History Trivia / TheLonelyDoll

* MissingEpisode: ''Edith and Big Bad Bill'' is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns everyone is frightened of Big Bad Bill because Bill's fur is a different color. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is well-meaning (all people are alike under their fur; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being rejected), its lessons and imagery have not aged well; for example, [[https://image.invaluable.com/housePhotos/national/21/323921/H4024-L29910404.jpg the original cover image]] was of [[UnfortunateImplications Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree]]. It's also possible that in the rise of awareness of StrangerDanger, a book that encouraged children to seek out and befriend strangers because they might be lonely wasn't such a great idea.

* MissingEpisode: ''Edith and Big Bad Bill'' is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns everyone is frightened of Big Bad Bill because Bill's fur is a different color. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is well-meaning ([[NotSoDifferent all people are alike under their fur]]; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being rejected), its lessons and imagery have not aged well; for example, [[https://image.invaluable.com/housePhotos/national/21/323921/H4024-L29910404.jpg the original cover image]] was of [[UnfortunateImplications Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree]]. It's also possible that in the rise of awareness of StrangerDanger, a book that encouraged children to seek out and befriend strangers because they might be lonely wasn't such a great idea.

* PracticalEffects: At the time, people were astonished at how Wright managed to manipulate her inanimate subjects into such lifelike poses and assumed that some photo-manipulation must be involved. It wasn't. People were often shocked at the dissonance between Wright's sentimental presentation of Edith and her often ruthlessly practical methods for getting the photos. (For a scene in which Edith has a thermometer in her mouth, for example, Wright simply cut a hole in the doll's mouth, inserted the thermometer, then sewed the hole closed later.) However, in one interview in which a reporter pressed for Wright's secrets, the reporter teasingly asked "They're really alive, aren't they?" to which Wright grinned and replied, "You've found us out."

* AccentOnTheWrongSyllable: As Edith grew older and more fragile, Wright created an identical doll to serve as Edith's stunt double. [[RobotNames The replica was named "Replica,"]] with the stress on the second syllable: ''rep-LEE-ka''

* PracticalEffects: At the time, people were astonished at how Wright managed to manipulate her inanimate subjects into such lifelike poses and assumed that some photo-manipulation must be involved. It wasn't. People were often shocked at the dissonance between Wright's sentimental presentation of Edith and her often ruthlessly practical methods for getting the photos. (For a scene in which Edith has a thermometer in her mouth, for example, Wright simply cut a hole in the doll's mouth, inserted the thermometer, then sewed the hole closed later.) However, in at least one interview in which a reporter pressed for Wright's secrets, the reporter teasingly asked "They're really alive, aren't they?" to which Wright grinned and replied, "You've found us out."

* MissingEpisode: ''Edith and Big Bad Bill'' is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns everyone is frightened of Big Bad Bill because Bill is a different color. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is well-meaning (people of other races are NotSoDifferent; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being hurt or rejected), its lessons and imagery have not aged well; for example, [[https://image.invaluable.com/housePhotos/national/21/323921/H4024-L29910404.jpg the original cover image]] was of [[UnfortunateImplications Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree]]. It's also possible that in the rise of awareness of StrangerDanger, a book that encouraged children to seek out and befriend strangers because they might be lonely wasn't such a great idea.

* MissingEpisode: ''Edith and Big Bad Bill'' is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns that Mr. Bear dislikes his cousin, Big Bad Bill, because Bill is a different color. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is well-meaning (people of other races are NotSoDifferent; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being hurt or rejected), its lessons and imagery have not aged well; for example, [[https://image.invaluable.com/housePhotos/national/21/323921/H4024-L29910404.jpg the original cover image]] was of [[UnfortunateImplications Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree]]. It's also possible that in the rise of awareness of StrangerDanger, a book that encouraged children to seek out and befriend strangers because they might be lonely wasn't such a great idea.

* SelfInsertFic: It's generally accepted that Edith is an allegory for her creator Dare Wright, who purposely modified the doll to resemble herself. By all accounts, Dare had an unhappy, isolated childhood (and adulthood), never married, and spent the majority of her life as a companion to [[MyBelovedSmother her possessive mother]] who [[NotAllowedToGrowUp chose her clothes and hairstyles, limited her circle of friends, and rarely allowed Dare to travel without her.]] The two lived together (even sharing a bed) from Dare's early childhood until she was well into her fifties, when her mother died. Wright's mother's name? Edith.

* MissingEpisode: ''Edith and Big Bad Bill'' is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns that Mr. Bear dislikes his cousin, Big Bad Bill, because Bill is a different color. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is well-meaning (people of other races are NotSoDifferent; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being hurt or rejected), its lessons and imagery have not aged well; for example, the original cover image was of [[UnfortunateImplications Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree]]. It's also possible that in the rise of awareness of StrangerDanger, a book that encouraged children to seek out and befriend strangers because they might be lonely wasn't such a great idea.

* MissingEpisode: ''Edith and Big Bad Bill'' is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns that Mr. Bear dislikes his cousin, Big Bad Bill, because Bill is a different color. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is largely positive (people of other races are NotSoDifferent; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being hurt or rejected), its lessons and imagery have not aged well; for example, the original cover image was of [[UnfortunateImplications Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree]]. It's also possible that in the rise of awareness of StrangerDanger, a book that encouraged children to seek out and befriend strangers because they might be lonely wasn't such a great idea.

* MissingEpisode: ''Edith and Big Bad Bill'' is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns that Mr. Bear dislikes his cousin, Big Bad Bill, because Bill is a different color. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is largely positive (people of other races are NotSoDifferent; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being hurt or rejected), its lessons and imagery have not aged well; for example, the original cover image was of [[UnfortunateImplications Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree]].[[note]]It's also possible that in the rise of awareness of StrangerDanger, a book that suggested children seek out and befriend strangers because they might be lonely wasn't such a great idea.[[/note]]

* MissingEpisode: ''Edith and Big Bad Bill'' is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns that Mr. Bear dislikes his cousin, Big Bad Bill, because Bill is...a slightly darker shade of brown. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is largely positive (people of other races are NotSoDifferent; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being hurt or rejected), the book was far less successful that the others, and its lessons and imagery have not aged well. For example, the original cover image was of [[UnfortunateImplications Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree]].

* MissingEpisode: Edith and Big Bad Bill is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns that Mr. Bear dislikes his cousin, Big Bad Bill, because Bill is...a slightly darker shade of brown. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is largely positive (people of other races are NotSoDifferent; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being hurt or rejected), the book was far less successful that the others, and its lessons and imagery have not aged well. For example, the original cover image was of [[UnfortunateImplications Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree]].

* MissingEpisode: Edith and Big Bad Bill is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns that Mr. Bear dislikes his cousin, Big Bad Bill, because Bill is...a slightly darker shade of brown. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is largely positive (people of different colors are Not So Different; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being hurt or rejected), the book was far less successful that the others, and its lessons and imagery have not aged well. For example, the original cover image was of [[UnfortunateImplications Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree]].

* SelfInsertFic: It's generally accepted that Edith is an allegory for her creator Dare Wright, who purposely modified the doll to resemble herself. By all accounts, Dare had an unhappy, isolated childhood (and adulthood), never married, and spent the majority of her life as a companion to [[MyBelovedSmother her possessive mother]] who [[NotAllowedToGrowUp chose her clothes and hairstyles, limited her circle of friends, and rarely Dare travel without her.]] The two lived together (even sharing a bed) from Dare's early childhood until she was well into her fifties, when her mother died. Wright's mother's name? Edith.

* MissingEpisode: Edith and Big Bad Bill is the only Lonely Doll book allowed to go out of print. In it, there is a not-too-subtle Racism Is Bad lesson when Edith learns that Mr. Bear dislikes his cousin, Big Bad Bill, because Bill is...a slightly darker shade of brown. While the ultimate takeaway from the book is largely positive (people of different colors are Not So Different; sometimes people who seem mean and scary are just afraid of being hurt or rejected), the book was far less successful that the others, and its lessons and imagery have not aged well. For example, the original cover image was of Big Bad Bill (representing a POC) tying Edith (a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white child) to a tree.