Thursday, July 13, 2017

Cleaning up the slut dolls


Being the kind of grandmother who doesn't buy toys for the kids, I had been blissfully ignorant of slut dolls -- the modern-day Barbies that present their own warped vision of women, except even worse.  I was too old to play with Barbies as a kid but have certainly read reams of commentary about their figures, their wardrobes, their roles in society, mostly agreeing that Barbie is no friend to feminists.  Now that bad vibe has morphed into slut dolls, those that look like hookers on the stroll, complete with collagen-fat lips, too much eye makeup, stilettos and waistband-length skirts.


But my friend Denise has discovered a way to repurpose slut dolls into lovely little girls with no makeup, appropriate clothing and a nice, innocent look, and giving them to her 7-year-old granddaughter.  It all started when she happened upon the work of an Australian artist and mom, Sonia Singh, who has created a little empire of Tree Change Dolls.  Apparently you can buy them on eBay, but Denise was drawn to the directions for DIY.

It's simple -- rescue doll from thrift store, remove the painted face with acetone, then paint on age-appropriate features.  Strip off the hookerwear and make better clothes.  Cut and restyle hair as needed.  Slice down the feet.


Here's a before-and-after pair.  Denise enlisted our friend Bette to crochet a sweater for this new look doll, who also got a haircut and a lovely new hat.  Fortunately she already owned a pair of full-length jeans, even if the sequins are a bit flashy. New shoes or boots are still to come.

Denise has several dolls in process, a worthy endeavor for any artistic grandmother.



12 comments:

  1. The original's feet are bigger than her head??? What's with that?

    Mary Anne in Kentucky

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  2. I SO loved this...I was 'not the kind of mother' that would buy Barbie for my daughter although she ended up having her share due to well meaning friends and relatives. Huh. Anyway, I knew I didn't have to worry when I saw her hack off the hair and redress them in fabric scraps every time she got one. My issue was always the CLOTHES that the major retailers would try and sell to young girls...I worked for Nordstrom for 20 years and every time they asked for comments on merchandise my question was ALWAYS 'Why are you trying to make 10 year olds look like sluts?'

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  3. So cool! And I'm sure there are lots at thrift stores to snap up for cheap too! I love this idea.

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  4. This is a good heads up for anyone who may at some time want to give a doll to a young girl.
    Sandy

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  5. Really? Now even dolls can be sluts. Sigh.

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  6. I had Barbie dolls when I was growing up. In fact, I was seven years old when Barbie was first introduced. My mother sewed clothes for my dolls and I did the same thing for my daughter. She had a whole box of clothes that I made from scraps. I have never seen a slut doll, but I really like the idea of redoing them. The "after" doll is so cute. I just wonder why the feet are so big. Do sluts have big feet? HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

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  7. I am mystified by the feet! I know I should be primarily outraged or whatnot, and there's many an outrageous aspect to slut dolls, but... those FEET!

    You know that the grownup version of the slut doll is that Kardashian show, right? What else could it be?

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  8. Is there any better thing than an activist, artist grandma?

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  9. Feet big to stop doll ending up flat on face...

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  10. Wow. I was really excited to find your blog and your work, until I read this post... So, in your mind, women who wear makeup and enjoy high heels and short skirts are automatically "sluts"? There's no "right" way to be a woman. If you had read any feminist literature dated later than 1975, you would know that. Really disappointing.

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    1. Fine with me if women want to wear makeup and high heels and short skirts. Not fine with me for eight-year-olds to aspire to makeup, etc. Can they just be little girls for a while?

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