to me this is super deep but, why do you think were are the way we are like Furrys wise.
why do we like furrys and have a connection to them, and are drawn to others like us.
iv got more but thats personal and would make me sound a bit off i think. but thats the base of what im thinking of.
i just cant seem to think passed my own reasons why.
1. there different from the everyday human we see.
2. some kinda part of are Primal being and have shown it self more in furrys then Regular people.
3. we just have a natural understanding of what they are and what they Represent to our self, and sometimes others.
4. it just.......feels.......right
5. it just cant be helped.
Two threads which I believe have answers to your question:
http://www.bcfurries.com/forum/index.php?topic=4665.0 (http://www.bcfurries.com/forum/index.php?topic=4665.0)
http://www.bcfurries.com/forum/index.php?topic=4679.0 (http://www.bcfurries.com/forum/index.php?topic=4679.0)
Humans have always had connections to animals in a spiritual or companion-like way for as long as we've been sentient. The native Americans were VERY closely tied (and some still are) with animal spirits and often identified themselves with animals, depending on the individual. People who own and love pets typically do so because of a deep personal connection with animals--for some, they make us feel whole, almost as if we are vicariously embracing our animal side through them.
I really have to agree with the pets part. Another reason of animal spiritualism would be a sense of alignment with the zodiac, be it western or eastern.
I've got a way-out there reason...Sometimes I do wonder if I was a canine in my past life before being reincarnated as a human in my current life. It's way-out stuff, but I hope you follow my drift. xD
: Tef July 19, 2012, 08:01:31 -06:00
I really have to agree with the pets part. Another reason of animal spiritualism would be a sense of alignment with the zodiac, be it western or eastern.
I've got a way-out there reason...Sometimes I do wonder if I was a canine in my past life before being reincarnated as a human in my current life. It's way-out stuff, but I hope you follow my drift. xD
In terms of spirituality, reincarnation isn't as far out there as you may think, its quite possibly one of the most common and more easily understood concepts. At least when looking at things beyond the common take of spirituality by our culture.
But as for Fuzzum's main question. Its true that it is a topic that has come up on virtually every furry forum, and of every time I have seen it, there is always a very noticeable pattern that pops up. In point form it looks something like this. (mind you this all doesn't apply to every single furry, just so I don't get flamed lol)
1: Furries admire animals due to the perceived care-free lives that they have. There are just no social expectations, rules, its a no-bars held life sort of.
2: Many of us feel something more deep inside, a connection to a certain species, we see ourselves as having the qualities of a certain species. (this one can be both spiritual and non-spiritual)
3: On a spiritual note, there are many forms of spirituality that incorporate animals, so it gives some of us more of a sense of a connection to our inner creature.
but I hesitate to call them as a outright "furry" intensive thing. (the whole, furry is 1000s of years old and tied to everything always bugged me)
4: We look at humanity and how isolated we tend to make ourselves, how outright cold our species can be some times and it sickens us on a level.
On that note it makes us see animals from a more peaceful and social perspective (this pretty much ties in with point #1)
5: Animal lovers, what furry doesn't love animals. For some of us its that love of animals that makes us feel a kinship towards them.
I think in my case it's because I like art of dog people.
I'm pretty deep and edgy.
Even if you aren't furry, I think most people can say they love animals. Dogs, Cats, Lizards, Snakes, Monkies even. We think they are cute, adorable, majestic, beautiful, awesome. There's a lot of traits we catch, and admire in animals, and have long before 'furries' existed. Wether we took heraldic symbols for crests of kingdoms and countries, or we worshiped them as gods in Egypt, animals have facinated almost all of man kind.
Plus I think we as human beings want to be different, and belong at the same time. You will see so many different subcultures break away from the 'main stream' to be 'cool', but these 'groups' still band together under a common cause. Gigaloos, Hipsters, Punks, Trekkies, Furries, ect, ect.
You even see within the furry fandom this sort of splinter, and grouping into different categories or groups to identify yourself with. I find myself actually finding little to nothing in common with a lot of furries aside from "hey you like anthro animal people too? cool". Cartoony, realistic, quadrapedal, taur, TF, Vore; you start to see how interests vary dynamically, but we still all kind of rally under one banner.
I like trains.
One also cannot rule out the psychological factors in why we are all in this group.
Humans like having patterns, groups being one of them. We like to define ourselves in terms of in and out groups and always strive to be in what we perceive as the in group. Many fuzzballs have been pushed out from percieved in-groups so it is only natura when they can't fit in to one in-group the either find or create another to be a part of. A definite easy way is to find something that a lot of people like, animals, and create a group based upon that. Add in the fact that there is really a lax requirement to be fuzzy and it's easy to see why so many slip in to this group.
Honest to god, I think everyone here is retarded and sociopathic - daddy issues and whatnot.
Part of it is a refusal or inability to grow up, another part of it is our subpsyche rejecting certain things about ourselves we feel make us human. :-3
Those are the common traits everybody here seems to share. It varies for each of us of course.
I'd go into greater detail, however there's no way to do that without offending everybody. So I won't.
: Duffy July 19, 2012, 06:43:52 -06:00
I like trains.
to stay on the off-topic, lego rules, it not only has trains, but the landscape and mountains can be built out of same materials.
AND... now back to topic......
always have had rabbit like tendencies and habits, but not put it all together till last oct.
i see furries as the most hippie like of all the geek sub-cultures, being very free and creative and most accepting and welcoming of all others.
: Renwaldo July 19, 2012, 11:58:29 -06:00
Honest to god, I think everyone here is retarded and sociopathic - daddy issues and whatnot.
Part of it is a refusal or inability to grow up, another part of it is our subpsyche rejecting certain things about ourselves we feel make us human. :-3
Those are the common traits everybody here seems to share. It varies for each of us of course.
I'd go into greater detail, however there's no way to do that without offending everybody. So I won't.
Ah says pardon? O.=.o I like to think I'm rather well-adjusted and 100% content with my upbringing and how I got to where I am now. I shed my teen-angst attitude when I turned 18 and feel as though I'm a functioning, happy member of society. If I thought being a furry was simply spawn of the hormone-ridden emotions we all feel in our adolescent years, I'd have "grown out" of the whole furry thing years ago. And I KNOW there are others, not just in the general community--but on this forum, who are equally mentally healthy and well-adjusted.
For a large number of people, Renwaldo might have a valid point. But I want to ensure that it is known that it doesn't apply to everyone who considers themselves furries. It's not a cry for attention, or a super easy way to feel accepted. It's a fun, relatively harmless method of escapism for many of us... just like playing videogames or reading books. It's a great way to exercise your imagination and cling to a fantasy, rather than letting the world turn shades of grey as we grow older.
: Renwaldo July 19, 2012, 11:58:29 -06:00
Honest to god, I think everyone here is retarded and sociopathic - daddy issues and whatnot.
Part of it is a refusal or inability to grow up, another part of it is our subpsyche rejecting certain things about ourselves we feel make us human. :-3
Those are the common traits everybody here seems to share. It varies for each of us of course.
I'd go into greater detail, however there's no way to do that without offending everybody. So I won't.
Okay, you got me, i'll bite, that statement was just too full of either troll or derp to resist.
If you look at any group of people in this world ALL of them will have their members with issues furry by no means is some special exception to this. If you are gonna say that furries are mostly mentally damaged people then you might as well say "hey the entire human race has brain damage" because in a skewed sense its still right. there are liberals who are totally brain fucked and want to jail people for having cars, there are car lovers who are mentally deranged and wanna run people down, there are horseback riders with thoughts of genocide running through their minds, there are Guido fashion wannabees who think everyone who doesn't dress trendy should be drawn and quartered. See where I am going here? You find me a "normal" person and I will grant you eternal life, because both are equally impossible to do.
Call me a cheap shot here but let me put it this way for examples sake, your time spent pursuing trying to be fashionable could just as easily be seen as a mental issue by many other people, but does it truly mean that it is? "science" says yes, common sense and logic says no. Furries time spent enjoying anthropic creatures and subsequently not caring too much about falling into the roles society wants them to have (no-personality 9-5 drone worker alcoholics) once again, not fitting a norm is probably the lamest reason to call someone "retarded"
: Fuzzum July 18, 2012, 10:38:46 -06:00
to me this is super deep but, why do you think were are the way we are like Furrys wise.
why do we like furrys and have a connection to them, and are drawn to others like us.
iv got more but thats personal and would make me sound a bit off i think. but thats the base of what im thinking of.
i just cant seem to think passed my own reasons why.
1. there different from the everyday human we see.
2. some kinda part of are Primal being and have shown it self more in furrys then Regular people.
3. we just have a natural understanding of what they are and what they Represent to our self, and sometimes others.
4. it just.......feels.......right
5. it just cant be helped.
1: Everyone is different, but it could be based around feeling like an outcast and then relying on a fandom to give yourself a placebo effect against that loneliness. Despite it being somewhat counter-effective, as with some individuals (like Chris-chan on youtube.) it can lead to becoming even further detached from anyone outside of your clique.
2: Nope, thats basically going out on a limb on faith, unless it's attributed in reverse personification like a writer may do to describe someone.
3: People take things to represent themselves all the time, thats a redeeming quality, but manifests in different ways for some people.
Ususally through music, when you find that song that fits just right.
4&5: Can't really answer.
Also @ renwaldo: Yeah, lol. there's strong ties that people tend to overlook between our mental state and the fandom itself.
To remain healthy-minded, and not be massive troll bait, you have to acknowledge that you're a human being first and foremost, not an animal. You've probably all seen the facepalmitude of some furries who take the fandom far too seriously, and it leads to the persecution complex, which is partially why the fandom is so taboo.
Speaking of which, bronies have taken the same persecution complex on themselves, which i find hilarious- and part of why any mlp threads on *chans are instantly saged/spammed, and most furry threads are left alone.
: professor whovianart July 20, 2012, 02:34:47 -06:00i see furries as the most hippie like of all the geek sub-cultures, being very free and creative and most accepting and welcoming of all others.
Not so much, The fandom as a whole tends to lash out at any criticism, or if someone makes a guess without understanding much about furries, causing further misunderstandings.
Creativity is also debatable, as one look at deviant art will instantly kill that idea.
That and looking at names/characters for sale, which can really show how uncreative some people are, being willing to name their fox "red" or something, or buying some random pre-made character because you either cannot draw, or can't think up something uncommon and resonant with yourself.
Nice analysis, Zetta, I thought that was an informative read. To add to your last statement, in reply to Prof. Whovianart, I think it's also important to consider that many... MANY people call themselves "furries" simply for the porn and outlandish roleplaying. They have absolutely no inclination towards imagination and creativity; they saw a furry smut post on 4chan and it got them off.
On the other hand, though, I'm also inclined to agree with Prof. Short of delving into the world of videogame design and development, I think the furry community contains some of the most imaginative and creative individuals I've ever met. Some of the artists I follow have quite unique talents in art and story writing. Not to say that I haven't seen these talents outside of our community; but I do have to admit that we have quite an impressive collection of those individuals in our own little furry fandom.
Is totally one of those shallow people who came for the porn. @_@
Stayed for the fun gatherings though.
That counts for something doesn't it?
: Renwaldo July 22, 2012, 11:12:56 -06:00
Is totally one of those shallow people who came for the porn. @_@
Stayed for the fun gatherings though.
That counts for something doesn't it?
Not sure that is actually a valid explanation on "what it means to be a furry," no. =\ Somewhat certain that this is an explanation to "what it means to be a sexual deviant," which isn't always a bad thing in most cases, including this one. Being into furry porn is pretty harmless, but it doesn't and shouldn't have anything to do with describing what it means to be a furry.
: Neox July 23, 2012, 12:18:48 -06:00
Not sure that is actually a valid explanation on "what it means to be a furry," no. =\ Somewhat certain that this is an explanation to "what it means to be a sexual deviant," which isn't always a bad thing in most cases, including this one. Being into furry porn is pretty harmless, but it doesn't and shouldn't have anything to do with describing what it means to be a furry.
I can 'sort' of see where he is coming from. There's a lot of good, and a lot of bad to draw from the furry fandom. Depending who you run into, associate with, hang out with.
For the most part I enjoy the Furry Fandom, and because of just how .. big or diverse it is, it means different things for different people. There's groups of self feedback loops, those in it for more shallow reasons, some in for deep spiritual, or those who genuinely enjoy the positive and creative atmosphere that it harbours.
No matter what we call ourselves though, we are human, and with all humans there's an incredible diversity of opinions which will often clash.
make me think much, ya couldnt seem to find myself that day and started thinking far beyoned what i could understand.
yes Farzar i agree and put this to rest i think that would be a good thing end it on a good note. befor it gets to heavy and people start hateing each other.
I'm just here to get my rocks off.
...It's so hard to convey sarcasm through text >_>;
(Those who know me already probably know what Im gonna say)
In this case I think I will actually somewhat defend the point, seeing as the porn bit its... well its wide spread and our attempts to cover it up from our very selves is like trying to cover the worlds most awkward boner with nothing but a napkin. Im not saying to scream it to the world, but hey in my books porn is pretty low on the list for "bad reasons to be a fur" I would rate "shameless popularity whoring", "just cause my friend is in it"and "im desperate for attention" as far worse reasons. Besides, those who are just in it for the porn would not take the time to create a fursona or post on forums so I think their numbers are a lot smaller than we may believe they are.
Simply put, those who only care about trying to be some form of celebrity are far more of a pain in the ass. Give me a guy who rolls his dice to dragons and foxes over that any day. ;D
: Neox July 22, 2012, 04:26:57 -06:00
Nice analysis, Zetta, I thought that was an informative read. To add to your last statement, in reply to Prof. Whovianart, I think it's also important to consider that many... MANY people call themselves "furries" simply for the porn and outlandish roleplaying. They have absolutely no inclination towards imagination and creativity; they saw a furry smut post on 4chan and it got them off.
On the other hand, though, I'm also inclined to agree with Prof. Short of delving into the world of videogame design and development, I think the furry community contains some of the most imaginative and creative individuals I've ever met. Some of the artists I follow have quite unique talents in art and story writing. Not to say that I haven't seen these talents outside of our community; but I do have to admit that we have quite an impressive collection of those individuals in our own little furry fandom.
Exactly. the major upside of any fandom is the sheer amount of dedicated artists that will pump out content for years.
: Renwaldo July 22, 2012, 11:12:56 -06:00
Is totally one of those shallow people who came for the porn. @_@
Stayed for the fun gatherings though.
That counts for something doesn't it?
*Cough* Seconded.
Albeit i don't have too many furry friends irl, mostly due to: I try to avoid bubbly people because they tend to embarass me regardless of what they're into, that and my friends don't give a shit about it, as I'm way too open minded to consider pushing anything out of my head into another.
Well, unless I get into a debate or something.
irrelevant.
Ooo hot topic for some i guess.
the way i see it is that we havent been around long enough to realy know what beeing a furry is about, so far no real rules and were kinda flying under the Radar. thats all i can think of right now.
: Drake Wingfire July 25, 2012, 12:38:59 -06:00
(Those who know me already probably know what Im gonna say)
In this case I think I will actually somewhat defend the point, seeing as the porn bit its... well its wide spread and our attempts to cover it up from our very selves is like trying to cover the worlds most awkward boner with nothing but a napkin. Im not saying to scream it to the world, but hey in my books porn is pretty low on the list for "bad reasons to be a fur" I would rate "shameless popularity whoring", "just cause my friend is in it"and "im desperate for attention" as far worse reasons. Besides, those who are just in it for the porn would not take the time to create a fursona or post on forums so I think their numbers are a lot smaller than we may believe they are.
Simply put, those who only care about trying to be some form of celebrity are far more of a pain in the ass. Give me a guy who rolls his dice to dragons and foxes over that any day. ;D
I've spent a lot of time thinking on the whole porn/yiff/sex thing regarding Furries. The more I think about it, the more I interact with the community, and the more I've been around, the more I've come to think that sex, or sexuality and furries are not things tied together; well, not quite in the way I think those on the outside looking in, and those on the inside 'for the sex' think it is.
Humans.. well almost all animals are very sexual. Aside from food, sex is the most natural thing that drives an animal instinctually. Take away furry, and you still have a normal human being who wants to do what comes naturally. You see if everywhere else outside of the furry fandom as a large part of advertisement, games, novels, TV, ect, ect. There are also quite a few in the fandom where; like in real life, have little care for sexual stuff.
I really don't think furries are as different as we would want/hope us to be, and others think we are. There are way more prominent key points, corner stones and iconic things the furry fandom would do better to associate itself with like it's creativity. Uncle Kage once mentioned that the furry fandom was unique for a FANdom for whenever you compare it to say Trekkies, or anything else, they all have had someone else create something for them to be a fan of. Furries are the creators. We are our own biggest fans. In a sense each furry is their own celebrity. I may be butchering it a little, but case in point is the individuality, and creative spark I have noticed in the furry fandom is something I have not seen anywhere else.
: Fazar July 26, 2012, 08:48:06 -06:00
I've spent a lot of time thinking on the whole porn/yiff/sex thing regarding Furries. The more I think about it, the more I interact with the community, and the more I've been around, the more I've come to think that sex, or sexuality and furries are not things tied together; well, not quite in the way I think those on the outside looking in, and those on the inside 'for the sex' think it is.
Humans.. well almost all animals are very sexual. Aside from food, sex is the most natural thing that drives an animal instinctually. Take away furry, and you still have a normal human being who wants to do what comes naturally. You see if everywhere else outside of the furry fandom as a large part of advertisement, games, novels, TV, ect, ect. There are also quite a few in the fandom where; like in real life, have little care for sexual stuff.
I really don't think furries are as different as we would want/hope us to be, and others think we are. There are way more prominent key points, corner stones and iconic things the furry fandom would do better to associate itself with like it's creativity. Uncle Kage once mentioned that the furry fandom was unique for a FANdom for whenever you compare it to say Trekkies, or anything else, they all have had someone else create something for them to be a fan of. Furries are the creators. We are our own biggest fans. In a sense each furry is their own celebrity. I may be butchering it a little, but case in point is the individuality, and creative spark I have noticed in the furry fandom is something I have not seen anywhere else.
Thats a fair point, honestly I never thought much about the fandom in that light because its was one of those so basic things we simply take for granted, us being the creators and the own starts of our own show is something that is an every day occurrence for most of us, literally to the point we don't even think much of it.
You are right though, sexuality and desires are something that every single person out there deals with, the reason the fandom seems so enthralled in it is simply because we do not veiw sex as such a shameful thing. But one could argue this is also highly tied to the fact the vast majority of our numbers are ages 15-30 on average IE: the most sexually active age group, so its gonna reflect it a bit in the fandom. I didn't mean to sound like sex is all we are here for, I just meant to say that just because someone likes their porn, furry porn, doesn't make them less of a fur or some strange thing like that. Its just a really silly thing in the end, like saying a fur can be judged solely based on fursona or a otherkin can be judged on how they had their awakening. (not saying thats what you said, just saying it as part of the subject as a whole)
Well BAM make those who are just reading think alot about the hole shebang making us all proud to. Keep it up :thumbs: :thumbs:
and those who are just reading please add your thoughts on the subject.
Wow, reading this thread has really got me thinking because everything that I thought made a furry a furry is really not it at all as it is all present in other people that don't identify as furry. Affinity for animals, age regression, hippyism, and sexuality is a factor, but doesn't seem like the one unifying reason; if there even is one. Though looking at other fandoms, they also have something that they share in common. I have a feeling that people are over complicating the reason. Maybe it is just as simple as that we like to act like animals because it is unusal and we live to rebel against the normal human behavior. This is just the route we chose.
I have noticed that there is a heavy emphasis on sexuality in the fandom and I feel that it is because people in the fandom feel more comfortable as we share a deep connection right off the bat. Being part of a society that it not entirely accepted and even hated by other. Though sexuality is not the basis of the fandom, as many people think it is, as sexuality is part of every fandom wheather they want to admit it or not. This is a fandom not a fetish.
Furry-porn mongers don't follow the fandom because they're horny. EVERYONE gets horny. You can't fault everyone who gets-off to furry porn and dub furry fandom a fetish. This is not the reason why so many people come to the furry fandom for porn/sex.
The real reason why there is such an overabundance of sex-crazed people in the furry world is because WE CAN CREATE ANYTHING YOUR MIND CAN THINK OF.
How many other fandoms are widely known for their reliance on artwork and have a holy-shit tank of thousands of godly artists as the furry fandom does? How many other fandoms are known for such a massive diversity of characters, species, and genres?
What I'm saying is: we get all the porn-addicts because, in less than five minutes, you can drum-up an artist who will--for free or for cash--draw whatever the fuck you ask them to, or already has it in their gallery for you to look at, and I'm NOT just talking Rule 34. Vore, c-boys, herms, melting, MLP, unbirthing... The most outlandish shit you've seen can be found, and has likely even been invented, in furry art. People are attracted to our fandom simply because of this; they're not always attracted to the actual fur community.
This is why I feel it's important to separate the sexual side from the actual being-a-furry side when explaining "what it is to be a furry." There are so many people out there who are simply in it for the porn, and THEY are the ones who make it extremely difficult to drop the "hey, I'm a furry," bomb on family and friends.
It's almost like, "Hey, I'm a Nazi, but not like the other Nazis who killed Jews and started a war. We're like... the cool Nazis. The ones who do bake-sales at bingo and walk your dog for free." Yeah... kinda hard to sell that one, right?
: Neox July 27, 2012, 06:17:21 -06:00This is why I feel it's important to separate the sexual side from the actual being-a-furry side when explaining "what it is to be a furry." There are so many people out there who are simply in it for the porn, and THEY are the ones who make it extremely difficult to drop the "hey, I'm a furry," bomb on family and friends.
Not so much. Your family and friends shouldn't give a shit if they actually care about you, and its even better if you joke about yourself with it. It's not nearly as controversial as people think, especially if you understand you're not actually an animal. being in something for the porn doesn't make you the 'bad part' of a fandom. Sexual deviance is inevitable, and actually increases with age. Taking on that attitude that they make something worse is only contributing to the problem.
Also comparing furries to Nazis is generally a bad idea, as its just a tad overdramatic.
Your family and friends shouldn't give a shit if they actually care about you
Even if they do love you there will still be an awkwardness there because of what they associate you with. Just imagine if yourmom came up to you and casually told you that she blows the dog on sundays.
People that come for the porn are not here for the fandom. They have a furry fetish and in most cases that is it.
: ravewoif July 27, 2012, 11:40:16 -06:00
Even if they do love you there will still be an awkwardness there because of what they associate you with. Just imagine if yourmom came up to you and casually told you that she blows the dog on sundays.
People that come for the porn are not here for the fandom. They have a furry fetish and in most cases that is it.
To be honest I'd find it more hilarious than awkward. Everyone has kinks, and so long as you're not running around acting like an animal around everyone all the time it shouldn't be a problem.
Also, most cases doesn't some it up, especially when such a large portion of the fandom is rooted in porn.
Don't be an elitist within a fandom, an
Us vs. Them attitude is a leading cause for the persecution complex. Bronies are getting it too, as they try to deny and hide the fetishism behind it.
: Zetta July 28, 2012, 01:48:28 -06:00
To be honest I'd find it more hilarious than awkward. Everyone has kinks, and so long as you're not running around acting like an animal around everyone all the time it shouldn't be a problem.
Also, most cases doesn't some it up, especially when such a large portion of the fandom is rooted in porn.
Don't be an elitist within a fandom, an Us vs. Them attitude is a leading cause for the persecution complex. Bronies are getting it too, as they try to deny and hide the fetishism behind it.
You can go ahead and defend your wish to have porn and furries be an integral thing; I'm going to continue defending the fact that I think the two sides are best left apart from each other except for individuals who choose to delve into it themselves.
And you bet your ass that family and friends would give a shit about it,
especially if they care about you. It
is a controversial topic. Furry porn is borderline bestiality, for fuck sake! (Let me stress the word BORDERLINE so I don't get people flipping shit on me about that.) And how about this: for once, stop worrying about what your parents'/friends' reaction would be and how it would affect and inconvenience YOU. Why not take five minutes and imagine how it affects THEM. My mother was distraught enough when I busted out the fact that I was dating Josh. She wasn't angry, or in denial of the fact that I'm now sleeping with a guy; but she was brought up in a totally different social environment than I was and this was something completely new and scary for her. And this is something that is now mainstream. Gays and lesbians exist everywhere now, so it's not like she hadn't seen it before. But it was a shock for her to realize that one of her own family was now gay.
So imagine how something as outlandish as having a sexual interest in depictions of humanlike animals fucking might affect her. She would be mortified, and this is not something I want to bring down on her, no fucking way.
So how about having a little bit of respect for the people who aren't completely savvy with furry culture, and imagine what it might be like for THEM to realize that you are into shit, which
to them, might look just as bad as bestiality and paedophilia. This isn't elitism. Elitism would be someone thinking they're better than you because you like greasy furry porn and they are a squeaky clean goodie two shoes. I'm totally guilty of being into furry porn; hell, I draw the shit and I enjoy it like any other. But I'm not going to jeopardize the way my friends, family, coworkers and other associates think of me by risking them being completely offended when I explain that I'm a furry.
Not all furries are into furry porn. Thus, saying that the two sides are integral would be false.
If you choose to convolute the explanation you give to people with "furry porn is part of furry culture," most of the time, you'll just drive them away. They'll lock the issue and not want to talk about it again. But if that's the way you wanna do it, fine by me. I hope that works for ya.
I just want to add this is one of my favorite topics on this entire forum.
I have been fortunate enough to have a family that is for the most part understanding, and caring. My mom and dad know that I'm a furry, dad I don't think fully grasps it, mom does a bit more, and my brother 'thinks' he understands it and is the only one who really kind of disowns me because of his disgust with it.
A lot of this does focus around the sexual side of things, and it's always been a thing that Furries have had to had slapped next to them. I think the largest issue that Furries deal with regarding the sexual thing is that they are viewed by the public largely as being 100% a sexual kink, and nothing else. It's fun to see other people talk about Furries, and though they bring up stuff like CSI, the thing that seems to escape them is that there is, and there is a fairly large part that is not sexual.
Like in my first post where I said that even within the furry fandom there is division, this post gives an excellent example of that where being furry means different things for different people. Despite us all clinging to the tag "Furry" we have to soemtimes tag around others who try to make the name stand for something else.
Most important thing I think in giving the public an eye into the furry fandom is to try and seperate the sexual side of things, because you give them an inch, they will take a mile. That's why you cringe when you see a Furry being interviewed "So is there any sex", "Well.. there is a little sex", and then all other form of reasoning regarding description of the Furry Fandom is completly out of the window.
Like I'm not sure if you guys still know, but a lot of the reviews I often see of people hating on the furry fandom think that the conventions are nothing but giant sex parties in suits.
"I'm Commander Shepherd, and this is my favourite topic on the Citadel." (Sorry, I couldn't help it.)
: Fazar July 31, 2012, 12:10:57 -06:00
Like in my first post where I said that even within the furry fandom there is division, this post gives an excellent example of that where being furry means different things for different people. Despite us all clinging to the tag "Furry" we have to soemtimes tag around others who try to make the name stand for something else.
Most important thing I think in giving the public an eye into the furry fandom is to try and seperate the sexual side of things, because you give them an inch, they will take a mile.
Exactly. And that's where it becomes frustrating while trying to explain to someone that you're a furry. 9 times out of 10, the mainstream individual hears something about furries in a blog, media report, etc, where the article is about someone who was interviewed specifically about the fetish side of being furry. And that's ALL people wanna hear about! Because it's fucked up! Look at how much talk went down about the Miami guy who ate the face off a homeless dude! Nobody is saying, "Holy shit, I hope that homeless guy was ok;" everyone is all jabbering like, "Holy shit it's the motherfucking ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!!! Dave!!! Get your Mossberg! D-Day's a-comin'! :'D" We all eat the cracked-out media like fucking candy while we shun the less interesting stuff because it's less exciting.
So when people hear about furries in the general public, they don't give a damn about the person who's trying their hardest to explain that being furry is different for everyone, and it's mostly harmless and fun; they LOCK-IN on the kid who's like, "Yeah, me and my boyfriend joined because we're both, like, animals inside, and we like putting on the suits when we screw because it's like we're actually being our animal-selves," because it's fucked up! It's weird! To your average, everyday person, this is so far out in the Realm of WTF that they need to build a bigger telescope to catch a glimpse of it.
I've explained to a few of my co-workers that I'm a furry and what that means to me, and ALL of them have found it to be quite acceptable and nowhere near as screwed-up as they thought it was. I guess a part of that, though, was having gained their respect BEFORE I dropped that bomb on them. Either way, I told them my side of it and let them draw their conclusions. They still invite me out for beer, so I guess it worked out for the better. XD
I don't even know where I'm going with this anymore. What was the topic again? o.=.O
=P
lol ya that happens the best of everyone , ya it got a little Dark there seems we all have a little role to play here as the meteator (Ya cant spell so your lucky i even get close) for the furry's by supporting it in a positive way and not getting the meaning lost in the world that is put befor us and go with the flow of what we get and only hope that it comes out positive.
I am honestly not too sure how I feel regarding your examples Neox, On the one hand I do see what you mean by family being mortified and generally losing their shit. I think every single one of us has a tale like that, I sure know I do... But at the same time, how badly does family really need to know about furry interests or your sexual interests (gay aside as its more main stream in this era)? I would be willing to be its on the same level as "Mom, Dad... I am an Otherkin, I believe I was a dragon in a past life and I wanna go out and meditate in the woods!" we all know its just shit that is going to fly WAY over their heads and we know that the most common reaction is gonna be "whoshitafuck! my Son is totally fucked in the head, I should have put him on meds when he was younger!" and what ground was truly gained in revealing such a thing about yourself? unless you are into some form of social masochism then you really haven't gained anything.
In virtually every taboo community there has been a method developed to deal with such an outcome, It goes something like this?
Does my family truly need to know THAT side of me? Will it really pan out that much in day to day life? How often am I going to reference furries or my sexuality around my own family?
Honestly in my opinion, if one is going to go to such lengths to try and verbally censor the fandom and make it look like its all people practicing some form of shamanic totem animals and that we really are only just society's new wave of hippies who wanna just watch robin hood and eat Doritos, then how much more of an effort is it truly to just avoid the entire subject with people you know for a fact will have virtually no comprehension and will automatically assume the worst? To me it seems far much more of a burden to make an effort to "come out" over something that will have very little, maybe even no effect on your daily family life. How ever, if you know they are very open people and can actually handle new ideas and concepts then by all means if you feel it then do it. Just remember that people are not as stupid as we like to assume, especially family, they can tell when someone is tip-toeing and sugar coating a subject.
As a good friend once said about me "Drake you are by far the WORST furry I know (due to my dirty humor and mindset), yet you are also the most professional furry I know outside the fandom.. I just don't know how you do it." For me its simple, know people, understand who the average person is, know what kind of people your family are. (horrible example here) If you don't and decide its a good idea to say... come out of the closet while dressed in drag while going to church with your family, then you honestly can't be surprised at the backlash and burning you will get. Some may call it putting on a face or living two lives, I just call it being smart and knowing when revealing something about myself is gonna result in nothing but a bit ass and a headache.
ya ridicule is a big part in it from all who know, so i just go all light foot around the subject when they ask "What the hell is that" Me "wolf man or cat girl" and just drop the subject dead right their and move on with what i was doing. but then again im the realy odd one in the family and they just let it go or tease a little. but then again i dont realy let them know the hole deal, and they only catch a glimps and I hide it the best i cant to those who wouldnt realy get it and look at me in more of a weirdo and stay at arms length, but im lucky the family and freinds i hang out with know from only what i show them and dont mined it. all that matters is how you feel with eather hiding it or Bring out in the open the way you see fit to those you love and hold close to you.
Ok funny and weird thing for me. my as well put some beans out there since its getting a little deep so ill lighten it up a bit with a weird story.
a family member of mine came home and i was out peting the tame cows and just stading around thinking of well furry stuff and what i was going to do for the week, well she came home from work and i decided i was done hanging around the cows and caught a ride with her home it was a short walk and i was lazy so she opened the dore the car and sat down i was a little dirty and she looked me over what were you doin there, "I was hanging around and petting them and checking on my girl's caff's" and she looked at me with such discused, I guess i didnt make my self clear and she thought i was Doin naughty things but they just had calfs and i wanted to see them for a wile. and i hent home in a car that had such a akwerd feeling between us and i didnt say anything but thought about it when i got to my room and Just started laughing "Aw man thats funny" Still havent cleared that up. lol much more funnier if i dont to me.
*sighs* Context is everything.
People were speaking in denial of the separation of being a furry and having a furry fetish. I was explaining my views on the importance of separating the two for the exact reasons you just gave in your rant. (Drake)
If one's parents DO take an interest in their child's life, the furry aspect is GOING to surface. For me, one thing led to another led to another. First they just thought it was alternative artwork when I was only just drawing and uploading to an online gallery (age 14 thru 18). But as I reached the age of 18, 19, 20, I began going out and meeting some of my furry friends both near and far. This, naturally, led them to question. In 2010, I went to Anthrocon with two of my best friends from Michigan. My folks wanted to know what I was doing in MI and PA for 2 weeks, just out of curiosity and because neither of them have been to that part of the US. I could have been rude and told them to fuck off and mind their own business; I could have fabricated a story and lied to them. Since neither option is really how I deal with things, I opted for showing them something new and explained what it means to be a furry and that I am one. They both took it remarkably well, stating that, while they thought it was somewhat strange, it seemed harmless enough and likely was a good outlet for people with strong, active imaginations, as I have.