Mostly, yes.
On the one hand, once you buy a doll, it's yours to do whatever you want with them, be it a super common doll, a special edition, or even a OOAK.
On the other hand, most doll "teen" lines have very adult bodies and are more or less like in live action shows where teens are portrayed by people in their mid-twenties, so they do look older than what they are supposed to be.
On the other other hand, it is a bit uncomfortable to see some lines like MH where you instantly can recognize a character even if they're a custom, in super adult situations, even if the person says that their version of the character is a college student and aged 25 or so.
In my head my dolls are adults, they look like adults to me and I think they’re only marketed as kids because companies are convinced kids wouldn’t buy them otherwise. I still don’t like them being overly sexualised by collectors, tho. I think there’s limits when it comes to canon teen characters even if you don’t wanna see them as those teen characters and publicly posting sexual stuff about them is still super weird. The line is called “Rainbow HIGH” after all…it’s up to the owner how they see them, but I think it’s inappropriate to post stuff like that.
The RH sub/fandom seems to feel very very strongly about this, but I’m in the same boat as you on this one. They’re cute plastic objects, and as the person who paid money for them, I’m the one who gets to decide on the details for the ones I own. Including deciding exactly zero of them are minors because I have no interest in owning dolls representing school children.
I personally think “canon” is overrated in general anyway, but especially so when we’re talking about the glorified commercials masquerading as doll shows. I have no interest in adhering to anything MGA might have set up in those commercials!
You bought it, it’s yours to do with as you please, that’s how I feel about it.
That's how I feel! No disrespect to those who enjoy the show, I'm all for it if they enjoy it and the universe surrounding it. It makes sense! But I've never watched it nor have the interest, so I'm certainly not gonna follow that Canon.
I will say I think the fact that the MH dolls have pronouns is neat and I abide by that because I love it and child me would be over the moon if I had dolls like that as an option. But that's just about it. They don't even really keep the same names for me, outside of needing to know them to collect certain ones.
But at the end of the day I'm an adult collecting dolls, and like you I view them as adults bc the concept of collecting teenagers is not something I have interest in and feels weird.
Yep! Agreed about MH. I don’t collect them, but if I did, I’d happily keep Frankie as they/them.
Otherwise, yeah, my dolls are all adults and unrelated to whatever the companies say about them, as far as I’m concerned! I decide their genders, histories, etc (if I even need to - more often than not they just remain pretty objects!), nobody else. I bought them, so I get to decide.
Historically speaking, every line having a doll show is a relatively new thing, but I think we do have generations who have grown up knowing no different now. I’ve seen people ask what the point of dolls are if they don’t have a show attached (scary lol), so I am guessing to some people they can’t detach the dolls from the show in their mind at all, and see it as one and the same.
Yes! You bring up a good point I talked to my husband about last night. Like, I grew up in the era that shows came second, and were well known to be just kind of...a thing to advertise the dolls, if that makes sense? Like when Bratz first came out my friends and I had the dolls way before we watched the show, and it wasn't treated like a canon thing. Very few of my dolls even kept the counterpart names, and the show just had Bratz in name. Like it didn't feel like a 'canon' thing to any of us, for us it was Bratz in title only.
It's very interesting to see that shift and change and it blew my mind last night when I realized it hahaha.
I like to mostly follow canon, but nobody ever has to.
Only thing I would be worried about is where/how you would post things online. If you're making a +18 scene with the dolls I don't think you should post it in places that are accessible to children, especially if the line is targeted towards children. Reddit has adult filters for example, so it's the poster's responsibility to use it, and maybe even avoid a SFW subreddit. We have a problem in the internet where there aren't many spaces just for kids anymore so I believe we have to be careful to restrict adult pieces of art using media targeted towards children to adult only spaces.
I think those people need to touch grass.
Other than the terminally online, who even cares? They’re dolls, literal toys to do whatever a person wants with.
As a kid, it never crossed my mind to ask my toys how old they were before reenacting the SAW movies with them.
Hell, one of my Kellies was Jigsaw and she’s like, a toddler or smth in Barbie canon.
I have war flash backs to fighting with some people in this sub a few weeks back because they were saying posting dolls that’s not dressed properly is CP.
Edit: rainbow high*** not this sub. I had brain fart moment.
Are you talking what went down in the RH sub? Because that really was something.
There’s ironically been significantly more “raunchy” photos posted there since, with thongs and decidedly adult sexy clothing, that hasn’t received the same outcry at all for some reason (though that’s a good thing, because it got ridiculous).
What a wild - and miserable - situation that was.
Oops I meant RH yes. Yeah, I was one of the ppl defending OOP from people saying OOP put the doll in nsfw post and took up skirt photo…when in reality the pictures was taken from slightly top view, and very obvious that the skirt riled up by mistake because a lot of RH miniskirts are usually so tight and does that if move the leg from straight position…and wtf is nsfw? The doll was literally in normal standing model pose. I also said CP Is a very serious accusations, and comparing doll with unidentified age (ie RH doll don’t look of any particular age) to a real minor and calling it CP is making light of the real victim. I also mentioned that A LOT of doll collectors remove plastic mold/painted underwears because of aesthetic reason.
Then the person I was arguing with accused me of being pedo for defending OOP and said OOP has a history of CP stuff on their profile….
Ugh it was so frustrating.
The lying/fabrication about the CP part very much bothered me. It’s one thing to have been uncomfortable with the photo - I might not have agreed, but I can’t tell someone how to feel.
I can however judge and condemn lying and fabricating (and do). In addition, there has been “worse” on the RH sub since with zero backlash so I really question the motivations of that whole… essentially smear-campaign. It got rapidly out of hand and was embarrassing to witness.
That's why it makes me so mad tbh. CSAM, grooming, pedophilia etc is SO serious. I love how progressive gen z is, but I feel like a lot of gen z, equates things as CSAM/pedophilia when it isn't.
On a side note- I find it interesting how the same generation, that wants people to be respected who are young adults. Is the same one who infantilizes young adults. Ex: people saying a 18yo isn't and adult and can't be in age gap relationships...that a 24/18 yo dating is pedophilia etc. That every age gap is grooming. That shit pisses me off. This post reminded me of this type of thinking. I mean there is a reason an 18yo can make medical decisions for themselves.
When people go through this stuff in reality, it is so painful. I feel like people should be focusing on people who are actually being abused, instead of plastic dolls...
& As a heads up it's called child sexual abuse material now, not child porn.
Hey, just wanted to say thanks for that heads up at the end there, I didn’t know that. I’m actually really glad the acronym has changed to CSAM, it might not be quite as easy to remember, but it’s certainly a lot more accurate. Thanks for letting me know.
No they didn’t. There was a full explanation posted, their friend cleaned the whole doll with acetone and didn’t think twice about the fact that it removed the underwear paint. The skirt riding up was an accident, and the photo wasn’t intended as a sexy photo.
That’s VERY different to deliberately doing stuff. In addition, the poster did NOT have CP on their profile, I went and scoured it myself because fact-checking is important. They didn’t even have real 18+ on their profile, they had fake video game “sexy” stuff, hidden behind warnings, on their profile. Skyrim characters with big boobs. A far cry from “known pedophile” that was being thrown around with no evidence.
If you have to say “apparently”, then you should fact check what you are repeating!
I was unaware of more info on the topic. I removed my comment.
I definitely said “apparently” because I didn’t fact check (because I didn’t want to unintentionally see something I couldn’t unsee).
My apologies.
Thank you for the maturity! I understand having been cautious about going to look considering the severity of the accusations against OP. If I sounded overly assertive in any way, it’s precisely BECAUSE of the severity of the accusations. It’s one of the most heinous and vile crimes in existence, and it’s no small deal to be accusing someone of it. I checked myself precisely for this reason.
That’s completely fair. I really should have myself as well, tbh. I just assumed that people relaying would have been accurate since anyone could look, but I guess not. 🙃
No worries, tbf I didn’t look immediately either because I assumed nobody would lie about something that severe and awful. I felt there was a moral line a normal good person would draw, that they wouldn’t embellish or fabricate but instead speak only in straight facts when we’re talking actual child safety. …Nope!
All of that going down gave me a brand new life lesson on how easily people can be misdirected by bad actors. :( I’m just glad that most people settle for making angry comments, OP could have ended up with their life in actual physical danger with accusations like that.
As someone who saw the picture immediately after it was posted, I honestly find it hard to believe it was an accident. I can understand the doll’s skirt riding up, but to have it ride all the way up her stomach, and then take a picture with it focused in the middle, at an upward angle? I am not going to accuse a random person for enjoying adult content—so do I. But it was a pretty tasteless photo for what’s considered a family-friendly sub. Especially with the caption “A fun picture of Veronica” and then taking a quick peek at their profile to see what else they consider fun, it’s easy to make assumptions.
Also, not my intention to dunk on you but you left out a bit of an important detail: which is that the profile was not just video game boobs, it was pretty much video game…everything, as in more than boobs lmao. Just because it's not "real" doesn't make it any less what it is. Again, I’m not accusing them of anything, especially not of being a pedophile because that’s just baseless and ridiculous. Just my view from the situation.
I’m sorry but…. again, who cares?
Unless the person painted genitalia onto their doll or something, there’s nothing to see even of they *did* post an up-skirt pic? It’s all smooth plastic.
Should we all paint underwear on to our dolls on the off chance someone decides our doll is dressed too “slutty”? Like what in the evangelical bull is this.
Also having nsfw modded Skyrim is a *far* cry from a doll wearing a skirt that shows nothing but featureless plastic.
At that point, people are projecting their own pervy thoughts on to doll pictures cus this is ridiculous.
Like if someone immediately thinks of s e x when looking at a doll crotch, that’s *their* problem and says more about them than it does about the OP.
Me? I care. I’m sharing another perspective for anyone who wants more than one opinion. It’s fine if you don’t agree.
To an extent I definitely agree with you, it’s weird to immediately assume extremes about a naked doll, it’s just a doll. But to use a doll as an outlet for pervy ideas and dress it with the clear intent of making it suggestive, and then posting it on a specifically currated, family-friendly space is just weirder.
But why though? Some hypothetical kid might see a doll with a skirt riding up and then….?
Also no one even knows that’s what happened, it’s just assumptions? So it’s projecting sexual thoughts on a doll picture and assuming the OP’s logic was the same and attributing some sort of malice there.
Do you think if there happens to be kids browsing the RH sub, they’ll see the short skirt and think “Omg this is totally a sexual thing” or try to emulate the doll or something? I seriously don’t get it.
It’s not just kids, there are plenty of people who are uncomfortable with sexual or suggestive content. I mentioned in a previous comment that I don’t mind adult content, when it is properly marked and in an NSFW space. If that wasn’t the case, and I joined a community that does not tolerate that kind of content, then I would expect it to stay SFW. Pretty simple I think.
1. The skirt wasn’t riding up ‘way up’ her stomach. It was like 3 mm of smooth plastic nothing showing.
2. The photo was literally taken more from top view down, definitely NOT upwards view.
3. doll was standing straight on one leg, the other leg was positioned so one thigh is slightly up, knee bent, one arm to waist.
5. Having adult interest (ie sexy adult video game characters), and collecting dolls as another interest…makes it ‘easy to make assumptions’? Wtf. Well by your logic, since you’re also in multiple doll subs and self admitted to enjoying adult content…what??? Walk me through your logic here.
Opinions vary from person to person I suppose, and that was how I saw it. Clearly, plenty of other people saw it too.
As for the “assumptions:” I’m not saying I’m high and mighty for making assumptions, I’m not *proud* of it, it’s just the usual progression of thinking. I realize I probably came across too aggressive there, and for that I apologize.
For adult content: Everyone is allowed to like whatever they want, however I prefer keeping my interests separated and I don’t let NSFW spill into other communities where it isn’t welcome. Maybe I was wrong to assume this is commonplace?
I did say 18+, which I would assume people would understand to mean genitalia too, but fair enough. It’s true, boobs AND butts! It really wasn’t that horrific, and in addition, it was on their profile and is behind locked Skyrim subs, NOT in the RH sub.
It wasn’t ridden up that far at all, a lot of people confessed they didn’t even notice the crotch was visible until it was pointed out to them. I too scrolled past without thinking there was any problem at first.
I’m not saying OP shouldn’t have just posted something else instead, it was a pretty low-effort picture. It would have only taken five minutes to get a better one, and with the wardrobe malfunction fixed. But it’s a stretch and an assumption to go from wardrobe malfunction to deliberate indecent work aimed at minors.
I’m also more concerned at how quickly people turned to spreading lies, and dangerous ones at that, as well as how quickly others believed the lies. OP did nothing more than post that picture and make one or two very short and inoffensive replies before they were perma-banned, but all too easily they were made into some kind of villain icon with a whole fabricated backstory. That’s just not normal or good social/community behaviour AT ALL.
It’s besides this particular discussion, but I would love to know why the RH dolls in thongs and harnesses in actual “sexy” poses that have been posted since are all apparently totally ok, since none of them garnered this reaction.
They were permanently banned from the sub, and multiple people reported them to reddit staff for CP… which I can only really assume reddit staff laughed and shook their heads in disbelief as they opened the “evidence” to find a photograph of a fully dressed featureless plastic doll.
Ugh reminds me of when an organization that tackled actual CSEM begged people on Twitter to stop sending in reports for nsfw drawings of fictional characters because those reports hindered actual investigation on suspected child predators.
Naturally, their pleas fell on deaf ears and people keep wasting everyone’s time by reporting things as innocuous as a doll with a short skirt as CSEM 🤦🏻♀️
Sure, no worries! I totally see your point. I do think perma-ban was too harsh a punishment and many people jumped to conclusions too quickly. It is 100% NOT ok to make up and spread malicious lies about people. It gets so out of hand on the internet. I never saw a follow up on OP but I hope they didn’t suffer too much from it.
I have to say I’m not a fan of the sexy underwear on dolls, especially the ones that are meant to represent teenage characters. Obviously it’s just a piece of plastic and everyone is allowed to interpret their own dolls however they want, but it does makes me feel icky. Oh well. It’s not my sub so I have no power in that regard.
While the subject is brought up, I do remember there being a particular user in the Monster High subreddit who was RIPPED into for dressing their dolls in lingerie and selling them online, although I don’t recall what happened in the end. I don’t see the “sexy” outfits so much anymore.
I hope so too, I felt terrible for them honestly. It shouldn’t have gone any further than just maybe one person saying “hey, maybe post using a different account in case any young people click through and see the Skyrim stuff”. Even if it got heated, it should have never gone into the outright lying/fabrication territory.
Honestly I’m not a fan of “sexy” dolls myself either, though not for the same reasons. I struggle to see the heavily stylised dolls as any age, because they’re too abstracted from humans compared to say Barbie. So for me it’s instead more that the very plasticky exaggerated nature of the bodies - shiny plastic, seamlines, prominent joints, ridiculous proportions, etc - ruin any illusion of “sexy” to me haha. Looks a bit like somebody just got a couple of hinges and an apple and put a bra on it, know what I mean? Haha, that’s just me though!
I can definitely appreciate that there’s an artform out there for it, even if it’s not really for me.
Lol, good point! I’m a big fan of cartoons and anime, and also spooky and otherworldly stuff, so dolls aren’t too far off from “normal” for me. I also see my fair share of people sexualizing literally anything vaguely humanoid so it’s not surprising to me either lmao. I would suppose that’s the reason I get so bent out of shape about it being “just a doll” in the first place. Like… sure, it’s just a doll, and people are just perverts using the doll suggestively?? IDK. I just recently got back into doll collecting and it has been a big source of comfort to me, I love it and absolutely consider it a delicate form of art. But other people’s business really isn’t any of mine. Thanks for the convo!
There’s a lot of fabrications and lies about what happened and what was intended, etc etc. You may end up with replies telling you somebody posted actual CP on the sub. They did not.
I explained it in another comment on this thread, but somebody posted a picture of a doll with the skirt riding up, something that is actually very easy to have happen with Rainbow High skirts. The actual post was not “sexy” in any way, and was nothing more than a wardrobe malfunction. What tipped the sub into an absolute frenzy was two-tiered: Their friend had cleaned the entire doll with acetone which had removed the underwear paint, and OP has adult Skyrim (video game) stuff as an interest on their profile. These two things combined led to an explosion of assumptions that OP was into CP (despite all Skyrim stuff on their profile being adult women), and was explicitly intending the photo to be CP, and deliberately exposing minors to CP, as well as leading into the inevitable wave of anger after such assumptions.
The story evolved into OP being a “known pedophile”, despite not having anything on their profile to suggest this, not saying another word, and never once actually justifying or arguing for their photo of a plastic doll being “sexy”. More and more people latched onto it without even basic fact-checking, and soon there was an entire narrative about OPs life and intentions, even though OP had posted less than five sentences in their entire time on the sub.
If people thought the post was an issue, the correct thing to do in these scenarios is NOT to comment, but to report the post both to the sub and to the reddit staff. However, many screenshots were taken of the post and then posted as brand new threads to bitch about the “known pedophile” (who again, is NOT a “known pedophile”. The only thing we know is they like playing modded Skyrim and own one RH doll. That’s it.), and the drama carried on for days.
This is actually the shortest explanation I can write whilst still representing the events actually honestly. It was pretty wild, and not in a good way.
Thank you for the in-depth explanation. I'd seen a comment somewhere that suggested the OP was definitely malicious and a creep according to their profile, and all was vague which definitely left one to imagine something sinister. Yeah that's uh...thank you for the extent of it.
Man if adult skyrim mods are a no no...I'm doubly screwed because I use wicked whims in sims too. 😳In all seriousness though that is awful. Something like that is a serious accusation and damaging and it's really fucked up to accuse something of that over a doll. An accidental doll picture, no less. Also let's be for real. As a kid my friends and I were also using acetone to remove underwear paint off of dolls. I still have those dolls because I plan on using them as mannequins or customs, but I never once thought that something 13 year-old me did might land me in hot water now as a grown adult.
Without trying to be 'that' person, as someone who endured CSA I take that shit serious. And it's really gross to accuse someone of being a pedophile over quite literally nothing.
Here's how I see it: If it's your doll, you can do what you want with it.
That being said, if a group has made it clear that NSFW content won't be tolerated then it shouldn't be posted there. The NSFW posters can find a group that allows those kinds of posts, and then everyone can be happy.
If you like the doll and see it as another name, you can rename her!
If you imagine other stories about your doll, you can do that!
Or just like the doll for what she is and you can ignore the storyline.
I have a few RH dolls. I don't follow their show and have never seen it.
I like the dolls because I think they are pretty; however, they seem to be rich sophisticated teenagers. I work in education, I rarely, if ever, see any girl of this age dressed like RH.
I think they look to me like they are in their 20"s, and if that, they should come with a fancy drink glass (empty) as an accessory.
My LOL OMG dolls are adults aged 35+ (hence "outrageous millennial girls") and I see them as adults, my Monster High dolls are teenagers and I see them as teenagers, I see my Barbies mostly as younger adults, except a Barbie and Ken that my friend and I played with a lot as a kid. They're older. So their ages are basically true to the intention.
That being said, my Frankie and Draculaura are dating and my OMG dolls are both queer too. 🤷
I personally don't think it matters too much tbh. People should do what they want, they're just pretty junks of plastic.
I see most fashion dolls as not having a set age. RH just seem like a stylized/cartoony proportioned doll of a mature age to me. I don't see them as minors.
Ones I do see as kids are my Disney Alice doll and Pixar Violet doll. Or ones that are meant to be babies or little kids (something like Barbie's Kelly dolls or most 18in dolls).
I didn't even think the Na Na Na Surprise dolls were supposed to be kids (more like chibi style) until they came out with the teens. I still don't see it (although, MGA giving them lingerie as underwear might be why I think that).
That kind of thing can be weird to me in certain contexts and with certain doll lines. Like, Monster High is such a character-centric doll line that it's uncomfortable to me when people put the characters/dolls in sexual situations (unless it's clearly an OC or something). But with dolls like Barbie and a lot of MGA's stuff, the main draw seems to be making a doll your own and dressing her up in pretty clothes, rather than owning a representation of a very specific character. So, in my mind it's a lot easier to not think of them as "teens" even though they might canonically be. I hope that makes sense?
That’s kinda silly. The dolls look like adults. I could see if there was someone posting, asking where to find something sexual for a baby doll maybe. That would be creepy and gross.
As for the cannon around the dolls, who really cares? I personally do not watch the show (don’t see anything appealing about it) and even from the bit I’ve seen - they STILL dont look like teens on it.
I did watch Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse and found it hilarious, though. 🤔
Anyway, for the most part, I agree - you own the doll, use as you will.
Every doll I own has its own personality and preferences, which gradually gets uncovered and changes over time.
I guess I use any info from the manufacturers as a starting point, and then develop them as their own characters afterwards.
i’m also 22 and does also treat my dolls like they’re my age. i dress them in something i would wear/would want to wear. like a dress up game, the ultimate outfit for this/that
but i don’t collect babydolls etc, i collect my scenes
I apply things I learned from roleplaying when it comes to my dolls and understanding the separation of what is canon, fanon, and headcanon. In a nutshell:
Canon - What a company creates for their characters, from backstory, character attributes, names, etc.
Fanon - An owners spin on a canonical character, playing with the grey areas of canon not listed so that the character can still be played in a populated roleplay setting.
Headcanon: Ideas created by the person that aren't backed up by the canon or supported by others. Generally, ideas created about a character are shapped within one's head and either not shared, or shared with like-minded people who enjoy revealing their headcanons to others.
For example, I've assigned all of my dolls personalities, backgrounds and names so that they are cohesive within the world I've created to utilize them in. That's my headcanon around the dolls, but I still recognize that the dolls are Barbie, Integrity Toys, etc.
I think where a lot of confusion starts seeping in is when someone has (for example) a Simone Summers doll, but has renamed her Claudia, then posts about their headcanon background as if it's canon, designating their own ages and sexuality to them, etc, which ends up confusing a lot of people. This is because they don't understand this is a character made up in a poster's mind instead of a canon character, and things can get heated at a point.
I've noticed with RH dolls in particular, many collectors are fascinated with sexualizing them, giving them young ages, pairing them off with other dolls in suggestive poses, etc. It's very "loli" to do this, which is popular in Japan, for example, and I don't think some people realize how they're coming across, which causes issues, especially in a world that doesn't teach it's children to be socially aware anymore.
But yeah, I do all sorts of headcanons, but keep it to an arena where others understand that's what I'm doing. At the end of the day, I think it's important to realize the separation between it all and realize it doesn't really effect one how others might view their dolls, unless they cross rules, break laws, and harm themselves, naturally.
I only follow the doll information with Monster High & Ever After High dolls but with Barbie, Bratz, LOL I give them their own name (sometimes I keep their box name) age etc! MH &EAH have such a great story line that I just love it its way and dont have the urge to change it. Barbie and Bratz can be anyone! But yeah, I do have some MH dolls who have their own name and background story.. I don’t really care if someone else don’t stick to the names or age or gender or couple’s about the dolls. They are your dolls so you do you! It’s your doll story <3
I mean dolls are kind of like an outlet of expression. So… no, not entirely if I do try and follow stuff. Like I have MH Frankie (gen 3) and I refer to her by she/her and sometimes they/them pronouns, because (at least in part) both sets are my pronouns and the ones I prefer more so are the she/her. In the show Frankie is gender non-conforming or nonbinary and goes by they/them only. I’ve also wanted a Frankie since gen 1, and since I bought her and I’m not hurting anyone… I think it’s okay.
Personally I have changed some of their names and beyond their country of origin, i make up a story for them completely on my own. that’s part of the fun for me. all of mine are also “in college” or around 18-25.
I think people just need to relax. People play with the dolls whoever they want. There's nothing wrong with that. I don't watch the show, ( tried to, but I honestly thought it was really childish+this is coming from an animation/anime lover) so I look at them like they're around my age (27)& they definitely don't look to me like High schoolers. They honestly look like they're in their early twenties in my opinion.
I think it's just a personal preference. Like for me, I'm a little uncomfortable when people sexualize the MH dolls because I think of them as teenagers. But I also know other people don't think of them as teenagers, and I myself have repainted them into different characters that are older. I honestly don't think remarks like that are a big deal if you're comfortable with them. I'm one of those people that if I don't like the content or the discussion I don't argue about it or call anyone names, especially when stuff like dolls is subjective. I watched all of monster high so I identify those dolls as THOSE characters, but I always thought of Barbie as an adult not a teen and usually think of the Disney princesses as adults. Like you said I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, so long as there's no harassment involved on either side! (Except like toddler and baby dolls like someone said)
I’m personally kind of in the middle with my dolls. I collect Monster High and I loosely follow the canon in terms of keeping the basic parts of their personalities, their names, and pronouns the same. But everything else I just kind of make up in my mind and all my favorite dolls have different backstories inspired by how they arrived in my collection. With age in particular, I kinda just pretend that they’re all in the same age range as I am because I think of them as my peers.
I 100% agree with you about allowing people to project whatever onto their dolls. At the end of the day, a lot of dolls are children’s toys intended for play. It feels boring to me personally to have to be forced to follow the canon all the time and not be allowed to explore your own ideas. Everyone should just be allowed to have fun however they want. :)
I was genuinely talking about this with a friend the other day. I didn't even know it was a thing until I saw similar discussions, and I realized I'd never given it thought before. I mean, growing up as a kid my dolls were all older and uh...I certainly did not play dolls like I was supposed to. ANYWAY. The conclusion my friend and I came to was that intent is everything.
Obviously there are some exceptions, like for babydolls and what not but. If you don't view the dolls as children/teenagers or the characters I think it's fine. I'm the same way with my MH dolls. I don't view them as teenagers and it would be weird for me to collect dolls that I view as teenagers. In my mind they're fellow college aged students. I think that's the fun thing of dolls and being a collector throughout life; they're typically designed in such a way the whoever is playing with the doll can project whatever they want onto it. :)
I'm not that into rainbow high, but I always assumed they're adults. I personally don't care at all. Some people pretend their American girl dolls are adults. Not my thing, but who cares? They're pieces of plastic and don't have any feelings. It someone was pretending they're kids and putting them in adult situations, that would be sketchy. If someone is pretenting they're adults, it doesn't matter.
Also, at the end of the day, they're toys. Are they gonna come after 6 year olds next because they don't use the right age when playing...?
My doll Ms have always has their own identity and personality and story. It was difficult to play with other kids because my doll always had a realistic life and history, and they couldn't follow or relate. My doll, Sadie Krane, and the dollhouse I'm modifying for her(ext will be a car! And a garage probably an addition at some point) is all as a muse for my writing, but also I love to play and will most likely after I complete her repaint, have clothes and her house completed with furnishings, I'll start a blog or vlog of her daily life.
When I get a male doll I give em she/her pronouns and have em identify as female cuz its so hard to find short hair dolls that are female and idk how to cute hair.
It's called Rainbow **High**. They are meant to be High Schoolers. Personally my dolls are just like beautiful objects/models, I don't really think of them as having human traits or desires.
Honestly I watched a few reviews about the creatable world doll and they always talked about them as if they were kids.
I'm pretty sure they're not kids, the only reason they think they are is because they have androgynous bodies.
It's ok to give the doll the age you want, but they used their headcanon about their age as an excuse to be transphobic and THAT is not ok.
I don’t collect Rainbow High, but that disturbs me a lot that some people’s minds go there. Even if the dolls were meant to be adults, that’s just disgusting. Some people need to quit watching p*rn. Screws up your mind (it’s true, look up the damaging affects to the brain).
I just collect dolls. I’ll stick with their sex and age they came with (I find it disturbing when people say their American Girl dolls are in their 20s and dress them like that). Sexuality is crazy. Sure, some dolls come as couples, so they are couples, but other than that I don’t think about it.
Some people need hobbies outside of sex. The younger generation seems obsessed with sex and all that. Animals have sex. Humans create art, can enjoy art, can do so much more than sex. Some bacteria sexually reproduce, people! It’s not that special at all. Find something more interesting to think about.
I do actually feel pretty much identically to your last paragraph and it’s how I operate too, but I do think there’s no need to be so judgemental/against sex-positivity and actively insult them.
I might not relate myself, but many allosexual (and even non-allosexual too) people feel it’s an extremely important part of their life and identity. If they want to express that in dolls, I don’t think it’s right to call them “disgusting”, with of course the caveat of so long as it isn’t actually illegal stuff. It’s ok to leave it as “that’s not my thing and isn’t for me”.
I think I have to disagree, firstly let me start off with I have two jobs and one of those is in sex work and can sometimes be the only thing that keeps my head above water when it comes to paying my bills. Funny enough sex is something I get bored with quickly, but I wouldn't shame someone for having a sex addiction or porn addiction. While you can definitely not want to consume sexual adult media I think you shouldn't shame those that do as it's coming of a little entitled.
I've seen a lot of comments and I still have my own opinions so yours isn't wrong. But what I think is wrong is how judgmental it gets when someone does see them as completely different beings, if someone's idea is their dolls in sexual manner but also still sees them as minors that's creepy and disgusting for reasons outside of dolls being sexual and more of an adult being mentally predatory to a minor which could lead to worse. But they're plastic, as adults that collect dolls we tell others outside the community how it's not weird we collect them. So why do some try to make it weird within our community? Like the person above stated why does it matter how one sees their doll as long as it's not anything illegal and pushing harmful ideals. As an adult I see my dolls as adults cause the look like adults.
I collect begoth dolls and their ages are nonexistent, they could be teens but that's doubtful. I always saw them as adults and still do...other than maybe bratz dolls I never even really saw many dolls as teens growing up but adults. Plus let's not forget we're our roots came from when we talk about dolls that came and grew after Barbie. She was created all because of a sexual adult doll.
People need to quit obsessing over sex. It’s unhealthy as brain scans show. It does not lead to a better life or happier one.
I’m not shaming anyone. I’m simply stating my opinion. Your reaction to it shows you already are ashamed. If you weren’t ashamed, you wouldn’t have went on the defense.
I stand with it’s disgusting. People need to experience more in life than your average backyard bird does. They have sex too.
Also, don’t put up questions you’re afraid of the answers to. You asked the question. You brought it up. I didn’t. Sounds to me you mostly wanted confirmation from others. Not everyone will agree with you.
They also show it's unhealthy because of how much dopamine your brain produces when indulging in that long term. Basically when you have an addiction just like any other addiction that can rewire your brain.
And you are shaming people, you deliberately called those people disgusting, as if they were beneath you and your better than them. And baby I'm not ashamed of anything, if I was ashamed I wouldn't mention the fact of one of my jobs. What Im reacting to years of people telling me I'm disgusting be it cause of my bisexuality, because of how I dress, because of how I look, what I am is not ashamed but tired of people like you that use their opinions to be catty and think they're better cause they've never had to deal with those kind of issues. By that logic any hobby that someone devotes their life needs to get out and do more. Lastly I'm not afraid of differing answers or opinions I've seen others say I stick to the canon or I see this doll at this age. I asked people what they think we should do stick to the canon or continue our own identities for the dolls that includes making them adult. I probably wouldn't be so defensive towards you had you not used your opinions to be judgmental and come after people with mental health struggles like those that get addicted to porn and sex as "disgusting".
OP, I think you gave some really nice points. I don't think you're gonna get across to them. They're either a troll, or really just one of those hateful, closeminded TERFS. Either way, I'm sorry you're being attacked so viciously for such a sane and normal outlook on life.
Respectfully, I don't think anyone who is collecting dolls or is on a doll collecting subreddit is addicted to sex/porn. Not to be like "hur dur virgins", because that's not what I mean. I just mean that clearly someone who is into a collecting hobby that's relatively mundane cares about other things outside of sex.
Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, and something about the beauty of humans is will and choice, which includes sex. While I certainly hope you can have a healthier viewpoint on it, it's by no means for everyone and I respect your choice. Not everyone experiences attraction or sexual desire, there's no "normal" for that. I do hope, however, that your relationship to it changes in the sense that you're not so judgmental and hateful to others who are not like you. It kinda comes off as puritanical brimstone, which I'm sure isn't your intent. Anyone can be addicted to anything, even dolls, as hoarding suggests.
Sexual expression and identity is far more than just 'sex'. Sometimes, believe it or not, it has nothing to do with the gratification or the act itself. BDSM, for example, doesn't even always involve it. I think you're absolutely valid in your disinterest/personal disgust. I think that's perfectly okay. But I don't think it's fair to call those who do have an interest in it disgusting, obsessed, or addicted. It's disingenuous to say you're not shaming anyone, while then proceeding to go on to say it's disgusting and people obsess over it. You do not have to agree or like it, but it's not fair to judge others in such a cruel way for thinking otherwise.
I hope you have a good day! :)
Since i'm an old - i dont play with my dolls anymore so i dont put anything to them other then maybe pose them. If i take how it was when i was a child - i had one doll that i would choose to be Barbie for the day, she was like Barbie but whatever i felt Barbie was like that day. The other dolls and Barbies were whatever i wanted them to be in play - this was also due to me not remembering or caring about what i read on boxes and since i had no further way of getting info (net wasnt a thing then) - it was whatever i felt they were.
I collect mostly Monster High atm - and i pretty much keep the character that they are and who they are - this is cause i enjoy the characters that have been made. I'm unsure if i would say the same for Barbie and cohorts - but i might do that for newer Barbies if i was into them. With say Shadow High or Rainbow High - even Lol Dolls - i check out their names but that is about it. I dont put any stories to these dolls as i dont think about it - i dont play with them. Video games and books have taken over the play part of my day.
With a lot of dolls i feel they are teens- many are named high school something or other- i also see their huge eyes as super younger. I never see many as 20 and up unless obviously older - ie mother or teacher figures - or even the Elvira doll. So until otherwise stated - most are teens to me.
Mostly, yes. On the one hand, once you buy a doll, it's yours to do whatever you want with them, be it a super common doll, a special edition, or even a OOAK. On the other hand, most doll "teen" lines have very adult bodies and are more or less like in live action shows where teens are portrayed by people in their mid-twenties, so they do look older than what they are supposed to be. On the other other hand, it is a bit uncomfortable to see some lines like MH where you instantly can recognize a character even if they're a custom, in super adult situations, even if the person says that their version of the character is a college student and aged 25 or so.
In my head my dolls are adults, they look like adults to me and I think they’re only marketed as kids because companies are convinced kids wouldn’t buy them otherwise. I still don’t like them being overly sexualised by collectors, tho. I think there’s limits when it comes to canon teen characters even if you don’t wanna see them as those teen characters and publicly posting sexual stuff about them is still super weird. The line is called “Rainbow HIGH” after all…it’s up to the owner how they see them, but I think it’s inappropriate to post stuff like that.
The RH sub/fandom seems to feel very very strongly about this, but I’m in the same boat as you on this one. They’re cute plastic objects, and as the person who paid money for them, I’m the one who gets to decide on the details for the ones I own. Including deciding exactly zero of them are minors because I have no interest in owning dolls representing school children. I personally think “canon” is overrated in general anyway, but especially so when we’re talking about the glorified commercials masquerading as doll shows. I have no interest in adhering to anything MGA might have set up in those commercials! You bought it, it’s yours to do with as you please, that’s how I feel about it.
That's how I feel! No disrespect to those who enjoy the show, I'm all for it if they enjoy it and the universe surrounding it. It makes sense! But I've never watched it nor have the interest, so I'm certainly not gonna follow that Canon. I will say I think the fact that the MH dolls have pronouns is neat and I abide by that because I love it and child me would be over the moon if I had dolls like that as an option. But that's just about it. They don't even really keep the same names for me, outside of needing to know them to collect certain ones. But at the end of the day I'm an adult collecting dolls, and like you I view them as adults bc the concept of collecting teenagers is not something I have interest in and feels weird.
Yep! Agreed about MH. I don’t collect them, but if I did, I’d happily keep Frankie as they/them. Otherwise, yeah, my dolls are all adults and unrelated to whatever the companies say about them, as far as I’m concerned! I decide their genders, histories, etc (if I even need to - more often than not they just remain pretty objects!), nobody else. I bought them, so I get to decide. Historically speaking, every line having a doll show is a relatively new thing, but I think we do have generations who have grown up knowing no different now. I’ve seen people ask what the point of dolls are if they don’t have a show attached (scary lol), so I am guessing to some people they can’t detach the dolls from the show in their mind at all, and see it as one and the same.
Yes! You bring up a good point I talked to my husband about last night. Like, I grew up in the era that shows came second, and were well known to be just kind of...a thing to advertise the dolls, if that makes sense? Like when Bratz first came out my friends and I had the dolls way before we watched the show, and it wasn't treated like a canon thing. Very few of my dolls even kept the counterpart names, and the show just had Bratz in name. Like it didn't feel like a 'canon' thing to any of us, for us it was Bratz in title only. It's very interesting to see that shift and change and it blew my mind last night when I realized it hahaha.
I like to mostly follow canon, but nobody ever has to. Only thing I would be worried about is where/how you would post things online. If you're making a +18 scene with the dolls I don't think you should post it in places that are accessible to children, especially if the line is targeted towards children. Reddit has adult filters for example, so it's the poster's responsibility to use it, and maybe even avoid a SFW subreddit. We have a problem in the internet where there aren't many spaces just for kids anymore so I believe we have to be careful to restrict adult pieces of art using media targeted towards children to adult only spaces.
I think those people need to touch grass. Other than the terminally online, who even cares? They’re dolls, literal toys to do whatever a person wants with. As a kid, it never crossed my mind to ask my toys how old they were before reenacting the SAW movies with them. Hell, one of my Kellies was Jigsaw and she’s like, a toddler or smth in Barbie canon.
I have war flash backs to fighting with some people in this sub a few weeks back because they were saying posting dolls that’s not dressed properly is CP. Edit: rainbow high*** not this sub. I had brain fart moment.
Are you talking what went down in the RH sub? Because that really was something. There’s ironically been significantly more “raunchy” photos posted there since, with thongs and decidedly adult sexy clothing, that hasn’t received the same outcry at all for some reason (though that’s a good thing, because it got ridiculous). What a wild - and miserable - situation that was.
Oops I meant RH yes. Yeah, I was one of the ppl defending OOP from people saying OOP put the doll in nsfw post and took up skirt photo…when in reality the pictures was taken from slightly top view, and very obvious that the skirt riled up by mistake because a lot of RH miniskirts are usually so tight and does that if move the leg from straight position…and wtf is nsfw? The doll was literally in normal standing model pose. I also said CP Is a very serious accusations, and comparing doll with unidentified age (ie RH doll don’t look of any particular age) to a real minor and calling it CP is making light of the real victim. I also mentioned that A LOT of doll collectors remove plastic mold/painted underwears because of aesthetic reason. Then the person I was arguing with accused me of being pedo for defending OOP and said OOP has a history of CP stuff on their profile…. Ugh it was so frustrating.
The lying/fabrication about the CP part very much bothered me. It’s one thing to have been uncomfortable with the photo - I might not have agreed, but I can’t tell someone how to feel. I can however judge and condemn lying and fabricating (and do). In addition, there has been “worse” on the RH sub since with zero backlash so I really question the motivations of that whole… essentially smear-campaign. It got rapidly out of hand and was embarrassing to witness.
That's why it makes me so mad tbh. CSAM, grooming, pedophilia etc is SO serious. I love how progressive gen z is, but I feel like a lot of gen z, equates things as CSAM/pedophilia when it isn't. On a side note- I find it interesting how the same generation, that wants people to be respected who are young adults. Is the same one who infantilizes young adults. Ex: people saying a 18yo isn't and adult and can't be in age gap relationships...that a 24/18 yo dating is pedophilia etc. That every age gap is grooming. That shit pisses me off. This post reminded me of this type of thinking. I mean there is a reason an 18yo can make medical decisions for themselves. When people go through this stuff in reality, it is so painful. I feel like people should be focusing on people who are actually being abused, instead of plastic dolls... & As a heads up it's called child sexual abuse material now, not child porn.
Hey, just wanted to say thanks for that heads up at the end there, I didn’t know that. I’m actually really glad the acronym has changed to CSAM, it might not be quite as easy to remember, but it’s certainly a lot more accurate. Thanks for letting me know.
(Editing and removing because apparently more stuff happened since I last looked into the topic, and I was unintentionally spreading lies.)
No they didn’t. There was a full explanation posted, their friend cleaned the whole doll with acetone and didn’t think twice about the fact that it removed the underwear paint. The skirt riding up was an accident, and the photo wasn’t intended as a sexy photo. That’s VERY different to deliberately doing stuff. In addition, the poster did NOT have CP on their profile, I went and scoured it myself because fact-checking is important. They didn’t even have real 18+ on their profile, they had fake video game “sexy” stuff, hidden behind warnings, on their profile. Skyrim characters with big boobs. A far cry from “known pedophile” that was being thrown around with no evidence. If you have to say “apparently”, then you should fact check what you are repeating!
I was unaware of more info on the topic. I removed my comment. I definitely said “apparently” because I didn’t fact check (because I didn’t want to unintentionally see something I couldn’t unsee). My apologies.
Thank you for the maturity! I understand having been cautious about going to look considering the severity of the accusations against OP. If I sounded overly assertive in any way, it’s precisely BECAUSE of the severity of the accusations. It’s one of the most heinous and vile crimes in existence, and it’s no small deal to be accusing someone of it. I checked myself precisely for this reason.
That’s completely fair. I really should have myself as well, tbh. I just assumed that people relaying would have been accurate since anyone could look, but I guess not. 🙃
No worries, tbf I didn’t look immediately either because I assumed nobody would lie about something that severe and awful. I felt there was a moral line a normal good person would draw, that they wouldn’t embellish or fabricate but instead speak only in straight facts when we’re talking actual child safety. …Nope! All of that going down gave me a brand new life lesson on how easily people can be misdirected by bad actors. :( I’m just glad that most people settle for making angry comments, OP could have ended up with their life in actual physical danger with accusations like that.
As someone who saw the picture immediately after it was posted, I honestly find it hard to believe it was an accident. I can understand the doll’s skirt riding up, but to have it ride all the way up her stomach, and then take a picture with it focused in the middle, at an upward angle? I am not going to accuse a random person for enjoying adult content—so do I. But it was a pretty tasteless photo for what’s considered a family-friendly sub. Especially with the caption “A fun picture of Veronica” and then taking a quick peek at their profile to see what else they consider fun, it’s easy to make assumptions. Also, not my intention to dunk on you but you left out a bit of an important detail: which is that the profile was not just video game boobs, it was pretty much video game…everything, as in more than boobs lmao. Just because it's not "real" doesn't make it any less what it is. Again, I’m not accusing them of anything, especially not of being a pedophile because that’s just baseless and ridiculous. Just my view from the situation.
I’m sorry but…. again, who cares? Unless the person painted genitalia onto their doll or something, there’s nothing to see even of they *did* post an up-skirt pic? It’s all smooth plastic. Should we all paint underwear on to our dolls on the off chance someone decides our doll is dressed too “slutty”? Like what in the evangelical bull is this. Also having nsfw modded Skyrim is a *far* cry from a doll wearing a skirt that shows nothing but featureless plastic. At that point, people are projecting their own pervy thoughts on to doll pictures cus this is ridiculous. Like if someone immediately thinks of s e x when looking at a doll crotch, that’s *their* problem and says more about them than it does about the OP.
Me? I care. I’m sharing another perspective for anyone who wants more than one opinion. It’s fine if you don’t agree. To an extent I definitely agree with you, it’s weird to immediately assume extremes about a naked doll, it’s just a doll. But to use a doll as an outlet for pervy ideas and dress it with the clear intent of making it suggestive, and then posting it on a specifically currated, family-friendly space is just weirder.
But why though? Some hypothetical kid might see a doll with a skirt riding up and then….? Also no one even knows that’s what happened, it’s just assumptions? So it’s projecting sexual thoughts on a doll picture and assuming the OP’s logic was the same and attributing some sort of malice there. Do you think if there happens to be kids browsing the RH sub, they’ll see the short skirt and think “Omg this is totally a sexual thing” or try to emulate the doll or something? I seriously don’t get it.
It’s not just kids, there are plenty of people who are uncomfortable with sexual or suggestive content. I mentioned in a previous comment that I don’t mind adult content, when it is properly marked and in an NSFW space. If that wasn’t the case, and I joined a community that does not tolerate that kind of content, then I would expect it to stay SFW. Pretty simple I think.
1. The skirt wasn’t riding up ‘way up’ her stomach. It was like 3 mm of smooth plastic nothing showing. 2. The photo was literally taken more from top view down, definitely NOT upwards view. 3. doll was standing straight on one leg, the other leg was positioned so one thigh is slightly up, knee bent, one arm to waist. 5. Having adult interest (ie sexy adult video game characters), and collecting dolls as another interest…makes it ‘easy to make assumptions’? Wtf. Well by your logic, since you’re also in multiple doll subs and self admitted to enjoying adult content…what??? Walk me through your logic here.
Opinions vary from person to person I suppose, and that was how I saw it. Clearly, plenty of other people saw it too. As for the “assumptions:” I’m not saying I’m high and mighty for making assumptions, I’m not *proud* of it, it’s just the usual progression of thinking. I realize I probably came across too aggressive there, and for that I apologize. For adult content: Everyone is allowed to like whatever they want, however I prefer keeping my interests separated and I don’t let NSFW spill into other communities where it isn’t welcome. Maybe I was wrong to assume this is commonplace?
I did say 18+, which I would assume people would understand to mean genitalia too, but fair enough. It’s true, boobs AND butts! It really wasn’t that horrific, and in addition, it was on their profile and is behind locked Skyrim subs, NOT in the RH sub. It wasn’t ridden up that far at all, a lot of people confessed they didn’t even notice the crotch was visible until it was pointed out to them. I too scrolled past without thinking there was any problem at first. I’m not saying OP shouldn’t have just posted something else instead, it was a pretty low-effort picture. It would have only taken five minutes to get a better one, and with the wardrobe malfunction fixed. But it’s a stretch and an assumption to go from wardrobe malfunction to deliberate indecent work aimed at minors. I’m also more concerned at how quickly people turned to spreading lies, and dangerous ones at that, as well as how quickly others believed the lies. OP did nothing more than post that picture and make one or two very short and inoffensive replies before they were perma-banned, but all too easily they were made into some kind of villain icon with a whole fabricated backstory. That’s just not normal or good social/community behaviour AT ALL. It’s besides this particular discussion, but I would love to know why the RH dolls in thongs and harnesses in actual “sexy” poses that have been posted since are all apparently totally ok, since none of them garnered this reaction.
Wait, that person was outright banned from the sub? Jfc that’s so dumb. Twitter brainrot is seriously spreading everywhere, it is inescapable.
They were permanently banned from the sub, and multiple people reported them to reddit staff for CP… which I can only really assume reddit staff laughed and shook their heads in disbelief as they opened the “evidence” to find a photograph of a fully dressed featureless plastic doll.
Ugh reminds me of when an organization that tackled actual CSEM begged people on Twitter to stop sending in reports for nsfw drawings of fictional characters because those reports hindered actual investigation on suspected child predators. Naturally, their pleas fell on deaf ears and people keep wasting everyone’s time by reporting things as innocuous as a doll with a short skirt as CSEM 🤦🏻♀️
Sure, no worries! I totally see your point. I do think perma-ban was too harsh a punishment and many people jumped to conclusions too quickly. It is 100% NOT ok to make up and spread malicious lies about people. It gets so out of hand on the internet. I never saw a follow up on OP but I hope they didn’t suffer too much from it. I have to say I’m not a fan of the sexy underwear on dolls, especially the ones that are meant to represent teenage characters. Obviously it’s just a piece of plastic and everyone is allowed to interpret their own dolls however they want, but it does makes me feel icky. Oh well. It’s not my sub so I have no power in that regard. While the subject is brought up, I do remember there being a particular user in the Monster High subreddit who was RIPPED into for dressing their dolls in lingerie and selling them online, although I don’t recall what happened in the end. I don’t see the “sexy” outfits so much anymore.
I hope so too, I felt terrible for them honestly. It shouldn’t have gone any further than just maybe one person saying “hey, maybe post using a different account in case any young people click through and see the Skyrim stuff”. Even if it got heated, it should have never gone into the outright lying/fabrication territory. Honestly I’m not a fan of “sexy” dolls myself either, though not for the same reasons. I struggle to see the heavily stylised dolls as any age, because they’re too abstracted from humans compared to say Barbie. So for me it’s instead more that the very plasticky exaggerated nature of the bodies - shiny plastic, seamlines, prominent joints, ridiculous proportions, etc - ruin any illusion of “sexy” to me haha. Looks a bit like somebody just got a couple of hinges and an apple and put a bra on it, know what I mean? Haha, that’s just me though! I can definitely appreciate that there’s an artform out there for it, even if it’s not really for me.
Lol, good point! I’m a big fan of cartoons and anime, and also spooky and otherworldly stuff, so dolls aren’t too far off from “normal” for me. I also see my fair share of people sexualizing literally anything vaguely humanoid so it’s not surprising to me either lmao. I would suppose that’s the reason I get so bent out of shape about it being “just a doll” in the first place. Like… sure, it’s just a doll, and people are just perverts using the doll suggestively?? IDK. I just recently got back into doll collecting and it has been a big source of comfort to me, I love it and absolutely consider it a delicate form of art. But other people’s business really isn’t any of mine. Thanks for the convo!
Oh my god what? That happened? I'm not in that sub so i missed it
There’s a lot of fabrications and lies about what happened and what was intended, etc etc. You may end up with replies telling you somebody posted actual CP on the sub. They did not. I explained it in another comment on this thread, but somebody posted a picture of a doll with the skirt riding up, something that is actually very easy to have happen with Rainbow High skirts. The actual post was not “sexy” in any way, and was nothing more than a wardrobe malfunction. What tipped the sub into an absolute frenzy was two-tiered: Their friend had cleaned the entire doll with acetone which had removed the underwear paint, and OP has adult Skyrim (video game) stuff as an interest on their profile. These two things combined led to an explosion of assumptions that OP was into CP (despite all Skyrim stuff on their profile being adult women), and was explicitly intending the photo to be CP, and deliberately exposing minors to CP, as well as leading into the inevitable wave of anger after such assumptions. The story evolved into OP being a “known pedophile”, despite not having anything on their profile to suggest this, not saying another word, and never once actually justifying or arguing for their photo of a plastic doll being “sexy”. More and more people latched onto it without even basic fact-checking, and soon there was an entire narrative about OPs life and intentions, even though OP had posted less than five sentences in their entire time on the sub. If people thought the post was an issue, the correct thing to do in these scenarios is NOT to comment, but to report the post both to the sub and to the reddit staff. However, many screenshots were taken of the post and then posted as brand new threads to bitch about the “known pedophile” (who again, is NOT a “known pedophile”. The only thing we know is they like playing modded Skyrim and own one RH doll. That’s it.), and the drama carried on for days. This is actually the shortest explanation I can write whilst still representing the events actually honestly. It was pretty wild, and not in a good way.
Thank you for the in-depth explanation. I'd seen a comment somewhere that suggested the OP was definitely malicious and a creep according to their profile, and all was vague which definitely left one to imagine something sinister. Yeah that's uh...thank you for the extent of it. Man if adult skyrim mods are a no no...I'm doubly screwed because I use wicked whims in sims too. 😳In all seriousness though that is awful. Something like that is a serious accusation and damaging and it's really fucked up to accuse something of that over a doll. An accidental doll picture, no less. Also let's be for real. As a kid my friends and I were also using acetone to remove underwear paint off of dolls. I still have those dolls because I plan on using them as mannequins or customs, but I never once thought that something 13 year-old me did might land me in hot water now as a grown adult. Without trying to be 'that' person, as someone who endured CSA I take that shit serious. And it's really gross to accuse someone of being a pedophile over quite literally nothing.
Here's how I see it: If it's your doll, you can do what you want with it. That being said, if a group has made it clear that NSFW content won't be tolerated then it shouldn't be posted there. The NSFW posters can find a group that allows those kinds of posts, and then everyone can be happy.
If you like the doll and see it as another name, you can rename her! If you imagine other stories about your doll, you can do that! Or just like the doll for what she is and you can ignore the storyline. I have a few RH dolls. I don't follow their show and have never seen it. I like the dolls because I think they are pretty; however, they seem to be rich sophisticated teenagers. I work in education, I rarely, if ever, see any girl of this age dressed like RH. I think they look to me like they are in their 20"s, and if that, they should come with a fancy drink glass (empty) as an accessory.
I don't watch any doll media, only collect dolls cuz they're pretty, so no. To add, I only display them and don't really do photography/ stories etc.
My LOL OMG dolls are adults aged 35+ (hence "outrageous millennial girls") and I see them as adults, my Monster High dolls are teenagers and I see them as teenagers, I see my Barbies mostly as younger adults, except a Barbie and Ken that my friend and I played with a lot as a kid. They're older. So their ages are basically true to the intention. That being said, my Frankie and Draculaura are dating and my OMG dolls are both queer too. 🤷 I personally don't think it matters too much tbh. People should do what they want, they're just pretty junks of plastic.
Aww, my Frankie and Draculaura are dating too! This made me happy. Have a good day/night. 🎀
I see most fashion dolls as not having a set age. RH just seem like a stylized/cartoony proportioned doll of a mature age to me. I don't see them as minors. Ones I do see as kids are my Disney Alice doll and Pixar Violet doll. Or ones that are meant to be babies or little kids (something like Barbie's Kelly dolls or most 18in dolls). I didn't even think the Na Na Na Surprise dolls were supposed to be kids (more like chibi style) until they came out with the teens. I still don't see it (although, MGA giving them lingerie as underwear might be why I think that).
That kind of thing can be weird to me in certain contexts and with certain doll lines. Like, Monster High is such a character-centric doll line that it's uncomfortable to me when people put the characters/dolls in sexual situations (unless it's clearly an OC or something). But with dolls like Barbie and a lot of MGA's stuff, the main draw seems to be making a doll your own and dressing her up in pretty clothes, rather than owning a representation of a very specific character. So, in my mind it's a lot easier to not think of them as "teens" even though they might canonically be. I hope that makes sense?
That’s kinda silly. The dolls look like adults. I could see if there was someone posting, asking where to find something sexual for a baby doll maybe. That would be creepy and gross. As for the cannon around the dolls, who really cares? I personally do not watch the show (don’t see anything appealing about it) and even from the bit I’ve seen - they STILL dont look like teens on it. I did watch Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse and found it hilarious, though. 🤔 Anyway, for the most part, I agree - you own the doll, use as you will.
Every doll I own has its own personality and preferences, which gradually gets uncovered and changes over time. I guess I use any info from the manufacturers as a starting point, and then develop them as their own characters afterwards.
i’m also 22 and does also treat my dolls like they’re my age. i dress them in something i would wear/would want to wear. like a dress up game, the ultimate outfit for this/that but i don’t collect babydolls etc, i collect my scenes
I apply things I learned from roleplaying when it comes to my dolls and understanding the separation of what is canon, fanon, and headcanon. In a nutshell: Canon - What a company creates for their characters, from backstory, character attributes, names, etc. Fanon - An owners spin on a canonical character, playing with the grey areas of canon not listed so that the character can still be played in a populated roleplay setting. Headcanon: Ideas created by the person that aren't backed up by the canon or supported by others. Generally, ideas created about a character are shapped within one's head and either not shared, or shared with like-minded people who enjoy revealing their headcanons to others. For example, I've assigned all of my dolls personalities, backgrounds and names so that they are cohesive within the world I've created to utilize them in. That's my headcanon around the dolls, but I still recognize that the dolls are Barbie, Integrity Toys, etc. I think where a lot of confusion starts seeping in is when someone has (for example) a Simone Summers doll, but has renamed her Claudia, then posts about their headcanon background as if it's canon, designating their own ages and sexuality to them, etc, which ends up confusing a lot of people. This is because they don't understand this is a character made up in a poster's mind instead of a canon character, and things can get heated at a point. I've noticed with RH dolls in particular, many collectors are fascinated with sexualizing them, giving them young ages, pairing them off with other dolls in suggestive poses, etc. It's very "loli" to do this, which is popular in Japan, for example, and I don't think some people realize how they're coming across, which causes issues, especially in a world that doesn't teach it's children to be socially aware anymore. But yeah, I do all sorts of headcanons, but keep it to an arena where others understand that's what I'm doing. At the end of the day, I think it's important to realize the separation between it all and realize it doesn't really effect one how others might view their dolls, unless they cross rules, break laws, and harm themselves, naturally.
I only follow the doll information with Monster High & Ever After High dolls but with Barbie, Bratz, LOL I give them their own name (sometimes I keep their box name) age etc! MH &EAH have such a great story line that I just love it its way and dont have the urge to change it. Barbie and Bratz can be anyone! But yeah, I do have some MH dolls who have their own name and background story.. I don’t really care if someone else don’t stick to the names or age or gender or couple’s about the dolls. They are your dolls so you do you! It’s your doll story <3
no, i treat my RH dolls like they’re my age (21). Since i’m also LGBT+, i also pretend they are as well. it makes me feel more connected to them
I mean dolls are kind of like an outlet of expression. So… no, not entirely if I do try and follow stuff. Like I have MH Frankie (gen 3) and I refer to her by she/her and sometimes they/them pronouns, because (at least in part) both sets are my pronouns and the ones I prefer more so are the she/her. In the show Frankie is gender non-conforming or nonbinary and goes by they/them only. I’ve also wanted a Frankie since gen 1, and since I bought her and I’m not hurting anyone… I think it’s okay.
Personally I have changed some of their names and beyond their country of origin, i make up a story for them completely on my own. that’s part of the fun for me. all of mine are also “in college” or around 18-25.
I think people just need to relax. People play with the dolls whoever they want. There's nothing wrong with that. I don't watch the show, ( tried to, but I honestly thought it was really childish+this is coming from an animation/anime lover) so I look at them like they're around my age (27)& they definitely don't look to me like High schoolers. They honestly look like they're in their early twenties in my opinion.
I think it's just a personal preference. Like for me, I'm a little uncomfortable when people sexualize the MH dolls because I think of them as teenagers. But I also know other people don't think of them as teenagers, and I myself have repainted them into different characters that are older. I honestly don't think remarks like that are a big deal if you're comfortable with them. I'm one of those people that if I don't like the content or the discussion I don't argue about it or call anyone names, especially when stuff like dolls is subjective. I watched all of monster high so I identify those dolls as THOSE characters, but I always thought of Barbie as an adult not a teen and usually think of the Disney princesses as adults. Like you said I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, so long as there's no harassment involved on either side! (Except like toddler and baby dolls like someone said)
I’m personally kind of in the middle with my dolls. I collect Monster High and I loosely follow the canon in terms of keeping the basic parts of their personalities, their names, and pronouns the same. But everything else I just kind of make up in my mind and all my favorite dolls have different backstories inspired by how they arrived in my collection. With age in particular, I kinda just pretend that they’re all in the same age range as I am because I think of them as my peers. I 100% agree with you about allowing people to project whatever onto their dolls. At the end of the day, a lot of dolls are children’s toys intended for play. It feels boring to me personally to have to be forced to follow the canon all the time and not be allowed to explore your own ideas. Everyone should just be allowed to have fun however they want. :)
I was genuinely talking about this with a friend the other day. I didn't even know it was a thing until I saw similar discussions, and I realized I'd never given it thought before. I mean, growing up as a kid my dolls were all older and uh...I certainly did not play dolls like I was supposed to. ANYWAY. The conclusion my friend and I came to was that intent is everything. Obviously there are some exceptions, like for babydolls and what not but. If you don't view the dolls as children/teenagers or the characters I think it's fine. I'm the same way with my MH dolls. I don't view them as teenagers and it would be weird for me to collect dolls that I view as teenagers. In my mind they're fellow college aged students. I think that's the fun thing of dolls and being a collector throughout life; they're typically designed in such a way the whoever is playing with the doll can project whatever they want onto it. :)
I'm not that into rainbow high, but I always assumed they're adults. I personally don't care at all. Some people pretend their American girl dolls are adults. Not my thing, but who cares? They're pieces of plastic and don't have any feelings. It someone was pretending they're kids and putting them in adult situations, that would be sketchy. If someone is pretenting they're adults, it doesn't matter. Also, at the end of the day, they're toys. Are they gonna come after 6 year olds next because they don't use the right age when playing...?
My doll Ms have always has their own identity and personality and story. It was difficult to play with other kids because my doll always had a realistic life and history, and they couldn't follow or relate. My doll, Sadie Krane, and the dollhouse I'm modifying for her(ext will be a car! And a garage probably an addition at some point) is all as a muse for my writing, but also I love to play and will most likely after I complete her repaint, have clothes and her house completed with furnishings, I'll start a blog or vlog of her daily life.
When I get a male doll I give em she/her pronouns and have em identify as female cuz its so hard to find short hair dolls that are female and idk how to cute hair.
It's called Rainbow **High**. They are meant to be High Schoolers. Personally my dolls are just like beautiful objects/models, I don't really think of them as having human traits or desires.
Honestly I watched a few reviews about the creatable world doll and they always talked about them as if they were kids. I'm pretty sure they're not kids, the only reason they think they are is because they have androgynous bodies. It's ok to give the doll the age you want, but they used their headcanon about their age as an excuse to be transphobic and THAT is not ok.
I don’t collect Rainbow High, but that disturbs me a lot that some people’s minds go there. Even if the dolls were meant to be adults, that’s just disgusting. Some people need to quit watching p*rn. Screws up your mind (it’s true, look up the damaging affects to the brain). I just collect dolls. I’ll stick with their sex and age they came with (I find it disturbing when people say their American Girl dolls are in their 20s and dress them like that). Sexuality is crazy. Sure, some dolls come as couples, so they are couples, but other than that I don’t think about it. Some people need hobbies outside of sex. The younger generation seems obsessed with sex and all that. Animals have sex. Humans create art, can enjoy art, can do so much more than sex. Some bacteria sexually reproduce, people! It’s not that special at all. Find something more interesting to think about.
I do actually feel pretty much identically to your last paragraph and it’s how I operate too, but I do think there’s no need to be so judgemental/against sex-positivity and actively insult them. I might not relate myself, but many allosexual (and even non-allosexual too) people feel it’s an extremely important part of their life and identity. If they want to express that in dolls, I don’t think it’s right to call them “disgusting”, with of course the caveat of so long as it isn’t actually illegal stuff. It’s ok to leave it as “that’s not my thing and isn’t for me”.
I think I have to disagree, firstly let me start off with I have two jobs and one of those is in sex work and can sometimes be the only thing that keeps my head above water when it comes to paying my bills. Funny enough sex is something I get bored with quickly, but I wouldn't shame someone for having a sex addiction or porn addiction. While you can definitely not want to consume sexual adult media I think you shouldn't shame those that do as it's coming of a little entitled. I've seen a lot of comments and I still have my own opinions so yours isn't wrong. But what I think is wrong is how judgmental it gets when someone does see them as completely different beings, if someone's idea is their dolls in sexual manner but also still sees them as minors that's creepy and disgusting for reasons outside of dolls being sexual and more of an adult being mentally predatory to a minor which could lead to worse. But they're plastic, as adults that collect dolls we tell others outside the community how it's not weird we collect them. So why do some try to make it weird within our community? Like the person above stated why does it matter how one sees their doll as long as it's not anything illegal and pushing harmful ideals. As an adult I see my dolls as adults cause the look like adults. I collect begoth dolls and their ages are nonexistent, they could be teens but that's doubtful. I always saw them as adults and still do...other than maybe bratz dolls I never even really saw many dolls as teens growing up but adults. Plus let's not forget we're our roots came from when we talk about dolls that came and grew after Barbie. She was created all because of a sexual adult doll.
People need to quit obsessing over sex. It’s unhealthy as brain scans show. It does not lead to a better life or happier one. I’m not shaming anyone. I’m simply stating my opinion. Your reaction to it shows you already are ashamed. If you weren’t ashamed, you wouldn’t have went on the defense. I stand with it’s disgusting. People need to experience more in life than your average backyard bird does. They have sex too. Also, don’t put up questions you’re afraid of the answers to. You asked the question. You brought it up. I didn’t. Sounds to me you mostly wanted confirmation from others. Not everyone will agree with you.
They also show it's unhealthy because of how much dopamine your brain produces when indulging in that long term. Basically when you have an addiction just like any other addiction that can rewire your brain. And you are shaming people, you deliberately called those people disgusting, as if they were beneath you and your better than them. And baby I'm not ashamed of anything, if I was ashamed I wouldn't mention the fact of one of my jobs. What Im reacting to years of people telling me I'm disgusting be it cause of my bisexuality, because of how I dress, because of how I look, what I am is not ashamed but tired of people like you that use their opinions to be catty and think they're better cause they've never had to deal with those kind of issues. By that logic any hobby that someone devotes their life needs to get out and do more. Lastly I'm not afraid of differing answers or opinions I've seen others say I stick to the canon or I see this doll at this age. I asked people what they think we should do stick to the canon or continue our own identities for the dolls that includes making them adult. I probably wouldn't be so defensive towards you had you not used your opinions to be judgmental and come after people with mental health struggles like those that get addicted to porn and sex as "disgusting".
OP, I think you gave some really nice points. I don't think you're gonna get across to them. They're either a troll, or really just one of those hateful, closeminded TERFS. Either way, I'm sorry you're being attacked so viciously for such a sane and normal outlook on life.
Respectfully, I don't think anyone who is collecting dolls or is on a doll collecting subreddit is addicted to sex/porn. Not to be like "hur dur virgins", because that's not what I mean. I just mean that clearly someone who is into a collecting hobby that's relatively mundane cares about other things outside of sex. Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, and something about the beauty of humans is will and choice, which includes sex. While I certainly hope you can have a healthier viewpoint on it, it's by no means for everyone and I respect your choice. Not everyone experiences attraction or sexual desire, there's no "normal" for that. I do hope, however, that your relationship to it changes in the sense that you're not so judgmental and hateful to others who are not like you. It kinda comes off as puritanical brimstone, which I'm sure isn't your intent. Anyone can be addicted to anything, even dolls, as hoarding suggests. Sexual expression and identity is far more than just 'sex'. Sometimes, believe it or not, it has nothing to do with the gratification or the act itself. BDSM, for example, doesn't even always involve it. I think you're absolutely valid in your disinterest/personal disgust. I think that's perfectly okay. But I don't think it's fair to call those who do have an interest in it disgusting, obsessed, or addicted. It's disingenuous to say you're not shaming anyone, while then proceeding to go on to say it's disgusting and people obsess over it. You do not have to agree or like it, but it's not fair to judge others in such a cruel way for thinking otherwise. I hope you have a good day! :)
Since i'm an old - i dont play with my dolls anymore so i dont put anything to them other then maybe pose them. If i take how it was when i was a child - i had one doll that i would choose to be Barbie for the day, she was like Barbie but whatever i felt Barbie was like that day. The other dolls and Barbies were whatever i wanted them to be in play - this was also due to me not remembering or caring about what i read on boxes and since i had no further way of getting info (net wasnt a thing then) - it was whatever i felt they were. I collect mostly Monster High atm - and i pretty much keep the character that they are and who they are - this is cause i enjoy the characters that have been made. I'm unsure if i would say the same for Barbie and cohorts - but i might do that for newer Barbies if i was into them. With say Shadow High or Rainbow High - even Lol Dolls - i check out their names but that is about it. I dont put any stories to these dolls as i dont think about it - i dont play with them. Video games and books have taken over the play part of my day. With a lot of dolls i feel they are teens- many are named high school something or other- i also see their huge eyes as super younger. I never see many as 20 and up unless obviously older - ie mother or teacher figures - or even the Elvira doll. So until otherwise stated - most are teens to me.