Why are so many boy dolls so girly?

Can't say I don't deny it, and can't say I really enjoy it.

Why DO most of our boys look like girls?
(i'm not saying all, but far from a fair few certainly do) ((That was an awesome rhyme on my part. Oh man say the last 7 words 10 times fast.))

And why don't we care?

Honestly, other than the "You spent WHAT on it?!", the "But it looks like a girl" question comes up in more then a few conversations.

Whats so appealing about it anyways? Boys can be quite pretty without looking girly, but even the most masculine dolls hold some femenine charm.It annoys me to an extent, I love my boy, but he is really girly.

In your opinion, whats so appealing about it anyways?
There has to be a reason we go for femmy sculps.
(And dont lie, you do)


..."Why don't you just buy a girl?"



Why dont you STFU.

 

Well I think most people see a doll and automatically see *GIRL*, because DOLL=GIRL to most people.

Our boys also have fine comparatively slender features... Most westerners' experience of boy dolls are Ken and GI Joe, who although lacking in the anatomical correctness department, have plenty of lantern jaw and cleft chin to make up for it (supposedly), not to mention hyper *GUY* styled clothing (and short hair).


Raven

 

I suppose it's because a lot of us come from anime/manga backgrounds, where it takes a considerable amount of acclimating to be able to tell the boys from the girls. So on the buyers' part, many of us are used to that.

On the manufacturer's part, I'm probably making a HUGE stereotype here, but younger Asian males seem to have softer facial features than westerners do (I've never seen an English nose on a Japanese man xD), giving them an appearance that's more "feminine" to our eyes. That's what the doll makers would generally see, so it makes sense that it's what their sculpts would resemble, "we draw what we see", as my art teachers have said before.

Personally, I wish there was a bit more variety...European-masculine sculpts. Because that nose I mentioned before?...I love it. And I'm personally looking for a doll with a stronger jawline and more visible face structure. Not that I want something crazy musclebound and uber-manly in the "traditional" European style.

As far as the, "But it looks like a girl!" comment goes, I usually just reply, "Yes, he does."

That kind of shuts them up.

Except for the odd person who then goes on to insist that it must NOT be a girl, I'm TOTALLY lying. So I usually offer to prove it, and when they ask how (I don't generally offer up the fact that the dolls are anatomically correct), I show them.

That DEFINITELY shuts them up.

 

It's the long pretty wigs they wear, but that's okay they still look good( 80's girl here loves her men with that rocker long hair swinging from music videos ). It's your money to dress them like you want, why don't folks let it be

 

My ideals of attractiveness are not the same as everyone else's. When a doll owner thinks "attractive male doll" they generally think of a girly boy - because of the cultures they enjoy, their personal tastes, and of course the fact that it is a doll, and because of the fact that it is a doll, made to be something beautiful in a traditionally feminine manner. Of course, there are people in the hobby who relish the more masculine dolls - Unidoll, Bishonen House (though personally I find their masculinity questionable), Iplehouse, and the like.

Personally, when someone gives me the infamous line, I tend to agree and just shrug it off. They usually don't mean any personal offence, and besides - they do friggin' look like girls half the time. Long wigs, perfect faces, slim bodies, and some pretty strange fashions. Just today in the hallway we passed a Graphic Design piece that was on display of some J-Rock band, and my friend was stunned when I told them they were all boys. This notion of beautiful men being slight and picture perfect seems to be very, very ABJD specific so it's pretty hard to explain to outsiders.

Could the term "acquired taste" be applied here?

 

I believe we've gone round on this subject before in this forum.

It's just the aesthetic that the artists supply. And we like it, clearly. If it's not for you, try TensiYa/Dollshe. Or Unidoll. Or some Limhwas. NobilityDoll has a couple men's men, I think.

We here at DoA definitely do not drive the demand part for certain types of facial sculpts. In the end, it is what the artists want to produce. You should ask them!

 

My Bowie definitely looks like a boy (he's a K-doll), but if I put one of his long rock star wigs on him and someone sees us, they normally think he's a girl, even though his face is very boy! I just think that some people see long hair and think girl, while others see a doll and think girl, then there are people who are just plain rude.

 

Well, I have no problem whatsoever with boys who look a little girly. A bit of gender ambiguity never hurt anyone.
Of course, I'm a little biased, as I am (honestly) a drag queen.
I generally feel most MALE when I am wearing some outlandish makeup and costume that is far too much for the average player of either sex!

If you think about it, a great deal of idealization of the male form has made it lean toward feminine features of some sort throughout history. To this day, there is still some debate over some of Michaelangelo's figures and their sex, particularly in the backgrounds to some of his greater fresco works. The same is true throughout much of the renaissance. Some cultures also bring a more masculine edge to female figures to further confuse things to the untrained eye. It's just a little work of art, people. Someone sculpted it, and there it goes off into the world for us to love.
There are so many styles because there are so many tastes. If I spent any significant amount of time worrying what others think, I'd never get anything done that I enjoy! I think some of the girly boys look sweet. And also, often they tend to look "young" to me, not just utterly feminine. One is quite hard pressed to find a variety of truly middle-aged or elderly looking BJDs manufactured for sale, male or female. Youth is another point of aesthetic idealism.
I just go for whatever makes me happiest, and who cares if anyone gets me?

 

Personally, I get that all the time about my Chiwoo, Huntyre.

(Look at icon for his picture! lol...)

I normally just politely tell them that my doll, although appearing feminine, is in fact a boy. Normally I'll get the reply "but he looks like a girl?!?"

It doesn't bother me. I got a boy doll, I have a boy doll. However, my boy doll DOES look like a girl, especially to people who don't do the whole anime/manga/j-rock scene. It can be very confusing to someone who isn't used to that.

Americans/Westerners are very used to (as said before) the Barbie, Ken, Bratz, so on and so on dolls that are meant to portray a fine line between what is male and what is female.

Ken goes with Barbie. That's the thought. One is a male, one is a female.

Also, alot of people don't understand the "I -heart- yaoi" and "BOYS + BOYS = TEH HOTTZORS" You won't find alot of the youth audience (13-25) questioning the doll gender issue. It's normally the parents, the grandparents, the teachers, co-workers, yada yada.

It's just society.

Don't take offense, it's not meant personally, as far as I can tell.

 

It isn't just dolls... Look at the "pretty boys" in the movies.

Orlando Bloom? Ryan Phillipee? Even Brad Pitt has a more feminine look to him.

And look at just about any anime. The vast majority of men in animes are extremely feminine.

I don't think it's necessarily a doll preference... it shows up many more places than just dolls.

 

I don't care overly much for girly guys, so I don't think any of my boy dolls look girly (Miles maybe lil' bit but he wears guy clothes!). What I do mind, is a doll with long hair, with make-up, long lashes, wearing a dress, etc, and finding out the doll is a boy. Especially when I've commented on what a cute girl it is, only to find out afterwards. *sigh*

I'm in that 13-25 age catergory and I still don't understand the appeal. I never mean offense if I call a girly boy a girl, but I always feel bad. I feel worse when the owner corrects me in a snippy manner. I stopped commented on gallery threads unless I know the doll or the owner says "she" or "he" somewhere in the post.

What I really don't understand is why it's so rampant in this fandom, but if it makes you happy, go for it. I'm not gonna tell anyone what to do.

 

Yes, gorgeous boys has feminine characteristics in their faces. And most BJD boys are so gorgeous! Aren't they? It's so simple!

I'm more fond in BJD girls but I also like BJD boys. I d'nt understand why anyone can find strange buying a BJD boy a little girlie.

Well, some of my near people find very strange paying "so much" for a BJD perhaps that's a problem of misunderstand this hobby.

Sorry, my English is so poor!

 

Girly boys look cute,and Asian boys are cuter.

My Kaiden has been mistaken for a girl many,many times.

But when it gets to the point of pulling their pants and boxers down,people understand,yes it IS a boy. lol

 

I think you're overgeneralizing about all doll people "going for femmy sculpts". I myself like a range of sculpts. The more "masculine" sculpts are often art dolls, like Donn's latest Bishonen House doll (a very realistic male sculpt) that are in short supply. I have also seen some Bermanns that were done up to look unmistakably masculine - that sculpt has a great deal of range - but again, it is hard to come by.

Whereas it's much easier for someone who wants a doll to simply buy a Luts or a Volks guy and most of them will look feminine if you don't re-do the faceup and wig and so forth to look masculine. Aside from the features being the more generic anime/manga "pretty boy" type, the lack of facial hair is one big way in which the dolls tend to look more feminine than the average guy. A pretty guy with a five o' clock shadow is unmistakably a GUY no matter how girlish his features might be, but facial hair on a doll requires some effort to pull off. I thought Dollkot did a good job with their Abel in New York set, making a sculpt that had been very feminine in its previous incarnations into a more masculine look.

Other boy dolls represent younger, prepubescent boys and when children are that age, there is not yet much difference between the sexes, lookswise. A pretty child is a pretty child, whether it's male or female is shown predominantly by the clothing, hairdo and mannerisms it adopts.

 

I think allot of it has to do with the faceups as well, Boys are given wispy eyebrows, long lashes, and have their lips colored in a very unrealistic shades- making it look like they have makeup on. ( not all of them of course)

Most of my boys have short hair and dress in a very obviously masculine manner. But occasionally I DO like to to stick one of them in one of my girls wigs and a fancy outfit.
And I do have plans for a few particular dolls that are going to be very feminine looking, in face up, wig, and dress.

I Like the feminine boy style because its so...Fantastic, sort of Halloween-ish too me. You dont see many real people who look like these dolls, or dress like them, ( at least I don't) And its fun to be able to have them look however you want, and be whoever/whatever you want.
I don't want my boys to look totally like girls though, and to ME, they don't.
Even if they are considered "Feminine" by some, They very rarely look that way too me, because im so used to it. I also draw very Feminine looking men, and its just something that I feel comfortable with and enjoy.
They wouldnt be beautiful to me if they looked like everyday guys. I like that they have soft refined features, and have a very unthreatening presence ( at least my boys do...Ive never met anyone elses)
So...thats my rant, and im stickin' to it.

 

When I've gotten that remark from family and friends, more than once it's been personal. They're wondering why I have a realistic little BOY doll will resin bits. Being thought of as a pedophile is not okay. :'( It really hurts. I thought it was normal to like boys? Well, not if the boy doll is younger and looks like a girl. I like girls too, but no one would think I'm a lesbian if I got a GIRL doll. No, no, having a naked GIRL doll around the house is NORMAL, but leaving Shasta about with his peen showing? There's GOT to be something wrong with that girl!
...which is why I'm getting a girl next. So they'll lay off. >(
[/rant]

 

LOL! Now I feel all guilty that I am dreaming of someday modding a girl into a bearded lady!
That is a good point, though!

 

I was often mistaken a boy, when I were a child... I had short hair and hardly ever wore skirts or dresses... and I always had more male friend than female...

And the "facial hair"-thing must be really hard to pull off... when you look at all the bishonen in anime/manga you seldom see guys with facial hair... and also, I think a lot of asian guys don't have facial hair as strong as western guys... simply caused by genetics...

 

*shrugs* I like pretty boys, I've always liked pretty boys. So I get pretty boy dolls. I don't feel the need to prove my uniqueness and speshullness by getting a doll that is 'different from the rest' by being manly, then continue to whine about those who simply like girly stuff on guys. That's not why I got into this hobby. I also don't like how there are so many of these topics 'why is your boy girly?' 'why does he crossdress?' 'are you objectifying him?' 'are you afraid of men?' Like I have to justify the way I play with my $500 pieces of resin! I think by now we have established that we all have different tastes, no?

I like my girly boys because they're my taste and I find them pretty and I will dress however girly or manly I please. That's all, really. I also don't correct people when they call my guys girls, it's okay, if it's prettier to you as a girl, then let it be a girl in your mind. Nothing I should worry about :3 Play and let play, I say.

 

the boys may look like girls, but a lot of the girls look like hookers or anime characters to me, and i'm just not into that.

it's good to find a slender-but-not-unrealistic, non-exaggerated, pretty doll. it doesn't matter to me personally which gender, except that pretty boys, due to their understandable popularity, are more readily available

i have one pretty boy *shame* but if you tell him he looks like a girl he may decide to flash you O_o