Dolls, Dolls, Dolls!

Written by Esme Carty

Photographed by Eleanor Carty

Styled by Faith Miller

Lighting by Samantha Allen

Modeled by Tessa & V

The word ‘doll’ has collected all different definitions of the word from its creation in the mid-16th century to now. Where it started as a nickname for the name ‘Dorothy’ it then went on to represent the concept of a ‘small model of a human figure’ in the 17th century. In the ballroom scene of New York City in the 1980s, the term ‘doll’ referred to transwomen and transfeminine persons as a celebration of their femininity and expression of their identity. No matter what ‘doll’ refers to, it is a word based upon femininity–which, in our society, will always come with its own set of challenges. 

Barbies and Bratz Dolls have always been a point of contention for parents–are they harmful to the development of children or are they simply toys? As a child, my sister and I would collect Bratz Dolls and watch all of the Bratz cartoon movies. To us, they represented confident girls who prioritized female friendship and expressed their personality and style without hesitation. I am proud that my mum saw those dolls and thought they were cool and a perfectly fine doll for her daughters to have. However, there were (and still are) parents out there who clutched their pearls at the sight of them–afraid their children would want to start dressing scantily clad because of them–even if the Bratz Dolls were doing it in style and not with the intention of showing themselves off. However, it seems to be a difficult concept that women are more than just mere objects, whose bodies and individual appearances need to be controlled by more than just themselves.

We are living in a time where governments are reversing the rights for trans women. The “Protect the Dolls” t-shirt by Conner Ives is a direct result of that. The t-shirt was made in acknowledgement of the political climate we are living in, where trans women and transfeminine people are vulnerable to discrimination and hate-motivated violence. The t-shirt–which donates proceeds to Trans Lifeline–promises for allies to actively fight for trans equality. While the shirt has been worn by many influential people on red carpets and on stage, celebrated by a mass of people. Some people felt upset that ‘Protect the Dolls’ felt as if it was only performative or that ‘doll’ directly translated to a mere imitation of a person, which lends itself to the objectification argument of it all. The term ‘doll’ is not meant to mean what it means for Barbies or Bratz, it takes on a whole different meaning, a celebration. The 1980s version of ‘doll’ is a term of affection for a transwoman who is living her truth–not boiling her down to an object.

For me (and I’m sure many others), dolls represent having a unique personality with a style that can unleash an unwavering amount of confidence. Barbie dolls taught us you could be absolutely anyone and do any job you set your sights on. Bratz Dolls taught us to cherish our friendships and champion each other while championing ourselves. I don’t know about you, but words built from femininity deserve to be given the power it reigns. Let the word 'doll' empower women whether it is in the sense of representation through a small model that plays on imagination and expression or because it represents transwomen living their truth despite the people in power who are afraid of living authentically because of the challenges it may pose.