What is with the common fear of dolls ( both baby and ventriloquist ), clowns and mannequins? My acquisition of both Dale the ventriloquist doll and Skittles the clown doll were to try to unsettle myself and perhaps manage to get over my distaste for these toys. As well, I plan to add a mannequin to my list of acquisitions. Those 1950s female ones that look like June Cleaver most unsettle me. Human facsimiles are unsettling. We feel the same way about robots that are too human-like. Ventriloquist dolls with their hinged mouths and ability to "talk," are unnatural. Clowns are people in costumes and makeup that look human-like but their expressions are exaggerated in a disturbing manner. Mannequins look nearly identical but stand stiff and stuck in one position. There is a lack of soul to these effigies that gives them a sinister feel. Have you ever seen a dog react to a stuffed dog? Yeah, humans do the same with these dolls. They approach with apprehension, study it, shake the...