‘Among the various meanings of the French word ‘object’, the Littré dictionary gives this: ‘Anything which is the cause or subject of a passion. Figuratively and most typically: the loved object’ (Baudrillard, J. (1994) ‘The Systems of Collecting’, in Elsner, J and Cardinal, R. (ed.) The Cultures of Collecting. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, pp. 7.)
For Stephanie, My Little Pony is something which she is incredibly passionate about. She first started collecting the ponies when she was a child and unfortunately, was being bullied, using the ponies as an escape, playing with the ponies made her forget all the troubles she was having. Because of this attachment to the ponies, she obviously then went on to collect far more which then turned into this obsession.
Some may say her obsession is un-healthy, which is partly true. She is creating an attachment to these inanimate objects rather then creating healthy relationships with fellow humans. As a child especially, she probably would have spent more time playing with and caring for these ponies than trying to make new friends, which I understand, is due to the bullying. However, as she has grown up, because she has more of an attachment to the ponies to humans, her collection and love for these ponies has continued to grow, causing her to spend thousands of dollars ‘perfecting’ her collection.
Looking on the healthy side, I guess collecting ponies is a much better reaction to bullying than other methods. For example, there is an increase in teenagers self-harming because they are being bullied. So when you look at it from that angle, collecting the ponies has kept her in a good state of mind and as the years have gone on, they have even helped her re-build her confidence as she has made friends through collecting: sellers, buyers and other my little pony enthusiasts, I assume.
‘Once the object stops being defined by its function, it’s meaning is entirely up to the subject.’ (Baudrillard, J. (1994) 'The Systems of Collecting’, in Elsner, J and Cardinal, R. (ed.) The Cultures of Collecting. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, pp. 8.) For Stephanie, the ponies are no longer just a toy, they are: a coping method, confidence and new friendships.
Overall, I understand why she has such a passion for these ponies and in the long-term, I think collecting these ponies have benefitted her greatly, particularly her state of mind and the fact that she now has more confidence and is able to make friends - especially when you compare it to what might of happened. However, I think spending thousands of dollars is a bit over the top!
Youtube Video: Jitterbug Videos (2013) Extreme Collectors - My Little Pony Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKLXmmCgdbM (Accessed: 7 November 2014).
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