Men and dolls

Photographer Benita Marcussen commented: "Aren't you afraid?" - this was one of the first questions I was asked when I started my project about men living with dolls. At first, I just wanted to see how well these dolls were made, but then I realized that this story could break some of the prejudices that I had at the very beginning of the project. Six months later, I finally got into this "community of doll lovers." They had a secret meeting in Wales, and I set off. Some of the first people I met were the parents of 55-year-old doll owner Carl. I was surprised by how these older people reacted to the presence of a real sex doll in their home. It was then that I realized that this story has several facets. So far, I've met six men. Two of them are married and have children. The two divorced after over 13 years of marriage. One man left his fiancee shortly before the wedding, and one never had a serious relationship with a woman. All these men have different stories and reasons why they live with dolls. They are all different, although they still have something in common - they say that dolls alleviate the pain of loneliness.

(Total 20 photos)

Photographer's website: www.benitamarcussen.dk

1. 55-year-old doll lover Carl (right) lives in a large house with his parents Joffrey and Doreen in Oxford.

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3. Everard carries his doll Annushka to the van to go to the community meeting of the owners of dolls, which takes place annually in the UK. At this event, doll owners from all over the world showcase their “cohabitants”.

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5. Often these dolls have different faces so that you can change their "mood". This Bianca doll appeared in the comedy-drama Lars and the Real Girl starring Ryan Gosling.

6. Robert and his doll Queen Katie. She was named so because in the doll community she is treated like a real queen.

7. Every year the men gather at Llanthony Priory in southeast Wales for doll lovers' convention, where they arrange photo shoots and tours for their dolls.

8. "Shadow Man" woke up with his Carly doll in a Welsh hotel. Carly is made in the "teddy-baby" type, she is softer and lighter than silicone dolls and is used mainly to cuddle and sleep next to her.

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11. Annabelle "lives" with her owner Everard in the UK. She got her name in honor of the heroine of the film "Forbidden Reception".

12. Silicone dolls are fragile and prone to such “injuries”. This doll named Courtney belongs to the Reindeer Breeder. Her appearance is based on that of his wife, who died of cancer a few years ago.

13. A doll ready to ship from Abyss Creation's warehouse in California. It takes an average of 80 hours to create a silicone doll.

14. "Baron von Doll" with his doll Tanya. Like many other members of the doll community, he chose to remain anonymous due to possible backlash.

15. "Nescio 50" and his doll Lily live in Holland with three other dolls. This man never had a "living" girlfriend. Dolls help him cope with the feeling of loneliness.

16. Chris from Pennsylvania pushes a stroller with his dolls named Lala Salama and Sharon. Sharon is a silicone doll, you can't carry her for a long time.

17. Teeth in the warehouse "Abyss Creation" in California. Abyss Creation became the world's first manufacturer of silicone dolls.

18. Chris and his two dolls - Lala Salama (left), which means "sweet dreams" in Swahili, and Sharon, named after the heroine of the series "Battlestar Galactica" - Lieutenant Sherom "Boomer" Valerie.

19. Airgyrluvr puts their dolls Lea, Angela and Hana in the trunk. He keeps his fondness for dolls under wraps and never displays them in public.

20. Chris Sharon doll "poses" for a photo.