Monster High returns again!

[Zapper]

Here is Lenore!

Spoiler

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She's a ghost with a spiderweb and candle theme and will go for $75. Many say she's overpriced and I agree. But she is pretty.

[Carrehz]

Lenore Loomington has been revealed:
https://creations.mattel.com/en-gb/products/monster-high-designer-series-lenore-loomington-hrp94
(hope that link works for everyone)
https://www.youloveit.com/dolls/3614-monster-high-lenore-loomington-skullector-doll.html

I wish they'd leave more time between the announcement/reveal and the actual sale :/ Not just to give you more time to raise funds (not everyone can drop that sort of money no questions asked, Mattel!!!) but also to give time to actually THINK about it... that sort of money is a considered purchase for me (and I imagine many others too!), and just in general sometimes you need more than 3-4 days to make a decision, you know? :s But if you don't jump on it at the time, you run the risk of missing it and having to fork out scalper prices later. Sigh.

Rant aside... I think she's really pretty! A bit too close to Twyla, but I like her. A lot of people are saying her backstory is "16 y/o on deviantART"-esque and yeah, I see it but I like it, I find it endearing. admittedly I do wish they'd done something other than a ghost, we've got a lot of ghosts already so it would've been nice to see something different.

I'd definitely get her if she was a regular release, but as a collector doll I think I'll have to pass on her sadly, not sure she's worth £73 (or, I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay that for her)... problem is she's one I'd like to see more photos of before I decide whether or not I want her :/

I love her spider pet though So cute. Just not sure about the bug motifs on her dress, they look glittery like Scary Tales Clawdeen's cape, and that was always one of my least favourite pieces...

It is lovely to see some new G1 characters that are original/not related to a collaboration though!! I never anticipated this, I hope they continue with this. I'd love to see them finally make dolls of some characters that never got one, like Fawn, Quill Talyntino, Gory... actually, this would be a great opportunity to bring back Euna the kumiho:
https://www.youloveit.com/cartoons/160-monster-high-euna-nine-tailed-fox-concept.html
I so want a doll of her... she'd be perfect for a collector line (she's probably a bit overambitious for playline).

I also found these:
https://www.youloveit.com/dolls/3434-monster-high-fright-sized-ghouls-dolls.html

Blind boxes! But ew, slime gimmick. Most toys like this have it so you can just undo the figure and the slime gimmick is optional, keeping my fingers crossed that's the case here... wouldn't mind Clawdeen, but slime is a big no for me

edit: Zapper ninja'd me

[Zapper]

I wish they'd leave more time between the announcement/reveal and the actual sale :/ Not just to give you more time to raise funds (not everyone can drop that sort of money no questions asked, Mattel!!!) but also to give time to actually THINK about it... that sort of money is a considered purchase for me (and I imagine many others too!), and just in general sometimes you need more than 3-4 days to make a decision, you know? :s But if you don't jump on it at the time, you run the risk of missing it and having to fork out scalper prices later. Sigh.

Oh I'm sure they are banking on FOMO and hype surrounding the livestream event. There is merch of Lenore that consists of shirts, hoodies and totes. They expect us to be head over heels for her because she is a new character in the G1 canon but I foresee she will sit in the shop for a while.

What I love about her design is the candle beret, lantern and eye design. But I can live without her.

What I do hate tho, are people bashing and trashing the designer - Rebecca Shipman who has been with MH for years - and tagging Mattel on social media, asking them to fire her. Online fandom is so freaking toxic these days and people just want to farm clicks, likes, reposts, whatever. They think they are sassy and funny calling for Rebecca's departure. I think it's just super embarrassing. Just don't buy the doll.

[Carrehz]

Oh, they're absolutely playing on FOMO and playing right into the scalpers hands, unfortunately :/ I wish they'd do more to stop scalping but I guess they figure as long as it sells, it doesn't matter who buys them... *sigh*

I'm hoping she sticks around for a while and/or gets a restock, too. She really is nice, but I'd like to see owner photos first before really thinking about buying her.

And what the... WHY do modern fandoms think it's okay to act like this??? It's like they don't realize they're talking about actual people. It disgusts me.

[Taffeta]

I don't understand modern online anything, honestly. I feel like I've finally reached that category of old but I literally don't understand. I know it's a social media thing and most people trash others for attention and to create a buzz, but I am so sick to death of people being nasty to random strangers for reasons they've either invented or because their own lives plain suck.

The FOMO thing is also an issue. If the companies are so desperate to get something out at speed before people forget it exists, and people are so desperate to spend money without thinking about it...that's not massively healthy. Toys in general are stupid expensive now. But I don't know about this one.

I don't actually love the idea of brand new G1 characters in the G1 collectable space. I don't really know why. Brand new G1 characters should be a good thing. But I suppose it's more like, if you wanted to still do G1, Mattel, maybe go back to doing G1 and stop trying to scalp collectors on new characters that you didn't release when dolls were retail price point and not collectable treasures...

I'm not blown away by this one either. She isn't original enough for me, either in her colouring or her concept. 16 yo DA kid doesn't appeal to me really either. It's a funny pitch considering the target audience.

That all said, the hate against the artist is pathetic and completely unnecessary. I don't understand why people can't just go, "oh, I don't like that, pass," these days, rather than, "OMG YOU HAVE RUINED MY LIFE BY MAKING HER DRESS BLOO!"

[brightberry]

OMG YOU HAVE RUINED MY LIFE BY MAKING HER DRESS BLOO!"

 

I don’t participate in fandoms other than on forums and sometimes YouTube.  So I usually have no idea what’s going on in other platforms.  It’s really disgusting anyone would call for someone to be fired for a dress design.  In a way, more disheartening than disgusting.  Can’t we have a little bit of kindness anywhere in the world?

I think Lenore is pretty and I suspect she looks a lot better in person.  The lighting and reflective bits are not playing nice together.  I won’t get her because I don’t have the space, but I do love that lamp!

[Carrehz]

Honestly I really don't understand most modern social media things either. I feel so old saying this but much of the way The Youths interact is just baffling to me Most of it I'm like "I don't get it, but, eh, it's not for me, they're having fun, whatever" but all the toxicity and vile comments... I just don't get it...

The FOMO thing is also an issue. If the companies are so desperate to get something out at speed before people forget it exists, and people are so desperate to spend money without thinking about it...that's not massively healthy. Toys in general are stupid expensive now. But I don't know about this one.

Tbh I think this is always going to be a problem, to some extent, with collector dolls, just because they ARE collectibles. You're always going to have people buying them just for the sake of it and such. But I do wish the companies would at least *try* not to blatently feed into it so much :/

But I suppose it's more like, if you wanted to still do G1, Mattel, maybe go back to doing G1 and stop trying to scalp collectors on new characters that you didn't release when dolls were retail price point and not collectable treasures...

Agreed 100%.

"OMG YOU HAVE RUINED MY LIFE BY MAKING HER DRESS BLOO!"

And yeah lol, there is a certain irony in them aiming this doll at adult collectors and then giving her such a... basic? backstory? idk how to put it, I'm not trying to put it down, esp. since I do find it fine/kind of endearing in general... it just doesn't really fit in with most of the other G1 stories/lore/etc, I don't think. But then I suppose maybe they're aiming her less at people that care about that stuff, and more at people who just want a shiny collector doll to stick on their shelf MIB? I dunno.

[Taffeta]

Maybe it is a generational thing, but one of my work colleagues is in her later teens and she's constantly complaining about teenagers (especially teenage boys) and the stupids. She's obviously a lot more connected and tech savvy with social media than I am (I don't want to be), but it's good to know that it's not all generational, some of it is just actually stupidity.

I think the embryonic concept of "we can't see other people so we forget they are other people" online that was a new concept thing back when the internet started out has just exploded now that it's such a big deal. There is a case for the reality that now all the nasty bully types who back in the nineties would've scorned the internet as some weird geek thing are now online because social media and doing their intrusive bullying on a global level - bullies gotta bully, I guess. (I could have a whole rant here about how popular culture enables this by creating 'hierarchies' of beautiful people, leagues, whatever, and how kids TV reinforces that with fashion doll concepts, Rainbow High being particularly guilty of the elitist fashion troll trope...) All of it enforcing the idea that you have to be pretty and perfect all the time, and if not, you're gonna get trolled and ripped apart.

Same with anything creative. It's not like, "I don't like this because it isn't my taste'. It's "I don't like this so you're WRONG." I feel there's a growing wave of people online (not just young folk) who are incapable of discussion or forming their own opinions/knowing why they have those opinions and so when questioned they just yell incoherently and reach for the abuse.

Back on topic.

Everything seems to have to be so quick now. Immediate solutions to every problem. Immediate gratification. Toys being disposable the moment they're unpackaged. Nobody has the patience to collect or engage anymore. (Maybe a small exaggeration, but it is a problem).

I also think the people who are behind 'creative concepts' like character backstories are not actually very creative. There are a lot of quick generic tropes that get churned out these days without much substance. Throw out whatever works, sell the item, onto the next. There's no attempt to really build beyond that point. This new doll is like that. She's not part of an existing world becuase the world is gone. So why bother going into depth? It seems like they're already struggling with depth in the new toyline. Probably no time to worry about a one off collector shiny.

[Zapper]

I also think the people who are behind 'creative concepts' like character backstories are not actually very creative. There are a lot of quick generic tropes that get churned out these days without much substance. Throw out whatever works, sell the item, onto the next. There's no attempt to really build beyond that point. This new doll is like that. She's not part of an existing world becuase the world is gone. So why bother going into depth? It seems like they're already struggling with depth in the new toyline. Probably no time to worry about a one off collector shiny.

The new doll is part of an inhouse designer series similar to the new Barbie Mattel Creations line that is just like that. The new Barbie has a big bow in the back and goes for $100 and I don't see Barbie fans calling eachother the r-word online over it (witnessed this on MH's official Instagram). It looks like an MH fandom problem.

To explain a little, since I saw the livestream segment that went a little more into why Rebecca Shipman designed Lenore this way... the new series is basically the inhouse MH designers putting their original characters into doll form. For Rebecca her OC Lenore was inspired by the spiderwebs in her garden. It made her think of a friendly ghost who'd wander about and guide the creatures of the garden. Rebecca's poem about her explains who she is, she doesn't have a diary and the next doll might not be connected to her storywise.
As of right now we don't know how many dolls will be in the series, how many designers will release a design. But they probably will all have this price point and be their own thing.
We know the next designer Barbie will release by the end of this year so it could be the same for MH.

[alaskaallie]

I just want a playline rochelle... that's all...

[Zapper]

I just want a playline rochelle... that's all...

They might release one for G3. They recently asked the Fang Club what dolls we'd like to see next and most answers included Rochelle and Operetta.

I'm just really suspicious about what influence we really have in this club considering people also wanted G3 Jinafire last year and they completely redesigned her. Nobody asked for that

The new gen might be over before they're reintroduced since they also have to produce cartoon episodes making the new characters appear on the show. This takes much longer than the webisodes in G1.

[Carrehz]

It just makes me kind of sad because we know they CAN do more than this. The diaries that came with the Haunt Couture dolls were great and a lovely throwback to the good ol' days of G1. I guess they decided that would take too long to write though.

Oh well. As long as they have names and at least some kind of identity, I can't complain really :p The "Collector Barbie #3" thing works for Barbie but it wouldn't work for MH.

The MH fandom (from what little I've seen of it) does seem to have a problem with nutty/bad fans though :/ I wonder if it's a generational thing, maybe the MH Instagram fandom skews younger than most Barbie communities. I dunno.

To explain a little, since I saw the livestream segment that went a little more into why Rebecca Shipman designed Lenore this way... the new series is basically the inhouse MH designers putting their original characters into doll form. For Rebecca her OC Lenore was inspired by the spiderwebs in her garden. It made her think of a friendly ghost who'd wander about and guide the creatures of the garden.

This is adorable though, omg.

[Taffeta]

Anyone who uses the r word online in any context, ever, deserves to have their social media account taken away from them. It's not okay in any context, no excuses.

I'd like to see a Rochelle too, though since I'm not buying them I figure my opinion is irrelevant

I don't totally understand the inhouse designer thing BUT that makes a lot more sense vis a vis the new character, and the 16 yo DeviantArt background. If it's representative of the artist then everything makes a lot more sense, honestly. But it also makes the personal attacks on the artist so much more reprehensible.

All that said, I generally agree with Carrehz because Barbie is a line where self-insert is a lot easier. There aren't many character backgrounds to the dolls, they are a theme ,but the rest is down to play or the style in the case of collector dolls. Whereas MH dolls have always had distinct characters, and so this is where it doesn't make a lot of sense to insert a character (like creating an OC, then selling it to everyone?) Thinking about how people feel about fanfiction OCs and how they can work or not work, but generally the self-insert OCs into fandoms that are already character established tend to be awkward. A lot of people do it and so I don't want to criticise it as a thing in itself, just that it's harder to write a self-insert OC in an established 'world' without ruffling feathers. I have written lots of OCs into existing fandoms without an issue, but I've never ever written a self-insert character.

It's also the case that certain of the established characters in that original world have been altered for the new version of MH, so I can understand how people might feel squinky about a new character in the space inhabited by the 'old school' characters.

But it's possible to convey those criticisms without attacking the artist. Anyone with even a basic grasp of language or common decency should be able to string a critically competent sentence together without resorting to hate speech. :/

It goes back to the lack of imagination and independent thought among some sectors of online fandoms. The mob mentality but in digital form. It's by no means the whole fandom. Just the really loud ones.

[Zapper]

I want to make a few things clear: Lenore is not a self-insert. She is an original character similar to the Off-White dolls. Nobody said "how are these supermodel characters gonna end up at Monster High?" They are one-offs like Lenore. They're just dolls, they didn't get diaries either, just a small fact sheet such as what monster they are and what their names are.
I think a lot of people got confused by the "brand new character for G1" thing and are now judging much harsher. G1 is getting new comic books and novels, it's not dead. So Lenore could make an appearance in those but I doubt it.

I think lots of MH fans hold a grudge against Rebecca Shipman. I have no clue why but it goes way back when Garrett Sander chose to leave in 2016 and she became lead. She used to be with MH as a main designer from the beginning and she created so many characters people love (to name a few: Nefera, Robecca, Jinafire, Rochelle, Twyla).
And ah yes, there was the Robecca drama as well. When it came out that Rebecca designed Robecca certain fans branded her a racist because Robecca was dark skinned, literally copper, and Rebecca wasn't so eeeeek, this character was named after her but is looking kinda like a girl of color! That can't be, Rebecca herself is white!
I guess this is why people also mocked the Lenore character as being "Twyla 2.0" because she designed G1 Twyla.

It's so ridiculous and all just because Mattel Creations made that doll $75 and people thought she was too expensive.

I wonder if the next character will also create a freakout or if it will be a better conceived one because a different designer will create it. I don't think Mattel will lower the price drastically. Maybe $10 less for a Little Sister body or a less elaborate dress similar to how the Skullectors vary a little. But they won't make the designer series the playline prices some fans are now demanding.

Edit: Just saw that Rebecca privated her instagram account (rebecula13). A couple of days ago she shared the Lenore livestream screenshots I shared a couple of posts ago. So no clue if she privated because she wanted to or because she got too much hate but she got tagged by the haters quite a bit so might be because of that.
I really hate the MH fandom's blind bullying. It gets to show these people don't care about people working for big corp, they think these workers ARE big corp and insulting and threatening them is activism or whatever...

[Taffeta]

The online abuse thing is just sad. :/ Unfortunately women often get more of it than men, for no apparent reason. As for the Robecca thing, honestly, the name may not even have been devised by her, but it was clearly because of the robot element. Yes, she could have been Roberta, but still. It's a fictional character made of metal. o.o. It annoys me when people use valid legitimate world issues as an excuse to just be toxic cyberbullies. It also drowns out the legitimate voices and issues - of which a robot themed doll is not one.

It's also a bit like the brony mentality. The mob abuse if they don't get what they want in that exact moment. Maybe they ported over. Or maybe this is just how fandoms work right now. Some of the stuff I've seen both on football comment things and on anime related ones make me think this is how fandoms now work.

That concept makes a bit more sense, at the same time, it doesn't make sense for MH particularly. You're right that putting them into a book would help connect the character...but then does the plot need another ghost? I'm not sure it does.

I can understand fans being legitimately critical of adding new characters to G1 when G1 is essentially no longer the core of the line. That's not the same as being jerks, of course, but my own reaction was, but why does G1 need a new ghost character when it's not really an active toyline? Why should a collector care about a character that didn't exist in G1 enough to pay that kind of money?

Those are legitimate questions in my opinion...the behaviour isn't, but the question is.