Is it proper to create disabled dolls or ones that are different?

I don't see any harm in it. Many times the kid will feel quite alone if s/he is the only one in the neighborhood or class who is disabled and has no other other opportunities to meet other disabled kids or role models.

I also think it's good because in the past and even today dolls have an unrealistic look- Barbie type dolls are ridiculously thin, "normal" (as in nothing wrong with them aside from the lack of genitals) and generically blonde (or brunette). A few others though are great like the cabbage patch kids or similar.
 
Think it's fine...remembering too, Dolls most always were "white"...then they started to manufacture Dolls that were Black....Same as for Santa Clause....All kids like something they can identify themselves with.
 
It's alright unless you create amputees without permission
 
I think more options in the doll universe, the better.
 
DeafDucky said:
I don't see any harm in it. Many times the kid will feel quite alone if s/he is the only one in the neighborhood or class who is disabled and has no other other opportunities to meet other disabled kids or role models.

I also think it's good because in the past and even today dolls have an unrealistic look- Barbie type dolls are ridiculously thin, "normal" (as in nothing wrong with them aside from the lack of genitals) and generically blonde (or brunette). A few others though are great like the cabbage patch kids or similar.
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Barbie was intended to be a fashion doll, not a realistic doll. We used our imaginations when playing dolls, so they didn't need to have realistic details, and our story lines didn't include sex, so those parts weren't necessary.

My Barbies from the early 1960's included short blonde hair, long blond hair, long brunette hair, and short red hair (not a Midge--a Barbie). My friend had one with short brunette hair. (The short-haired style was called the Bubble Cut.)
 
A Nihilist said:
It's alright unless you create amputees without permission
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Yeah, making any modifications without permission is a no-no. :nono:

I would like to see a GI Joe be marketed with prosthetic limbs. That would be cool. :)
 
Reba said:
Yeah, making any modifications without permission is a no-no. :nono:

I would like to see a GI Joe be marketed with prosthetic limbs. That would be cool. :)
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It would be cool if GI Joe had a service dog too.
 
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Okay...odd thought...people often credit Barbie and the like for giving girls image issues...I wonder, while it would be good to give kids toys they can identify with, would it cause some to want to become disabled....
 
Jezie said:
Okay...odd thought...people often credit Barbie and the like for giving girls image issues...I wonder, while it would be good to give kids toys they can identify with, would it cause some to want to become disabled....
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I don't understand how girls get image issues from dolls. I played with all kinds of dolls and it never occurred to me to compare myself with my dolls. I also played with GI Joe, baby dolls, and stuffed animals. I didn't identify or compare myself with them either.

Don't know about kids wanting to become disabled. When they play with super hero action figures or Transformers figures do they want to become those things? Do they get image issues from those unrealistic models? :dunno:
 
Reba said:
I don't understand how girls get image issues from dolls. I played with all kinds of dolls and it never occurred to me to compare myself with my dolls. I also played with GI Joe, baby dolls, and stuffed animals. I didn't identify or compare myself with them either.

Don't know about kids wanting to become disabled. When they play with super hero action figures or Transformers figures do they want to become those things? Do they get image issues from those unrealistic models? :dunno:
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I agree and do not understand it as well... however many people do try to blame toys, games, and the like to females having image issues.... as I said...just an odd thought....
 
Reba said:
I don't understand how girls get image issues from dolls. I played with all kinds of dolls and it never occurred to me to compare myself with my dolls. I also played with GI Joe, baby dolls, and stuffed animals. I didn't identify or compare myself with them either.

Don't know about kids wanting to become disabled. When they play with super hero action figures or Transformers figures do they want to become those things? Do they get image issues from those unrealistic models? :dunno:
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I am sure you hear of the woman that had surgery so she had a body like Barbie . I have heard that before about girls wanting to look like Barbie , I think it was difference when we were growing up. There was a lot women in movies that were sexy and a little on the plump size by today standard . It was OK to have some meat on our bones .
 
I seen the Barbi woman she don't look to good...I think there deaf Barbi and one with white stick...when I was little girl dad bought me black dolly to me at time she just baby dolly I saw no different so maybe good idea AT big kids hospital in London there was a ward that had doll in wheel chair but disable dolls are used as learning tool
 
I'm all for it. Though remembering what I was like as a child, I would not have gone for it. I preferred fantasy and if the doll had looked like me, it would have been harder to fantasize
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I am sure you hear of the woman that had surgery so she had a body like Barbie . I have heard that before about girls wanting to look like Barbie , I think it was difference when we were growing up. There was a lot women in movies that were sexy and a little on the plump size by today standard . It was OK to have some meat on our bones .
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Women who get surgery to look Barbie are not average women; I wouldn't judge anything by what they do.
 
I'm for it. I never liked dolls at all when I was a child, especially Barbie.

I might have enjoyed having one if it was like me.
 
Reba said:
Women who get surgery to look Barbie are not average women; I wouldn't judge anything by what they do.
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There has been a lot talk about young girl dying trying to be thin and the Barbie dolls been brought up a lot . You may not been jealous of your Barbie dolls but there are young teens that are and want to look like that .
 
Reba said:
Barbie was intended to be a fashion doll, not a realistic doll. We used our imaginations when playing dolls, so they didn't need to have realistic details, and our story lines didn't include sex, so those parts weren't necessary.

My Barbies from the early 1960's included short blonde hair, long blond hair, long brunette hair, and short red hair (not a Midge--a Barbie). My friend had one with short brunette hair. (The short-haired style was called the Bubble Cut.)
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That's true, I think we were pretty rough on poor Barbie too (at least my sister was). I don't remember a red head though :hmm: ; vaguely remember brunette and black. Then Ken with his blond 'helmet hair' LOL and the other guy- I don't know his name but he had fluffy dark brunette hair (much like the style/texture of Barbie's) and wasn't tan like Ken.

I think the Barbie doll is only a small part of the whole 'push' for young girls to be thin, beautiful etc etc. There's more factors that play into it than just the doll I think. Seems to me the young girls want to look more like the real life models rather than the Barbies- as Jezie mentioned- people just want an easy way to blame the troubling trend of young girls wanting to be thin or 'model-esque' (or the industry's idea of it).

Honestly think that the number of pre-teens/teens who are actually 'jealous' of a doll is small.. there are a few who want to emulate models (like Kate Moss in the 80s) or to a lesser degree Barbie but thinking there are other bigger reasons why a young girl (or boy for that matter) want to look thin namely advertisements, tv, movies and even peer pressure. Same with the adults who spend money on surgery to "look like" a toy or a celebrity.
 
Lakeshore and many educational supply companies have had these for years. Children are naturally curious. So we either explain and create understanding or act as if it's a taboo and not discussed, fostering discrimination and alienation.
 
I loved barbies when I was a child. My sisters and I had almost the total of 50 barbies. Not once where I felt barbie should be just like me.

As far as looking like barbies, I think girls are just hard on themselves no matter what.
 
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