The Facebook debacle & other issues

This is taking way more resources, time, effort and energy than just ignoring it.
I honestly don't understand lol...

I'm echoing everyone else but, I don't get why doesn't he take his own advice and ignore the haters.

Anyways sick pwn Danny. I guess. 

He feeds on the attention though. Look at all the positive messages and reinforcement he is receiving! So why not find another way to make money of being unnecessarily spiteful?

2 hours ago, monkeypizzasonic said:

How about actual positivity? Saying nice things about the people who like you instead of talking about the people who don't? Showcasing other artists (especially black artists) who's work you admire? Promoting charities?

You took the words straight out of my mouth.

The fact he's still acting as if people are mad at him because he talks about racism is just.. also, I'm guessing this confirms he reads this blog since this seems pretty much a response to what is said here. Honestly, at this point wouldn't it be better for him to just make an account and having a friendly discussion instead of pretending in front of all his followers we're bullying him? I'd be down to sit down with him and learn why he's responding to things the way he does, I think almost anyone here would be.

15 minutes ago, RobynnDoesStuff said:

Honestly, at this point wouldn't it be better for him to just make an account and having a friendly discussion instead of pretending in front of all his followers we're bullying him? I'd be down to sit down with him and learn why he's responding to things the way he does, I think almost anyone here would be.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes! I really just want to talk to him at this point. I was going to ask ( since he's reading this anyways) but I was kind of unsure on how others would feel. But talking directly seems to be the best way to solve things now.  So Danny if you want to talk lets talk! 

3 hours ago, Mothiraffe said:

I... am saddened to see Danny grow so cynical and bitter, <snip> I don't know what happened there, but I feel for him.

Social Media.

Quote

You may not like the Ben Kuchera who is on Twitter, and that's fine. I don't want to aim my work at the widest possible audience at the cost of my own beliefs. My problem is that I don't even like the Ben Kuchera who is on Twitter. He has little resemblance to the type of person I think I am, or at least the kind of person I would like to be.

 

Oh wow. I'm not overly familiar with Smart Dolls and am catching up on this thread out of curiosity. I'm frankly appalled at how Danny behaves and can't believe anyone would actually want to do business with him. If his posts are actually intended to turn away potential customers, then they're working really well. 

I can't be the only person that feels as though this

"But be careful if you are thinking of throwing your Smart Doll's away with the daily garbage - they remember where you live."

reads a bit like a veiled threat, right? 😰 Maybe I'm just paranoid, but... It's uncomfortable.

42 minutes ago, RainbowNanaki said:

I can't be the only person that feels as though this

"But be careful if you are thinking of throwing your Smart Doll's away with the daily garbage - they remember where you live."

reads a bit like a veiled threat, right? 😰 Maybe I'm just paranoid, but... It's uncomfortable.

I'd definitely say it's an uncomfortable statement. Also doesn't help with the imagery of where his mind is at as in that statement, he's implying he's forgetting that once someone purchases one of his dolls, especially in this hobby, it's in their right to do with it as they please. The intention of selling is to make a profit, not to have something to be controlling over (Which he kind of already is at this point with the bans and CS responses to customers?). Between this and the statements previously made, I'd like to say I also hope he seeks therapy/some form of help as it doesn't seem like this is going to improve anytime soon. 

I love my Infinity (Bless Mandarake) and would love an Eiji for a doll idea I have floating around but given his previous and current behaviors... That's not happening for a while. Might happen in resin form eventually. Gotta rack my brain a little to remember companies though as it's been a bit and I'm picky w BJDs. 

Edited June 10, 2020 by Conuresans
I ramble a lot. I'm sorry

I think it's about time for me to address this personally.

 

Hi. Danny, are you there? I'm IgelFullmetal, but I also go by Igel. I was the girl who made that text post in the Smart Doll lovers Facebook group concerning the language you used with Monday's reveal, which was deemed the final straw towards the group's closure. Although you haven't talked about it officially, I suspect you're somewhat upset about the group closing down. My Instagram is here, and although I haven't posted anything in a while I use the app daily, so if you were to contact me there I will see your message. I'm eager to talk about what happen or why I decided to make that post in the first place.

 

I start to find his childish rants... entertaining. I need popcorn.

And I was to say "oh! Cool glasses!", then he goes sheep. Lol. I pity you DC.

 

For discontinuing them and let them without spare parts... they know where you sleep better than anyone. 

6 hours ago, Conuresans said:

Might happen in resin form eventually. Gotta rack my brain a little to remember companies though as it's been a bit and I'm picky w BJDs. 

Volks makes resin boys. I think their SD17 line is limited editions only, but iirc Volks USA periodically offers SDGr boys in their online FCS.

12 hours ago, Mame said:

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes! I really just want to talk to him at this point. I was going to ask ( since he's reading this anyways) but I was kind of unsure on how others would feel. But talking directly seems to be the best way to solve things now.  So Danny if you want to talk lets talk! 

I don't think that would work. A couple of years back I think a group of people on this forum got together and wrote him a letter with their concerns (it's under the Feedback for DC thread), and I don't think they ever heard back from him.

2 hours ago, Testament said:

I start to find his childish rants... entertaining. I need popcorn.

And I was to say "oh! Cool glasses!", then he goes sheep. Lol. I pity you DC.

 

For discontinuing them and let them without spare parts... they know where you sleep better than anyone. 

I feel the same way. It's come to the point where everytime there's an update about his posts here I think, "Lol another rant? Lemme grab my bubble tea while I check it out". Then I spend the next half hour reading the comments here 🤣

I've noticed that his hostility is getting worse. A couple of years back it was just the occasional snarky post about an unreasonable customer (girl who wanted a perfect doll with perfectly placed eyes) or a snide remark to a question he personally found irritating. Then it became a few publicly shaming posts for customers who dared to post non-positive feedback about his products. And now it's somehow evolved into open hostility towards anyone who doesn't worship the ground he spits on, and the posts/rants go on and on. That's not normal. That's not the behaviour of a rational person who puts his employees first or has passionate views about various issues. The amount of vitriol he is spewing recently is alarming to say the least, because he seems to have become obsessed with the idea of hitting out at his perceived "haters". Of course, the fact that his loyal cultists are egging him on and praising him for his words isn't helping either. I apologize for this personal remark but I think he has issues and he seriously needs help.

4 hours ago, bbotss said:

I've noticed that his hostility is getting worse. A couple of years back it was just the occasional snarky post about an unreasonable customer (girl who wanted a perfect doll with perfectly placed eyes) or a snide remark to a question he personally found irritating. Then it became a few publicly shaming posts for customers who dared to post non-positive feedback about his products

Yes
If you go back some years and notice how just a question about the design, makes him quickly point people away from his brand, than to answer questions in a friendly manner - whether the answer be a yes or no. It can't be for any other reason than to create drama (and act highly childish!).

I've seen on Q&A boards on BJD sites, how they are constantly asked questions about when orders are expected to ship (based on the header/topic title).
And just... I've never heard of a company ban anyone for asking (even if it must drive them to insanity)... I've never heard of a company having to put out so many disclaimers...
BJD orders might be a bit different than vinyl, sure. But do the customers really differ that much?
I don't think so.
I think he is picking out the bad eggs and making the rest of us having to deal with it (it being his rules, shaming, and scare-tactics) rather than having to deal with it himself or hiring staff.

No matter how much he tells other that he doesn't care about "haters". If he values time spent on writing/posting negativity more than on positivity, he isn't going to end up doing/feeling so good.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Yumeiro

I had an idea - and it might be a bit silly and passive-aggressive and idk if it's actually going to do anything - but I was thinking there should be a social media hashtag like #DannyChooCallsMeAHater or #IDontHateSmartDollsBut something along those lines where we spend like a paragraph gushing about some aspect of SmD that we really like...and then a very polite one-sentence criticism.

For example:

Quote

 

I absolutely love the Wonder Woman SmD! I was worried she was going to end up too fierce or grumpy, but they've somehow captured the perfect combination of gentleness, elegant grace and compassionate strength that Diana should have! I can't wait until we start seeing the outfit prototypes as well!

But also, I really wish Danny wasn't so opposed to the idea of hiring a PR manager; trying to run a business AND develop new products AND deal with the current shipping/manufacturing problems caused by the pandemic right now must be hard enough without having to also run social media and talk to customers.

 

Like, just keep responding to his aggression with overwhelming positivity and politeness. Make it very clear that we are not trying to pick a fight or insult his products because we like his products! We just also have Legitimate Concerns!

(I also was thinking of asking what if George Lucas had responded to people who didn't like the prequels by demanding that they send back any Star Wars tapes/merchandise they had and try to bar them from buying tickets to any future movies he was involved with...but I'm really trying Not To Be Petty.

Mostly an example of how one can be a fan of something and still not like parts of it, because no one hates Star Wars like Star Wars fans.) 

25 minutes ago, monkeypizzasonic said:

I had an idea - and it might be a bit silly and passive-aggressive and idk if it's actually going to do anything - but I was thinking there should be a social media hashtag like #DannyChooCallsMeAHater or #IDontHateSmartDollsBut something along those lines where we spend like a paragraph gushing about some aspect of SmD that we really like...and then a very polite one-sentence criticism.

You could do that, but you and anyone else who participates need to be prepared to have your warranties cancelled. If you're up for it, by all means do it, I don't actually think that's petty since you want to do it politely. But know he wouldn't let a big hashtag thing like that slip by him without some kind of retaliation.

Someone could also post a mega-thread on twitter explaining why evreyone here is so worried about smart doll. I'd do it, but I don't own any dolls.

If someone here does do this, post the evidence here so i can boost it to my circle.

@monkeypizzasonic Problem is that he tends to turn anything into hate. Any opportunity to play the victim role...
It is not a bad idea, it's just, as mentioned, risky:

1 hour ago, sunlightandtea said:

you and anyone else who participates need to be prepared to have your warranties cancelled. But know he wouldn't let a big hashtag thing like that slip by him without some kind of retaliation.

If it can be done well - without stooping down to his level of "I know you are but what am I?" or "infinity+1!" - I'd be all for it.
You'd need a thick skin to deal with it. And launching a hashtag, which anyone can join in on, can turn whichever way. I wouldn't want it to end up an actual hate-campaign.


Also, about your example, I cannot help but think of this quote: "Everything before the word 'but' is horse shit" 😅
I'm sure Danny would love to quote that on his "haters".

Yeah, that's the only problem with having a unified tag like that. It's tricky - I want a way to show him and/or his followers that we're not trying to spread hate or attack him while talking about legit problems, but it's hard without ending up sounding passive-aggressive or stooping to the "playing the victim card" level.  

I just want some way to counteract the cycle of negativity where "someone has a complaint -> Danny gets offended and takes it personally -> we get offended at the way he addresses the situation -> he calls us haters and pretends to ignore us but then keeps bringing it up -> we get annoyed he keeps bringing it up -> someone has a complaint -> etc."

...maybe we should just do our own "promoting charities/talking about black artists" thing with SmD. Spread our own positivity. 

Danny since you are reading this, why do you give a sheep what your 'haters' say? To the best of my knowledge, no one here hates you. We just strongly disagree with your business practice and how you treat past/present customers. We deal with it by talking about our issues and hopefully informing others well in advance before they drop $500 on one of your dolls. It seems you of all people would rejoice at this, because we are helping to weed out the 'haters' from getting your precious Smart Dolls. You can also go deal with it by choosing to ignore us. You learn in grade school that not everyone in this world is going to like you whether for legit reasons or not, and that you have to move on with your life. You leave no room for personal growth if you stay stuck in a rut of pernicious hostility.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Deyja

13 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

Volks makes resin boys. I think their SD17 line is limited editions only, but iirc Volks USA periodically offers SDGr boys in their online FCS.

I actually was thinking about one of them in the future as I'd like to try out the online FCS eventually, but none of them quite fit into what I want for this particular idea. Thankfully for my wallet none of the 17s have caught my eye, but I haven't looked into that very far? So far there's a few other companies with sculpts I think could work, so Idk. It's got time to simmer so I'm keeping my eyes open. I greatly appreciate the input though! 

 

As for ways to show him that we're not attempting to spread hatred, I'd like to apologize but I doubt it's likely at this point as I vaguely recall last year there was a letter written to him composed by multiple members of the forum explaining that what he had done at the time was concerning- No response. He's reading/recieving the criticism here and responding to it, negatively, in his latest posts. Imo, the only way that there will be change is if Choo himself actively sees a problem and changes tunes as he has a buyer base that's devoted to his products, and will more than likely keep him in business for a bit despite what he's said and done. 

However, I do like the concept posted previously about sharing positivity and promoting black artists as while it may not have an impact on Danny's perspective, more positive input/actions in the community never hurts and small changes can snowball. 

I just caught up on this thread after reading it briefly a while ago.

I just recently sold my Smartdoll who I had since about November of last year (bought secondhand). Back when I got her it was just like his attitude was a smear on the face of an otherwise good doll company, but considering all that he's done since then I was unable to look at her and be able to disregard his consistently inappropriate behavior enough to enjoy her.

It got to the point where it was nerve wracking to play with her because if a joint broke, there was always the possibility of contacting customer support and getting snarked half to death or worse.

I really enjoy Smartdolls, but being unable to hybrid them, repaint them, or mod them without the possibility of backlash was enough to turn me off from having one completely. I even was planning on shelling a character of mine as one, but why bother when I can buy a doll of the same cost and same quality elsewhere with no potential for unjust repercussions.

I hope that eventually Danny is able to learn and revamp his style of management to something more appropriate. Until then though, Dollfie Dreams are good, easy fun and I don't ever have to worry about getting angry emails from Volks.

 

sorry if that's long i just have a lot of thoughts on it, and i'm really sad and frustrated with the whole thing so i wanted to add my two cents ^^;

Hey. Hey lmao. Did y'all see this, Danny made it on r/HobbyDrama.

https://old.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/gsc4gc/anime_fashion_dolls_wabisabi_or_how_to_call/

I hate it when the actions of one person makes the whole hobby look unhinged... it's exhausting because no matter how many good folks, reasonable folks, and even jerks there are, it's the worst ones that get the most attention. 

I admit even I struggle to post photos of my SmD girls sometimes. I don't want people to think I condone the behavior of the company or the fans. I generally try not to interact much, and I'd like to think I'm good at managing to enjoy things I enjoy even when the source is......unfortunate (though Harry Potter has been ruined for me, rip my childhood nostalgia THANKS JOAN) but. Sometimes it gets to me. Danny isn't just making himself look bad, he makes his customers look bad and he even makes the whole damn hobby look bad and I just... hate it, because no matter how I personally behave, people are gonna hear "smart doll" and they're gonna think of the drama first and foremost.

Just feels bad. OTL

@Conuresans I'm so happy for you but also curse you for sniping a girl under my nose. xP

4 hours ago, Deyja said:

Danny since you are reading this, why do you give a sheep what your 'haters' say? To the best of my knowledge, no one here hates you. .

Yup, and I'm pretty sure some members have said, "I don't think he's a bad person," several times too. I'm sure a fair amount of us liked him at some point, want him to improve, and to be in a better headspace. I feel like he doesn't like that though. It's easier to brush us off as haters because it implies that he would have to change to appease others and he likely hates that. 

3 hours ago, Conuresans said:

As for ways to show him that we're not attempting to spread hatred, I'd like to apologize but I doubt it's likely at this point as I vaguely recall last year there was a letter written to him composed by multiple members of the forum explaining that what he had done at the time was concerning- No response. He's reading/recieving the criticism here and responding to it, negatively, in his latest posts. Imo, the only way that there will be change is if Choo himself actively sees a problem and changes tunes as he has a buyer base that's devoted to his products, and will more than likely keep him in business for a bit despite what he's said and done. 

While spreading positivity is something I would advocate, I have to agree on that it won't work in this case. I think the letter might have been written in 2017 actually, and he kind of seemed to have implied that he saw it and didn't like what was said. I can't confirm though, iirc it was a vague remark. I definitely agree that change is a decision up tp Danny himself. At most, maybe someone close to him could talk to him, but I don't think anyone here has a super personal relationship with him. 

Nooo that thread on reddit is.... just not it. Literally some one called SmD a counterfeit DD💀. I know people have different taste but... what?!? Although some of the points are pretty accurate....some are just a..... reach. ( speaking of which some people are saying he's creepy... some of his old blog post are ... questionable.... what do you guys think? Is that to much of a reach as well?)

Edited June 12, 2020 by Mame
They're pretty questionable @_@

1 hour ago, Mame said:

Nooo that thread on reddit is.... just not it. Literally some one called SmD a counterfeit DD💀. I know people have different taste but... what?!? Although some of the points are pretty accurate....some are just a..... reach. ( speaking of which some people are saying he's creepy... some of his old blog post are ... questionable.... what do you guys think? Is that to much of a reach as well?)

Whoa, I didn't even know that that reddit even existed. I'm reading through it and wowsers at some of the things said about Danny. Maybe that explains why he is overly hostile lately and not so much because of us and what we are saying (though I know he is reading it). I mean some of the comments made about his personal life and wife are really way below the belt. No one here has taken a dig at him like that on this thread; we've just been discussing his business practices and the less than courteous things he's said on social media.