What's the worst that's been said about you and your dolls?

My family always roll their eyes or shake their heads and say they don't know how I got into something like this now. But the worst is at my job. My coworkers think my dolls are cool. They even made me go home one time just to get my new guy and bring him into show them. But then there is my boss. I have to hide them from him or not bring them along at all. He gets over dramatic and acts so stupid. Calling them creepy monster dolls. He has told clients about my monster dolls!

 

Thankfully, I never got more than the creepy Chucky remarks and an occasional "HOW much?? You could buy a plane ticket to the US for that!". That said, I haven't taken my dolls out in public or even in front of my family for ages. My dad and brother are very frugal and not at all the collector type, they just can't get their heads around spending money on things that aren't "useful", but they know my dolls make me happy so they accept it (as long aas I don't buy a new one every month). Currently they're just glad I'm making a bit of money from selling them.

[MENTION=68864]Vextera[/MENTION]: I'm sorry to hear that happened. Slightly OT, but if it helps, I've learned the hard way that often if people, especially a parent, blow up like that, it's actually out of worry. My dad once absolutely exploded on me in the middle of the night for being up really late, calling me as crazy as my mother and stuff. I, 32 at the time (and yes, still living at home) was up, admittedly super late, because I was skyping with my best friend who lives in Australia, but it turned out that he, 72 and not completely internet savvy, was basically worried sick that I was becoming a computer addict and was doing crazy stuff and acting like everyone else was the crazy one and that made him feel really powerless. I think that your dad is also still struggling with wanting to keep his child safe and being afraid that you're being irresponsible just because you spent that much money on something he would never consider spending it on, that's why it was worse when you were younger and he felt even more responsible. That and I think men are generally more frugal and practical and no-nonsense about spending than women, at least that's the impression I get. I hope he'll turn around completely soon.

 

^ This... People (select relatives) telling me that instead of a doll, my husband and I should focus on having real kids. Always pushing for me to get pregnant asap for them, so they can play with our children while my husband and I, " do the work". Also because "right now a lot of unmarried couples are having kids".
Not only are kids somewhat toys in their eyes, but they imply that I'm wasting time/ doing things wrong by playing with dolls? Its insulting on so many levels.

Also when I finally got my grail doll/ first bjd guy, I had a fellow collector friend ask to see him, because she wanted to see what he looked like. There was so much excitement, and when I finally showed her, all she could say to me was. "Wow.. He's really ugly."
She got a little passionate about her opinion, made faces, and laughed.
I still love my bjd Guy anyways, and its not like I was asking her for approval of him or an opinion. She wanted to see him, I showed her, and the reaction was just rude. I would never tell someone their doll was ugly. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. Everyone's taste is different.

 

So little boys can play with cars and motorcycles and when they grow up and buy an expensive car or truck that's ok. That's cool. But because I still love dolls, I creep people out. Doesn't seem fair to me. I think of it as a form of self expression and art. FIT had a exhibition that included BJDs and fashion and there were plenty of comments in the guest book that said the dolls were their favorite part of the whole exhibit. They were really COOL! So there!

 

My dolls get praise, but I've been called a plethora of nasty things on those bjd confession blogs. Which Are lame and for cowards.

I prefer to focus on the positive things that have been said to me, like that I'm good at modding and faceups.

 

The most hurtful thing said to me was that I was immature, stupid, and pathetic. All by my mother.

 

I've never had anyone say anything mean about my dolls but I have had people at doll meets and sales insult my father when he accompanies me. My father is very supportive of all my hobbies and he likes to ask questions in order to learn more about them. However people have been nothing but insulting to him because he is an older man. We no longer go to doll related events because of the way he has been mistreated.

Pretty much all of the negative comments I've gotten have been from the local doll community, most non-doll people in my area are very friendly and interested in them when I take them for photos. My coworkers are all very supportive as well. It's really quite reassuring. However I'm not into dolls for the extra social interaction, I just like them because they're really cool and fun to customize so negative comments don't really phase me. I just wish it was the same with my father. His feelings get hurt really easily. Poor guy..

 

Surprisingly she didn't really give me grief over the price - she's always been pretty cool about "how you spend your money is your own decision".

I think a lot of people probably don't mean to be rude or mean, they're just being thoughtless. People can spend far and away more money on vacations or sports season tickets and no one bats an eye because it's considered socially acceptable. They just don't understand our priorities and don't realize that they're being kind of a jerk about questioning our less "mainstream" frivolities. I also knit, and people always say "Oh I wish I had so much time to waste on just sitting and doing nothing!" I usually respond by asking what they watched on TV last night. We just need a gentle comeback like that in the doll community, I think.

 

Surprisingly, almost all feedback from both strangers and friends & family has been positive. When I've taken my dolls out to meets the people who stop to check them out are charmed by them, and once a man asked to take pictures of the dolls to show his daughter. My mother in law told my husband I was immature and needed to grow up- he laughed at her. And my sister in law thinks they are cool, but gets slightly uneasy when there are lots around. So when she visits the dolls stay in the doll room except for maybe one or two. My own relatives have known for years that I'm a bit eccentric, and they love me for it. People who say hurtful things about other people's hobbies are just jerks. Those same people make snarky comments about video games, or stereo equipment, or antique tea cups... whatever your hobby happens to be. I feel a bit sorry for them; they must have really sad boring lives.

 

Honestly no one has said anything to my face but I get the look sometimes from family that its weird and such but nothing has been said except for when I have naked dolls sitting around waiting form clothes to arrive and then all I hear is how big their chests are...xD Mostly my parents just ignore them.

 

Nothing really bad, actually! The worst I've gotten is "they're so EXPENSIVE " when telling people about how much they cost.

 

My mother has recently decided to emotionally blackmail me about the price of my one doll. I am really annoyed and haven't talked to her for a couple months because of this. She attempts to justify her behavior by using the fact that she cosigned student loans that I took out when I went to an expensive college that she strongly urged me to attend. She told me in the first place that she'd help me pay my student loans when I got out of school since she really wanted me to go to a prestigious place, but I haven't seen a single red cent since that promise was made, and she decided to re-do her kitchen instead. I have been financially autonomous for almost 10 years now, and I have all my student loans covered without her help. She has no right to tell me what I can and can't buy, student loans aside. It was her choice to sign those anyway, so not my problem. More dolls for me!

Also, I am so glad i haven't gotten the ''dolls=children" comment from anyone yet. Euugh that sort of crap creeps me out so bad!

 

I usually get jokingly told I'm crazy for spending so much on them. Or my boyfriend's mom will say my dolls wander around the house at night. But the only thing close to hurtful was when I showed a co-worker a doll because she asked me to she said "oh my, it's one of those gays!" when she found out it was a boy doll in a dress. Really? You seriously think an inanimate object can have feelings like that? I know she didn't mean anything by it but still.

 

I belong in the sad and unfortunate minority that has had the nastiest things come from people inside the hobby rather than outside. Quite a long time ago, I was accused of copying someone else's doll which caused me quite a but if trouble with their fans, as well as a few vitriolic things thrown at me via tumblr confession blogs. I still beat myself up over the fact I let that ruin the way I looked at that doll but ever since then the character has been happily reshelled into a new doll and I couldn't be happier with how he turned out.

Other than that I've had some pro-recast people come up to my inbox threatening to buy and send all my self-created dolls to recasters once I cast them and a lot of very very rude comments but I just ignore the collective of them.

People outside the hobby are usually enthusiastic or curious, and even when slightly annoying have never descended to being hurtful or offensive.

 

I haven't gotten much negativity, and what I have heard mostly is the general "too expensive/WHY do you have it/it's creepy" crap. I've had one Chucky comment, on a doll whose only resemblance whatsoever to Chucky was being a male doll. I did have one middle aged lady talk down to me, in that sweet patronizing way like talking to a child, asking questions about the doll, then "so is he your baby?".....I just kind of stared blankly and replied "No....it's a DOLL." Which made her look crazy, not me. There may be more, but none of it bothered me enough to react or remember.

 

'Aren't you over these effing stupid things yet?' My brother and mom. They don't get it - and they're gonna flip when they see Kyrian's body once I scrape together the funds. Ohohoho!

 

Hearing from within the BJD community that the things that I love best about my own dolls are "ugly" or "gross" or "disgusting." It makes me sad, and actually drove me into hiding for a long time because it was too much on top of real-life stress.

Most people outside the community have been exceedingly kind and supportive in their comments, which makes me a little confused. o_O

 

JZsketch, your foster sister's friend is a a child and at that age where what other people think is really important. She's an insecure person who has no real idea of who she is, trying to make everyone else around conform to what she thinks everyone should be like. Don't waste a second feeling hurt over the prattlings of a child - I would tell her that as well! Threewinds, what your mother said to you makes my blood boil - she might not agree with how you spend your money but she has no right to use language like that to you! She is completely in the wrong.

Personally, I think I am lucky in that family and friends are not collectors but they see the beauty in my dolls and recognise them as 3D works of art. My mother loves looking at dolls on pinterest and on here, we often ooh and aah over some of the more spectacular ones. She even admits to loving Resinsoul's Mai, she thinks she has the sweetest face. I think it helps though, that my taste is quite conservative and my dolls are simply made up and in historical costume. People find them beautiful rather than weird. My little girls also love bjds and have an MSD each. I think other parents envy that we still have a lot in common. Both myself and my girls love arts and crafts. I have one friend who finds dolls terrifying but she has always been nice about it. Live and let live, life would be boring if we all liked the same thing. I do find it very sad though, that a lot of people have experienced such negativity from within the community. I have to say, it has put me right off posting pics of my dolls.

 

The only negativity I've received is from my bf, I could have gotten farther with my hobby if I didn't feel scolded for buying things with my own money.
Now that I'm back into the hobby I cant afford half the stuff I could have and it sucks.