Why do people dislike character dolls or dolls without backstories?

People get bjds for different reasons; some like to sew, some have original characters, some want to dollify already existing characters, some just think the dolls are pretty to look at etc etc, none of these reasons are any less "legitimate" than others.
Those who dislike other dolls because they're not orginial enough or whatever stupid reason are just your average close minded elitist which exist in every hobby. It's best to just ignore them and don't take what they say to heart.

 

I have, however, run into people who are condescending and almost rude about the fact that their dolls are original characters with backstories and others aren't.
Oh, I know what you mean. ; o ;
I had no idea that such a cute, and seemingly friendly hobby,
could have so many different groups and strong preferences.

I'm still fairly new to the hobby and have only been involved with doll groups and DOA since last April. I'm trying to understand the attitude. Why do so many people seem to feel superior about having their own characters. Shouldn't we all be supportive of each other's choices? What's your perspective?
I'm horribly new to this. My first doll didn't even arrive yet. December! >o<
But, I've been looking into the dolls since... Middle school?
I saw, decently early on, that there were some nerve endings and disagreements.
I think we should support what everyone else likes--within reason!
I decided my dolls will be a mix.
My first doll, will be almost like an original character. Morely an extension of myself, though. My next three dolls, I decided, will be basically a part of my lovely three kitties. (12 yr. female, shorthair; 2 yr. male, havana mix; 5 mnth. male, maine coon) I love them all very dearly--and after they pass--which will not be for a while, I want to have something to hold onto that will be reminding me of them. Then, I guess my last doll, will be like my first. Just an extension of myself.
c:

 

Right, exactly. Whether or not a given character is a Sue is largely in the eye of the beholder, and it isn't given to us to judge whether or not that makes a character worthy of dollification. I have an old, old RP character that I would loooooooooove to dollify. There are people that would consider her a Sue, I don't doubt it. I also don't care. Jes is my character, and that is all that matters. I have a pretty strong reaction to the idea that all OCs written in an existing canon are Sues/Stus and therefore somehow unworthy of dollifying, thus I wanted clarification on that.

...besides, being a professional writer/creator/whatever doesn't exempt someone from creating a Sue. I've read a LOT of books that involve characters that fail every Su/Stu litmus test on the planet. (Oh hi there, Sasuke Uchiha...)

 

I think one's attitude and approach to the hobby may change and evolve as time goes by. When I first picked it up, I was mainly attracted by the possibility of "resinating" my own OCs. I could not comprehend what's the fun in recreating existing characters from someone else's universe, or even collecting dolls for their own sake. The thought of creating a doll in a celebrity's likeness was repulsive to me.

Guess what, today I have two celebrity Minimees and am happily working on a doll that will be just that, a doll to wear pretty clothes, no personality whatsoever. Oh yeah, and I'm about to paint a floating head to look like a character from a popular video game. And I'm still enjoying the hobby as passionately as when I just started.

 

I'm new to the hobby and haven't had a personal bad experience with people on this issue, but it is something I've noticed a bit in the community.
I'm the type of person who enjoys sewing for dolls and the creative aspects of customizing them, but I don't have a strong desire to give backstories and solid personalities to them. I think it's great others can and do, and maybe I will in time, but as it stands I have a hard time just deciding on basic things like a name. I could easily see myself wanting to create unoriginal character dolls based on preexisting characters I like and can't fault anyone who does that. I don't have OCs I want to create and I'm sure a lot of people are the same way. It doesn't mean we enjoy our dolls any less. To each their own. How anyone enjoys a hobby is really not something that should be up for debate and criticism IMO if it's not hurting anyone. We all have our own ways of approaching things.

 

i honestly don't care, i just like admiring dolls, the craft,the art and beauty of them, i really am not so interested in backstories, names yes but a life story not so much, i respect others that do and i also expect people to respect the fact i am not going to do it for mine..works both ways it posted twice and the boards are not working properly at the moment,

 

Many doll collectors seem to attach convoluted histories, backdrops to their dolls. I've never understood why this is and I don't try to. While other collectors enjoy fleshing out characters in doll form that they've wrote about for a long time. It doesn't bother me but it's just not something I subscribe to. I do enjoy reading about others dolls who are a part of a greater cast of characters. As some of you come up with some pretty interesting stuff. c:

As for me, I prefer my dolls to only be skin deep. I dress them in styles I like, coordinate eye and hair choices and apply a light amount of personalizing to them. For instance, I might photograph two dolls as being a couple a lot because I like the idea of it as a photo. I don't actually have a story supporting anything between these dolls. The deepest I get to administering personalities is the fact that they are named and have styles of makeup and dress.

 

I don't personally have a story for my dolls, beyond a vague notion that they are all friends/siblings (thus why I put in matching eyes), but I don't begrudge anyone that does. I think it's really cool that people make backgrounds and really intricate story lines for their dollies. I don't think I could put the effort and time into giving a history beyond how they came to belong with me, but I love that others do it!

I don't understand why people get upset about whether or not my dolls have a story. It's my hobby, and I choose what to do with it.

 

I just wanted to throw in my 2 bits on the topic. My mother loves to garden. She loves flowers. She joined a dahlia society, locally. She told me she didn't really care for some of the people in the society. Why? Because they're snobby. About flowers. They judge other people's gardens and feel that everyone should think the same way they do.

So what's my point? Other people have mentioned it. This hobby, like any hobby, has people that feel that they have written the rules for the entire hobby and that their opinion is right and that everyone should think like they do.

Frankly, I don't care what anyone thinks. My dolls are for me. I paid for them with the money that I earned working. If I wanted to smash them into the ground that's my right. If I wanted to enclose them in a case and never touch them, that's my right. If I want them to have a backstory or no story, yup, my right.

I can't imagine that people who spend their time judging how others practice a hobby actually find any true enjoyment in the hobby.

As for my own dolls, well I actually started to collect with non-abjds because I wanted to photograph them and it was through sharing photos and seeing the photos of others that I discovered abjds. My babies have personalities. No back story, they're just my babies. My two MSD boys are actually based on characters from a story I've been trying to write for years. The two MSD girls don't really have a story and I think they'll probably stay like the babies, with personalities but no story to speak of. (I use my fashion dolls as characters with back stories, again from something I've been attempting to write for years.)

I think the most important thing is that people enjoy their dolls. Hobbies are meant to be fun right? As long as you're having fun, you're doing it right.

 

I happen to have all OC dolls and one character doll, I'll make more if I like so I suppose I'll toss my 2 cents in. I actually came into hobby with doll friends that thought having a character for your doll was "odd" and that people who do so are "strange".

Bear in mind that for each person being high and mighty about OCs and creativity there's someone disagreeing with it and saying nasty things. Just like some OC doll owners are doing the same to character doll owners. Some Character doll owners may be disagreeing in a rude fashion about doll owners who treat their collection like art on display. No sublet of doll hobby is more disliked than the other and all have a few rude people making the rest of the owners that share their sediments (in a less radical and condescending fashion) look bad.

 

I personally have never cared if a persons doll is based off a character or if the doll doesn't have a back story. It doesn't really effect or bother me in any way so why should I? I think character dolls are actually kind of cool if they're done right and they look the part. I mean, I've seen some on dA that are absolutely amazing, its just not my own personal cup of tea.

But I've never really understood the people that do have a problem with it. I mean, it's not doing anything to, for, or against you, it's not hindering you in anyway, so why can't the doll owner just be happy and why do you dislike it? It has nothing to do with you. The dolls are for them. If it makes them happy then it makes them happy. Just like a person with a noncharacter doll or a doll with a back story is happy and loves their own dolls. Shouldn't bother anyone else really. But that's just my opinion on it.

 

Also, while backstories are incredibly interesting to read about (I love a good BJD character bio) they can be incredibly difficult to think up. Even as someone who used to write all the time, the one thing I couldn't do well was characterization. I end up making them too unlikable in some fashion - even to me. That's why I have no characters I want to shell. Luckily, I was able to give my dolls backstories to some extent, but they're not very thorough.

 

That is a really revealing perspective and helps me to understand what all the fuss of having dolls with a character and back story vs. dolls with no story/background is about. I had never heard of the Character/back story subculture until I got into seeing pictures of these dolls and their stories. I came into the BJD world from the opposite end of the spectrum, and I guess I was just as confused about the idea of characters and back stories as you were about meeting collectors who had no inclination for this. In fact, I got into this genre of dolls especially for the idea that they can be customized and even have their looks changed completely if you get tired of the original look. The biggest thing that I like about the BJD world is the sheer variety and uniqueness of each and every doll. I have seen many variations of the same doll and I am fascinated with the individuality of each one. Even the factory fullset varieties reflect their owners just because of the way they choose to pose them during a picture session. The fact that one can also develop their story and character making skills is remarkable and makes this particular doll hobby the most fulfilling and artistic in all of the doll world! I have extreme respect for each and every one of you who collect these dolls

I find it strange that anyone would try to inflict their sensibilities on others when the whole purpose of BJD's is about individuality and creativity in every degree!

 

Sounds like The Doll Master to me. o u o

 

I've heard of those kinds of BJD owners but never come across them.

"This is Ayane. She looks good with the default face-up, when I get bored of it, i'll change it. As for her story, she doesn't have one yet. I'm not good at writing character stories just because my english level is really poor.

Ayane will be Ayane and that's that."

That's what I would say to those kinds of people. Just my opinion, sorry for it sounding so childish. >__>

 

Gotta love the Snobs of Hobbies...NOT!
It's bad enough that people look at this hobby as a waste of money. It only makes it worse that there are snobs in the BJD community who think they're entitled to make ground rules for everyone. Who died and made them God of Dolls anyway?

 

Well, you don't have to follow any rules. And that's always the good side as it is the problem. You find snobs and people who think there is only *one* way everywhere. Don't let that get you down. ^^

For me a doll can be just a doll as well as have a character, a backstory and/or a life.
I still enjoy those pictures
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...-(Saint-Lahoo-Regen-head-dbd-doll-body-HUGE!)
because Carmen used the dolls as... well... dolls. ^^
Personally, my dolls have a vague backstory, which I use to create characters. I prefer my dolls that way. ^^

 

I've never really run into people like that on this forum. When I first got into the hobby, it was because I just liked the dolls. Then I found out that they really do seem to grow their own personalities in your mind. Then I made up my mind to shell some of my OCs. So I have some dolls who have names and personalities, but no backstory to speak of and I couldn't even tell you their ages. I have others who are OCs whom I've been writing about for litterally decades and have long, complicated stories.

Personally I'm not all that keen on dolls with no personality, or that are recreations of anime characters. It's not that I hate their owners or anything, it's just hard for me to imagine not making something my own, especially something like BJDs that are just begging to be customized. But then I'm a compulsive tinker and can't let anything alone.

 

Well, my own primary interest in dolls is in creating physical avatars for my characters.

I don't think there's any wrong way to enjoy your dolls, so if others aren't interested in doing that, I certainly don't look down on them for that.

I do find, though, that I have more to talk about with people who share my interest in the character-building aspects of the doll hobby, because we have more in common. That's not meant as a snub to anyone else. It's just that in general, people with a common interest will often have an easier time conversing, and the topic of dolls is no different. I am more likely to seek out these conversations just because I'll actually have something to say, not because I'm avoiding or judging others.

I think any way people want to enjoy their dolls is great, and we should be supportive of each other and not run each other down for being interested in the hobby for a different reason.

 

Okay, I am quite new to the hobby, as in a month into the hobby. X__x But I figured I might as well jump in and hopefully get to know others, and other's opinions, so what better place than Dolly Debate!

Okay, I do agree with the post above about "imprinting" basically, when someone enters into the hobby, the person, company, or situation that brought them to BJD often imprints on how they view things. Take my situation, I was given my doll by a person already very knowledgeable in the hobby. She also views her dolls as her children, she takes care of them and provides for them not only handmade clothes, and bought clothes, but home-made face ups and a numerous amount of other "caring" motherly types of actions. Thusl, when she gave me my doll I saw my doll as a being that was fully capable of communication of some sort and definitely capable of personality, but no back stories! So for me to go to meets or interact with other doll owners who keep their dolls in boxes or don't have the same view it is hard to wrap my head around their beliefs.

HOWEVER, I would never de-class myself by making rude, sniping comments about these people. Now apparently where I am located there are a few of these "snobby" people. I have encountered a few. But what was even more disturbing to me was I had one doll owner tell me she was personally attacked at a meet for the brand of doll she had, and then in the same sentence turned around and insulted and "bashed" the one bashing her. Victim turned aggressive behavior. As it has been stated before, there is no straight and only path to playing with dolls. Some don't believe they have souls, some see them as children, some keep them in boxes, and some make up back stories. It wouldn't matter to me if someone's doll had a back story or not as long as they were treated nicely and their owners were mature enough to see past everyone's differences to at least be mannerly. Like they teach before first grade even, "Different is good!"