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Noantum · Senior Member

Fox 29 News "Psychologists "warn about reborns""

sage brush nursery · Guru

confuse GRRRRRR..........the stupid cows , they don't mock grown men flying toy airplanes or the other seemly dumb stuff they get into.........so why are we/our art potraied as mentaly illness/ not wholesome...........what could be more sane then enjoying a lovely piece of art, getting a lovely cuddle and not haveing to change diapers.........lollol.........realy they need to grow up..........sage confuse

Noantum · Senior Member

I totally agree. I smell double standard all the way!!

honeyloves · Guru

that is the buyers choice and responsibility to know their own mental state ...we do not push the dolls on people who have experienced the loss of a child ,... we do this art because we enjoy it , ....................the end

Buffington · Guru

News reporters are not supposed to jump on something without investigating it thoroughly. What happened with this one? Someone pulls out a bandwagon and everyone else has to blindly hop on without even a blink. Humans... go figure. This is about as bad as that "fake baby" thing they did, or the few other alleged expose's that some have made public. Some of us have a hard enough time selling our babies without this being put out there without any research or rebuttal. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... bunch of nincompoops, as my Granny used to say. lol

I am goingto contact them to let them know that just because 1 or 2 psychologists say this is the way they see it, it is all subjective and no, we are not persuing nor taking advantage of those people who choose to adopt one of our babies, if there is an underlying issue. We do not seek them out, and some of us also refuse to do memorial babies.

I put that info on my facebook page because I am fb friends with many doll artists and buyers through there. We'll see what kind of an uproar it causes on fb. I'll keep you posted.

sage brush nursery · Guru

confuse i was out revenge shopping at joanns fabrics with baby mirilis ,while we were waiting in line a lady and her daughter asked how old she was . of course i explained that she was a reborn and let her hold her. she gave her a good cuddle .starts crying ,puts her back in the carrier and says i'm buying her. she told me she had a baby girl who passed years ago and mirilis reminded her of her. i didn't seek her out ,she found me ......all i did was answer questions. she was still feeling the loss after so many years, its my hope baby mirilis will help give her closure or an outlet for her grief.........i don't see the harm here...........i feel that families /husbands can only deal with just so much of a persons grieveing/grief , with a reborn they can go rock/cuddle and release thier emotions .....i also had a women who's baby passed last month wanting baby liam........she said she wouldn't be able deal with one that looked like her baby but that baby liam was just what she needed. again i don't see the harm...............sage confuse

Noantum · Senior Member

My heart goes out to that woman Sage. It is just like with anything, people interpret it differently. Fox has a habit of fudging the truth, not investigating, and slandering ones name. Grieving women, that is only one small aspect of the art that people are drawn to it. It just behooves me how men can have odd hobbies (collecting beer cans, bottle caps, lunch boxes) or whatever and no one says a thing. Some even go as far as setting up a shrine for their collections and forbids others to fiddle with it. Does anyone do an interview on that and say they are unhindged? Nope.

What we do is art and some will appreciate it and some won't. If a woman finds comfort in holding a reborn, then let her do it. I think it is better for her mental state that to continue in a deep depression because she can't let go. However, that is just ONE small reason our babies are adopted. A woman adopted my Thomas just for that reason. She lost her son 27 years ago and my baby look just like him. Am I going to tell her she can't adopt him? That some believe she's unstable and shouldn't adopt a reborn. NO! This is so ridiculous that we still have to defend ourselves because of some unknowledgable people.

I say we give them a piece of our minds and leave comments on their site!

Buffington · Guru

Me too. We'll be nice... but firm!

honeyloves · Guru

my thoughts about leaving feedback also .. yes are you just going to tell her ..uhhhhmmm.. sorry ma'm you cant adopt this baby because you've lost your child ...no !

Keryn · Newbie

I am new to the art of reborning. Am still awaiting for my second kit and goodies to arrive. I live in South Africa.

I think that the criticism is unfounded in most circumstances. I have started the art as I have two daughters who would like a doll and even better if it looks like the real thing. Little children love babies so why wouldn't they want their dolly to look like the real maccoy.

Further if the reborn helps a person through the grieving process it is a good thing. My first pregnancy was ectopic and I was devastated. To help me cope I kept a babygro that I had bought the day I found out I was pregnant. I still have it and I never used it for any of my other 4 children as it was a special reminder of the child I lost. Maybe I would have used a reborn if I knew about them then.

I think where the critics have a point is where the grieving parent has a reborn which prevents them from going through the grieving process and coming to terms with the loss. Sometimes they cling on to the reborn so much that they lose the ability to discern reality from non-reality.

But if reborns weren't around those people who wanted to compensate for the loss of a baby would've just bought a vintage doll. The emergence of reborns has not changed anything. People will find other ways. Perhaps as reborn artists if we sell a to someone in that position we should suggest that they should also receive some counselling.

On a happier note they bring most people such joy, especially the artists who make them.

sara zata · Guru

I second what you have all said.I might just get on the ban wagon too and say in a nice phase just how we have evolved from making porcelain that hardly anyone can touch to reborns that can be held, loved by children and adults alike. Who said anything about people collecting Barbies, NO ONE. I started making porcelain because my youngest daughter wanted a collection, it was the greatest stress relief, better tan seeing a srink for $165 per session. Reborns seemed second nature. June XXXXX

-- Edited by sara zata on Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 08:16:23 AM

Keryn · Newbie

absolutely June. I couldn't agree more!!.

Noantum · Senior Member

Keryn wrote:
. I have started the art as I have two daughters who would like a doll and even better if it looks like the real thing. Little children love babies so why wouldn't they want their dolly to look like the real maccoy.

That is how I started too! I have always loved baby dolls and when my daughter was old enough I tried to find realistic looking ones for her. I didn't have much success. Then we were flipping the channels on a rainy day and saw the infamous documentary. We were fascinated and I wanted to know more. The rest is history.

I agree with you on the not letting go issue. Yes, if it is being used as a replacement and the woman can't move on, well then that is an issue. However, as artists how are we to know this is happening when they buy our dolls? That kind of situation can happen in any situation. Are we to be responsible for another person's mental state? Supermarkets sell food right?......it's what they do. If someone buys food and overeats thus gaining weight because they are depressed is it the supermarkets fault? I think not.

Keryn · Newbie

I think you have read too much into my suggestion of counselling. I agree, we don't have any responsibility to someone buying a doll. And it's certainly not our fault if someone uses the doll for unhealthy purposes. I'm just saying as reborn artists we should be alive to the fact that people sometimes buy these dolls for replacement purposes and that there are other ways to help with the grieving process which could be suggested if the customer pours his/her heart out to us.

sara zata · Guru

Tried twice, couldn't have my say, are they so narrow minded. XXXXX June.

Keryn · Newbie

Well I say that we shouldn't let the criticism get us down. If Sir Edmund Hillary had listened to his critics he would never have conquered Everest. And Fox actually did us a favour by giving us publicity. There will be many people out there who, like us, dont agree with the psychologist and may seek out a doll. Not sure what time slot this was aired at but maybe a little girl happened to see it and is now pestering her mommy to buy her one.

Buffington · Guru

I always try to find the good in the bad, so... the bad is that again, the media makes us look like greedy vultures thereby possibly making some think we are. However, I agree... maybe some others said poo-poo on the media and where can I get one of those reborns! One can only hope.

So here's to us, the reborn artists... long may our paintbrushes wave!!!!!

Noantum · Senior Member

Not reading too much into it, just stating from the media's point of view. After all, it was the documentary that was trying to portray those women in a bad light. I didn't care what they were saying I thought it fascinating and now I'm an artist!

Hear! Hear! on the rest! aww

Diannes Darling Dolls · Member

Most of these news stories I've seen on reborns always seem to gravitate to the negative. If they would do their homework and find out that reborns are therapeutic to nursing home patients, especially alzheimers patients. I have heard hospital's use them in grieving classes for their patients that have suffered the loss of a baby. The first reborn I sold was to a couple that had a 17 year old handicap daughter. They were looking for a realistic doll but they thought the reborns were to heavy. I had one and just took all the weight out of it and stuffed it with polyfill. I tried to give them the doll but they insisted on paying me what it had cost me to make the doll. They bought the doll for their daughters 18th birthday. They later sent a picture to me and said their daughter loved it and would not put the doll down.

Anyway, I was getting my hair done yesterday at a hair school. I told the stylist about reborns and she had never heard of them. I told her what they were and she laughed and stated "you know people actually get freaked out sometimes over our mannequin heads we put wigs on to practice cutting hair". All I know is I love reborning and consider it an art form. I really don't care what anyone thinks. Reborning is not only my hobby but it is my passion. People collect a lot of things. One of those news persons might collect something that we or someone else might think is weird!

Buffington · Guru

Maybe we just have to do what we love as artists and collectore and nevermind the nay-sayers. I will still do reborning and sell them/donate them anyway, no matter what anyone says.

Noantum · Senior Member

Fox 29 News At it AGAIN!

Buffington · Guru

RE: Fox 29 News "Psychologists "warn about reborns""

Noantum · Senior Member

I know smile I don't what to think as lately there have been so many things about our babies in the news. Recently there was another article and Nat'l Geographic did a segment on a couple who goes out with their baby on their Taboo series. Hummmm i just don't know confuse

Buffington · Guru

Ya, but that Taboo series has some pretty scarry, weird stuff on it. I've seen it a few times. I have a reason to go out with my babies, but it's not for "my" enjoyment... it's to promote my babies! I have no idea why some people take their babies out in public. But to each their own I say.
Maybe we have baby-poparazzi! lol