skep·ti·cism n. 2. an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object
cyn·i·cism n.
1. An attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others: the public cynicism aroused by governmental scandals.
2. A scornfully or jadedly negative comment or act:
or maybe?????
in·cred·u·lous
1. (of a person or their manner) Unwilling or unable to believe something
or maybe?????
in·cred·u·lous
1. (of a person or their manner) Unwilling or unable to believe something
So lets break this down....
Habitually doubts?...that seems to fit.
Questions and disagrees?... that's true... but not necessarily with generally accepted conclusions.
Questions and disagrees?... that's true... but not necessarily with generally accepted conclusions.
Jaded? .... perhaps...
Mistrust of integrity? ...no I trust people with integrity...it's the NUTS out there that I am at odds with.
Thought Number Two... So what made me incredulous today?
What brought all this up, you ask? Well, as it would happen, I was watching The Today Show, yesterday actually, when the story came on about REBORN babies. Now given my fragile sensibilities for "crap in the media", upon hearing the squeaky voiced guest talking about her 10 reborn babies, my ears perked up and I became immersed in all glorious freakishness of the report.
What really drew me in was the intro with Kerry Sanders sitting in the back seat of a car next to an infant seat bouncing a baby on his lap. Uber creepy...
You all might remember my story about the guy with the sex doll collection in England that had amassed 240 sex dolls with his wife's blessing to "take care of" and drive around in his convertible.
What really drew me in was the intro with Kerry Sanders sitting in the back seat of a car next to an infant seat bouncing a baby on his lap. Uber creepy...
You all might remember my story about the guy with the sex doll collection in England that had amassed 240 sex dolls with his wife's blessing to "take care of" and drive around in his convertible.
As quirky as he is/was, I am not sure that today's story about "reborn" babies is any less strange.
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| not a bad looking baby as fake babies go |
It turns out that these dolls are made to look very realistic, pretty spot-on replicas of newborn babies. Think of them as the Stepford Wives' children. (if you are too, young to be familiar with that movie, just click on the link)
Anyway.... it seems that there are women (lots and lots of women) out there that are creating families with these dolls and pretending they are real babies. AND when I say pretend, I mean they buy baby gear and deck out nurseries in their homes.
Anyway.... it seems that there are women (lots and lots of women) out there that are creating families with these dolls and pretending they are real babies. AND when I say pretend, I mean they buy baby gear and deck out nurseries in their homes.
Becky, a 42 year old mom of both real children and fake children, came on the show complete with video to talk about her "baby". Well, just to clarify, ONE of her babies. She has 10. Well, to further, clarify she has 10 fake babies and two real children. OK, I think I am clear on the family dynamics.
Becky, had Annie, one of her fake babies with her for the show. Annie rides in an infant car seat and Becky says she only identifies Annie as a Reborn if someone happens to ask. She went on to say, "I don't think I'm odd, this is a hobby." (this is where my cynicism raises it's ugly little head and screams, "No, Becky...really...you're odd!!!!)
A second woman, Karen, was on the program, as well. Karen has built a nursery for her 28 babies. (BTW..these dolls cost between $40.00 and $12,000.00 and you must adopt them not purchase them...so the money, I guess is the adoption fees) Karen says she needs them to love, cuddle, and care for as her real children are grown. The difference between other types of doll collectors and the Reborn Baby collectors, other than the whole adoption process, is that the mothers of these babies treat them as "babies". They take them out in strollers, rock them, and go about the tasks associated with real babies.
So back to my first thought...Am I being a cynic, or a skeptic, a naysayer, or something that I can't even define. Maybe I am being hypocritical. I, too, had pretend baby dolls once when I was around 5 years old.
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| Is anyone else finding this creepy?? |
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21 comments:
Reading your post, I'm saddened by all this love and attention being wasted on dolls when there are so many "real" children in foster homes, desperately in need of love and attention. This doesn't make me cynical, it makes sad.
Hi Chatterbox, You know, I was so busy as being creeped out by the "love" and attachment these women had for an inanimate object, I wasn't thinking about how they could use this "need for nurturing" in a more productive manner.
You are absolutely right! Even if they aren't able to foster children there surely are voluteer opportunities to help nuture and love real children that are in need of some "mothering". That is a great point.
Um.... I have no words for this whole reborn/fake baby thing.
Other than WHAT THE FUCK! ARE YOU SERIOUS? PEOPLE ARE CRAZY. WOW!
How odd, Meleah! Those are the EXACT words I said. We must have twin brains.
Great minds think alike. Or something like that!
xoxo
You know something, Cheryl, these days I find that it's just so easy to become skeptical AND cynical about what's being reported in the media. There's so much sensationalism that it's hard to know what's real and what's not anymore.
On a side note, I really enjoy how you present your thoughts in your blog! Great job, Cheryl! Here's your click for an awesome job!
Thank you, Liggy!
I agree with you at how sensationalized the news is today. I am even playing a new game with matching the headlines to the real story. Half the time the headline makes you think a certain thing but when the report is aired it is something entirely different. They play with the headline to grab you but no real connective value. I am getting more and more disgruntled with how the media handles things.
Hi Cheryl,
I find this really creepy. A grown woman that is dependent on having a fake baby that looks real has real issues in my opinion and should probably see professional help. I don't think this is either natural or normal and its got to be harmful, but I guess to each his or her own, I'm not the one to judge, but I don't know what else to think about it.
Clicks for you!
Wolf
I knew a woman who collected dolls of this nature (not the reborn brand, but seriously real looking and expensive) I was creepy. At first the couple dolls she had were really cute decorating pieces, kind of like a statue or a piece of art. When she had hundreds of them and certain rooms in her house were listed as off limits, I thought it weird. These aren't Picasso's (although for what she paid for her collection she probably could have had one) And after the first hundred it was really.... well... in bad taste to have so many dolls - like a weird form of hoarding.
And I firmly agree with you position.
Clicks!
--Trina
Good to know that I am not the only one that finds this creepy. What the heck is wrong with people? You would think that they could find some real person or even a living creature like a pet to dote on. The inanimate object being humanized is disturbing. I sometimes feel guilty that I am passing judgement, but then you have to wonder why they go on national TV. They have to know people will make assumptions.
You are spot on. At some point a collection can cross the line into "TOO MUCH" whether it's quantity, or cost or how they interact with the hobby as in the case of the baby dolls...still a line has been crossed...crossed right into the creepy zone.
I don't know what's creepier ... that people do this ... or that they will come on television to admit they do this ... or that the men in the white coats aren't waiting outside the studio for these people ... or that television has reached the point where this is the kind of crap they put on. To me, cynic, skeptic, or naysayer don't quite fit. Not quite disgust but certainly concern for our species.
I might get a couple if I could use the car pool lane with them.
Yesterday when I was trying to decide the proper word for my reaction, the reason I was struggling is the fact that my feelings are such a blend of things...concern for sure, disgust, some of that too,....sadness at the need to fill our lives with stuff, and of course, there is cynicism, skeptism, parts as well. Your point is very well founded.
The fake babies wouldn't help as the cops and cameras wouldn't spot them, but those life size LLLOOOOVVVEEE dolls would work.
At least she isn't reproducing. Let's hope she doesn't apply for welfare.
I saw that show. Creepy. Seriously creepy.
No. Not creepy at all. Nothing wrong with those women at all. I mean, besides the fact that they are total whackjobs. Apart from that, though, they're perfectly normal whackjobs collecting fake babies and pushing fake babies around in strollers like all perfectly normal whackjobs do. It's not that you're too cynical, or skeptical or anything else-ical. I think that maybe the reason why you're questioning this so much is because you haven't been exposed to enough whackjobs (obviously, you've never been to one of my family reunions). Once you get to know a few whackjobs, this type of behaviour will make perfect sense to you.
That is too funny!!! If these fake baby moms figure out how to get ADC for those little tikes, I am going into the fake baby collection business. Ha Ha. Of course, if I start toting around a fake baby, I might be short one husband.
You and I are so in agreement !!!! Seriously
I love that word whackjob. I think I will start using it more often as I seem to know a number of people who would be best described with it. My family has it share of weird contestants in the game of dysfuntion, there just aren't many of us.
I guess I need to hang out with more whackjobs so I can get de-sensitized to freakishness.
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