I swear, after this post I will try to shut up about Real Dolls for a while.

Of course, those of you with strong sanity-preservation instincts will know to immediately start worrying about what I might post next. >:D

So I've been reading the feministing discussion of ages past about whether Real Doll usage can be compared to vibrators. And I do understand that most vibrators don't look exactly like a penis, but...well, leaving aside the men who pretend their dolls are their girlfriends (and I agree that that's more than a little maladjusted), surely most of the doll-users are, more or less, just using them as sex toys or for imaginative play? I mean, the guys in the documentaries are probably on the far end of a bell curve--there could easily be lots of men who've used these toys as toys and who were also sane enough not to want to discuss that on film. And even the guys in the docs could have been edited for maximum effect; maybe there were clear statements of, "I like to pretend that..." which got edited out.

I know the dolls are meant to look human, and vibrators aren't, but to me that mostly just suggests one of two things:

1) The people using the dolls lack the imagination required to use, say, a vibrator, so they need more verisimilitude in their sex toys (and if you don't believe that's possible, go talk to anyone with experience as a phone-sex operator; they'll tell you, straight out, that some people are genuinely too unimaginative/uncreative to fantasize without help),

or else

2) Men simply have larger disposable incomes than women, so they can afford bigger and more elaborate toys. I mean, seriously: these things* cost around seven thousand USD each. You'd have to have a significant amount of cash in your entertainment budget to be able to afford that. Absolute Boyfriends don't come cheap.

I just don't see a significant difference in behaviour between using one 'thing' for sexual gratification instead of another. And while I agree completely that there is something hideously and alarmingly sexist about some of the remarks made by the iDollators, well: I've heard some pretty damned dehumanizing, sexist remarks made by women, in the context of comparing men and vibrators, too.


*I've read a rumour (and no, you don't want to know WHERE I've read it) that Abyss are taking suggestions for the name of the new male RealDoll. My favourite suggestion: Gerard. Seriously.

Archives & Androids & Dolls, Oh My

Those of you on my friendslist have probably already seen all of these links; I apologize for the repost, but I wanted all of these in one public post so I can find them easily.
Some of these links may not be suitable for work. Or for children. Or for the easily offended, or people who're afraid of dolls.

'But why would you WANT to find these links easily, or at all?' you ask. I just do.

The Legacy of Timeless Beauty Archive

The Mind-Control Archive

Living Doll House

Doll Stories dot net

Grant Stoddard’s Nerve.com article: The initial pleasure of Karen's tightness was tempered by the feeling that I was humping a cadaver and was about to experience my first morgueasm. The sound of her wig rubbing against the back of the sofa was chilling.

I know, I know: my willingness to be amused by fake personal ads is pathological. We’ve discussed this before. Possibly I am mildly sociopathic or something. Whatever, this was somewhat entertaining. One night, because I was really bored, I decided to find out what kind of individual would actively pursue a RealDoll for any sort of relationship. What better way of doing that then creating a profile on an online dating website? So I checked out OkCupid, which claims to be the fastest, most effective dating site ever, powered by a matching system I invent.

The Salon article is less funny and more depressing. "There are some minuses," he admits. "You're dealing with a 100 pounds of dead weight. But at least you've got loyalty." Don't kid yourself, bro. What you've got is a hunk of silicone with three holes.

And then there’s this, which somehow reminds me of the attachments children form for their dolls, more than anything. It’s sort of sweet, in a twisted way. Before they shared a bed, Wanda had trouble sleeping and relied heavily on sleeping pills. Now she sleeps soundly. But Roxanne will never know how important she is to Wanda. Why? Because Roxanne is a life-sized plastic doll made entirely of silicone.

Sidore is as real to me as a human woman,' explains Davecat, right, 28, a lab technician from Detroit in the US, as he gazes lovingly at the slim, raven-haired creature beside him. 'I imagine most people think anyone who loves dolls is a pervert, but I feel normal,' he says. 'And with my silicone girlfriend, I'm part of a couple who are infinitely healthier and happier than most couples.' The disapproving tsk-tskness of this article SRSLY reinforces my pledge to spend a teensy fraction of ill-gotten millions, should I ever ill-get them, on RealDolls. It's all blah blah abnormal, blah blah unhealthy, and I ended up being more on the side of the doll-owners than the schoolmarmish disapprovers.

Meghan Laslocky’s Real Dolls: Love in the Age of Silicone is an utterly fascinating glimpse into the thoughts of a few RealDoll owners, including Davecat again. I'm starting to feel like I know him. Ask Davecat about Sidore – pronounced She-doh-ray -- and he’ll tell you she’s everything that turns him on: beautiful, loyal, and a great listener. Si-chan, as he affectionately calls her, is half British, half Japanese, which works out nicely because he’s always had a thing for both British and Japanese culture. Even their clothing style and taste in music is simpatico – she’s a Goth, and he’s a Bohemian Industro-Goth. ETA: And here's Davecat's blog.

The Doll Coffeeshop is difficult to explain.

This next thing is FICTION, and I’m capsing that because when I first read it, I didn’t realize it was fictional right away, and I want to spare you the trauma I experienced. (Only...the poll in the corner: is that fake too? It’s fake, right? Right? Please?)
And I’m going, for my own peace of mind, to assume the comments are fiction too, because if somebody wrote I have consulted the Bible on this matter, but I have not been able to find any verses that refer to the practise of having relations with dolls. Nor could I find any reference to Christian morals in the RealDoll FAQ with a straight face, I don’t want to know.

The Realdolls made by Abyss Creations look very, very realistic and many of their owners feel a sort of Attachment for them, Yahoo clubs are created for them, websites and of course photo shoots and photo galleries displaying the dolls wearing the latest fashions are in abundance. As a Realdoll owner, I know how this attachment goes. Um, okay then.

In Japan, sex doll collectors seem to have their own magazine.

Which brings us to the inevitable article on Otaku culture and dolls:
Masa's dolls are well-cared for. Their clothes take up more room in his closet than his do: a Chinese-style dress with deep side-slits, blouses with bows, outfits of all kinds. He has also bought lace-up boots, sneakers and other footwear for the dolls when he goes driving with them in his van, mainly to take pictures. There’s a picture here.

Levy is currently writing a paper on the ethical treatment of robots. When it comes to sex and love with robots, "the ethical issues on how to treat them are something we'll have to consider very seriously, and they're very complicated issues," Levy said.

And while you're recovering from that, here, have some Charlie Sheen gossip: Sheen tried to get two female party companions interested in a foursome with the bouncy cheerleader.
"They couldn't stop laughing at him," says the snitch. "Charlie got so mad that he ran the girls out of his house. Then he took a meat cleaver and chopped one of the doll's hands off. He and his bodyguard tried to dispose of it, like it was a real body. They wrapped it in a blanket and drove around in the middle of the night till they found a Dumpster." WHICH IS ABOUT A BILLION TIMES CREEPIER THAN HAVING SEX WITH IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, GOD.

And there's Lars and the Real Girl, of course.

Honey Dolls, which are like Real Dolls, sort of.

Rubber Doll World Rendezvous

You should thank me, really: I didn't include the vacubed picture. I have nightmares about that thing.