Second Doll Group Discussion Feb 21, 2014

 Community Dolls hosted its second group discussion on Friday, Feb 21, 2014. Our subject this time was "What Kind of Doll are You?"
It took me a few days to get this cleaned up with RL events and also preparations for the upcoming Doll Festival. Transcript is posted below.As before it has been cleaned up, edited and spelling corrected.

Silly me I forgot to take a snapshot of the gathering.


[16:01]  Andromeda: Please everyone.. have a seat
[16:04]  Andromeda: alright,, I think we can get started.. thank you call for coming
[16:09]  Andromeda: so.. Doll play.. last week we asked "What is it.. why do we do it?"
[16:10]  Andromeda: This week we go a bit into the "how"?
[16:10]  Andromeda: Today's topic is "What kind of doll are you?"
[16:11]  Andromeda: but is there anyone who is still curious about or confused by the idea of doll play?
[16:11]  Kaiti McGee: I came out of avid curiosity but .. will back track.. please do not hold up for me.
[16:12]  Andromeda: ok Kaiti
[16:12]  Andromeda: maybe our insights will help you understand
[16:12]  Kaiti McGee smiles and nods
[16:13]  Andromeda: what kinds of dolls are there
[16:14]  Andromeda: lets talk briefly about the toys..
[16:14]  Andromeda: Barbies.. BratZ those new Monster High dolls
[16:15]  Andromeda: dolls are playthings..
[16:15]  Andromeda: baby dolls..
[16:15]  Andromeda: even boys Action Figures are dolls
[16:15]  Silky Purr: Plushies? o.o
[16:16]  Andromeda: Kewpies..
[16:16]  Andromeda: my little pony
[16:16]  Andromeda: toys.. playthings
[16:18]  Andromeda: Barbies are dressup dolls..
[16:18]  Andromeda: you have porcelain dolls. they are objects of beauty.. not meant to be played with..
[16:19]  Andromeda: you set them up and admire them. they're works of art
[16:19]  Andromeda: Japanese ball Joint Dolls can fit in this category
[16:20]  Andromeda: and then we can get into adult realm.. blow up sex dolls.. I only mention themy cause there is a large community of kinksters who like to be living sex dolls
[16:21]  Andromeda: As far as me.. I think the type of doll I am is more than anything a dressup doll.. fashion.. pretty poses..
[16:21]  Andromeda: I love it when people look through my outfits and find something to put me in
[16:22]  Andromeda: you see now my key is set to Fashion Doll. Its my favorite Type
[16:22]  Community Doll Key: Andromeda Lamplight is looking at your dress menu
[16:22]  Andromeda changes
[16:23]  Andromeda: Another type of doll.. is the robot..
[16:24]  Andromeda: a robot is a doll that can move in some way by itself.. right?
[16:24]  Andromeda: frequently referred to in these communities as a gynoid
[16:25]  Andromeda: I'm curious Julie.. do you consider yourself more a doll or a gynoid?
[16:25]  ACS's JulieDoll: It depends on the situation, really... more often gynoid, but sometimes doll. (Though I prefer the word android to gynoid, even if it is technically the wrong gender.)
[16:26]  Andromeda: ahh. thank you
[16:26]  Andromeda: android has more recognition as a word.
[16:26]  Andromeda: sometimes you have to explain the word Gynoid.. not so with android
[16:27]  ACS's JulieDoll: Though sometimes pedants get pedantic when I describe something that looks female as an android,
[16:28]  Andromeda: what did they call that very first recorded 'gynoid'.. the lady robot in the old movie Metropolis
[16:29]  ACS's JulieDoll: My guess is "robot" if anything at all.
[16:30]  Renard Koskinen: If I might interject...?
[16:30]  Andromeda: Hmm... a bit of Google research may be in order after we break..
[16:30]  Andromeda: sure Renard go ahead
[16:32]  Renard Koskinen: After giving it a bit of thought, I wonder if categorization...if the name people use to describe themselves...has less to do with the actual description of their physical form, and more to do with how they'd like to behave relationally.
[16:32]  Renard Koskinen: Take the three terms you mentioned--gynoid, doll, and sex doll.
[16:33]  Andromeda nods, listening
[16:34]  Renard Koskinen: In the last case, sex doll, in my experience, the doll wants to be treated primarily as an object of libidinous interest. In the "doll" case, the desire is more likely to be an interest in being dressed and displayed...to be treated as a valued toy.
[16:34]  Andromeda nods.. that sounds about right
[16:35]  Renard Koskinen: In the "gynoid" case, the sense I get is that the person wants a sense of being...mmm...how to described...
[16:36]  Andromeda: If I had to guess I'd think a gynoid is motivated by the "structure" that being programed gives
[16:36]  Renard Koskinen: ...trapped...controlled...female, but artificial. It typically isn't sexual, but is quite feminine. A gynoid, typically, wants to emphasis their femininity...and android, their mechanized nature.
[16:37]  Renard Koskinen: In all cases, the physical form could be precisely the same.
[16:37]  Renard Koskinen smiles, nodding, "That would make sense."
[16:37]  Andromeda: I think its a good time to mention the subjectivity of language.
[16:38]  Andromeda: "Doll" to one person may not mean the same to another
[16:38]  Andromeda: in fact.. if you think about it a moment.. every one of our avatars in SL is nothing but a high tech virtual paperdoll
[16:40]  Andromeda: Gwyddfid.. I am going to make a guess and ask if you consider yourself more than anythign else a porcelain doll?
[16:41]  Silky Purr: She looks a bit like it. ツ
[16:41]  Tiffy giggles.
[16:42]  Andromeda: and its not just he looks.. she likes to spend long times on display.. no interaction..
[16:42]  Gwyddfid: I would say mostly porcelain with some fashion doll.
[16:43]  Andromeda: THank you Gwyd. how about the other dolls here.. Tiffany and Tiffy.. what kinds of dolls are you?
[16:44]  Tiffy: I move between being a wind-up doll and an android.
[16:45]  Andromeda: Thank you.dear.. what is your doll motivation?
[16:45]  Andromeda: And Silky.. I missed you when I asked. what kind of doll are you?
[16:45]  Tiffy: I enjoy being an object to play with. Devoid of emotion
[16:46]  Tiffany Caiben: I think I'm a dressup doll, but I'm too new to doll play to know what i like best.
[16:46]  Andromeda: ahh.. well hopefully this discussion will help you learn
[16:47]  Tiffany Caiben nods
[16:47]  Andromeda: and of course being played with..
[16:47]  Andromeda: the best teacher is experience
[16:48]  Andromeda: Stef, what kind of doll are you?
[16:48]  Silky Purr: Windup.. for display, poses. Being dependent on others for "life". Definitely not fashion doll as of yet, meow.. maybe in time.
[16:49]  Stef Hulden: i'm more of a rubber doll/gynoid type...i love the objectification and sense of being controlled....plus i enjoy looking exotic :)
[16:49]  Silky's Dolly Key: whispers: As their key winds down, Silky Purr finds themselves far too weak to run or fly.
[16:49]  Andromeda: ahh nice.. everyone thank you for repsonding
[16:50]  Andromeda: adn there is Silky's dependence on display.. someone mind winding her?
[16:50]  Silky's Dolly Key: whispers: Tiffy wound Silky Purr up to 1 hour, 15 minutes (63%). How kind of them!
[16:51]  Andromeda: excellent
[16:51]  Silky Purr: Oh.. *blushes a little*
[16:51]  Andromeda: Kaiti.. as someone curious.. do you have any comments or questions on what you've seen or heard
[16:52]  Andromeda: Basically.. the BDSM aspects of Doll Play are in the objectification and control of the doll
[16:52]  Kaiti McGee: Not really yet Andromeda ... I do realize I have some researching to do
[16:54]  Renard Koskinen chuckles, "That sounds like a lot of other sorts of BDSM play as well."
[16:55]  Andromeda nods.. "How about you Renard? you had some nice insight earlier.. what can you add to the discussion to help wrap this all up?"
[16:57]  Renard Koskinen considers for a moment, "I think the question I'd like to ask the dolls is just that--what is unique about doll play? What makes it different from hypnosis play, transformation, enslavement, etc...the elements of control and objectification are/can be a part of all of these other kinds of play..."
[16:57]  Renard Koskinen: ...so what makes doll play unique?
[16:57]  Renard Koskinen: I have an inkling of an answer, but I'd be interested in what dolls themselves think.
[16:58]  Andromeda: I've said before when asked "why dolls?" the following..
[16:59]  Andromeda: Dolls are simple things.
[16:59]  Andromeda: they have simple needs..
[16:59]  Andromeda: be loved, admired, played with
[16:59]  Silky Purr smiles a little
[16:59]  Renard Koskinen nods.
[16:59]  Andromeda: a person.. or slave, or pet. is a bit more complex.. desires, motivations..
[17:00]  Andromeda: take the chair you sit in.. if it had feelings what would they be..
[17:00]  Andromeda: I think a chair being sat in would be happy
[17:00]  Renard Koskinen: Would the rest of you agree?
[17:01]  Andromeda: because it is fulfilling its purpose
[17:01]  Silky Purr has been in the chair's place and was happy <w<
[17:01]  Andromeda: dolls are easy to please.. just play with it
[17:01]  Tiffy nods
[17:01]  Stef Hulden: hmmm, for me complicated! it's the elaborateness of the play....it's far more complex than just having a Gorean chain you up, or being turned into a statue....you need all sorts of attachments and restraints and locks! and feeling your humanity slowly disappear as you're covered up in the doll costume and all the controls and restraints are locked shut is very shivery and exciting
[17:02]  Renard Koskinen nods, "So, for you, Stef, it's the process of losing control"
[17:02]  Stef Hulden: yes....I'm starting to discover that everything that attracts me in bdsm involves the word "control"
[17:02]  Andromeda: yes that is a big draw
[17:03]  Andromeda: last words?
[17:03]  Renard Koskinen: ...though I think I could come up with a kind of play that didn't involve doll play, but had that same sense of humanity leaching thrill.
[17:03]  Renard Koskinen: If I were to sum...
[17:03]  Gwyddfid: c
[17:03]  Renard Koskinen: I think doll play is the type of D/s play most focused on the sub being a "treasured object."
[17:04]  Andromeda: We'll hear Renard and then Gwyd
[17:04]  Renard Koskinen nods at Andromeda, "Which is, I think, what you were getting at."
[17:04]  Renard Koskinen chuckles, "All right--shutting up now."
[17:04]  Andromeda: Thank you Renard
[17:04]  Andromeda: your turn Gwyddfid
[17:05]  Gwyddfid: I think for some, they are dollies because they always were dollies, but it may have taken some kind person to help them realize it.
[17:05]  Gwyddfid: Dolly can be a state of being.
[17:05]  Gwyddfid: And that's all I can really think of at the moment.
[17:06]  Andromeda: not everyone is attracted to being a doll so I think that is true in away for all dolls
[17:06]  Andromeda: I like to say that the key didn't turn me into a doll it just let her out from inside
[17:07]  Andromeda: I would like to thank you all for coming.

GA Doll Display Case

So I got this shiny new blog.. its been about a week since I posted to it.. I thought I'd start talking about some of the things I like that's available for doll play.

The first thing I'm going to highlight is the GA Doll Display from "Toys by Setzer"

GA Dolldisplay modeled by my pet Katey

 Currently available at Amelie's Garden and Dungeon and on the Market, this is my favorite doll case. It comes with 20 poses, has RLV locking and both RL and Online timer abilities. adjustable poses, capture.. The newest version is Partial Mesh, only 2 PE land impact. AND, did I mention the price? At only L$150, this thing is a STEAL

Image lifted from the Market

We have two of these beauties in the new Dollhouse. Come give them a test drive. I hope you love them as much as I do.