Monday, March 18, 2013

Check, one, two... Is this thing on?

Hola, dear readers! So from the beginning I told myself I would never let Voicething become a blog about a blog (that's what The Sequel is for -- woo-hoo!). And then a few days ago I posted a survey asking some general questions about you and your thoughts on Voicething. I don't think it's possible to do something more "blog about a blog". But I really wanted to get some feedback from you all, just to see how things are going, so to speak. Under the cover of anonymity people tend to be a lot more honest. I got more responses than I expected (you gals and guys can totally feel God's light shining on you right now, can't you?), and it really was informative. For starters, I was pleased to find that you skew older than I had thought. It's nice to share my thoughts on our favorite dolls with people around my age. Plus, it makes me feel less like a weirdo! The other thing is, hello to you, male readers! There are more of you than I thought! In M.G. Lord's fantastic and thorough book Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll, she said something along the lines of, paraphrasing, "Being a man who collects dolls is brave. You face constant scrutiny, judgement, and even scorn." I can't find my copy of the book right now (of course), but the quote is somewhere in that vicinity. So I have to give a special shout out to my fellow, uh, fellows! It ain't always easy, huh? But we persevere, in the name of gorgeous hair and stunning clothes! (Heh.)

One thing that especially came through loud and clear is you guys would love a Monster High podcast! I'm honestly kind of shocked there isn't one yet. I love podcasts and have always thought about doing one. The thing is, I don't want to do it alone. I've heard solo-host podcasts and they can be a bit... ponderous. It's much better to have someone to bounce off of. I'm one of those people who really hates their speaking voice, like, really. But I've come this far with the whole MH thing so why stop now, right? If anyone is interested in doing one with me, I'm up for hearing your thoughts. I'll go ahead and say I'd prefer someone a tad older, say, 20 and over. Some knowledge of and passion for MH would be a big plus, obviously. If interested, hit me up at voicethingmh@gmail.com.

The response to Deja View has been very positive, and a lot of you would like to see it more often. Originally I had decided a doll had to be at least two years old to be "Viewed", but I may stretch that out a little, just to give myself a little more wiggle room in dolls I can cover. I love doing them anyway so they'll definitely be sticking around! Beyond that, the majority of you like the new look of the blog. Most reservations about the update lay more with the blurry banner pic. I took my own advice and went for something a bit "less is more"; I think it's a big improvement over the other banner. Plus it's Ghoulia! She's so cool.

Other than that, it seems we share a few interests beyond dolls! Several of you also visit That Guy With The Glasses, How Stuff Works, and Cracked. The old standbys of Flickr and Facebook were a given.

I really want to thank all of you who participated in the survey. The feedback is genuinely appreciated, I can't say that enough! With that, let's exit on Ghoulia. This is an older pic but I don't believe I've posted it on the blog yet. If it is a repeat, sorry about that. But hey, at least it's Ghoulia! Plus it's from the same session as the new banner!



Til next time!

8 comments:

  1. I think that someone is not old enough, when he likes something and enjoys with it ;)

    Ghoulia is so pretty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly, Maya! An adult guy collecting dolls is no different than a guy collecting model airplanes or action figures. It's the feminine aspect of dolls that throws people off.

      And yes, Ghoulia really is a knockout! :D

      Delete
  2. I just filled out the survey. Better late than never, I guess?
    I remember a couple of years ago (2010 or early '11) I saw the basic Monster High dolls in a flyer. I thought, 'Man, if I was was younger, I would SO buy those'. Come late 2012, I'm looking at pics of them on DA & Flickr and I totally fell for them.
    Now I have over 15, and my collection continues to grow. I'm 22 & my family thinks I'm weird, but I don't care. I like these dolls because they unite my childhood love of dolls & fashion and my teenage love of Tim Burton movies, goth culture & the dark and macabre.
    It's nice to know there are other adults out there who like Monster High. If it's ok to like video games, comics, models and action figures, then it should be fine to like dolls, at least in my opinion.
    I like this philosophy, "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss
    By the way, my first purchase was the Cleo & Deuce 2-pack.
    :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely better late than never! Thanks, Felicity! :D

      It really is unfortunate that adult doll collecting has such a bad rep. As you say, people don't blink an eye at adults playing video games, collecting action figures or reading comics. It's pretty unfair. That's why we adult collectors gotta stick together! To be honest, I think being an out gay man helped prepare me for the ridiculous negative stigma of doll collecting. I've developed a pretty thick skin being gay and its helped me take a "whatever" attitude about people who think my doll collecting is weird.

      I've been lucky to befriend so many cool people through my doll collecting and it has opened me up to some unexpected creativity within myself. Those things definitely outweigh the negativity I get from some people because I collect dolls.

      I love the Seuss quote! And your first MH purchase was indeed a good one -- you can't go wrong with Cleo!

      Delete
  3. That 2-pack giftset was on sale. $20 reduced from $70.
    I was looking for Spectra, but I couldn't pass up a bargain.
    The cashier told me Spectra V was popular. My first SV doll was her DDG doll, she's pretty but I wish her fringe was long like the promo, the blunt cut doesn't really suit her, I think.

    You're lucky to be so courageous, what with your doll passion, sexuality and love for roller coasters. ;)
    I'm the opposite, shy & insecure (I have been since I was little).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, what a steal for such a gorgeous doll! Plus you got Deuce, too! I mean, I'm pretty meh on male dolls but I know a lot of collectors like them, and they can be so hard to find. So yeah, you got a great deal on that set!

      I too wish DDG Spectra had the long bangs like in the promo. I was really disappointed when she didn't and dragged my feet on buying the doll because of it. I'm so glad I eventually got her though -- she really is a unique doll, and she has the facemold I love so much!

      Thank you very much Felicity, but truth be told, I do sometimes have my own shy and insecure moments. But when it comes to the things I'm passionate about, and who I am in regards to my sexuality, I just tune out the crap. What insecurities I do have, have nothing to do with my sexuality and hobbies. :D

      Delete
  4. I gotta say... Now I'm curious as to what your voice sounds like.
    XD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let's just say... you and the rest of the world might be hearing it very soon. *hint hint*

      Delete