So we’re all obsessed with dolls right now
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- Опубликовано: 13 июн 2024
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PRODUCTION
written by Mina Le & Ella Gray
Edited by Charlee Reiff
SOURCES
Cultural Exchange in Seventeenth-Century France and England by Gesa Stedman
Billboard Magazine (Aug 16, 1997) Vol. 109, No. 33
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www.historyofdolls.com/doll-hi...
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dollsmagazine.com/antique-inf...
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dollsmagazine.com/cissette-th...
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www.nytimes.com/1992/10/21/bu...
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0:00 - intro
4:34 - the modern doll
15:59 - dolls and fashion
23:41 - modern doll mania
31:18 - conclusion 
Хобби
Honestly, a doll theme Met Gala would be so fun
I wanna see what Doja Cat would wear
Omggg thatd look so good but I feel like everyone would give subpar looks
@@heatherhaven1268 Yes, I love her music and fashion✨
That would quickly get terrifying with the tastes of certain celebrities . Can you imagine a doll head dress for someone like Lady Gaga? Or Doja Cat in a doll mask? I like dolls, but the type of people to wear meat dresses of mascot costumes to the MET are not the type of people I world want interpreting that particular theme. There are some interpretations I would love to see though.
omg YAAAAAAS
I think it's really interesting how adults were so concerned about Barbie's body and projecting body image issues on to children. As a little girl I didn't get my body image issues from my dolls, I got it from the adults around me commenting on my body! I didn't care that I didn't look like Barbie.
Same for monster high dolls parents were concerned it would trigger eds but as black americans girl who was very thin i wanted to be curvy
It’s still burned into my brain when my brother called me ‘thunder thighs’ when I was 12, or when my mom called me ‘big-bosomed’ at a similar age (I really was not). Barbie’s shape didn’t phase me at all.
Agreed! Like I was never bothered I didnt grow up to have Barbie's curves, seeing Barbie has never made me feel bad, I grew up to feel bad when adults called me an anorexic bean pole.
I wished I was as pretty as my dolls as a kid but it was more out of admiration than it was body image issues.
I think there is an issue when you only see one body type represented, especially in something like fashion. Like I never had the specific thought "I wish I looked like barbie" because I think it was pretty well-known by the time I was growing up that barbie had literally impossible proportions, but I did think things like "wow I wish I had thinner legs so I'd look good in a skirt like this."
A single doll isn't going to directly give you body image issues, but when that's all you see and you never see a doll that looks like you, it does have an impact. Representation matters and the barbie brand had a lot of problems with it's lack of diversity in various ways.
Dolls truly are miniature statues that can reflect a time period through fashion,hair and makeup!
HEYY
@@unicornpet2225 hi c:
Well I wouldn’t say that that about the dolls nowdays because they really lacking in sense of fashion and make up
@@AC-bk1jg their clothes look out of shein ngl (luckily modifications and custom dolls in general are way more popular now, to keep it interesting yk)
BRATZ SUPERIORITY
I think it's interesting to talk about how Monster High dolls introduced a lot of children and teenagers into alternative fashion and themes. Not only alternative but specifically goth culture, with the characters, ambiance and literature references!
izzzyzzz has some good videos on monster high dolls if anyone is interested in learning more about that and they touch on that topic!! :3
True, bc I was so obsessed with their aesthetic
goth “culture” is all music based, i think you mean goth aesthetics?
@@meangothlesbiangoth culture is music based, but also includes our fashion as it was formative to our identity even back in the 80s when kids would craft their own clothes thrifting and getting all dolled up to go to tebatcave etc. It's music BASED, that doesn't mean goth culture isn't goth fashion as well
@@saintinblack4971 yes i agree, but op mentioned monster high, a corporate franchise that has nothing to do with the goth subculture other than maybe the aesthetics. the fashion, the way of thinking, whatever, it all stems from the music. and i mean that in the sense that the music is an inspiration for the kind of aesthetics that is associated with it. but what you said is also true, the fashion is important, but not the main focus, despite what the tiktok kids will say lol
I am obsessed with doll painters. They put care into outfits, the faces, hair, etc. I think that’s one of the best niches on youtube
Agreed. Honestly I was not interested in fashion even though I owned several Barbie and Monster High dolls as a kid until I started watching these doll custom videos about 2 years ago. Now, I adore dolls and fashion!
@@themonkeystudios5169 genuinely! i loved fashion before, but dolls and doll customized have changed the way i dress and do makeup
same!! the artistry is insane… they’ll make wigs, prosthetics, eyes, mini designer clothes, etc.
YESSSS I've been saying this for years!!
Frrr! I’ve been obsessed with dollightful and her videos on RUclips for yearsss
i'm disabled and i was also (and still am) very much the "weird girl" growing up so I never really saw myself in more "normal" dolls like barbie. monster high was HUGE for me. being told that maybe being weird and quirky and just a little unsettling was actually cool and not the death sentence i had been taught it was growing up completely rewired my brain tbh. plus the emo-steampunk-early 2010sness of the fashion was so iconic and every day i want it back.
Yessss I still can't believe I can't just get them on the shelves anymore, I loved monster high because they were all completely unique and had such individual vibes. The fashion was mwag
ME TOO
oh my gosh, yes!
@@marsman4554 There’s a new generation of Monster High currently on store shelves and they’re rereleasing a bunch of the older dolls, in case you were unaware.
I am also disabled although it happened later in my life (16 yrs)
But i have always been "weird" to others and i relate to this so much
As a ball jointed doll maker and doll artist this video made me so happy ❤️ I think dolls are so much more than just „toys“. Thank you for this ❤
Love your work!
ah! the queen is in the comments! :o
Tbh I would watch an entire stand alone video about Monster High dolls’ impact on young girls and fashion trends.
i remember my mom prefered i played with bratz dolls, rather than barbies, bc their proportions were so unrealistic. she said they looked less like real people and that made her less worried about how they would affect my body image. i just find that really interesting.
funnily enough as a kid my mom would always rant about barbie dolls and bratz and whatnot giving girls eating disorders and bad body image but I always knew they were just dolls, same for cartoons. I knew it was just drawn/a piece of plastic and that it's not to mean how my body is supposed to look like. But then again, maybe that was because I was a very thin child
My mum said the same thing about eating disorders. But like. She gave me the eating disorder. Also my mum said she "hated Bratz, they look like prostitutes".
Starting to think my mum is toxic. Not dolls 😂
@@spntageous5249 same, I honestly think it’s another one of those things where you can’t bring attention to it. If a child is already consuming media where they put emphasis on what beauty looks like then they’ll notice it everywhere ykwim? I didn’t have that problem either, but I also was a small kid so idrk
I heard a similar criticism about the Lammilly doll. (it was a doll designed with realistic proportions based on the average 19-year old girl) By advertising it as realistic, some people were concerned that it would make body image issues worse. Other dolls have more stylized looks and don't look much like real people.
@@Ashley-lo1xy Oh, totally. I don't think dolls on their own really cause body image or self-esteem issues in a lot of girls. People just put the blame on dolls because it's an easier target than the things that actually perpetuate these problems.
A family friend is a certified doll appraiser. I talked to her about it once, she said that she loves how the dolls reflect history. You can actually learn a lot about a time period just from the dolls. It's very cool.
As a doll artist and fashion illustrator myself, I'm glad that dolls are brought up in your presentation! Dolls can also mean so much more psychologically: self-representation, identity formation, play, friendships and relationships, a sense of belonging, a way to control an environment, and the therapeutic aspect, which I could go on and on about. The doll world is also huuuuuge in Asia, from resin BJD (ball-jointed doll), Blythe (which was designed by an American woman in '72 and revived by a Japanese creative director, with now a cult following across the world), Pullip (mostly anime and manga-based but not exclusive to), Korean vinyl dolls and so many more. There are also many independent doll artists developing their own dolls (including me, who've transmigrated across two continents and had to form my own identity *chuckles*). I think dolls as a whole are not "just a current trend thing". The community has always been here, but it has become increasingly connected through social media. Doll conventions have also been held throughout the world. The one thing that I want to mention as well is how much doll collecting hobby raises so many eyebrows in people (including feelings of shame and judgement); I think it's so misunderstood and looked down upon due to its feminine & child-like nature. However, I'm glad that many people are able to subvert the negative associations, connotations and continue to delve into their joyful passion.
!!!!! Sorry to be a creep but I'm a huge fan of your work! Never expected to see you on a video here! And yes agree, dolls have always been a huge part of culture and huge in Asia. Many doll collectors have very broad backgrounds and aren't just about fashion, it's about the creative expression and artistic possibilites, especially with BJDs. Pullip (which is my favourite line) has collaborated numerous times with a whole range of Japanese fashion designers, obviously a lot of Lolita fashion brands like Baby the Stars Shine Bright and Angelic Pretty, but also other fashion subcultures, which I love.
Charon!!! My fav doll artist!
It’s true though, I love how vast the doll collecting community actually is.
I still struggle with shame, but I am slowly bringing into into my life openly more and more and my friends are supportive and I remember when I told my grandma she wasn’t weirded out at all because her sister collects porcelain dolls and has a whole room of them. I showed her some of the dolls that I had made (custom pullip dolls!) and she loved it! I also shared your work, Charon, to some artist friends who had never heard of doll customization and because they love art, they loved to learn about a creative process they had never known about.
I love to see more and more adults enjoy dolls/toys and see even play line dolls as much more than just for kids.
I consider Pullip more fashion based than anime/manga based. They've done numerous fashion brand collaborations and alternative fashion themes, there aren't as many anime collabs. The anime collabs are much more recent too.
I showed this video to my German mom who's an avid (Victorian) doll collector and she was super happy and excited to see that you included such precise and accurate information about post-industrial-revolution-dolls! Your videos are so well researched and wonderfully done, always a blast watching them💘💘
I'm a fashion doll collector (mostly bratz) and tbh i am glad ppl are talking about dolls again bec it removes the stereotype that doll collectors are weirdos lmaaoo. We really just love the fashion 🤧🤧
Ever heard of BJDs? They are gorgeous! I can’t afford them but I’ve wanted one since I was a teen
@@cinthiaham1517 me too I mostly collect fashion dolls but I would kill to get a bjd doll especially a smart doll😭
@@cinthiaham1517 They're soooo expensive and the community around them is so toxic (they think they're better than other doll collectors) which is why I'm never going to dip my toe into that side of the community 😅
I'll gladly stick to playline dolls them 😭
@@cinthiaham1517 i know of them!!! I agree, i also want one but they're too expensive for me :(
YESS
As someone who was raised on Barbie, MyScene, Bratz, Betty (local version of Barbie) and also the OG Barbie Cinematic Universe who’s having a relapse of nostalgia while also excited about the Barbie movie…
I AGREE WITH THE TITLE.
barbie cinematic universe ✍️🌌
Resurrect MyScene!
myscene >>>
@@catalinagatita
❌ Marvel Cinematic Universe
✅ Barbie Cinematic Universe
Yes we need more resurgence of feminine content like romcoms and shoujo animes, I’m tired of male demographic content getting all the attention for the past couple years and lazy remakes/reboots
MyScene yes! Also the Barbie cinematic universe basically my childhood
One of the reasons I loved Barbie so much as a child is that there wasn't necessarily a financial barrier to keep you from accessing it and having a satisfying play. Barbie was so ubiquitous that there was a whole other market of handmade clothes, furniture and accessories. I couldn't afford the more expensive dolls and sets, but my grandma would make us Barbie clothes from spare fabric (which also meant that we could match: I'd get a dress and Barbie would get a dress in the same fabric). I never had the dreamhouse, but there were alternatives made by smaller companies in the same scale, and I remember my uncles made me some wooden furniture, and I would use scraps of fabric as pillows, blankets, carpets, etc. You could have a lot of things without having to spend a lot of money, and as far as I remember, none of my friends cared that my stuff wasn't "official" Barbie merchandise. It was just cool to have lots of different things between us. And unlike baby dolls, it inspired much more imaginative, dramatic scenarios. My Barbies would always get into horrible accidents (with toilet paper being used as a cast), we only had one Ken, which meant that he was always everyone's boyfriend and the drama was incredible, and we could have a million different careers. I think Barbie sparks a different kind of play as opposed to Bratz, because Barbie is an adult, and Bratz are teenagers. So you could project an entire life on your Barbie play, and that was really my first exercise into thinking about life and what I could be.
In the Arab world we had “fulla” it was the “it girl” I had SEVERAL versions of her, she was the great accurate representation we craved as young Arabic girls.
It also had it is own animation and sometime her attire would have copies for young girls and it was always sold out ✨😅
Oh my God yes!! I would obsess over the Fulla commercials on spacetoon and mbc3
@@jmay5757 Yasss!!!! And the songs are always amazing, I was and still obsessed about Fulla 🤩😅
OMG I had one too!!! I ADORED her, she was so beautiful. I still have her, package and all
finally! a video essay that appeals to my obsession with plastic girls!
edit: I'm really enjoying the recommendations, dolls are a hyperfixation of mine
@@laraalvarezzz2 i do! theyre wonderful ❤
@@dreamingwitch7543 also Beauty inside a box
@wallflowerboy is silicon a type of plastic?
@wallflowerboy sit down
there's a month old 2-3hr long deep dive on bratz too made by Lisa feral
I really recommend Barbie life in the dream house series to everyone.it's honestly the best barbie related thing mattel ever did. It's so self aware and so funny. I fully expect the Barbie movie to be like a live action version of Barbie life in the dream house
Especially that heeled foot clip from the trailer that made everyone go wild! It comes straight from Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse!
omg that show was my childhood
My cousins and I watched it as a joke but then ironically found it hilarious! The best bit is that we’re all young adults, whereas our youngest cousin (who was about 9) didn’t like it
Oh I loooved Barbies. It was pure theater! Magic. I forced myself to stop playing with them at 13 because “we’re teens now and need to be cool”. But I still miss it.
I played with them for a long time too. No shame at all
You hit the nail on the head with American Girl Dolls being the origin of my interest into American history! I remember I had Kit, a girl growing up during the world war, saving tinfoil and bringing the collection to school, and growing victory gardens. 😁 The best way to get kids into history is to help them picture themselves in that time and how life would be like, it gave a perfect relatability factor.
Yes! I loved American Dolls for the same reason! I loved their books even more than them.
Same. I don’t like the take that they didn’t fully display “the complexities of reality” point she made. It was for kids… honestly, what did people expect…? Like, seriously, someone tell me what they would have wanted instead of what was presented, and why it would have been better for the age range the dolls were designed for. Open to listen
It was molly who was during the war. Kit was the Great Depression
oh also a quick note about bild lilli, she wasn't technically a call girl and worked many jobs- her doll wasn't just for men but was a general novelty gift that actually did end up being popular with children to some degree. though she definitely was sexualized in the comics, she was also kind of a modern woman who was comfortable in that sexuality and just wanted to have a successful life. also, the amount of teen talk barbies who had those phrases was actually extremely low as they all had a randomized set of voice clips, and some of the other ones were actually more empowering than people realize just because the other ones got so infamous.
I was looking for someone to comment this re:bild lilli! v true!
Exactly im tired of people slandering ny girl
Darling Dollz has a great video about her
Justice for Bild Lilli!!!
@@FaeFlirtations being called a sex worker isnt slander. hope that helps.
american girl dolls were definitely one of the first class indicators i encountered in my life lmaooo
And Build-A-Bear 😭
Grave of the fireflies is the most heartbreaking beautiful work of art to ever come out of studio ghibli
It’s fascinating to think about how our childhood toys and interests manifest in our adult lives! I had a Barbie house and lots of dolls but I never played with them in the traditional way, just designed and redesigned the house based off the outfit of the day!
Now years later I’m a fashion obsessed interior designer!
My mom would always tell me to get rid of my old toys because I would never play with them anymore, and I refuse to. And now years later there's been a Resurgence in toys, I knew I was right.
YESSSS!! Dolls were so underrated for so long, it makes me so happy to see you doing a video on this topic!!
Hala Howla love seeing you here!
hey clawdeena ❤❤❤
As a point of clarification at 14:24 (from a geriatric millennial who owns a pre-Mattel American Girl doll), the original lineup was only 3 dolls: Kiersten, Samantha and Molly. Felicity was added next, followed by Addy. But for the first few years it was just 3 options.
I dropped in to be annoying about this very thing, lol. Which is exactly why for this geriatric millennial Samantha was the obvious and only choice, because Kiersten's accessories were just a wooden spoon and cholera and Molly had *glasses.*
@laurendeland7403 lol I hated Molly growing up. I have no idea why. I had Josefina myself and that doll taught me how to work a loom which is cool. I also had all of her books
Edit: typo
I need to send in my Samatha for a wig change, but I’m terrified they will just swap out heads. My girl is a pleasant company original and I would be devastated if I lost the bragging rights. 😂
@@sarahferenc5440 the AG doll hospital doesn’t do wig swaps, only head replacements, and I think you’re right to not want to part with the original pleasant company head. The original head isn’t necessary more valuable price-wise (unless it’s attached to a white cloth body), but I think it’s 100% more valuable for sentimental reasons. The face molds and paint have changed subtly over the years and a new head just won’t be the same. Depending on the damage to the hair, it may be repairable at home. Alternatively you can buy a replacement wig and do the wig swap yourself. There are lots of resources out there for both options :)
@@msjkramey You had a perfectly good reason which is that Molly was a twerp
My doll obsession never left. I have always loved dolls. Rainbow high in particular reignited my desire to buy dolls. They are so pretty.
Honestly this was so nostalgic for me as someone who never owned a lot of dolls but was obsessed with doll media. Each doll has a special place in my heart and childhood as a genz.
Bratz were relatable to me as a woc. I wanted to have friends like them and run my own fashion magazine. I loved the cartoons.
Barbie was my escapist fantasy. I loved all the different movies.
I love the American girl doll movies and always wanted one so I could customize it to look just like me since most of my dolls were blonde barbies.
I love the monster high cartoons and the message of being your self.
I loved all of them because they all had cartoons and I loved girly cartoons. ❤😅
American Girl Dolls actually had some pretty progressive storylines. I absolutely adore how brave all of the girls are. In most of the stories, they had to contend with the fact that they were children and female in times where women were seen as second class citizens (I guess not much has changed 😓). The girls always found a way to make a difference tho, whether that was in their own families or even throughout greater society. Even Samantha, who was the first doll, had a story about using her privilege to stand up for worker's rights and against child labor. I know they are made by a big corporation that only wants our money, but AG was one of the most empowering series to me when I was a girl. I would not be surprised in the slightest if the rise of political activism among young women is tied to our childhood history of loving AG.
Well, they're owned by Mattel now, and as such they've become more superficial over the years, but they didn't start out being "owned by a big corportation," and that's why they were the way they were. Pleasant Company started out as a small company started by a school teacher / textbook writer who cared a lot about education. Unfortunately since Mattel took over in the early 2000s things have gone downhill. Cheaper quality stuff, more bright and pink and flashy, less substance. I miss the old days.
@@victoire614 I grew up in the 2000s Mattel era, and I think the dolls introduced then were fantastic too. I think they lost their way in the 2010s but they are correcting course a bit more now and I hope they get back to their height soon.
Can’t Relate. AG was never empowering for me because the only storyline they ever gave Black Girls like me was Addie who was a slave. Bratz and Monster High was definitely more empowering because it showed Black girls who were able to be happy,strong,sensitive,creative, etc. I saw myself way more in those dolls because unlike AG it didn’t put them is the storyline that was surround around are struggle and made them a lot less one dimensional then AG.
@@KimmyLL1890 Have you read Addy’s stories?
@@courtneysokal6590 it may be realistic but black people do get tired of reading stories about being brutalised and tortured by the universe whilst the other AG dolls go to... ballet class
As someone who is mixed race (black & white) and was handed down a lot of white Barbie dolls, when Bratz came out I was obsessed with them!! I loved the fact that they were diverse and I also really really loved the fashion, makeup, more curvy body type and they had big lips! I could see myself more in Bratz and I think honestly having them as a kid really helped my self esteem because they were so fabulous 💅🏽😂 However I'm still excited to watch the Barbie movie when it comes out 🤩💗
honestly i really like how kind of racially blind Bratz are. Like, it's often changed in canon if Yasmin is hispanic, latina, middle eastern, south asian or from another ethnic group and usually that would be bad, but here I think it's a good thing because little brown girls can see themselves in her regardless if they are middle eastern or latina or whatever.
As a doll collector, I feel like dolls are more like art pieces that reflect the changing times and current fashion trends than just toys. I also know from personal experience as an Aspie that has certain dolls in my collection as comfort dolls, that doll play can really help with personal mental health, confidence, and self-expression. Honestly, I love dolls and doll collecting has helped me with my mental health and self-expression so much!
A lot of my dolls are goth, for example, and I wear a lot of black and like to dress a bit goth IRL, so having dolls that dress like that is very satisfying and relatable for me! Probably the most relatable thing that I ever saw on a doll is the long, painted, fingernails on the Storm Twins from the Shadow High doll line, because I tend to grow my nails out very long IRL, and seeing that on the dolls really made them that much more special and important to me!
I remember saving my allowance for an entire year for my American Girl doll (my parents made a deal that if I save up half of the price, they will meet the other half for Christmas). My dad would help me make a wooden bed and my grandma helped me sew bedding and clothes for her. I don't remember playing with the doll, but I do remember creating a lot of stuff for my doll!
I had to save up half for mine too! I got Samantha in second grade when my mom thought I could fully understand the books and read them all. I ended up reading all of the books (except Kit, she came about when I was older and didn’t read them much anymore)
My recommendation is ‘Grave of the fireflies’ its made by studio ghibli but it is very different from its other movies. The movie is set in Japan during WWII and made me cry from start to end.
Great recommendation! It’s definitely their saddest movie about war.
Very good recommendation
Same here
can't wait to watch this! 🤡
i had to take a whole day to process after first watching that one (in like middle school or early high school). highly recommend
I definitely think trends of going back to y2k fashion, engaging in old shows you loved as a teen/child and just being in a nostalgia frenzy lately after lockdows and the world being in such scary time’s definitely has an impact of people bringing back their interest in dolls
American girl dolls ligit taught me so many valuable lessons as a child, I owe so much to those girlies. Like I would be lying if I said my interest in history, particularly fashion history wasn't influenced by them. Also, the idea of value and respect for well made or costly things was defo introduced to me through American Girl dolls. Every single one of mine are still in pristine shape because my mom made me wait until I was the recommended age (8) to get one, and when I did, she made it very clear that they were valuable and should be taken care of. I viewed them like they were gold. Good skill tbh cuz now they're my emergency fund.
I wish you would have mentioned how Bratz in the cartoons were specifically owners of their own fashion magazine. It ties very nicely into your previous video about fashion magazines as Bratz was the reason I wanted to work in fashion when I was a kid.
Speaking of dolls, have you ever thought of doing fashion analysis videos on the fashion history of different doll franchises? I feel like it would be a really fun and nostalgic series to do!😊
I would die for fashion analysis on American girl doll. Maybe ranking historical accuracy for their outfits like her earlier Disney princess vids??
@@missg8861omg that would be to die for!
THIS!!
Lisa Fevral has an indepth deep dive of the whole Bratz franchise if your looking for something to sink your teeth into for 3 hours 😅 her channel is awesome if your into y2k girly things and has similar vibes to Mina's channel 💖
When i was younger, I was literally OBSESSED with monster high. I had so many dolls like the light up Frankie Stein and even Catty Noir. I was so mad when my mum threw them out like i hadn't outgrown them yet 😭
I LOVED Catty Noir!!!! Spectra, Catty, Rebecca, Sirena, Clawdeen, Toralei, and Lagoona were my absolute favorites. And this is me being *extremely* conservative… Rochelle, Nefera, Draculara, Abby, Jinafire, etc.
I had operetta, ghoul sport clawdeen and toralei, marisol coxi etc and I cried a lot when my mom gifted them to my little cousin who knew nothing abt mh (and I later found out that she destroyed them and it’s in her basement) I had so much love for my Marisol doll especially bc my uncle bought it for me on my birthday and I’m still salty about it 😭 I even tear up sometimes thinking about it
This always makes me so sad to hear. My parents never looked down on my collecting or playing with dolls and were buying them for me as gifts even as an adult.
Honestly I live and breathe monster high. Been collecting them fulfilling my inner child since 2020 and work two jobs to afford them lol
Damn that sucks, I’m 31 and still think they’re cute, the fashion and design of them as a career seems so fun.
I just graduated from college and this was so comforting!!! There's been a lot of reminiscing lately in my life after grad :')
Congratulations!!
OMG the new barbie trailer adds Barbie Girl remix at the end!!😂❤
i still have my american girl doll caroline. and mina's totally right about how it was a social flex. i remember being SO excited about getting her and going to the park and telling this girl, and she just casually said to me "oh, you only have 1? i have 8." and i remember being absolutely floored that her parents shelled out 800$ just on dolls for her. and another girl i knew had 2 or 3 that were absolutely trashed, like the hair pulled out, marker drawn on them, clothes ripped, and i was horrified bc you bet i kept mine in pristine condition because i valued it so much
to be fair they cost $85 up until 2006, then $95 until 2011-ish. but sounds like you're a bit younger than me since you had caroline as a first/only doll. she came out when i was in middle school (obviously i have her but that's not the point).
Literally I was obsessed with felicity back in the 90s but when my family finally said I could order one, I was too nervous about getting and messing it up somehow so I got a Bitty Baby instead 😅😢 still regret that, though I did get Felicity off ebay during the pandemic!🎉
Same, it was a bit of a flex. My parents let all my siblings get one (there were 4 of us) and we had to be in 2nd grade and be able to read and understand the books. I got Samantha, my sister got Felicity, my other sister got Molly and my other sister got Kirsten. My aunt got the dress pattern and made clothes for them for us for holidays. My dad got us doll furniture from yard sales or made it for us himself. I made food for them out of clay using the magazine as a guide. And man did I play with mine! Her hair is still okay but nothing close to what it was like out the box. Her nose got smudged from a drop, her teeth have been painted white to refresh and her arms and legs got dirty at different times (we played outside a lot). I read all of the books for every doll up to maybe 2002 or so. I love the stories. I may get her a new wig one day but probably not. If I have kids I will happily pass her down. Also, to this day, if I go to The American Girl Place, I always get a new dress 😎
its so interesting to see newer doll brands having such a high emphasis on the quality of the designs and outfits, a look at the rainbow high line and buying one for my sister for Christmas made me instantly jealous just over how high quality playline fashion dolls have become
Thats really only dolls made by MGA, any other company is struggling to keep up while still having a reasonable price and that’s only recently, three or so years ago there wasn’t really much going on in the doll world
I feel like Rainbow high is going to be remembered as one of, if not the, most iconic doll lines of 2020s.
i'm in love with my shadow high doll, i really adore this line
@@Tundrea3 yeah for sure though I think you can see a bit of a shift to those higher quality outfits n stuff in Barbies extras, Omg dolls etc
Broooo I learned about these from this comment and I looked them up, holy shit these are gorgeous. How are they so cheap???
The Aqua Barbie Girl song IS at the end of the Barbie movie trailer that came out yesterday. .. and yes Mattel is VERY involved in the Barbie movie, new Barbie movie Barbie dolls are now available for purchase. (The Ken is outstanding)
In the 70s Mary Quant designed Daisy, a doll similar to Barbie... all of the clothes were designed by her and (as a 70s fashion aficionado 🙋🏼♀️) they're simply amazing to look at
At an early age, the pressure to be an NLOG took me away from embracing the aesthetics, toys, and activities I most enjoyed. So, as a mid-20s gal trying to unlearn my internalized misogyny, I started embracing all the stuff I loved pre-NLOG, from the color pink to sewing to dolls. Now I'm a vintage Barbie and American Girl clothing collector and don't care what anybody has to say about it. 😆 Life's too short to pretend not to like what you like.
I’d love to know the history of how dolls became related to horror because seeing all those Victorian era dolls made me wonder how any young girl wouldn’t have nightmares playing with them, lol
I have a feeling that a lot of that has to do with how they have aged. The slightly cracking of the paint or glaze, small yellowing on the edges, cracks, less plump and more lifeless bodies. And our own modern preference for cutesifying dolls instead of striving for realism. So if you compare a modern doll to an aged older one, the older one will always be scary
@@Guineapigsreadingbooks ohh you made such a good point
I think it probably ties into the Uncanny Valley trope territory which if you don’t know what that is, is when something looks almost like a human but not exactly. It’s the same reason mannequins or dummies can be creepy or movies with bad unintentional cqi. I think the theory behind it is your brain doesn’t like the fact that it’s almost human or “safe” but isn’t.
@@Guineapigsreadingbooks In addition to what you said, there's also the fact that there's little competition in style, like if all your toys look a certain way and that's what you play with, of course they're not going to be scary to you
I have always been in love with those kinds of old folks- even as a child it was my dream to someday own one.
It actually makes sense that we want to watch sad media to make ourselves feel better, apart from when things are really really dark. As someone currently going through war - things have nowhere to get worse, and it feels a little weird to hear something like that but it's good and I'm genuinely happy that not everyone is going through this, and that you can appreciate the good things in your life using this perspective. A personal recomendation - Guillermo del Toro's Pinnochio (I couldn't finish it because it was a massive trigger but it's a masterpiece).
I got back into my doll hobby because I was super into fashion! Pullip dolls are Korean fashion dolls and I never realized it was the fashion I was drawn to!
i love pullips! i sadly sold my Dal and make it your own pullip years ago but recently i found the Travis Tokyo collab pullip and was like 😍😍 now she’s proudly on my shelf and i want so many more. i like a lot of their 2000s dolls
@@erikajewel I definitely get that! I had a dal growing up, always wanting pullips! I collected my favorite 2000’s ones! I definitely suggest eBay for finding your favs!! ❤️❤️
Pullip dolls were my first exposure to the Japanese Lolita Fashion Brand Angelic Pretty when I was an 11 year old. 14 years later, I have 30+ Angelic Pretty dresses for myself!
A note about the increased pop culture interest and memes about American Girl is that it’s also coinciding with an increase in Academic interest in the dolls. As someone who grew up with AG and is now a historian it’s been really interesting to see different perspectives and analysis of the characters. I recommend the Dolls of Our Lives podcast to anyone interested.
Last year I saw an exhibit at the NY historical society on the history of Black dolls in America and it was really interesting and well done.
If you can get passed the fact that you’re watching a zombie movie, Train to Busan has a profoundly heartbreaking ending 😢
i’ve always loved dolls. going to the american girl store is still so fun to look at all the cute things they have as well as the toy section in target and stuff. i love it, i always find a sort of comfort
When I was little, I had knock-off Barbies and paper dolls that my mother also used to play with as a child. There were cutouts of little girls and boys on a thick cardboard with sets of clothes so you could create outfits for them. The clothes had little paper ''pins'' with which they would stay ''attached'' to the paper doll when you put it vertically.
idk why but those little paper dolls were so much fun to play with.
My mom definitely bought us mostly knock off barbies from the dollar store... and my friend and I made our own paper dolls. We were obsessed with old fashioned things and did not discriminate between Victorian paper dolls and full on knights in shining armor
I was super into Monsters high dolls when they first came out. I was 18 and everyone made me seem like such a creep for it…. I’m mildly bitter about it being trendy right now
Now that it’s trendy you can start collecting again-!
im 18 going on 19 now and i frequently post monster high art work. adults make the toys, adults can enjoy them
i still haven’t gotten into monster high (bc i was trying to hide my weirdness and those were ‘weird’ when i was little) but now that i’m 23 and collecting barbie’s again ima probably get them. i can no longer ignore Dolls With Lore.
I mean, is trendy now because the kids that used to collect dolls are adults now, I'm 22 and one of the youngest part of adults who are doll collectors, so don't be bitter and collect, nobody's going to judge you now
i mean i was 8 when they first came out and was a huge fan. i think they are having a resurgence because a lot of people around my age have the funds to pay into nostalgic things.
you dont need an excuse to talk about your bratz dolls, i would love to hear more! I feel like this topic could be explored in so many different directions
I loved dolls so much as a kid. I still love them, just don’t play with them anymore. My favorite dolls growing up was lalaloopsys which I never really hear anyone talk about. They were like my Barbie and they will forever have a special in my heart💕
Melancholia is my top sad girl movie for perspective. It's absolutely beautiful while being a great representation of depression.
As far as recommending sad media, Guillermo deal Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” CRUSHED me. Also, it was just a fantastic film in general. Much recommend!!!
Oh yes very good and hopeless movie!
Stunning film in every way!
I love that you mentioned that having American girl dolls was a flex when we were children. I remember going to a friend's house and they had like, all of them, and they even owned the American girl doll horses that went with one or two of them (Felicity, maybe?). I was so astounded and impressed.
I remember going to the house of a former colleague of my father’s. I knew immediately that they were rich rich, not because it was a mansion, or they had a home gym more equipped than the local public one we went to, or because you couldn’t even see the house from the driveway, or because of the garden larger than my entire school. No, I knew how rich they were, because they had multiple American Girl Dolls lying around, in cared for. Matted hair, their super expensive accessories lying around, on the floor, untidy. These custom American Girl Dolls were so worthless to them they didn’t even care for them properly. That was a shock to me.
I knew people who had AGDs, but they were always revered. My sister and I also had those twin dolls from them, but those dolls were tucked into bed every night, and brushed with two types of brushes, and their clothes were neatly put in the closet, and we fought over who got to treat their doll better.
It was like Birkin bags for kids🤣🤣🤣🤣
Most people I knew who had American girl dolls as kids were white and/or middle-class to rich. I was aware of what American Girl Dolls were because they always sent catalogues in the mail, but I never had one probably because of the cost and how they are perceived as (rich) white kid toys compared to Barbie and Bratz. And this was before doll companies decided to really commit to expanding the diversity of their target audiences.
As an adult collector, dolls have changed my life so much, they have let the little boy inside me be who he was and still is
i remember monster high dolls being a big thing around 2012-15. i was in elementary school but i was more into littlest pet shops haha. didn’t know that it’s popularity had circled back around
As a doll collector, I approve this message. 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
I love dolls sm. I've been obsessed with them since birth!
In fact, I'm a doll myself! 🏳️⚧️
@Soyboy Hello!
Ayy, very nice to see more of us here!
All trans girlies unite 💖
@@20000dinoabsolutely, let's go
Period! 🩷
Silktone Barbies have always been my favorite, but growing up i was a MyScene girl. Over the pandemic i got into collecting a few items from the Disney Designer Collection
I'm so happy you talked about historical fashion dolls like Pandoras! I'd never heard of these until I was researching for my videos about the history of couture and ready-to-wear. Did you see that that kind of doll was used in the Dior AW20/21 Haute Couture promotion when they showed the styles to all the fairy tale models? It was so beautiful.
You know Mina is feeling rough when she doesn't start her video "Hello beautiful doves!"😢 Feel better, honey!
I think fashion designer collabs with doll brands are more likely to appeal to adult collectors rather than children. Those dolls are usually highly-priced and targeted towards adults in any case.
I think kids who use social media might be exposed to what the doll brands post about the collabs and they might see the dolls in stores. They may want the dolls but I wonder how much influence collector dolls have on children if at all. I know the term "collector" technically refers to ages 14 and up but teens don't have a lot of money to begin with.
“everything is quiet on the western front” movie rec. so freaking sad, definitely makes you appreciate what you have
Me, glancing sideways at my American Girl doll collection while watching this... I started collecting the dolls a couple years ago after running across a few at the thrift store. The Josefina that I saved up for as a kid now hangs out with many of the historical dolls and a couple of Truly Me ones.
I love this recent American Girl renaissance. One of my friends has a meme account and it got me back into my childhood love for American Girl. I loved the historical element to them and the fact that they didn’t have exaggerated proportions (I was a fat kid and would feel uncomfortable looking at how thin my Barbies were). I had two dolls growing up and now that I’m an adult I have 9 altogether. Making clothes and accessories for them is so fun and keeps me in touch with my creativity. Wish they weren’t so damn expensive and I applaud public libraries that have American Girl dolls to borrow. Such a cool concept.
I started my grandmother on an epic doll collecting journey by buying her one for xmas when I was five, as I had just learned that she never had a doll as a child because she grew up in poverty in an institution. She collected THOUSANDS, from rare wax and composition dolls to the newest Barbies. But she also collected books on dolls in history, which I devoured, so it always made me sad the way people saw them as frivolous and silly. Thank you for bringing the political and cultural history of dolls into more people's lives!
I’m Canadian and had the Canadian version of the American girl dolls. They were called Mapelea girls and were also like $100
I'm a little sad that Mina didn't mention how the Rainbow/Shadow High dolls consistently style their clothes and accessories after high fashion companies' products.
It's for good honestly. We don't need more scalpers and their second hand price absolutely skyrocketing
The Tale of Princess Kaguya by Studio Ghibli made me cry a lot, especially the ending. It's adapted from the original Japanese folktale pretty faithfully, has a hand drawn watercolor art style, and it made me think about/hate my life lol
Edit: It also took 8 years to animate and is one of the most expensive animations to date!
As a middle millennial, I’ve witnessed my lil siblings drama/tragedies played out thru bratz dolls so ultimately I find comfort and strength in knowing what those girls went thru while maintaining such immaculate vibes. Yasmin forever. Bratz forever✌️👁️👄👁️
I loved my barbies...never affected my body image. I knew they weren't real🙆🏻♀️ My favorite barbies were the ones who came from the movies. I still have the Diamond Castle one
I still collect monster high dolls cause it was something I did as a child and never fully appreciated for how unique and amazing some of the dolls were until just a few years back.
bless the doll community.. we’re abt to have another secondhand price spike
love the video though!! i love listening to doll related content
I cried so much whole reading the Book Thief that I felt like my head would burst next day 😅
That’s a great one!! Yes.
The book "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak - so beautifully and uniquely written.
A girl I knew growing up had a whole American girl bedroom set with the bed and everything. I was sooooo jealous
Also when we were kid’s playing dolls I remember having this massive intricate story lines like we were writing and producing our own soap opera. Dolls are just a vessel for whatever you imagine 🌈
The Kite Runner, hands down!! The first book that actually made cry, not only want to, but actually shed tears.
loved kite runner and thousand splendid suns
I shouted period!! when you said the true fashion girlies were into Bratz 😂😂 that’s spot on. This is a really interesting video 🔥
I know how stressful school can be. But there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel! We love you!❤️
This was so fun to watch!! I was surrounded by dolls my whole life since my mom was a serious collector as well as a (kinda famous in the US tbh) maker of miniature porcelain dolls! I even worked for American Girl as my first job. Despite that, I never learned a ton about the history of dolls beyond little facts here and there as my mom talked about them. It's so interesting to learn more about fashion specifically in relation to dolls, it makes so much sense that the two are so intertwined. I'm not particularly into fashion per se, but I always love listening to your videos! Thanks Mina
Mina's cotent is always so infomative and instructive that can make me want to dive in more and increase my curiosity of a brand new field that I thought I know but actually not.
Mina Le discussing one of my dearest passions.... 🤲🤲Just an anecdote but becoming a doll fanatic was strange because up until i was ~9 dolls were pretty much pushed onto me- then i found out about pullip dolls, became Obsessed and suddendly i was deemed 'too old' to be into that (well, theyre also p expensive).. 15 years later and im still obsessed by dolls in general so....
I am a doll collector and I love fashion, both of which are incredibly special to me, and it's insane to me that anyone would suggest that either category don't bounce off of each other. There would be no such thing as fashion dolls if there was no fashion, and on the flip side those exact same dolls allow for so much creativity with clothing and styling for children. I have two Bob Mackie barbies, and the amount of stunning detail on those dolls is crazy and absolutely stunning.
I appreciate this video so much, because I love learning the history of things that are such a tent poles in society.
the tale of princess kaguya gets me every time- it’s a studio ghibli movie, it’s gorgeous, and for some reason i makes me so sad even though it isn’t classically tragic or sad
The Fall, starring Lee Pace, and featuring the masterpieces of the costume design legend Eiko Ishioka. It’s one of the most visually striking films I’ve ever seen, and still the only movie that makes me cry.
Firefly lane was a book that crushed me, so I recommend it.
i've always liked dolls, ever since i was a child
i thought the obsession would be over once i grow up, but im 15 rn and often find myself in the toys section of a store, looking through all the dolls
istg they're so pretty, and perfect to practice drawing anatomy with
15 is definitely not the limit for this passion
I wanted to collect Monster High so bad as a highschool kid (I graduated in 2013 😮💨) but thought I was too grown for it. I regret it looking back. I'm now a 28 year old woman with an army of plastic ladies on my bedroom walls. Unsolicited advice from an old head: Don't let people pressure you into feeling bad for liking things that make you happy!
I’m sad you didn’t mention Rainbow High in there. I’ve never in my life been interested in dolls and suddenly at 41 I have 20 Rainbow High dolls chilling on my shelf. 😅
I also bought myself a few rainbow high dolls. They are stunning. I remember my 11 year old daughter telling me "mom just buy the doll, you keep coming back to this aisle to look at it. "
@@necroflowers2244 I did the same thing, kept walking through the doll aisle and just looking at them, but I'd talk myself out of buying one. Finally caved in though, they are really pretty!
The outfit is everything 💗💕💕
anyway another amazing video as expected,, ily mina
There was once a doll line from Mattel that left a special place on my heart, and that was My Scene. To me, they are truly the fusion of Bratz and Barbie and one of my main inspirations for Y2K aesthetic. Sadly, the doll line already retired on 2011. I still got the dolls though, but some mini parts ( like bags, earrings, and any acessories ) are missing already lmao.
My parents sold mine already... Still devastated....
I totally forgot about those
I literally thought it was only me that has been fed so much doll content rn, I even started writing a video on the history of barbie fashion dolls before realising that was fully off brand 🤣
If you did a Barbie fashion video (or AG dolls fashion video) I would 100% watch and I bet a ton of others would too!
@@courtneysokal6590 It might be too late now tbh, I got as far as half finishing the script but stopped to prepare for fashion week (and now they're so fire). It probably better to stay on brand, but thank you so much for your support in diversification if I ever do so
Graveyard of the fireflies just makes me weep thinking about it
From Barbie Dolls to literal Killer Dolls, I think that we can concur that dolls are everywhere at this stage. I'm delighted that M3GAN is receiving a sequel already
i’m so surprised you didn’t mention rainbow high!! their whole shtick is that their outfits are dupes of high fashion brands