Gatekeeping

Why is gatekeeping a thing?

For those blissfully unaware of what gatekeeping and purity tests are – good for you! You may not want to read this post. For the rest of you, I can feel you collectively wincing. Turns out, the doll community is far from immune from this stupid, destructive behavior. As people who enjoy dolls, we’ve undoubtedly experienced bullying, being ignored, or people trying to shame us for our interest in dolls. Nothing new there.

Gatekeepers, though, are the bullied who have turned into the bully themselves.

These individuals seem to get into the mindset that one doll hobbiest is superior to another form of doll hobbiest. The reality is that different people enjoy different aspects of a hobby. But these people refuse to accept that, so they task themselves with not only deciding, but also enforcing, who does, or doesn’t “qualify” to have equal rights within the community, or who can identify as a doll-enthusiast.

“Real collectors don’t de-box”
”Silkstones are the only real barbie”

If you’ve never met one of these assholes, you’re lucky; if you’re in enough doll groups, you probably will at some point. My advice? Block them. They rarely contribute anything positive to any group they belong to.

When challenged on their gatekeeping, they roll out their ultimate weapon: the purity test. This is a list of things they use to qualify whether or not a doll is a Barbie, and it’s usually based solely on their own aesthetic standards. For some reason, they seem to mix up opinion and fact as though the two are interchangeable. We know better.

This is Barbie:

All of these are Barbie.  Every single one. 

Barbie comes in all shapes, sizes, skin tones, and articulation levels.  There’s something for everyone, assuming you’re a doll fan. The great thing about Barbie is that the dolls are limited by our imaginations …and our budgets/space available, because adulting sucks sometimes.  But seriously, ENOUGH with the gatekeeping and purity tests.  Just let people enjoy what they enjoy. 

To the gatekeepers:  Do you understand, or care, that you’re actively chipping away at destroying the hobby you supposedly enjoy?  Stop being a narrow-minded git; it’s a low bar to ask you not to actively try and make others miserable, you can do better.

Thanks for hanging in there for my rant. See you next time.