Question Would you...?

[Taake]

So I was watching Dollhouse and during "The man on the street" I got to thinking - do you think that if circumstances ever conspired against you - do you think you would agree to become a Doll?

I mean everyone, sometimes, kind of wishes they could change or disappear or run away from their troubles. And obviously the Dollhouse offers some benefits.

So what do you guys say?
If things got really bad - do you think you would sign on for five years of oblivion?
Or would you bite the bullet and face your reality?

 

[crazysoulless]

I can understand why there are people who would choose five years of oblivion. Sometimes life can be so traumatic or suffocating that you just want an out (but are against traditional suicide because of fear of the spiritual reprucssions or uncomfortable with physically harming yourself) or have certain memories that you desperately need erased (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind delved into that). Seeing someone you love die horribly, being betrayed, public humiliation, feeling as if you are wasting your life, etc. Some people experience things that are too hard to get through and it breaks them, it obliterates their psyche with catatonia or Dissasociative Identity Disorder or by turning the Death Drive inwards (masochism) or outwards (sadism).

I could NEVER do it. I feel very passionate about certain issues. It disgusted me to see Caroline as an animal rights activist and then see one of her "selfs" murder an innocent animal with no remorse. I am a vegan (haven't eaten meat in 8 years) and I would know that some of my man-made personas would not be. When I think of the way animals are treated my heart breaks. It is what I feel most strongly about. Mother Teresa battled poverty. Martin Luther King Jr. battled racism. Gloria Steneim and Eve Ensler battle sexim. Every day I live without stopping the torture and slaughter of non-homo sapiens is a day that I am ashamed of myself. It's that classic "If you aren't part of the solution, you're a part of the problem" mindframe. To know that in a moment of despair I turned my back on suffering animals for FIVE YEARS would be a horrible realization. My bouts with depression already make me feel incredibly selfish. It is knowing that at any moment I can reclaim my footing and find the energy to champion those that despite never meeting I feel so much empathy for that makes the perpetual lethargy less bad. I still think of ways I can help my cause and imagine myself doing so in the future.

I could never give up control of my body. Despite enjoying the occasional erotic book or film and having risque' fantasies, I believe in the sacredness of sex and the notion that our bodies are our temples that should be cherished and treated with respect. As a "doll" Niala Ann Wesley would have no rights and wouldn't care anymore about protecting my physical Godly vessel. I would be an active participant in my own rape and defilement. The only thing worse than rape is being forced to enjoy it. And there is the fact that I know some of the men and women I would be programmed to love or lust with I as "Nia" would detest and never want to touch.

 

[thevikingsgirl]

I would definitely, absolutely NOT. I couldn't stand to give control of my life over to someone else. I also think that there is value in pain. November's story touches me most, as a mom. I can imagine, if I were her, being tempted to go for the oblivion. But in the end I think that would diminish the relationship with my child somehow, to essentially skip over the grieving process. I can understand wanting to, but as much as it would hurt, I wouldn't do it myself.

 

[white avenger]

Only if I got to be with Eliza Dushku. A guy's gotta have some standards, after all...

 

[crazysoulless]

Do you think that the people that chose to become "dolls" for five years should be held accountable the things they did while under a different persona? Should it be seen as the Dollhouse taking advantage of individuals at weak moments in their life and persuading and tricking them into making a horrible decision? Since their own personality wasn't in the body at the time does it count as them? But then they did chose to have their personality leave the body so other personalities could enter. They willing to have their bodies used for who knows what.

 

[Taake]

crazysoulless agrees: Odds are the people you would have to happily service would be Fugly losers with lots of cash to spare. Can you believe Echo had to be the "wife" of that computer geek and have sex with him? She was so out of his league!

aw, that's not fair. he was actually one of the 'clients' I really liked and could emphasize with.
He didn't really want a doll for a nasty reason in my oppinion and just because he wasn't as attractive as Echo it doesn't make it bad. He was a sweet guy who wanted to re-live the perfect moment he never got wth his beautiful wife.

So what if she was out of his league - Joss actually comments on that on the commentary. That it's kind of sad that we feel a need for couples to be of equal levels of attractiveness.

---------- Post added at 04:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:50 AM ----------

Do you think that the people that chose to become "dolls" for five years should be held accountable the things they did while under a different persona? Should it be seen as the Dollhouse taking advantage of individuals at weak moments in their life and persuading and tricking them into making a horrible decision? Since their own personality wasn't in the body at the time does it count as them? But then they did chose to have their personality leave the body so other personalities could enter. They willing to have their bodies used for who knows what.

now that is tricky.
cause on the one hand they haven't been aware, but on the other indeed - they volunteered...

I guess it all boils down to conciousness - it's kind of like pleading insanity - if you didn't know what you were doing you can't really be held responsible even if it's morally reprehensible

 

[crazysoulless]

He was not a sweet man. His wife was dead and he knew it. It is incredibly heartbreaking that he didn't get to have a happily ever after with her or even a "one last good day" before she died. But that is life. He chose to pretend these other women were his wife even at the cost of their own personalities and physical safety. Yes, he wanted the whole package of her being surprised at the house, having dinner, etc. However, each of those "romantic" days with his "wife" would end in the bedroom with him basically raping them. It would be different if it was like Topher on his birthday imprinting a doll to be his best friend for the day. The computer guy was using the dolls as a substitute wife/lover. I found him to be a lot worse than the clients who admit that what they are doing is wrong. He treated countless women like Echo as a Buffybot and thought it was okay. His wife would have been sickened to know what he was doing every year to commemorate an important day in the relationship.

 

[Taake]

He was not a sweet man. His wife was dead and he knew it. It is incredibly heartbreaking that he didn't get to have a happily ever after with her or even a "one last good day" before she died. But that is life. He chose to pretend these other women were his wife even at the cost of their own personalities and physical safety. Yes, he wanted the whole package of her being surprised at the house, having dinner, etc. However, each of those "romantic" days with his "wife" would end in the bedroom with him basically raping them. It would be different if it was like Topher on his birthday imprinting a doll to be his best friend for the day. The computer guy was using the dolls as a substitute wife/lover. I found him to be a lot worse than the clients who admit that what they are doing is wrong. He treated countless women like Echo as a Buffybot and thought it was okay. His wife would have been sickened to know what he was doing every year to commemorate an important day in the relationship.

well you have a point and I agree that his wife would probably have been horrified. But I still think that guys like Nolan were way worse. Because the computer guy didn't just want sex that was part of it sure because like he said - it's a fantasy.

I mostly objected to the "fugly" comment. his physical appearance should not make it worse. if a hunky supermodel guy would have hired her it would have been just as bad.

 

[crazysoulless]

Morally, it would be just as bad. But people do take physical appearance into account. It is biology and social conditioning. We find someone that pleases us visually and then look for the characteristics and quirks that suit us. People would choose a good unattractive man over a bad attractive man. But odds are we would choose a good attractive man over a good unattractive man. I doubt that Caroline would have ever had a one night stand with someone that looked like him. If she got to know the person first and then decided that she liked his personality enough so that it didn't matter how he looked, that would be different. Having sex with someone that you don't even find attractive, that your body wouldn't normally respond to, a guy that knows you wouldn't be into him if you had your memories/free will does make it worse. Some of the guys she was with as a "Doll" she might have been with as Caroline. It is still rape with them too though since they didn't meet her as Caroline but as a forced persona.

Yes, it was a fantasy he wanted. The fantasy of having a perfect day with his wife and getting to share his success with her. But the fantasy included sex. He could have ended the fantasy with just a good day talking and dancing and eating together but since he wanted the experience of having sex with his "wife" to complete the fantasy, he had to invade these other women's bodies. He knew his wife didn't really possess their bodies and that it wasn't really her he was with that day. But he was willing to rape them and enjoy their bodies to stay in the fantasy.

 

[Taake]

I guess I can only say that in that context I don't consider it rape because you sign on to be a doll and you must be aware of the fact that people aren't just going to want you to hold hands.
And I'm saying this from the point where aware of all this I would still probably sign on to be a doll if opportunity was given.

 

[Buffy4ever2k10]

I´m so f*cked up and i would do anything to change it. Only 5 Years to redeem myself? Where can i sign up? After 5 years everything will be allright again and i could start a new life. I don´t really care about moral,ethics or money and i´m already a bad person so i would do it in a heartbeat.Maybe erasing my memories would be enough for me too.

If you´re not like Echo you wouldn´t remember a thing so f*ck it.

The 5 years weren´t even 5 years. Like in the show when they woke up November and she thought only seconds had passed. It´s just a long sleep and after that you´re a complete new person. Everything you have said and done is gone for good.

I just realised how much i miss Dollhouse. 🙁

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I'd sign up, but at the most for a year, I think it would be cool to get paid such a high amount for something you have no record of.

I'd probably ask them to program my memory to make me think I was on a beach for a year.

Wouldn't do it for more then a year though.

 

[ToShanshuInLA]

I don't think I'd sign up save for some sort of extreme situation. I don't like the idea of people tinkering around with my head. I don't like the idea of not knowing what my body was doing for five (or however long) years.

now that is tricky.
cause on the one hand they haven't been aware, but on the other indeed - they volunteered...

Eh, not Priya/Sierra.

 

[Taake]

Eh, not Priya/Sierra.

No that's that true, Sierra didn't sign up. But I have to say hers must've been an extreme situation. How many completely morally corrupt rich guys/gals could there out there willing to go such great lenghts just to punish someone?

 

[pieceofgosa]

For me it comes down to, would I trade 5 years of my life for a wad of cash. If I had no ties (family, friends etc) then yes I would. Plus having the active architecture in my head would mean that when the world goes all Mad Max, I could join Victor's crew & jack myself up with really cool abilities 🙂

 

[The Ferg]

I think I would do it. Obviously, it'd have to be extremely bad circumstances though. It's like that one guy said, you do nothing for 5 years, which seems like a second, and you come out extremely fit and sexy.