The obsession with beautiful boys?

I wish I knew, even though I can gather an idea from the answers here.
Personally, androgynous men freak me out, not because of the fact that they are androgynous but because of the fangirls who worship them. I'm bitterly cynical, and certain people who behave certain ways can totally make me dislike something. x.x I don't like especially manly men (I'm afraid of muscles and really deep voices), but I like for my guys to look... well, like guys.

 

Yep well said...we are all, well at least most of us, into this hobby for ourselves not to please other people.

As I said before I love feminine looking men..Why? No idea I just do and it's certainly NOT a trend not after 6 years already.
I also find that feminine looking man are more open for different styles in clothing and wigs than manlier dolls...but that might just be me >_>

And the reason why there are so many "femmie Vampire El's" or "emo Dollshe's" around, is because when someone wants a feminine/emo/etc looking doll they often go for the same kind of doll, cause they know it works VERY well.

Sabriell

 

(kinda offtopic) Haha funny that you mention the emo Dollshe..because mine isnt going to be emo at all...in fact hes laid back and easy going.

 

haha that's brave of you to stand out from the Emo Dollshe crowd LOL *kidding* XD
Can't wait to see him ^_^

 

Sabriell - Haha! Bring out the pretty boys Hey we like what we like, it's not right or wrong, but I *hate* it when people imply that it is. (I need my guys to look like girls *LOL*)

 

Yep this hobby is all about personal taste...we just tend to have the same kind of taste that's it hahaha [of course with our own reason behind it]

 

I think you're absolutely right.
As an 18 year-old female, I adore androgynous and effeminate men. This aesthetic preference has obviously translated over into my dolls.
Nothing wrong with very masculine guys, at all. They just often don't do much for me, aesthetically and otherwise.

Sorry if I'm repeating anything but I haven't read through this whole thread yet. I'll do that now...

 

hear! hear!
I didn't fork out over a grand to follow trends. My aesthetic preferences are intensely my own. But I'm so glad that there's a place like DOA where other people share similar preferences to mine, so I don't feel like a total freak next time I drool over some guy in heels.

 

lol this is so true!

yeah beautiful boys = bishounen is manga/anime/games alike.
gorgeous boys, often yaoi and shounen-ai story filled ^^

i'm a Boy's Love fan and no denying it so i have an attraction to beautiful boys, hell i like to read shoujou and enjoy drawing in that style too so i also love beautiful boys (like Mo and l ) it is more of aiming for a female audience generally cos (i'm saying yaoi) is not seen as attractive to gay communisties (?) (i dunno it was in an article i've read and some gays i've met but some like yaoi)

let's face it, if we get a doll, it's something that isn't universally the same or the standard. It's a doll and is manufactured like a picture is drawn. Why not go for utter perfection that can't be found in real life. My friends say i'm 唯美

 

There's another thread out there that's veeeerry similar to this. I doubt this topic is anything that can be understood. It's like some people love eating sushi, while others "don't get" how others can eat raw fish. It's either your cup of tea or you don't get it.
I think though that the BASIS for the majority of the pretty boys shown here lies with the fact that these dolls were primarily based on anime styled bodies and faces. And with the fandom of anime comes fandom of pretty boys, and in many cases yaoi. You'll find that a lot of us (though maybe not the majority of us here) started out as anime fans and THEN became doll collectors.

 

If stuff like beautiful men and cross-dressing and goth boys are a trend, then they've been going on for decades. I was around for the early days of punk, goth and anime/manga (and yaoi, etc.). Comments about how many male dolls look like girls reminds me of how non-anime people used to react upon seeing them--that people don't have big eyes like that and that character can't be Japanese because they have blue hair or all the boys look like girls. It's just as aesthetic thing with the anime and the dolls, since the dolls grew out of Japanese culture and anime/manga roots. As you can see, that sensibility is changing a bit now, with the market expanding. There are more variety in the styles of sculpts and more realistic styles.

But the realistic styles are still in the minority... So most male dolls made are still not rugged manly-men. That's one reason there are so many pretty male dolls out there.

But another is clearly personal preference. I, personally, don't cross-dress my dolls or dress them particularly girly, but they still are not rugged manly-men, and that is FINE. I don't want a miniature man as a doll! I want a doll that is fantasy--that isn't some miniature representation of a real human. If I wanted a real human, there are tons of them out there. And wanting a mini-human just seems wrong to me! (Although, hey, I've got 1/6 figures who are like mini-men... well, lacking in some areas!... And even those, even when modeled after real people, they are idealized--no smells or warts or whatever. And that's as it SHOULD be.) I am not into dolls for the ultra-realism!!! It's like Barbies and other fashion dolls, they are highly stylized and totally fantasy. Real people aren't like that at all. Of course, personal preference means that more realistic styles will appeal to some more than others. That's cool. But none of these dolls are ultra-real. They are all pretty on the scale of things.

Just as the female dolls are more pretty and sweet than realistic, the males dolls are more pretty and handsome than realistic.

What owners wish to do with them as far as character and dress is something else entirely!

OK... I have to admit, I like elves and so more androgynous elf guys are appealing to me. But my Shiro isn't an elf and he doesn't seem like a girl to me, but just a regular (in doll, not human reference) boy. He MAY be mistaken for a girl because he's not a ruggedly manly-man type, but he's never cross-dressed, so if people mistake him for a girl, that's because they're not looking at him in the right (BJD world) frame of reference. Like those who quibble with anime-style. I don't blame the dolls, but the people! Why must all males look manly, is what I want to know!!!

 

St James, where do you work? I want to apply for a job there! I admit I'm a dirty old lady and I'd love to be surrounded by pretty boys! I can still look, I'm not dead yet! And I definitely remember how to drool!

Seriously, I think part of it is that there are so few 'manly' looking male dolls. I prefer realism myself, so the Dollshe boys appeal to me, but even they aren't particularly masculine looking.

I don't see anything wrong with cross dressing a male doll, and I would never criticize anyone for doing it. If that's what you like, go for it.

My Kristoff is bi sexual. He dosen't cross dress but he certainly is more feminine that masculine.

I'm not into manga/anime so his sexual preference is not based on that. He just is what he is.

As a 'typical middle America' grandma, I can't tell you why I chose for him to be what he is, except that I find it fascinating. It's infinitely fascinating to me enter a world that I'm not part of, to think in terms that I never did before, to explore relationships that seem different on the outside but are really much the same. Love is love. Whether you are male or female I think some emotions are felt universally the same.

I could pay a therapist to listen to me, but hell, I can talk here for free! Do I have an explanation, an answer? No. But in the end, who cares?

I love my boy and he makes me happy. And I find his personality fun. If people don't like his lifestyle, that's okay. He dosen't care, and neither do I.

In real life, although I like to look at pretty boys, I'll take square jawed, muscled, manly man any day. As long as he still has his teeth!

 

I think most people who have crossdressing male dolls either had a crossdressing character in mind while choosing dolls, or they fell in love with the mold and simply thought the doll looked better in female clothes. I don't think anyone should have to choose a girl doll over the boy doll they really want simply because girl clothes are "not appropriate" for guys. If the owner thinks their doll would look gorgeous in dresses and skirts, then I don't think gender is really an issue.

 

I'm a huge yaoi fan and bisexual. That said, only one of my resin men is bisexual (he will not have a resin boy or girlfriend, so at the moment he is classified as celibate), some are heterosexual (again, no resin significant others are planned) but the majority have been celibate all of their lives. Almost none of my male bjd's, who are action/spy/adventure/sci-fi/fantasy/romance novel characters in resin form, are bishounen-ish either. I do not like the looks of a limp wristed, mincing walk, simpering boy. I also dislike it in girls who do that. To solve my problem (And it is my problem. No one elses. I am not saying that those who likes them should change it to fit what I want at all.) I don't look at the person or bjd.

My Elfdoll Wu was supposed to be a 3-piece suit wearing, black hair flipped to frame his face, delicate, highly strung, socially inept, business-type who is very, very beautiful. Instead when I got him he turned out to be a terminally hung over, red/blond/black mohawk haired, red-rimmed eyed, coffee/orange juice/water and vodka (all at the same time. Yeah, gross.) drinking, greasy overalls-wearing, part time mechanic, part time loser and full time soldier. Instead of fantasy tattoo or tribal ones he has Buddhist prayers and hymns written on his chest, around his biceps and down his shoulder blades.

I've noticed my preferred style of bjds (so far they're all male) with broad, muscular shoulders, narrowing to a V shaped, 6 packed waist/stomach and long, lean toned legs. They have a biker's or swimmer's build. Their heads are 8inches or smaller, their faces have prominant cheekbones, downturned lips and square chins with very, very small 14mm eyes. Their face ups are neutral lipped with somewhat dark eyes and thick, non-arched eyebrows. They are all typical people with typical jobs except for the Crane Prince, but even he's just his people's version of a policeman.

I do not like the waif, delicate, no muscles, androgynous looks of bishonen or most Japan-styled Asian men at all. Whether on bjds or in real life men but at the same time I don't want Mr. Universe. I find those with bulging muscles that can't even touch their own heads extremely disgusting.

I do adore androgynous women/bjds though. A short haired woman in a severely tailored pant-suit makes me all weak in the knee. XD I'm already very girly, flirty, short and thin, I want someone who is my opposite in looks. Someone who's tall, hard and, well, masculine but without losing their softer side. Same mentality goes for the male bjd's I have, I guess, except that softer side is shown in the way they think and their actions, not in their bodytypes.

None of my bjds crossdress and only one male has long, butt-length hair. That male is the Crane Prince and he has the heavily lashed, mascaraed look that is popular with 'traditional' bishounen-types. It's part of his people's looks. Like how most Asians have black/brown hair and black/brown eyes. Most everyone in his race have thick eyelashes and strong facial features. The long hair is because he likes the feeling of it draping his shoulder or going down hsi back. He's very vain about it. *grins*

Though the Crane Prince is incredibly beautiful with elegant manners, he uses his looks to get prey, not for sex. He finds that this type of looks and manners will attract human females since that is his preferred meal. In fact, to his people the Crane Prince is merely okay looking, not to mention his caste forbids making babies and the majority in his caste have removed their sexual organs in order to be more true to their ways. He's too 'beefy', too 'muscular' to fit their ideal of beauty; he's going to be on a Dollzone 71cm body. The ideal for his people would be anorexia to most well-adjusted humans. It's to humans that he is stunning.

A saroung is not a girl's robe. Neither is many Asian ethnic garments for that matter. Most are unisexual. It's the decoration that makes it male or female style. A saroung in my culture (I'm from Southeast Asia) is a unisexual garment and is seen just as often on men as on women. A lot of things I see as girly or boyish is not the same as in America where I live now.

 

You want to know why so many people are starting to question it? We're talking dolls that have absolutely no limit in personalization, yet it's obvious that the overly feminine men, rococo-based gothic lolita girls, and overly depressed and angsty dolls are rediculously trendwhored. No, it's not a contest, but there really should be more originality and variety with something this customizable. I do see a bit of a contest for popularity, though

Are you kidding me? There is no trend for realistic looking dolls; considering those are the only kind I like, I would know how difficult it is to find them. Just take a spin over in the gallery sometime; good luck finding photos of Elfdoll and Dollmore Model girls (although you do see CP's Lishe, and she most of the time looks like a real woman), but you'll find the previously mentioned cliches along with Anime-styled dolls gallore. You try being in the minority looking for female dolls that don't have distorted Japanese cartoon heads while dressing them in chic and modern fashion like me for a while, and I'm sure you'd see how difficult it is to continue in this section of fashion dolls. It's rather depressing that such quality dolls offer very little for someone like me. I'd consider it lucky that this hobby offers a ton of options for you.

Eh, not really. Being a musician, I've seen plenty of wannabes pick up a $2000 guitar after hearing a terribly sub-par and generic shredder just to emulate their desire to look badass while showing off. I imagine these types of dolls are not safe from this, nor is any hobby, really. I'm sure there's an overy-obsessive anime fan overdosing on pocky while drinking their 4th can of Squirt that'd buy one to look cool amongst their friends.

 

I find this whole topic of discussion to be quite odd, because looking at actual human beings, and then looking at BJDs, I really have yet to see ANY male BJDs at all, dressed any way, done up any way, that aren't at least a little on the femme side. There are no He-men here. No massively masculine square-jawed Superman types at all!

So... why ask why people who like male BJDs like pretty boys? That's more or less the definition of male BJD. They're going to be pretty.

Just my two cents on it.

 

Hear hear. BJDs are essentially coming off the Asian/anime aesthetic, so it always gets me when people wander in wondering where all the realistic dolls are. It's the newer western market scratching their heads, I think.

Umm-*ouch*--and ouch in this fandom particularly, since they are *asian* ball-joint dolls. They are--this is the style and a very beautiful one as far as most of us here are concerned, I believe.

As for the western trend, I've got unidoll Jace on the way--who in my opinion is one of the *manlier* "more realistic" BJDs out there--but damn, he's still a pretty boy if you look at him. Thank god for that, since manly men do nothing for me--and if BJDs were full of normal looking "humanesque" non-stylized and anti-androgynous oversized Ken dolls, then I would have taken one look and kept on moving. Never thought of them as fashion dolls either, that's more of a western-market notion as well. I never really cared about dolls before BJD because they tapped *exactly* what I had been seeking but had never found: the androgynous bishie male. That was all I needed to get roped in.

But honestly, I'm still going to stick to the idea, that if you're spending the money, you're still going to be doing it for you. I know quite a few friends who didn't have a clue what BJD was before I got my first doll--now everyone in that group has at least one, if not more dolls of their own. Is that jumping on a trendy bandwagon? Maybe to some. I don't think so. I see it as art appreciation. The art of BJD touched a chord in them and brought them into the fandom--made them save and scrounge to get their dolls. And I tell you, *not one* went ahead and bought some doll because they thought it was trendy, or because their friend had a particular "cool" model--they got the doll that spoke to *them.* Heck, they found dolls I'd never even heard of that spoke to them, which means they dug deep, did their homework and *found* their doll. If you want to be a cynic and assume people are coughing up their cash to be part of the trend--then yay for you. I hope you find the most original, realistic, non-trendy ABJD out there.

Hey, to each his own respectfully. Which is what this fandom is all about anyway. >,<

 

Being someone who rather likes those "distorted Japanese cartoon heads" that you find so offensive... they were first put into production by a Japanese garage figure company that specializes in, you guessed it, anime goods. There is a reason these dolls look the way they do. They're not intended to look like Western fashion dolls, and I do not like any of the ones moving towards that trend, like the Dollmore model girls or any of the Narin dolls, because if I wanted something that looked like your typical fashion doll, I would buy one of those. Not one of these ball jointed dolls that are very keyed into a different standard of beauty.

Fashion dolls did not offer me all that I needed, in spite of sawing off Midge's boobs and turning her into a boy. I was happy I found these dolls, their unreal qualities are what make them attractive to me. I like fantastical, pretty men who are completely unrecreatable in the real world. It's escapist fun.

 

Please don't say my doll's looks negate his genitals. He's a boy. What makes him seem like a girl is some random gender standard that society sold to you, typical expectations for what a girl and boy look like. I don't buy that, so neither do my dolls.

Whenever a topic like this comes up, there is always at least one user who doesn't understand a preference and refers to it as a fad. Why? I like the color pink, and I like wine, and I like kittens. Is any of that a fad? No, it's what personally interests me. I like the aesthetic qualities of a softer, more androgynous male. Notice how this preference crosses over other hobbies we have. It's not just in the doll fandom; you can see many of us like un-macho men in our comics, tv shows, movies, in our social lives, etc. Androgynous or effeminate boys seem like a fad only because so many women (and men) are now discovering that it appeals to them; certainly when we were children, no one ever dared to let us know that non-manly men were okay, delightful even!

And for the record, I avoid most JRock, fandom yaoi, and anime as best as I can; it sucks, what can I tell ya. I also can't stand Fabio-esque long haird buff men. An ass-length wig on a hound? oh *barf* Just photoshop "I can't believe it's not buttah" on the photo already. But hey, that's my preference, and I know plenty of other people love that. I'm not going to denigrate it as a simple fad.