep it. It's still a pointless call of "THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!11one".

 

Second Lulu on this one. Your explanation makes it sound like any doll purchase should be monitored because the child clearly can't control themselves. If it really bothers you (general you) that out in this wide world an irresponsible, spoiled child is getting a doll you need to step away from hobby. Go outside and take some deep breaths. It has nothing to do with you. And do you really want your buying habits monitored because of some stupid kid?

 

A history of Mini!Chibihaku:

Mini!Chibihaku's first nightmare: Can't remember, but probably about two? Maybe younger.

Mini!Chibihaku's first swear: Five. Copying the characters in the video game (Duke Nukem) that my brother was playing. Did I know what the word meant? No. But goddang did I learn quickly not to say it in front of the parentals.

Mini!Chibihaku's first exposure to gore and violence: ...probably also five. ...Probably also a video game that my brother was playing, probably one which involved pixellated monsters being blown into bloody bits.

Mini!Chibihaku's first exposure to sexual education: Nine. My own body betrayed me and began to grow up - mum sat me down and explained what was happening. And why it was happening.

Yes, as a child, I was exposed to graphic violence and inappropriate language. I developed young, so I was educated on the concept of reproduction somewhat earlier than my peers. But the thing that always accompanied this was my parents telling me both sides of the story. Yes, the character in that video game uses a bad word. This is what it means, and this is why it isn't nice to say it. Do you understand? Yes, there is violence in the world, and it's represented in that game/on that TV show. But this is why you shouldn't be violent. Do you understand? Yes, strange things are happening to your body, this is what it means, and this is how you can make sure that you're not uncomfortable with the changes, or have things forced upon you before you're ready. Do you understand?

My parents were always open and honest with me, they let me see both the good and the bad of the world, and explained to me what things meant, and how my behaviours have reprocussive effects on those around me. They made sure that I was an educated child and gave me the maturity to make my own decisions. I've grown up to be incredibly well-rounded, especially compared to some of my friends who were 'protected' from the big, scary world.

I think that children need to learn both the positive and the negative aspects of the world if they're to develop into well-rounded adults. If part of that is exposure to 'gore' or 'scary' dolls, then that is a choice to be made by their parents, as long as the parents are prepared to educate the child on the reprocussions of such things.

 

Yes, if the horror film is really good, then the spooking feeling stays with me (alas, many films are not actually that good)-- but you know, that for some people (like myself) that jittery feeling is part of the thrill. Sometimes being a little scared is actually fun, especially when the source of the fear is something like a movie where the viewer is in no actual danger. The same could be said for things like roller coasters and bungie (sp?) jumping. It's not unusual for human beings to engage in a bit of thrill seeking from time to time.

It is true that decision making skills tend to improve with age, but I don't see this sort of choice as being something that one has to worry about to that extent. The worst thing that happens when someone buys a doll, is that they find out they don't like it as much as they hoped and end up selling it. That happens to people of all ages and all types of abjds, since it's largely an issue with buying things over the net. Also, it is not at all unusual for teens to watch horror movies, so I would assume that if they are considering buying the doll that they would have a good sense of what they can handle/actually like.

I just don't think that people need this kind of protection from a doll, and that at most Ringdoll's buying restrictions has more to do with protecting themselves, which is really rather sad.

 

I've almost come to believe that children (in general) only find certain things scary because their parents and other mentors condition them to think these things are scary. On Halloween I had a freaking terrifying costume, and I decided to go trick or treating to my neighbors on my street. I did not anticipate that a couple of them would have their 2 year olds answer the door (that magic age when the opinions of their parents have yet to fully infiltrate their little minds). Rather than shriek in horror and be scarred for life, they just stared in awe of the sheer weirdness and smiled at me (I was dressed as a horned demon with blood pouring from the mouth). The whole night though I stayed away from kids aged about 3-7, since I figured that age group would be at the point where they would associate me with everything they have been taught of evil, danger, death, etc. So, interesting experience.

But anyway, I really believe that Ringdoll is just trying to cover their butts, regardless of their opinions on sheltering or not sheltering kids. Age limits are darned annoying and kind of go into the "to censor or not to censor" issue, but, the overzealous sue-happy ruin it for all of us. I will begrudgingly agree with the age limit if a certain company really believes they may get in trouble without it.

 

Jesus Pete, no, what a ridiculous idea. As long as the content doesn't legally require age-restriction to sell (i.e. alcohol, adults-only media, etc.) there is no reason to restrict its sale to anybody who can purchase it legitimately. You can put up warnings saying it's not recommended for a certain age-group, but that still allows free choice on the part of the purchaser.

Every child is different, every parent is different, and you have no right to try to police the way other people parent their children. If a parent doesn't want the child to purchase gore-themed dolls, it's up to the parent to prevent the child from making the purchase. It is not up to the doll-company to prevent the sale of any object to anybody whose housemates might be offended.... that idea goes from "Ridiculous" to "Oh C'mon, Let's Not Get Silly".

And if the parent doesn't mind the child purchasing horror-themed items-- again, who are you to tell that family "you're doing it wrong"?

: In a nutshell. I'm sick to my guts of the babyfication of consumer products and media these days as it is. I can't even believe I dignified this topic with this much of an answer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh2sWSVRrmo

 

That's very true, too. I bought an OT LDD of Bloody Mary. I thought she was cool - still do - but she's the one that stays in her box for most of the time because that's the one that I knew would also scare me the most. If I were to ever buy a realistically gore modded doll, I'd probably keep them out during the day, but into their box they'd go at night.

I don't have a doll phobia, but I have gotten scared by my dolls after watching a particularly scary doll movie. The one doll movie that really scared me was "The Dolls". Chucky was much to cartoony for me to have taken seriously, but watch a movie featuring a bunch of scary, little dolls wielding weapons and that was terrifying.

 

But... you just said in your OP that

So...which is it? You think people under 18 should be restricted from buying dolls, full stop, or you want to protect children (or anyone who might be frightened/offended) from seeing the scary dolls by preventing people from buying them via an age restriction? That statement right there, as well as the whole post reeks of "THINK OF THE CHILDRENNN!!!11!" If your actual issue is with spoilt children getting dolls or people making irresponsible decisions in getting dolls, then, honestly? It's none of your business and doesn't affect you. Let the people involved make the decisions and quit trying to police other people's purchases.

Parents are the ones who should be, y'know, parenting their children, not the rest of society. It isn't the world's responsibility to raise and protect the pweshus angel baybeez from all the bad stuff, it's the responsibility of the person or people legally responsible for said children. If mummy and daddy don't want their kid buying Super Gore Doll Extreme, it's their responsibility to make sure the kid doesn't buy it. If they don't mind, and they happen to have a two year old who's terrified of the doll, the logical solution is to keep that child away from the doll. Let the older kid have it, and make sure little Johnny doesn't go wandering into big sis's room where he can encounter Super Gore Doll Extreme.

Even if, say, a sixteen year old does buy a doll because they thought they liked it, and then finds themself afraid of it or that their parents don't wish them to have it, there is a very simple solution: sell it. Dolls are NOT serious business, and buying a doll isn't a life-altering decision. Telling a teenager that they might want to wait before deciding to get a tattoo because maybe it isn't a good decision at the moment? Possibly a good idea. Telling them the same thing in regards to getting a doll ? Not so much. Even if the doll is gory, trying to prevent or restrict sales to those who just happen to have a housemate who might be offended or frightened by said doll is beyond silly.

Jenny, have I told you lately how much I love you for things like this? I feel the same way. I'm absolutely weary of all of the "YOU can't have/do/see/make/think/say that! TEH CHILDRENNNNN MIGHT BE TRAUMATISED FOR LYFE!!11one"

 

I find this entire topic to be absolutely ridiculous. Like many others have said--why do we need a "Save the children!" or "Will somebody PLEASE think of the children?!!?!11" thread on this site? It is a parent's responsibility to keep an eye on what his or her little Timmy is doing. Ringdoll has to put up that warning to cover their own butts in this case, but beyond that? The parent needs to be the one to make that call.

If parents would try, I dunno, parenting, then we wouldn't have threads like this, or the various calls to ban/restrict/etc for the sake of the poor, malleable minds of children. When I was a kid, yeah, I had restrictions. Pretty lax restrictions, but restrictions all the same. As I got older, it changed, as it should. I'm not worse for the wear for being allowed to watch R movies before I was 13, or for any of the other things I got. I'm a perfectly functioning adult now.

Some other people mentioned something about getting consent of the entire household. I think that particular consideration, while admirable, is completely unrealistic. You can't make everyone happy. That's what doors are for, or back-buttons, etc. This may sound selfish, but, why should a person be expected to avoid purchasing something they like--such as the gore-themed dolls in question--if one person in the household might be squicked by it, or dolls in general? I can see that in marriage-land, but in a larger household with a kid?

Close the door. Don't look at it if you don't want to see it. Problem solved.