Imperfect Beauty
Activists and advocates, for healthy body image and diverse standards in beauty, have in recent times questioned the dolls on offer both in Australia and abroad. The challenge is such: are we promoting a diversity of beauty standards in our dolls? Or are we helping to reaffirm outdated societal standards of beauty. The kind that objectify women and reinforce old standards which made it impossible for them to be happy and secure in their bodies?
Let’s be clear: the world of love dolls isn’t immune to the scrutiny of the outside world, and we actually don’t want it to be. Indeed, at Sex Doll Australia we’re excited to be questioned in the same way as any other industry or supplier might be. Changing standards mean we should be challenged in the same way as any other adult market. After all, how can we improve unless we’re included in progressive conversations?
We’ve written at length about the problems people in our community face being marginalised. Mocked or disregarded by pop culture and the world at large. If we really welcome the mainstream to try and better understand our community, and even to embrace dolls like we do. We ought to expect to be questioned in the same way the progressive, mainstream world does itself, right?
Firstly, to state the obvious: our products are products. We create them, or we work with premium artists and producers who do. We often satisfy tailored requirements from our customers, looking to realise their dreams and fulfill their fantasies. Then we supply the products. So our role, as a premium adult doll retailer, is in the supply of products. But that doesn’t exempt us from the question of how we contribute to beauty standards, because of course, it’s the world at large that help to reinforce these standards. Not just dolls, or indeed any adult sector, but movies, magazines, the internet, the beauty industry; these all help to define the boundaries of what’s acceptable for women.
So for a moment, let’s weigh up the question of adult dolls and diversity against the supply of, say, actual play toys for children. This is an uncomfortable reflection for me, because our dolls are obviously adults and are obviously intended for adult consumers, and we take every available chance to reaffirm our dedication to that. But bear with me, because we’re not making a comparison between these industries. What we’re trying to understand something about diversifying standards in society and the parallel supply of diverse products, and the usefulness of play toys is obvious here – it’s another industry that produces products that are meant to look like us!
The supply of more diverse products, therefore, runs parallel to a changing society. It’s like a positive feedback loop – better products allow for better standards, and better standards create demand for better products.
This is actually great news! We should acknowledge – and celebrate – that the same is true of adult dolls, for our discerning adult audience.
Our world is changing! Opened up by a digital world where people can share their wide-ranging perspectives and personal stories on an equal plane, what’s considered beautiful, acceptable and normal has broadened. Consequently, what our customers are asking for is so much more unique.
What we want people to know is that the very same phenomenon is occurring in the demand for adult dolls. At Sex Doll Australia, we’ve had requests for dolls with beauty marks and birth marks. Stretch marks. Braces. Vitiligo. All shapes and sizes. Many different races and gender orientations.
We think it’s brilliant. We get excited every time our customers request something we haven’t been asked for before, because we can see the gears of societal expectations changing in the doll community just as they change and expand elsewhere in the world. The doll community’s horizons are expanding, and we’re becoming more diverse all the time; and Sex Doll Australia is truly along for the ride!