Lest you be confused, these aren't dolls for kids. Fully grown women are snapping these dolls up at a furious pace along a dizzying array of accessories. There is a pretty lengthy Wikipedia entry that describes what these dolls are and where they came from.
Photo by Nancy Mullane/NPR
From what I understand, part of the draw is that these dolls are freakishly realistic. So much so that you can customize one to be a mini version of yourself. Even the eyes are interchangeable! (But costly, eyes can cost anywhere from $30-$100.)
As I was listening to the story, my initial impression was that this was an interesting new fad, and I was curious to see what these dolls looked like. As the story continued I grew more and more weirded out. There are conventions for doll owners. These people talk about and treat these dolls as if they were their children. People will pay upwards of $1,000 for these things!! And then this quote took the cake:
"I'm actually dressing my doll just so that she's going to look OK when I take her downstairs to meet all the other dolls," explains Southall as she selects an outfit for Soo Yun, her knee-high BJD. "When we go around and look at the different doll shops to see what they have to sell, she can choose some more wigs and more outfits so she can look presentable."
Um, excuse me? Lady, you are talking about this doll as if she is a real person. "She" cannot pick out clothes. "She" can not choose her own wigs. I just get this image in my head of this woman conversing with her doll and leaning the doll over tables of merchandise and making the dolls arms/hands reach out to pick things out. Behavior for a 4 year old? Sure! For a grown woman? WEIRD. I was never really "into" dolls when I was little. Instead, I was far more interested in playing Monopoly. So maybe I'm missing something in the allure. Nostalgia for childhood perhaps?
Regardless, I guess there are collectors out there for everything. Part of the beauty of consumerism is the knowledge that people will buy practically anything. Especially when "everyone else" is buying it too. Now...what can I do to get me a piece of these dollars? ;)
4 comments:
Ok - I thought I was a little strange for treating my dog like a little person, but this seems far more bizarre . . . a little scary! I had not heard of such a thing before.
Remember this post the next time you ask Caiden what he'd like for lunch. Or, the next time Sally sends a picture of Sammy in his latest sweater.
And furthermore, if you think that the BJD crowd is weird, check out "Love Me Love My Doll" on TV. It's about people (I use the term loosely) live and love with the most realistic rubber dolls you've ever seen. They too can be customized to one's specifcations. Nuf said.
Ummm scary!!! Why don't you tell us about the Cat Whisperer? :)
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