Using Actual Killers As A Theme: Going Too Far

Though this doesn't really offend me at all really, I would have to say if one part did offend me it would be the creating fictional killers one. This being because I think creating your own version of a killer is putting more glory in the act of murder rather than acknowledging one that already exists.

 

Tokajein - Interesting point, I hadn't really thought of it that way. What about all those vampire dolls with blood on their lips? They didn't get those drinking a slurpee!

 

Its not a big deal to me. As long as the costume looks nice to me, I am fine with it.
However, I belief naming should be neutral and careful. Since some words or symbols might be offensive to one, but not the other.

 

As far as I know, no one knows if Lizzy Borden killed anyone. I think it would be far different if they used someone like Jack The Ripper, even if no one knows who he was, what he did was horrible. Or someone like Gilles de Rais, who was suspended to have killed around 200 people, though only 40 were found. I would hate to see someone glorifying someone like Peter Niers, if you don't know who he was, search him.

 

It dosent strike me so much as offensive as creepy....

 

Maybe a little tasteless, but those murders did happen a while back and very few people are directly affected by things like this anymore. Now if someone created a doll to look like one of the people involved in the recent Boston Marathon bombing, then we'd all have something o be mortified by.

 

I don't think it's going too far, personally. Strictly speaking it's simple inspiration in order to create something new -that might, or might not have direct connection to whichever incident is targeted every time. A lot of the happiest, prettiest things in film and literature often derive from dark, dreary backgrounds, after all.

So no, I don't think using references to actual killers to name things is going too far; because then, similarly, should any films that reference real crimes also be considered offensive? Nobody is seeking to glorify the crime or the criminals, on the contrary even; by looking back at the events that transpired then and analyzing them one can show just how horrible and terrifying and repulsive it is and that is should be avoided. By burying all the dark spots in history and never looking back at them people are prone to repeat the same mistakes again.

On another matter, because the OP was appalled that one of the outfits was yoSD sized, what about all sorts of other fiction targeted at children but with similar references and hidden meanings, such as books of ghost stories addressed to a young audience or the original versions of the modern fairy tales? And to give a blatant example I doubt most of you know what kind of terrible story Studio Ghibli's Tonari no Totoro is actually addressing under it's original cheerful facade -although it can be very easily unearthed via a simple Google search.

And to finish off, this whole discussion is happening because someone took inspiration for naming a doll clothing line after killers, or in Dollheart's case after a nursery rhyme (which they've done so many times in the past too!)??? Yes, I believe we're quite overreacting here, to say the least.

 

Umm... I watched Totoro and googled and found absolutely nothing terrifyingly dark in it. Could you clarify what you meant? And as for killers as a theme... I do believe that's a bit too risque for me (Then again I don't like basing dolls off of real people anyway).

 

I think they might referencing the idea that Totoro is about a little girl who ACTUALLY went missing and/or that Mei and Satsuki die/are kidnapped during the film and we are watching their ghosts because Totoro himself is Death.

If so, Ghibli has addressed this and claimed the story has nothing to do with the film... but there are a lot of folkloric connections.

EDIT: Here's a post with some links potentially explaining: http://ghibli.livejournal.com/316492.html

 

Whoa. O.O I googled it and I didn't find a trace of that! Well, I'm scarred for life now. If it didn't have possible connections to an actual event I would find it kind of neat, but the whole "actual events" thing really worries me. If it was made in honor or in respect to the innocent deceased maybe, but I'm not sure...

 

I think if you are going to be offended about something like this, you should be offended about each and every film, book and video game that contains murder, slaughter or even has war as a movie. Also do not forget the series like CIA Miami, FBI, 24 hours and all of that. :\
Some of those are fictional, some are based of things that really happened. There is even a film that has the hostage and mass slaughtering of a school in the USA as a setting.
There is killing in each and every action film (or as good as everyone).
Those would have all have to be judged as offensive, because there could be someone that experienced something like it.

The reason why we usually don't feel that offended with such things is cause the 'bad' guys are usually the one getting punished or it's the 'bad' guys that are getting killed. In the end it's the same act thought.

Just a few lines to think about.

Of course a certain aspect of sensibility should be considered (e.g. recent cases), but even if those are crossed... They have the right to do what they want with their doll. Even if it would be kind of an insensitive, rude asshole move.

 

This!

Maybe its just me. Maybe I'm not sensitive enough but I really don't see anything offensive in this situation.