Sat 26 Jul 2008
If That Mockingbird Don’t Sing…
Posted by anaglyph under Bizarre, Creepy, Ephemera, Ooky, Robots, Spooky
[22] Comments
OK, as we’re on the subject of the Uncanny Valley, let’s drift over to the phenomenon of Reborn Baby Dolls. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, look here. This is a Reborn Baby Doll web ring. Kick back. Spend a few minutes browsing around. And be prepared to be really creeped out.
This is a huge community of people who are devoted to making, buying and selling minutely detailed facsimiles of babies. I’m not a biological parent, so I may not be the best one to judge, but these ‘dolls’ really give me the willies. They don’t say ‘cute lifelike baby’ to me – they say ‘DEAD baby’. I suppose the makers might argue that they are sleeping babies, but I would counter that they never wake up and are therefore back in the category of DEAD. Especially the ones with their eyes open.
If you had one of these things in your house, then I can guarantee that there’s one sound you’d never want to hear and that’s the pitter-patter of tiny feet.
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(Seriously – mothers who are reading – do you find this concept cute or weird? I’m really interested.)
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22 Responses to “ If That Mockingbird Don’t Sing… ”
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[…] A couple of posts back I mentioned Reborn Baby Dolls in the context of The Uncanny Valley and the problem of distinguishing robots from humans. […]
How many Reborn Calves have you got in your Mysterious Corner?
Some.
I’m totally onboard with robots shaped like Rachel Hunter, but those doll-babies are creepy. One of our sub-specialties is death & mourning memorabilia, and in the 19th century there was quite a cult built up around death photographs, especially of babies. There are various symbols you can look for in 19th century photos to tell if a baby is dead or sleeping- it can be a bit creepy.
And those babies is D-E-D DEAD.
Fire up the barbie.
Reborn Homunculi!
DINNER!
did you see some of those baby names? where did they get Laken from?
and twins called Kyler and Kyley?
Chynna has pubic hair on her head. scary.
No messy diapers, no spilled glasses of juice, no temper tantrums, no “Dad, I need a car,” and no college educations to pay for.
What exactly is the problem?
A heartbeat simulator. A heartbeat simulator. Too very creepy.
As a mother I find them creepy.
As a former porcelain doll maker, I find them creepy.
I would never want one near me!
I’m a dad of two biological kids who enjoys a good dose of creepiness, but not when it borders on reality. Those dolls have a creep factor of 9.8 out of 10.0
9.8 Reborn Baby Dolls
9.7 Clowns
9.6 Carnies
5.0 Snakes
Oh ugh. I first stumbled across those … *things* a couples years ago on eBay. They totally creep me out. 9.8 creep rating, at least.
The only good thing about them is that they allow me to feel relatively sane compared to the people who follow this odd cult.
They’re like stuffed trophies. But creepier. Yeah, I bagged me this vicious critter down at the creche. It was comin’ right at me!”
Colonel: I can kinda understand the memento mori baby photos. But they ARE dead babies. These are supposed to be alive. But they’re not. As you say D. E . D!
Atlas: Now there’s a thought! Although, on consideration, homunculi are already ‘reborn’. Like Christians.
Malach: Not only is that cannibalism, it is necrophilic cannibalism. Except with things made of plastic. So it’s pseudo necrophilic cannibalism.
Nurse Myra: The names are the least of the problem…
Mike: So you’ve got a whole living room full of these things then…?
Cissy: Yeah, it might have a heartbeat but it’s still DEAD.
meggie: As I thought.
John: I’m glad to see you place clowns a close second. Ventriloquist dolls would come in between them and carnies.
MI: I’m glad to see you have the right attitude too. At least I’m no more unhinged than my readers.
Phoebe Fay: You have a point about the sanity comparison. On the other hand, it does worry me that all those people are out there somewhere. Nursing their dolls…
kyknoord: Actually, now that you’ve mentioned it, it would be kind of cool to have one mounted on a plaque in Cow Central.
Where can I get a Reborn Polanski? Seems the real one is MIA.
It would appear so. But a reborn Polanski would most likely fit better in the category of ‘Zombie’.
Rev, you’ve double-creeped out your American flock. Nursing a baby, to us, means holding and rocking it. To Americans, it means breastfeeding. May I just say – blleeeaaargh.
Nothing wrong with a good tit.
I wasn’t blleeeaaargh-ing breastfeeding in particular, or tits in general. It was the idea of a plastic doll clamped to a withered dug that got me a-shiverin’.
Cissy Strutt: I’m not discounting anything from the Reborn Baby Doll makers…
“…Chynna has pubic hair on her head. scary.”
hahaa! lmao… that was my exact thought. somehow i just can’t muster up anymore words to describe my feelings about this sorta thing. besides, the errhm– images– say it so much better ;)
I will say that reborn dolls are the most realistic looking dolls I’ve ever encountered and dealt with, but don’t you think they are as creepy as they are cute? As mentioned before the ones with the open eyes can give a person the chills.