Dave loves watching
TV with Sidore andbrushing her hair

Meet theThere are somemen who insist
that having arelationshipwith a ‘love doll’(rather thana real woman)is more thanjust sex…

iDollators

FEATURE: AMISHA SURANI. PHOTOS: BARCROFT

T

ucked away inside
Dave’s wallet is aphoto of his wife,
Sidore. With her big
brown eyes andpouting lips, it’s no wonder her
besotted husband wants to carryher picture around with him.
But, the shocking truth is thatshe’s a life-sized doll with silicone
skin and simulated sex organs.
The bizarre couple have been‘married’ for 10 years and Davecalls himself a ‘doll-husband’.
“There’s a multitude of people
who’d consider a relationshipwith a doll as a taboo, deranged
or just abnormal,” says Dave, 37,a call centre worker.
“But as long as I’m not harming
anyone, I don’t see a problem. I’ve
had relationships
with real women,or ‘organics’ as I callthem, in the past,
but they’ve neverworked out. At least
Sidore will neverreject me or break my heart.”
Dave isn’t the only man who’sdeveloped an emotional bondwith an inanimate partner. He’s
one of a growing breed ofdoll-lovers, known as ‘iDollators’.
While it may seem perverted,sick and creepy, Dave insists that

there is more to his union withSidore than some sexual fantasy.
“The term sex doll is limiting,”
he says. “I prefer to call Sidore an‘artificial person’. Yes, the sex isfantastic, but we love spendingtime together. If I’ve had a bad
day at work Sidore is a greatsounding board. Obviously, she
can’t talk back, but sometimes
I don’t want to be asked lotsof questions. I like peace andquiet without feeling guilty.”
Experts believe there could
be a psychological reason why
iDollators choose dolls aspartners. According to
psychologist Dr Art Silva, theirunder-developed social skills
could be the result of a mild
form of Autism, Asperger’s
Syndrome. “Ifyou’re dealing withpeople that sufferfrom Asperger’s,
they’ll have difficultywith socialisation,”says Dr Silva.
Dave hasn’t seen a doctor, but
he agrees it could be likely. “Thereare lots of similarities between thesymptoms and iDollators – likeliving a solitary lifestyle,” he says.
There’s little else to explain
Dave’s obsession. Growing up,
he had a normal upbringing by‘She wasbeautiful – 5ft
1in, 80lb, witha 34D chest’

The dolls areavailable
in 10
different
bodytypes

his parents, who were property
landlords in Detroit, USA. But, hestill developed a fascination withinanimate women at age 10.
“I’d go to clothes shops withmy mum and be amazed by themannequins,” reveals Dave.
“When I hit puberty, myattraction became sexual. I loved
the dolls’ stillness and beauty.”
During his early 20s, he hada couple of failed relationships– which cemented his desire tohave a doll as a partner.
“I’ve only been involved with
two affairs, which I always

thought was a bit indicative,”says Dave. “It made me feel like
I was fun to be around, but not
long-term. I don’t think people
in general can be trusted.”
So when, aged 26, Dave saw
Sidore on a website selling
life-sized dolls, he says it was‘love at first sight’.
“She was beautiful, with theperfect figure – 5ft 1in, 80lb, a 34D
chest. At $5000 she was expensive,but I was besotted,” he says.
As soon as she was delivered
to his apartment, they tied theknot. “I placed my mood ring on

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