Something I have never understood is why it is normal to give people, normally children, dolls. Whilst aware that this is a fairly unique opinion, and a cause for debate with many of my close friends, nothing has changed my mind that dolls are creepy, and definitely never cute. Though the creepiness varies, I find that the closer the doll is to looking human, or having human features, the more chilling I find it upon making eye contact. A blank, cold, endless stare from a soulless item. If the concept of being able to make eye contact with your child’s toy isn’t enough to put you off, then perhaps this article might put that idea to bed along with the doll itself.

Before I dive into my main point, I want to draw attention to how distorted the way a doll’s body looks, can affect a young child. They create a false beauty standard, regardless of gender, and they enforce a tokenistic approach to our society, whilst using hideous gender stereotypes simply to sell.

Secondly, why are they never featured in happy, romantic, uplifting films? They are always there, watching, in Horror films. We understand that they can be creepy, however I believe they are. But in this instance, it’s down to the distortion of something we associate with innocence and children. When the mirage of innocence is stripped away it disturbs us. When children are victims, it is generally considered all the more appalling because of their innocence. The same goes for a pet, dogs in particular. It’s fact that we are more likely to cry at the death of a pet in a film, than the death of any human. The same goes the other way around; when a child is the villain, the one we fear, it is all the more terrifying. Dolls, like children, represent youth and innocence. The main difference is that dolls must always be controlled. They have no animation, no life. So, of course in Horror films the fear generally comes from what is controlling it or what has happened to it. Most of us are in agreement that dolls can be terrifying. But it isn’t the movies or their stare that frightens me. The thing that frightens me, is a child playing with it. That’s all. Now I can hear what you’re thinking, and yes it seems crazy. Maybe I had an incident as a child where a doll fell on top of me and it scarred my subconscious; we will never know. But I believe that if a child uses a doll, they learn to manipulate and control something that looks like a person; physically and mentally. The conversation is what the child wants. The activity. Clothing. Gestures. Voice. Hair. Face. I believe that by using a doll, children build a desire to control and a subconscious willingness to manipulate others.

So yes, of course I find dolls scary in the movies, but it is actually that innocent looking doll on the shelf in the shops as I walk past that scares me the most. Because nothing about it represents happiness. It represents, at least to me, the exact opposite. Maybe my feelings towards them will change in the future; perhaps if I have children of my own and I see how it makes them feel. But honestly, I doubt it.