She's a Real Girl!

Recently a group of us watched Lars and the Real Girl together, as an indulgent Chicks Night In, with munchies and drinks that the Calories Gods had previously pronounced low cal[!]  Anyway, the movie, starring Ryan Gosling, was a tale about a lonely, shy man who had an interesting fantasy life.  In the story, he obtained a Real Girl, a reasonably lifelike model of a young woman that he named Bianca.  I won't give the plot away in case you haven't seen it; but it was strangely touching while avoiding true creepiness and had a satisfying ending.

Later on, I looked into the existence of such a product. There is such a product available, marketed under the name RealDoll, and each costs about a cool $6000.  You can Google this product's website if you wish; be warned that the product site is somewhat graphic!

Basically, the RealDoll is designed to recreate the appearance, texture, and weight of the human female primarily to serve as surrogate sex partners. They come in 9 different body types and 16 different faces.  They can be dressed in different types of clothing, changing wigs or makeup, and even adjusted in body temperature by use of electric blankets or baths.

According to the detailed Wikipedia article, their use is not exclusively sexual.  They may serve as stand-ins for human models in photographs or other visual arts.  Some owners also use the dolls as non-sexual companion substitutes, maintaining a chaste relationship with them.  Still other owners buy the dolls simply because they consider them to be beautiful works of art.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realdoll

Well, I hope you did not find this topic uncomfortable.  But how do these Real Girls or RealDolls fit into the everyday scheme of things?  For a start, could she be listed as a dependent on your income tax return?  Do many women own Real Girls?   What state has the greatest percentage of owners of Real Girls per population?  Will they come our with a minister's wife version of the Real Girl someday?

Does a thoughtful owner choose her ensembles carefully and with taste?   I hope that he would have more self-respect and sensitivity than to dress his Real Girl like a tart!  Something classy, like an evening gown or a little black dress, perhaps?  And shouldn't there be a period of acquaintance before any intimacies take place?  After all, even a Real Girl is entitled to have a good reputation! 

A thoughtful Real Girl owner would periodically buy her flowers; and special little gifts!  And take her to nice places: the opera, concerts, lectures.

Suppose a Real Girl owner were to meet a real life flesh-and-blood real girl or woman later?  How would she deal with her predecessor?  I would assume that they would not be so depraved as to live in a ménage a trois!  Wouldn't there there be jealousy issues?  Shouldn't there be a retirement plan for the Real Girl?  I would also assume that no one would be so crass as to sell his Real Girl.  If relegated to the closet, could she come out of special occasions?

Obviously, using a Real Girl sexually is an example of a paraphilia.  As such, it then raises the question as to whether there is a subrosa subculture of Real Girl affectionados.  Is there a demi-monde where they can convene, buy their Real Girl appropriate clothes and jewelry, and dine out together?  And what is one to think of some high roller who has more than one?  Is that morally equivalent to polygamy?  It seems that we have some questions to resolve as these Real Girls become more mainstream.

Also still to be resolved is whether transporting your Real Girl in the passenger seat qualifies your car for the multiple passenger lanes on expressways!