Masking (Rubber Dolling)

Figure 1 Rubber Dolling (2014)

A recent documentary came on channel 4 about this phenomenon of ‘masking’ or ‘rubber dolling’. It showed a lifestyle completely unbeknownst by many people, a secret lifestyle. Men dress from head to toe in a rubber body in the form of a woman, completed with a rubber face and a wig. As strange as it seemed at first, you came to understand that these men had completely normal lifestyles, and this hidden persona only appeared during certain times. I’d like to explain this phenomenon by concluding that these people are in some ways or other unhappy with the real them. Some use it as escapism, some for enjoyment, and some purely because it boosts their confidence. One of the men was a 70 year old who was afraid to look in the mirror and see his real self. He was afraid of seeing a fragile old man and so instead sees a blonde ‘beautiful’ woman.

We could argue that the woman’s body itself is an expression of true beauty, and these people just want to appreciate the form in a physical sense. It’s a strange concept to grasp and at first you wonder whether these men have confidence issues, if they’re happy being in their own skin, and why they have to hide behind another face. This idea that Barbie is perfect woman; we’re bombarded with this image every day in the media on TV on our favourite programs, magazines. These “real” women are portrayed as flawless when in real they have been photo-shopped and airbrushed to man’s idea of the perfect woman.

There needs to be a greater emphasis on educating the youth today on how there’s more to life than what you look like, and confidence in yourself is key; there should be an acceptance for how people are different and everyone has their own styles, likes and dislikes. It could be seen as these men are attention seeking in a way; they bring it upon themselves the abuse they receive because it’s not a normal obsession. You could also see it as similar to why women (and some men) wear makeup; it gives them a shield against the world, makes them more comfortable, and makes them happier. The strange thing about it is that some of these men are in relationships, are married to women, suggesting that it’s not about attraction to the same gender that drives these multiple personalities. The attention they get from both women and men seems to give them that confidence boost with their sexuality.


Secrets Of The Living Dolls [television documentary online] Channel 4 UK (2014) 1 min At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI-udPkU7xA (Accessed on 29.04.14)