For those of you who don't
know, a “reborn” doll is a baby doll that's made to look as
realistic as possible. So much so that on at least two separate
occasions, police officers have broken into locked cars to rescue
what turned out to be a toy.
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| I bet they were so pissed. ~ zuzu |
These dolls are made from
vinyl, painted to look like real baby skin. This is achieved by
painting the inside of the doll blue, and the outside flesh-colored.
Real hairs or mohairs are threaded into the scalp, one at a time. The
doll might be weighted, as appropriate for its “age,” and some
will have magnets inside the head or mouth for attaching hair bows or
pacifiers. Some reborn dolls are heated, make baby sounds, or have
gadgets inside them that simulate breathing and a heartbeat. A really
fancy reborn doll can cost thousands of dollars. They are sometimes
called “living dolls” or, even creepier, “unliving dolls.”
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| It's a small step from "unliving" to "undead," you know. ~ Donna Lee Originals |
Artists began making these
creepy little critters in about 1990. Apparently, the doll collecting
community wasn't happy with your standard dead porcelain eyes
anymore, and wanted something even more soul-destroying. The
International Reborn Doll Artists (IRDA) club was born (pun
intended).
Some people simply collect
them, like you'd collect any doll. While this may not be the wisest
use of a n adult person's money, it's not that unusual.
Other people, however, have
taken this way, way overboard, and actually treat the dolls just like
they're real babies, except, I guess, for the “leaving them alone
in a locked car” part.
Reborn dolls come with birth
certificates and adoption papers. You can have your doll handcrafted
to resemble the baby your grown child used to be, just in case that
grown child still loves you at all. Or, you can have the reborn doll
handcrafted to resemble your dead or miscarried baby, because nothing
says “moving on” like taking a replica of your dead child
everywhere you go.
Scientists believe that
holding a real baby causes people to release bonding hormones, such
as oxytocin, and they suspect that holding reborn dolls may have the
same effect. Doctors in the UK have used them to soothe elderly
patients. Some psychiatrists support the use of reborn dolls as part
of the grieving process for bereaved parents. Others, however, think
that's the stupidest thing they've ever heard.
There's some concern that
the use of such a doll could inspire the mentally unsound to kidnap a real baby. Others point out that owners of these dolls can easily
wreak havoc in social situations by carrying, changing, and, I'd
imagine, attempting to feed a piece of plastic.
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| There are more interesting ways to wreak social havoc. Trust me. |
One lady told Reuters that
she bought a reborn doll because her (living) child wanted a sibling
and she, the mother, didn't feel like having any more children. When
I asked for a little sister or brother, my mother said “No,” and
bought me a puppy.
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| It ran away. ~ NewYorker10021 |
Some women presumably buy
these dolls because they don't want a real baby, what with all the
puking, screaming and sh*tting real babies tend to do. Those who
carry these dolls in public say they enjoy the positive feedback from
strangers, who compliment the “baby's” good behavior. I'd like to
know how many of these women respond, “Of course it's well-behaved,
it's a doll.”
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| "Yes, I'm 45 and I carry a doll in public." "I...see..." |
Honestly, though, these
things are freakin' creepy. I'm not the only one who thinks so.
Harrod's has refused to stock them, on the grounds that they might
come to life at night and kill the janitor.
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| Who f*cking knows, man. ~ Donna Lee Originals |
