I guess the Trump administration can stop worrying about abortion being a problem in the U.S., because the Hindu goddess Parvati is putting those unborn souls to good use – she’s putting them into Thai baby dolls called luk thep, or child angels, originally created by supernatural capitalist Mae Ning. These dolls look like the creepy Reborns baby dolls that I’ve watched BBC documentaries on (the bastard children of Real Dolls) – lifelike dolls that odd women collect and often treat like human children – but they have upped the creep factor by being possessed with the souls of unborn children, either stillborn or aborted. People purchase the dolls from vendors like Mae Ning – sometimes complete with fetal spirit, other times requiring a trip to a monk to have the doll “animated” – and then confide in them, buy things for them, and find instant comfort, luck and prosperity in their presence. Child Angel owners will purchase jewelry and clothing for their dolls in exchange for their blessings, and due to celebrity endorsements, these dolls have quickly become the most popular doll in Thailand. Popular to the point that Thai Smile Airways recently announced that they would allow seats to be purchased specifically for Child Angels. Thai Smile released a statement explaining that “the Luk Thep dolls can be treated like children because they have undergone a “spiritualization” process that breathes life into them. In addition to being barred from exit rows, the dolls must also buckle up during take off and landing.” The Thai culture places huge significance on amulets, statues and other physical manifestation of god and goddess power, so these dolls are a strange (and I guess some people think cute) baby-shaped amulet with the power, positivity and luck of a new baby, and none of the crying or feeding or shit-and barf-wiping.
