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Miser BearsApparently this is a "thing" now, it breaks my heart!
I am scarred for life 
Ha-ha....whatever floats your boat I guess!
PennsylvaniaBears are supposed to be friendly, comforting, fun and creative. That, in a nutshell, is the Teddy Bear Code.
Not all Bears are full of sweetness and light. Some Bears can be sad or pensive. Some can seem to be gruff, mischievous or even a little bit bad-mannered but they are always good at heart. Bears made to be grisly, morbid and macabre are not part of the Teddy Bear Code.
Bears are made of plush fabric and stuffing; things which are soft and huggable. These are things people want to hold and touch and play with. Bones, flesh and blood are not what Teddy Bears are made of. Those things are grotesque and repulsive.
Bears are supposed to inspire friendship and caring among people and between humans and Bears. Macabre Bears inspire people to recoil and run away.
The whole idea of Teddy Bears is is only partly about the things that they are made of. They are just material just as we are made of flesh. Physical things don't last forever. The main idea of Teddy Bears is about SYMBOLISM. The symbol of a Teddy Bear stands for something that people (should) believe in. That symbolism should inspire people to be more like the Bear, to be loving and kind and caring toward others.
These "Undead Teds" are the virtual opposite of everything that Teddy Bears are supposed to stand for. I think they tend to discourage rather than inspire. That is the reason I find them disturbing.
I love all Bears, even the macabre ones although I find them repulsive. My main disagreement is not with the Bears, themselves, but with the people who made them.
I feel sorry for somebody who thinks like that and who believes it is a good idea to market such a ghastly product.
I also find them quite repulsive and disturbing. I had noticed them some time ago on e-bay. I think they might not be intended for 'traditional' teddy collectors, but for people that love the macabre and unconventional. It is true that here the teddy is used purely as a symbol, and as such to create a strong and disturbing contrast.
Not my cup of tea.
Germany
Oh no.....
Wagga WaggaEww gross. Poor little thing, the one eye he does have looks so sad :(:cry:
Boechout, AntwerpThese "Undead Teds" are the virtual opposite of everything that Teddy Bears are supposed to stand for. I think they tend to discourage rather than inspire. That is the reason I find them disturbing.
I love all Bears, even the macabre ones although I find them repulsive. My main disagreement is not with the Bears, themselves, but with the people who made them.
I feel sorry for somebody who thinks like that and who believes it is a good idea to market such a ghastly product.
I agree completely with you, Randy. Someone must have woken up one morning and thought: "Hey why don't I make some teddy bears covered in blood, with their guts spilling out,... That seems like a good idea!" 
What bothers me too is that I keep seeing these "monstrous" bears on e-bay under...ARTIST BEARS; is there any bear artistry involved here?
And surely you can't consider these to be cuddly toys for children?
At best, you could call them Halloween decorations, but please don't call them teddy bears and certainly not artist bears.
Bears N BloomsI agree with everyone's assessment here. The sad thing is, the person that makes these obviously have some talent in the making of the teeth and other body parts but to use that talent in making something as grotesque as these bears is extremely sad. In the popularity wave of Zombies, I guess people find this amusing.
MadebyAnnaDefinitely artistic in an unusual way. And all sold out on the webpage. Not for me but i have to admit it is creative .
Carlyle Bear Co.WoW! I am all for freedom of expression but sometimes a thing just seems wrong and this is one of those times for me. I guess I would worry that a child would see it and be horrified. Some people like the shock value I'm sure.
PennsylvaniaWoW! I am all for freedom of expression but sometimes a thing just seems wrong and this is one of those times for me. I guess I would worry that a child would see it and be horrified. Some people like the shock value I'm sure.
I have to agree with that 100%!
Zombies, horror and shock value is for adults. Not for kids.
Children, especially young children, should not be exposed to horror images before they are old enough and ready to understand.
Here is where I think the line is crossed. Most people assume that Teddy Bears are for young kids. Now, somebody is selling a product that SHOULD be for adults and older kids but in a way that younger kids can be exposed before they are ready.
I don't think people should be stopped from doing it but this is like selling cigarettes in a gunpowder factory!
HoneydotzI guess there is something for everyone and I can definitely say this is not for me!
Posts: 233Really can't see the point in that at all .. Just done for reaction I reckon
PennsylvaniaI guess some people think that they have to stir the pot in order to get attention. 
Bears N BloomsHowever we feel about them, people are buying them like crazy. He listed 12 of them on Saturday and they all sold within minutes by men and women. It doesn't make it right but he seems to have market for them and he is making money at doing it. I just don't know how people think of this stuff! But he has a following that seem to think they are great. I especially do not like the teddy bear with the handgun to his head. I have nothing against guns but to send a message about suicide and using a gun in this manner is a whole different matter. When we create things, shouldn't there be good instilled in it? All those poor teddy bears.
Sacred Bear StudiosThe replies here are fascinating....
Personally, I'm conflicted. While I would never have something as undignified as this in my collection, I have to admit it tickles my admittedly demented funnybone a bit.
Here's a little bit of basic Zen to lay on y'all:
There is no good without evil, no pleasure without pain,no light without dark, no beauty without ruin. What I mean by that is that in order for something to be sacred, it has to be occasionally defiled.
What makes teddy bears so truly special is the fact that they are literally as much or as little as their owner makes of them. Some are loved and protected as precious family members, some are discarded as disposable sentiments. while the latter is certainly distasteful, it's necessary.
Consider this: If there truly were a "code" by which teddy bears were to be treated, a mandate under penalty, then treating them with respect wouldn't really mean anything, you're then treating them with respect because you have to, whether it's what you want or not.
The very fact that teddy bears can be tossed out or destroyed on a whim means that the act of loving and protecting them elevates them to being sacred.
It does make my heart ache to see how callously and even sometimes cruelly most of the world treats teddies, but in the end it makes me love and appreciate my own bears even more, so it's not all bad.
PennsylvaniaJust because I believe in a Teddy Bear Code, that doesn't mean that people who don't uphold it should be punished. That wouldn't be very Bearlike, would it?
How's that for Zen? 
The thing is we don't know what the person who makes these is trying to do here...is it a social comment...or just a joke. To be honest I think there is room for everything and as long as its well made and unique I don't see any harm in it. The maker has clearly brought their own ideas to the table and that's more than can be said for much of the work on eBay and elsewhere.
I don't particularly find it attractive..I wouldn't buy one...but I get what they are doing and I think in it's macabre way there's a message there. Maybe I am reading to much into it..maybe they are just doing it to shock. I don't think kids would be bothered by it...my grandchildren wouldn't I am sure ...I think it would just stimulate a discussion about why they did it.
I really think it's just another way to depict teddies ..
Carlyle Bear Co.Maybe I should be glad I don't have children if that wouldn't shock them! :D
I do have to agree with Jenny when she says at least the artist has brought his or her own ideas to the table. In my opinion there isn't often enough of that.
Plus, these teddies definately stimulate conversation.....just look how much it has created here. 
I'm on two minds about these. We accept things like chucky baby dolls without talking about the innocence of babies. A lot of people accept the cruelty to real bears, I have seen first hand the damage done to real bears and have cried many tears over them. I would rather see 300 of these twisted teds than a single real bear that has been mutilated by humans. Teddy Bears are what we make them, to most of us on here we attach emotions and feelings to them. In the same way some people attach feelings to dolls - whereas I have to confess dolls just leave me cold. I have a particular dislike of reborn dolls, but I can appreciate the artistry in them and also that for some people they mean a lot.
I would be interested to know a little bit more of the intention behind them, the one shown seems to be ripping his heart out, so perhaps the message is the premature loss of innocence i.e. ripping the heart out of childhood. This is a theme that artists have used for centuries. Or maybe the maker is really interested in zombies, they are a big thing now, you only have to look at the increased popularlity of Halloween to see that.
At the end of the day, it is someone's art, someone's interpretation of an idea, and I don't see it as any more of an issue than using anything else. The maker states that they are for adults, just as teddy bear artists do, if children come across them then that is a parental issue, in my opinion the artist having stated they are not suitable for children has done all they can.
Wagga WaggaI especially do not like the teddy bear with the handgun to his head. I have nothing against guns but to send a message about suicide and using a gun in this manner is a whole different matter.:(
I just had a look at the website and saw the "suicide bear". Suicide is never amusing or funny and I can't believe someone would trivialise it this way. I am not being precious or judgemental but this is beyond a joke.
PennsylvaniaI did not go to the website because I think those designs are tasteless so I did not see the suicide Bear.
I can deal with the merely tasteless. I don't have to like it but jokes about suicide cross the line and stomp all over it.
What's worse, it tramps all over the symbolism in the Teddy Bear Code. Bears are supposed to be steadfast, faithful companions no matter what. In fact, one thing that might well help a person overcome suicidal thoughts would be a Teddy Bear. The idea of a Bear who would think of taking his own life seems to remove the last vestige of hope that a depressed person might have.
We have a few Bears who are dressed in Halloween costumes like vampires but it is always clear that the costume is worn in fun. We also have some Bears who are dressed up as pioneers or soldiers. They have guns and weapons but they have them because those are things that soldiers use. Again, it's all costume play and acting in fun. It is clear that is the intent of the costume.
Everybody should know that Teddy Bears never hurt or kill. That is completely against the reason why Teddy Bears got the name "Teddy" in the first place. Right? Isn't it because Teddy Roosevelt refused to hurt a bear cub? Of course it is!
The idea of a Bear with a gun to his head is right up there with the idea of Santa Claus mowing down crowds of people with a machine gun.
I get it. These "Undead Teds" are supposed to be iconoclastic. All well and good. I don't have to agree with all of it but some symbols shouldn't be messed with.
Posts: 233I'm with you Leanne , totally . I don't know why but when I first saw this bear it hit a raw nerve with me . Any parent well mostly anyway , tries to show their children the good in things and I'm not being holier than thou here , but what sort of message does this type of thing send out. I remember when all the violent games and videos first came about and people said that they had nothing to do with the increase in violent crime , which I still cant accept . Not that I'm saying there'll be an outbreak of violence against teddies, and I can sort of see the the artistry in it but the suicide teddy , I'm sorry I don't get it and we all talk about staying positive in our lives , I fail to see any positivity in this .
I apologise to anyone if I have offended them with my comments here , that wasn't my intent , and I know we have to live and let live , but I fail to see the good in this .
Miser BearsWhat's worse, it tramps all over the symbolism in the Teddy Bear Code.
Please indulge me, Id love to hear a Teddy Bear Code recital 
