Beanie Babies and Barbies were certainly a hot commodity in the toy world when we were younger, lining the shelves with their bright colors, inviting eyes, and smiling faces. I had at least 14 Beanie Babies myself, who all sat proudly on my polka-dotted bed sheets in my childhood bedroom which was covered with Angry Birds and Harry Potter posters. I’d take turns bringing a Beanie to school each day, so none of them felt left out even though I had my favorites: Cookie, an adorable beagle with floppy ears, Slush, a sparkly blue-eyed husky and Safari, a giraffe with purple hooves. I collected Beanie Babies like it was a job, whether they were big or small, and I especially loved the keychain versions. So with all these adorable, fun-loving, smiley, and cozy stuffies, who would ever, willingly want to purchase anything remotely… ugly?
Ugly Dolls were created in 2001, by David Horvath after he began doodling them on letters to his girlfriend, Sun-Min Kim. These sketches were a collection of all sorts of small monsters or creatures. Sometimes they had two eyes, other times they just had one, some were purple, some were green. Some had wings, others had tails, and some had teeth or tongues sticking out. These quirky, unique doodles were quickly turned into a physical stuffie for kids, but even adults of all ages were able to enjoy them (LAtimes). It was a universal doll that people loved. My mom personally started buying them for me, during the height of the craze in the 2000’s. A part of the reason my mom loved them so much was because they were so different from any of the other dolls in the market.
“What is ‘ugly’ anyway? The word ugly is just a word, just like the word beautiful. It can mean different things to different people.,” she explained. Children who are able to embrace these dolls and love them even if they don’t have the stereotypical sparkly eyes or smiles are meaningful and important.
“It says a lot about the people who want to accept the things that are not outwardly beautiful because it means they can see what’s inside,” my mom suggested. So even if they may look different, the question is, who’s willing to accept them?
24-year-old Kai Ligouri, explains how he loved his ugly dolls growing up. “I liked having a unique doll that didn’t follow the typical design qualities of dolls for children. It felt suited to me, as someone who never quite fit in.,” Kai said.
Despite the name of the brand, the ugly dolls aren’t necessarily ugly at all, if you really think about it. At least not to Kai. They’re still soft and cuddly, quirky, and unique in their own ways. “I never thought it was ugly, I always thought it was cool and cute. It looked a little strange on the outside, but on the inside, it was the same as any other doll.,” Kai admitted.
The toy industry specifically is an interesting space to consider what simple words like “ugly” and “beautiful” mean for children. When we’re young, the media is constantly pushing forth narratives of what is “beautiful” and what is “ugly.” But when we’re really young, we have no predisposed notions and we are able to accept anyone and everything before we are taught not to.
“Children are innocent and pure enough to feel that a toy is whatever you want it to be…It teaches children that just because it’s ugly doesn’t mean it’s scary or bad. It can be a good thing.,” my mom said.
The toy industry itself is full of different models of animals that resemble beasts or creatures, but some brands are rebranding the entire term. “My Singing Monster” is a perfect example. Monsters don’t always have to be scary or ugly. My 5-year-old brother Hudson, for example, raves about his “Furbies” and “cuddle monsters” who are not monsters at all: “I have a cuddle monster and whenever you feel bad, he gives you a hug and you feel better.,” Hudson said. I asked Hudson if he thinks monsters are always bad and his response in regards to Cuddle Monster was simple. “He gets your sadness away so of course… he’s good.”
These Ugly Dolls, especially, are redefining what the word “ugly” even means. Monsters aren’t always bad, and dragons aren’t always mean. Maybe it’s time we did the same, examined the monsters and creatures in our lives and media, and considered what qualities really make someone ugly or monstrous. Whether you have sparkly eyes or fangs, there are pieces of beauty within us all, and maybe that should be what defines us instead.
Autumn Valdes is a second-year journalism and religious studies major who thinks Ugly Dolls aren’t that ugly! They can be reached at [email protected].