Fear of Mannequins

I have always been rather apprehensive about the idea of being alone with a mannequin. Sure, they are fine in brightly lit stores, but after working the malls in the 1980s and turning the lights out, they took on a certain penetrating and knowing gaze. Don't let their pretty looks fool you, their eyes seem to follow you with keen intelligence.

I ended up buying this 1980s mannequin ("Gypsy") but I used to model and work clothing stores, wanted to be a clothing designer and adored the Diane Lane movie, "Lady Beware." I wanted to live among mannequins. I guess I hadn't realized how eerie it is. It's kind of like being in a relationship with someone who takes up space but adds nothing to the experience.

Fear of mannequins is a common apprehension. A few movies have been made that upset us with mannequins, but none done so freaky as "Tourist Trap."

Of course, you have your atomic era mannequins utilized as stand-in's while testing the bomb. There is nothing more disquieting to see the government put in plastic dummies to fill in for us to learn collateral damage.

Then, there's those happy Betty Crocker mid century mannequins who looked so artificially happy and clean cut that one had to wonder what they are hiding -

Sometimes, animated expressions can work against stores that use them. Everyone wants to rush away from these -

Their sheer numbers in a grouping can take on the feel of a demented and determined army -

Is there a point where an uncanny valley occurs in the mannequin realm and a mannequin looks so human, it is not longer entertaining but becomes threatening and unsettling? Ah, yes.

Automatonophobia - fear of everything from mannequins to ventriloquist dolls (fear of sentient beings).

Child mannequins are particularly odd, as children who are quiet and still must never be trusted -