This is a very interesting topic .. but I don't have a lot of time tonight. I'll just offer a different counterpoint to consider. First of all - I agree .. you can't "rape a doll". Technically you are either
(a) always "raping a doll" (because there was no consent given), or
(b) you are "never capable of raping a doll" (because consent doesn't need to be given).
Its seems like there are only two choices, right? Wrong.
There is a more advanced concept in ethics whereby our actions (not the intention of our actions) is what describes our responsibility to "the others in our world". For some examples of this, read Emmanuel Levinas, or if you can extrapolate a little, read Kant's response to Hume on Causality. For those not interested in such heady topics .. here is a simpler explanation.
So let's do a little thought exercise .. let's say you had a doll of a black man (life-size ... very real). And let's say you decided to take that outside to your front yard, strip him naked and whip it .. and then light it on fire. Are we to expect that black people everywhere would ignore it and say .. its just a doll? Or would it be reasonable for them to be offended?
Similarly .. what do we think when other people (say terrorists) burn our flag? Do we think .. well .. its just cloth and dye? No .. when we are being honest, we don't. If we're being honest .. we're offended.
Dolls are created in the image of beautiful women. To be offended at the mistreatment of them is not irrational. BUT I would caution this .. before we go overboard in to the deep:
MANY women have rape fantasies. When I say a lot .. I mean .. a SURPRISING amount (conservatively 25% - 32). See here:
LINK. I myself have been asked to tied up a partner not once but
twice now (different women). The first time went badly because of my inexperience .. but I digress.
So .. should we be offended at the "rape of dolls"? It guess there are limits. I wasn't able to view the original pictures (perhaps someone can upload them here). If dolls are getting mutilated and deformed and its really just senseless violence .. then I'm thinking I could be offended, yes. But before I got there, I would definitely still have to consider .. better a doll than a real person. This is because (as a doll owner) despite the high value I place on dolls, I still value them much lower than actual human beings. In the end, I just hope the dolls are liking it.
Just another random .02 from
MannyCan