1) Because "Valley of the Dolls" was already taken-I definitely would have preferred the correct spelling
2) Because I am a really big fan of old movies-40's, 50's, 60's
3) Because I am a Marina and the Diamonds fan
4) Because I am a fan of this particular movie
5) and simply just because I like "doll" references
I collected porcelain dolls when I was growing up. It all started with my great grandmother who grew up very very poor. She only really had one toy growing up and it was a beautiful porcelain doll with long flowing blonde hair and a perfectly stitched dress. She loved that doll so much, but one day she wasn't able to locate it. Come to find out, her brother had broken it and stashed the pieces in their outhouse where she recovered them many days later. Her family wasn't able to afford to get her any more toys, but she swore to herself that she would buy herself as many dolls as she ever wanted once she had grown up and was able to make her own money to pay for them.
So that is exactly what she did. As soon as she moved out of her parents house, she began her porcelain doll collection; and let me tell you, that woman had quite a museum going on in her house. She had the most beautiful dolls you could ever imagine, including Scarlet O'Hara in her emerald green silk dress from "Gone With the Wind", she had Dorothy in a blue and white gingham dress and braided brunette pigtails from Wizard of Oz as well as Glenda the fairy godmother. They were all so beautiful and never actually compared with my own collection as a child. Sure, I had beautiful dolls-my collection being started for me by my great grandmother herself-but her's were always 10 times more beautiful than mine.
But when I turned nine, my great grandmother died.
The family insisted that most of her porcelain dolls go to me as well as a few items of clothing from my grandmother's closet. (yes, I got Dorothy and Glenda added to my doll collection) Believe it or not, I STILL have all of my dolls stashed away in one of the upstairs bedrooms of my parent's house. As I grew up, I've always felt a connection to dolls. They were always so perfect. I envied the curls flowing from their heads that they never had to wash or untangle, I envied their naturally blushed cheeks and perfect skin, I envied the size of their ankles, I envied their clothes, and eyelashes, and expressions, and frilly socks. You know, the way all girls envy perfection.
I'll always love them and I hope that I pass my collection on to my own daughter one day. It's kind of becoming unheard of for children to collect them anymore, but I hope, even if it's just along my own little line, that I'm able to carry on the tradition.
Now, I realize "Valley of the Dolls", the movie, is about three dolls of their own becoming susceptible to a pill addiction, but I can't help but always think of my own dolls when I hear the word as well as every time I watch old Marilyn Monroe or Doris Day movies and hear them also use the term to describe people that they love. I kind of love the term and what it reminds me of when I hear it. It insinuates perfection in my ears as it reminds me of those perfect curls and porcelain skin of my own dolls.
So, thank you to all of you. You're all such "Dolls" for reading my blog and I hope that you guys send me comments!
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