melancholyjones

[melancholyjones]

#decora girlz #decora girlz dolls #melancholydolls

[melancholyjones]

#lol surprise omg #lol omg dolls #melancholydolls

[melancholyjones]

#decora girlz #decora girlz dolls #melancholydolls

[melancholyjones]

During the most poor and homeless period of my life, I had a lot of people get angry with me because I spent $25 on Bath and Body Works candles during a sale. They couldn’t comprehend why the hell I would do that when I had been fighting for months to try and get us on our feet, afford food, and have an apartment to live in.

Those candles were placed beside wherever I slept that night. In the morning, I would move them and set them wherever I’d have to hang out. At one point I carried one around in my purse - one of those big honking 3-wick candles. I never lit them, but I’d open them and smell them a lot.

I credit that purchase with a lot of my drive that got me to where I am today. I had been working tirelessly, 15+ hour days with barely any reward, constantly on the phone or trying to deal with organizations and associations to “get help at”. It’d gone on for almost a year by the end of it, and I was so burnt out, to the point that I would shake 24/7. But I could get a bit of relief from my 3-wick “upper middle class lifestyle” candles. They represented my future goals, my home I wanted to decorate, and how I would one day not be in this mess anymore.

When we moved into the apartment, and our financial status improved, I burned those candles every single day. When they were empty, I cleaned them out, stuck labels on them, and they became the starting point of my really cute organization system I had ALWAYS planned to have.

So whenever I hear about someone very poor getting themselves a treat - maybe it’s Starbucks, maybe it’s a home deco item, maybe it’s a video game… I don’t judge them. I get it. I get that you can’t go without anything for that long without it making you go crazy. You need to pull some joy, inspiration, and motivation from somewhere.

#been homeless since novemver & yeah #no point saving for an apartment if i can't give myself reasons to stay alive long enough to actually rent one

[melancholyjones]

Just going thru the notes, it seems like a lot of ppl expect creative writing to be purely utilitarian (using language to succinctly describe what's happening) rather than y'know, creative. Figurative language like the examples above requires the reader to stop & interpret what the author is trying to say. But isn't being unrealistic, non-literal - up to interpretation - exactly what makes creative writing different from say, academic or journalistic writing? What transforms it from a science into an artform?

Like to me what makes fiction interesting IS the fact that emotions & expressions & events are more intense or fantastical than irl. That doesn't necessarily mean all the characters express themselves in loud, over the top ways. Language that conveys reservation, stoicism or apathy or even calmness, can be just as dramatically affective as language that's more conventionally "emotional" (depending on context, "stated" can tell you just as much about the emotional delivery of a line as "pleaded").

I dunno, I guess what I'm tryna say is, the point of fiction is to be unrealistic to some degree. The point is that you have to imagine (not necessarily visualize) what it means for eyes to "darken" or for a human to "snarl". It's less important to understand what's happening on the page literally, than it is to figure out what's happening narratively (ie emotionally, metaphorically, sub- or meta-textually).

"Use your imagination" doesn't mean "translate these words into pictures in your head". It just means "figure out what these words make you feel, what they make you think about, and how things within the story have changed bc of them". If you're confused, good. Art is supposed to make you ask questions.

Tldr in fiction the "why" of a character's actions is almost always gonna tell you more about the story than the "what, when, where or how", so don't sweat those details so much

I’m so sorry but in the nicest way possible do yall actually read books or just read words??? Cause I’ve been seeing that trend of people not understanding how “snarled” and “eyes darkened” and “eyes softened” etc. was used in a book and like…

Genuinely, do yall just not have imagination?? Or not understand figurative language??? Also eyes do literally darken and soften have you not lived a life??? How do you read with no imagination? Is this how you get through so many books in one month - you simply don’t take the time the understand the words as they are read?

#that isn't to say writing can't be bad or confusing in a way the author didn't intend #just that sometimes it's okay if things don't immediately make sense #sometimes you don't need to understand exactly what a character is doing to understand WHY they're doing it or how it moves the story along

[melancholyjones]

Overall if you own the doll you can do what you want w/ it - but also if you decide to post the doll in a public forum, expect folks to have opinions.

However I do think it ultimately depends on the context. Like another commentor said, if you're just using the doll as the base for a completely new character imo changing the hair texture is fair game. That is, assuming you chose that particular doll as a base bc of some other unique feature it has (like head/body sculpt or skin tone). I think if you could achieve the same goal in your custom using a base doll w/ straight hair, you should.

But if you intend for the doll to remain the same character, you need to keep in mind that natural hair IS a part of the character. Wearing our hair naturally or in a protective style is a lifestyle choice, not just aesthetic preference. It requires routine upkeep that's often expensive & time-consuming, & it's 1 of the ways we bond w/ family & community. When it comes to character design, how a black character chooses to wear their hair can tell you a lot about their life & personality*

1 way to avoid the straightening issue is to incorporate the base doll's original hair texture into the customized design. That could mean keeping the doll's original hair, or rerooting new hair of a similar texture. We so often default to straight hair w/o much thought bc it's what's most familiar, "easy" or accessible. But it can actually be really fun to explore other texture options! Limiting yourself to the doll's "natural" hair can open you up to styles you hadn't even considered before!

Hi, I recently came across a post on Instagram about this and I would like the doll community's opinion on this. Would really like to hear from the perspective of black people, specifically.

Please remember to keep it civil and be respectful of one's opinions.

#*for example a character w/ an afro or twist-out is willing/able to moisturize detangle shape/style & retwist/braid their hair daily #whereas a character w/ a (well-maintained) protective style may not need to do all that day-to-day upkeep #but DOES have to set aside at least several hours every 1-3 months to touch up new growth

[melancholyjones]

Yeah not "motherly" but more like, sensible? Regardless of how shy or boisterous she is, green's role is to be the middle ground between pink & blue's perspectives. If pink wants to rush into battle while blue is hesitant - green is cautious but still willing to take action. If pink is acting on emotion while blue insists on using logic - green sees the value in both.

Green isn't "mature" in the aloof/independent/stoic way purple is, but she is the most "down-to-earth" (even when "earth" isn't her element). That is to say, she's more practical & flexible* in her thinking than her teammates

(*stubbornness tends to be more common among reds/blues in my experience)

💚

#wish I'd voted 'other' instead of 'mom friend' now bc 'sensible' is like the perfect fit for how i see greens #'mediator' doesn't quite work bc greens can be just as argumentative as blues or reds

[melancholyjones]

RH could release the same # of dolls w/o overloading the cast if they wanted to

replace series 5 w/ 1 chara from each previous series & the outfits still match (using pacific coast instead of series 4 bc it's still relatively recent)

carmen->stella

victoria->georgia

olivia->vanessa

michelle->phaedra

keep kim & aiden

keep the og SH charas & make series 2 a classroom line. since they came w/ accessories instead of 2nd outfits, make the accessories themed around each character's focus (& once again the new outfits still mostly match the old charas!)

karla->natasha

zooey->luna

dia->nicole

monique->shanelle

keep glitch but make her a performing arts focus

keep rex, make him & shanelle siblings. the webisode arc can be about them having to design something together, w/ b-plots about the other classes

center SH series 3 on the music focuses & bring back neon shadow. give each chara a specialization to expand their personalities & interests!

pinky->mara, sound design, specifically sound fx for cartoons & videogames

scarlet->harley, songwriting/composing

rosie->uma, music therapy or something i dunno

oliver->ash, audio engineering, specifially for stage productions

keep lavender, make her a music video director

keep berrie, make her a dj/producer

reuse the rainbow-themed charas for the color&create dolls & give them different outfits! different clothing pieces & color palettes make them more customizable!

jett (b&w+rainbow)

amaya (bright rainbow)

kia (pastel rainbow)

use the new body molds for the rainbow vision bands

tall->meline, tessa, mara

short->sabrina, tiara, uma

curvy->aisha, minnie, harley

same number of dolls, waaaaaay fewer characters

#rainbow high #shadow high #rainbow high dolls #i just eliminated almost 20 glorifed backgrounders w/o losing a single doll mga it's not hard #just be normal & build on your established characters!!!

[melancholyjones]

Once when my nephew was like 2-3 I was babysitting. We were in the living room, he was playing calmly, everything was chill. Then this child looks up, says " I don't know where I am" in the way one might say "the weather's nice today" & goes back to playing. Keep in mind we are in his house.

To this day I struggle to face the uncertainties of life with that kind of serene acceptance. I may not know where I am, may not know where I'm going, but damn if I'm not having fun right now!

[melancholyjones]

All of this. #WGAStrong

[melancholyjones]

let me tell you something, as a bitch who went viral for her cunty post about the met gala back in 2018: i will always, always, always tolerate ugliness so long as it’s undeniable that a choice was made. when it comes to celebrities paying through the nose to wear costumes and stunt, i want audacity. i want gull and i want gumption. lil nas x looks like the silver surfer got his hands on some nerds rope. pedrito has got his bare thighs out at the gig. doja is serving animorphs realness and you know what? i respect it. in fact, i adore it. because do you want to know what’s exponentially worse than being a lil ugly? being that rich and being that spoiled for wardrobe options and nevertheless committing the unforgivable sin of being boring !!

#dunno what happened but absolutely 100%

[melancholyjones]

Meiji period fashion was some of the best in the world, speaking purely from an aesthetic standpoint you can really see the collision of European and Japanese standards of beauty and how their broad agreement even in particulars (the similarity between Japanese and Gibson girl bouffants, the obi vs the corset, the obi knot vs the bustle, the mutual covetousness for exotic textiles, the feverish swapping of both art styles and subjects) combined and produced some of the most interesting cultural exchange we have this level of documentation for. Europeans were wearing kimono or adapting them into tea gowns, japanese were pairing lacy Edwardian blouses with skirt hakama and little button up boots. haori jackets with bowler hats and European style lapels. if steampunk was any good as an aesthetic it would steal wholesale from the copious records we have in both graphic arts and photography of how people were dressing in this milieu.

#oh yeah this slaps #aesthetíque

[melancholyjones]

If you are neurodivergent (including all psychological conditions, neurological conditions, and developmental conditions) I have a question for you and pls elaborate in the tags if you feel comfortable

#i think they're cute & silly & a fun lil semi-reclamation but i wouldn't use them in serious discussion #i didn't realize they were contentious? why???

[melancholyjones]

Shout out to coach jordan my 4th grade pe teacher who would have us doing squats for 15 minutes while he ate a full bucket of KFC. Maybe if I'd kept up my reps I'd have thighs as juicy as the ones in your 12pc

#just remembered this & nearly died laughing #my elementary school was...odd #only in the south could a PUBLIC school have a choir sing exclusivley gospel songs #i did learn my abcs & 123s tho so they did their job

[melancholyjones]

YRU Shoes x Monster High collab

#monster high

[melancholyjones]

Typically the fashion-interested character is an aspiring designer who makes/alters their own clothes, whereas the others just enjoy wearing trendy clothes &/or their own styles. It's like being an artist vs an art collector.

I think one thing that's always struck me as weird is how in fashion doll lines, there's always at least 1 character who's stated interest is fashion itself, which ya know, makes sense, logical, it's a fashion doll brand.

But then the rest of the dolls aren't as interested in fashion, and yet they all get presented as being equally fashionable and glamorous, and it's like "hey okay so they're ALL into fashion, what REALLY makes fashion-interested doll character stand out from the rest"

#monster high

[melancholyjones]

Collars are not new to monster high y'all, they've been here since literally day 1.

& even if you wanna interpret the collars as kinky, fetish wear in general is also not new to mh.

These are just the most obvious examples, but if I tried to find all the belts, straps, studs, spikes, chains, & zippers in gen 1 alone, this post would be too long.

MH's roots are in punk & punk-adjacent subcultures, which have always been closely tied to kink culture. If you're concerned about feariridescent clawdeen's necklace being inappropriate, you're gonna have to reassess monster high's existence entirely. You can't take the kink out of alt fashion, & you can't take alt fashion out of mh w/o losing what made it so popular in the 1st place.

Photo credit to mhmerch.com, an excellent resource.

#monster high