In South Korea, dolls modelled on married women spark complaints about ‘over-sexualised' image
A doll based on a stereotype of married women from a South Korean city has resulted in numerous complaints regarding its over-sexualised image and demands that it be taken off the market.
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The doll, which has been selling for about 90,000 won (US$65), is based on the 'Dongtan Missy' caricature made famous in memes that have themselves been criticised for sexually objectifying women.
A Dongtan Missy refers to an attractive young married woman living in the up-and-coming Dongtan town in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi province.
The Missy – a word likely derived from the English 'missus' – is stereotyped as a voluptuous woman wearing tight or revealing outfits in the memes.
Dolls sold as 'Dongtan Figures', as well as other similar ones called 'Misaiden' or 'Mi-Rook', are all clad in provocative dresses with plunging cleavages and clingy silhouettes, according to the Maeil Business Newspaper.
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Since the Dongtan Missy dolls appeared in January, internet users have been filing complaints with Hwaseong city and local police stations asking them to stop the sale of such figures over concerns that they are sexually commercialising women and instilling a negative image of the region.
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