1. It has come to the attention of forum staff that Dollshe Craft has ceased communications with dealers and customers, has failed to provide promised refunds for the excessive waits, and now has wait times surpassing 5 years in some cases. Forum staff are also concerned as there are claims being put forth that Dollshe plans to close down their doll making company. Due to the instability of the company, the lack of communication, the lack of promised refunds, and the wait times now surpassing 5 years, we strongly urge members to research the current state of this company very carefully and thoroughly before deciding to place an order. For more information please see the Dollshe waiting room. Do not assume this cannot happen to you or that your order will be different.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Dollshe Craft and all dolls created by Dollshe, including any dolls created under his new or future companies, including Club Coco BJD are now banned from Den of Angels. Dollshe and the sculptor may not advertise his products on this forum. Sales may not be discussed, no news threads may be posted regarding new releases. This ban does not impact any dolls by Dollshe ordered by November 8, 2023. Any dolls ordered after November 8, 2023, regardless of the date the sculpt was released, are banned from this forum as are any dolls released under his new or future companies including but not limited to Club Coco BJD. This ban does not apply to other company dolls cast by Dollshe as part of a casting agreement between him and the actual sculpt or company and those dolls may still be discussed on the forum. Please come to Ask the Moderators if you have any questions.
    Dismiss Notice

Zombie Tinies - Bad Taste?

Mar 9, 2010

    1. Why I ask: I plan to get a cheap (by BJD standards) tiny-sized doll for the purpose of modifying her into a zombie. Not a fresh zombie, either, but a rotting green one with wounds on her face and chest.

      But when I showed the sketch of how I ultimately want her to look - Curly blonde hair, a cute grin, big baby blue eyes (well, one eye - the other is a socket), and a little tiara to contrast the grotesqueness of her decaying body, most of my friends told me I was being tasteless.

      Part of this may have been my drawing style, which gave my design a rather unfortunate resemblance to murdered beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey (who I did know personally as a child, albeit not very well, so I would never never NEVER try to disrespect her or the Ramsey family). This complicates things as I had wanted my zombie girl to like dressing up in pageant-like clothes, as anyone who has little sisters or cousins know little girls love doing, but I wouldn't want that comparison...

      ...I guess what I mean is do you find undead doll portrayals of children to be in bad taste?
       
    2. I have to say, admitting you knew the victim personally and stating you see the close resemblance and then continuing to go on with the project is in bad taste in my opinion, especially if you are still close with family members and friends of the victim.

      Now, zombie tines in general? Not bad taste in my opinion. I love zombie dolls and mods. It is the parallel that you are drawing that disturbs me.

      I am sorry and I hope I haven't sounded too harsh.
       
    3. With the background story you have told, yes, I think it is bad taste.

      Having said that, I have to say I do not see the fascination with death, the way it has been glamorized and romanticized. Death is death, it is final and gone. Playing with a zombie seems like playing with a dead child, and that's gross. Just my opinions!
       
    4. Im still going to stick with the "shes your doll and you can do what you like with her" but I wonder if subconsciously you are trying to make her resemble your murdered friend? It might not be just your drawing style, but some part of you that has trouble coping with the murder.. but im no psycologist and im not here to judge. Personally I dont like any zombie mods except for the transformation and skill that they have put into them. but.. Would you be able to live with a doll resembling you dead friend always smiling/staring at you?
       
    5. well taste (bad and good) is subjective, but my opinion is that yes it is in bad taste given the context. You might consider doing something similar but in a way that does NOT in any way reference JBR.

      Still, outside of your immediate context i don't find zombie mods in "bad taste" per se, tiny or large, though they tend not to be to my particular personal taste.
       
    6. I should clarify that I never intended my girl to be based on JB. The wounds would not be similar at all. I wanted a blonde, blue-eyed zombie girl who liked dressing up. Her looks are based more on Alice in Wonderland than anything else.

      It was the style I DRAW with, where the eyes are a bit far set, the chins tiny, the hair big, and the foreheads high, that caused my friends to draw that conclusion. I wouldn't have caught it had my friends not pointed it out. I should also point out the mold I chose to go with does not closely resemble my drawing style at all.

      Also I did not know JB very well - she was a neighbour and friend of my cousin Tara, I met her like twice before the murder. (I would never doll her, and seeing the way the media portrayed her and her parents never sat right with me either...)
       
    7. I find it to fascinating and fun, I adore all things grotesque and macabre. I don't think portraying children this way is in poor taste, I think zombie children are adorable(I have several Living Dead Dolls and a Krypt Kiddie). As for creating a mini JonBenet, I feel that this would be in poor taste because it would hurt her family and those who knew her. If you are simply creating a little rotting undead child character from your own imagination then I feel that would be just fine. But when it comes down to it, these are my own thoughts and you are within your rights to do whatever you wish and it isn't anyone's place to tell you otherwise. We can all share our opinions but in the end you are the one who decides what you do. It sounds to me that you had no intention of portraying JonBenet like this and it was just that your design bore an unfortunate resemblance to her in the eyes of your friends. Don't allow the opinions of others to keep you from creating something beautiful to you. I hope to help you with these words but in essence my words don't count either. Just yours:)
       
    8. Well I wouldn't go around showing the doll to the Ramsey family ever but I mean its your doll and you can do what you please with it. I mean it sounds like you aren't making a conscious decision to base the doll off of the Ramsey girl and as long as in your mind these 2 things are separate I think its fine. Yeah it could be some alter-subconscious thing that you are doing to cope but like you said you didn't even know the girl very well so there's a high chance you just want a cute blonde zombie tiny. People read into things wayyyyyy too much about these dolls I think, they need to chill. Personally I love zombie mods so as long as you are doing it with your own character in mind not based off of the Ramsey girl, you have my support.

      ETA-- well, the bad part was removed so its cool now
       
    9. ok, then given your further explaination the doll itself should be perfectly fine IMHO. In the end, it's your doll you should enjoy her how you like, if your friends think it's in poor taste they don't have to look at her. Good luck and have fun modding!

      ps. your name means "princess" in Polish right? my polish is rusty :sweat
       
    10. I adore zombie mods, so do not get me wrong. It is her parallels to a murder victim that she said she knew that bothered me. Her further explanation has made her intentions and her circumstance clearer, but I went on the information she gave me. I do not want to be inflammatory at all.
       

    11. Yes, I read what she posted and your post and changed my post because I really did not want to be inflammatory or mean or anything like that, it was never my intention ^_^
       
    12. @Nabeerain, lol its all good
       
    13. I don't think zombie dolls in general are in bad taste. I have one I'm working on myself but she's an sd. She will however have a tiny succubus companion. Leather binkini, whip, hooves and all. Not sure if that's suitable, but I'm doing it anyway.

      Like it was said above maybe not in the context presented here. Maybe instead of pagent dresses she could wear something else, like princess dresses, or things that would be considered playing dress up like from her mom's closet. Instead of blond curly hair, go with another color. Red is really cute on a little princess. If she's a zombie you could go with a green color too or maybe a dirty brown. There's alot of things that could be done to change the similarities.
       
    14. Ooh, I think that sounds like an awesome doll! Who cares about being PC, if you like it, do it. I think as long as you don't name her JonBenet (or something that sounds similar) you should be fine.
       
    15. In context yes, I do think it is in bad taste. Zombies in general (mini or otherwise) are completely fine to me. But considering your closeness to this certain event, maybe tweak the design a little. (what she's wearing, hair color, etc.) The last thing you want is to disrespect anyone specific.
       
    16. Does anyone remember Garbage Pail Kids? This sounds like pretty much the same thing. Sure, it's gross, but as long as you keep it cartoon-y, it seems like a playful type of gross.
       
    17. Sounds to me like you had a clear idea of what you wanted, your friends made some comparisons, and that made you second guess yourself. She sounds cute, and as long as you mean it when you say it has nothing to do with the other situation, then kudos on a cool idea!

      It's important not to curbe your life completely due to tragedy. A sense of normalcy and lightheartedness helps people deal. It's also important to be respectful. So maybe you don't parade her around the town.... but you enjoy her all you want!!!
       
    18. Why not a tiny BJD zombie? Have you ever seen the huge amount of listings on ebay around Halloween for zombified and generally dead-looking vinyl and porcelain baby dolls? Those big ol' modified babyfaces lying there are far more ick-ful than anything one could do to a BJD! (My sqwick, of course, YMMV.) At least BJD zombies get better thought-out as a complete production and get a backstory besides.
       
    19. After reading the backstory but then reading your clarification, I think its fine honestly. Your doll, do what you want. I always liked seeing BJDs displated in a grotesque manner just because I find it interesting. Seriously do whatever you want to your doll, its not your family or friends doll its yours and you have the right to create it however you want. With your drawing style, hey you didn't mean it and you didn't even notice it till your family/friends mentioned it. They might have just not liked the idea of a zombie child and made that comparison, but I don't know your family so I wouldn't know.

      I would probley put your clarication as a edit on the topic though, I was going to say that it was very disrespectful to make a doll zombie version of a little girl who died tragically until I saw your other comment. Some other people may skip it so, I'd recommand a quick edit.
       
    20. There are plenty of those Living Dead baby doll things in various versions of zombie. Cute little zombies are fun. I always like seeing something you don't quite expect that way. If it comes up a lot after you do get the doll you may consider changing it, but I don't really see a problem since you aren't going for a doll version. Zombie away!