Journalist on the prowl

[dro]

Heya - I'm not in BC but a friend of mine just received the following e-mail and I thought I'd pass it along:

Subject: Furry Documentary

Hello,

My name is Leanne, I'm a Broadcast Journalism student at BCIT. I found your contact listed on furry.ca. My colleagues and I are creating a television documentary on Metro Vancouver furry culture, profiling the people who drive this eclectic community.

I was wondering if we could talk to you and possibly include you in our piece. I assure you the documentary will be done with the utmost respect, taking an absolutely objective view on the furry lifestyle. We recognize that furries are sometimes misunderstood and would like to bring to our viewers an honest depiction of the welcoming and open-minded furry community, presented by individuals as yourself.

Your story will be produced by an award-winning team that I am very proud to be a part of. Upon completion, you will be given a DVD copy of the documentary as a keepsake.

Please let me know if this interests you. I very much look forward to hearing from you and hope we may work together soon.

Kind regards,
Leanne

If previous experience says anything, the media is not our friend, regardless of how it sugar-coats itself. Bad sign how "lifestyle" is assumed when that's only a component, not the entirety of fans.

Leanne Yu's web presence is fairly minimal at the moment, but this is what I was able to find:

Her friendster profile:
http://profiles.friendster.com/3176199

Two articles:
http://stringmagazine.ca/qortezan-pleasure-principles/
http://www.the-peak.ca/article/19285

And by "award-winning team", this is apparently how she describes "my school friends and I who won a class prize for a previous video assignment":

BCIT True Hollywood Story (Part 2) - Fun Feature 2008

[Some Guy]

we already did a Documentary a few weeks ago, ask Aphinity and a few others that said it went well, if so then we can do this, if not then oh well, Media over the years have realized that like anything Furries arent perfect, but in light of everything this is the 21st century and we want to make a good name and good impression of ourselves.

i could talk to people and see what we can do.

the video there looks to be a spoof so im not sure

[dro]

Heh, I'm just a cynical curmudgeon (grin).  Good luck with it if it happens.  If the earlier interview shows up anywhere, definitely post it to http://community.livejournal.com/furrymedia !

[Aphinity]

I think things went as well as they could go on Sunday at bowling.  The group seems well intentioned enough and they're a student crew anyway, so the piece is unlikely to make it beyond the school tv station in any case.  I saw a few other people filming some stuff as well and spoke to them, and they loved seeing us out there.  One guy apparently even has a fur affinity account and has been interested in furries for years.

As for the naysayers, let's face it everyone.  Our fandom is getting attention because, frankly, we are a rather big presence online and otherwise.  Attention is not a bad thing, and unless we're open to explaining ourselves to those wanting to show us, they're likely going to show the stuff we would rather not get out.  Let's take the initiative and show them why furry is awesome!

For those curious, I am not at all interested in leading the effort to coordinate this documentary, but I see no other option.  I saw someone with an apparent desire to dispel the myths regarding furry being exclusively a sexual fetish, and I thought, "Hey, this could be good for our community.  I'd better point it in the right direction before it gets lost somewhere it shouldn't be."  I'm hoping others see it the same way and take some efforts to be involved somehow.  I just want the best representation of our community as we can have, and frankly, I'd love if I wasn't the one needing to do that.

Apparently, after speaking to Leanne, the 'documentary crew' sound equipment was malfunctioning so Leanne asked if there were another time we could coordinate some bowling.. or something similar, so they could get some more footage with proper sound.

I'm sick and tired of people immediately responding with sex as the defining reason for our fandom.  Let's all work together to beat that perception.

[Some Guy]

as long as it didnt hurt anyone its fine

Also aphinity, it would have been better to have announced this before they showed up, because though you said yes, no-one else really knew but you, so when you say yes on the yahoo groups, please notify us here as well so we have an idea whats going on.

Thank you

BCFCB Administrator

Omanashi

[Tai]

Well I will be setting up the next monthly fursuit bowling (December 11) so if they would like they can come then. This is just a idea I am throwing out there.

I also agree with Aphinity that I am all for beating the perception of sex as the defining reason for our fandom.

[squashNstretch]

I am VERY weary of journalists/news people. A couple of years ago I had my fifteen minutes of fame. Media people are snakes and will tell you whatever you want to hear just to get a good quote or soundbite out of you. All I'm saying is, only do it if you are comfortable being fully exposed.

[Tony Greyfox]

I am VERY weary of journalists/news people. A couple of years ago I had my fifteen minutes of fame. Media people are snakes and will tell you whatever you want to hear just to get a good quote or soundbite out of you. All I'm saying is, only do it if you are comfortable being fully exposed.

Can I get a qualification on that statement? Some media people are snakes. This media person is a kitsune, and has never been much for sensationalism.  :P

[squashNstretch]

What do you mean by qualification? What I mean by snakes? What kind of questions they asked and how it was reported? What my fifteen minutes was about? I'm not the fastest typist or the best at summarizing haha.

[Tony Greyfox]

What do you mean by qualification? What I mean by snakes? What kind of questions they asked and how it was reported? What my fifteen minutes was about? I'm not the fastest typist or the best at summarizing haha.

Heh, I was more just pointing out that you can't really make a blanket statement about journalists, is all. I'm not exactly in the hard news business anymore myself, but even when I was working for newspapers, sensationalizing things was never my deal, and I know a lot of others who avoided that kind of thing too. Not everyone has the same situations, though, I understand that.

[Frio]

I must say, this thread has become horribly abusive towards snakes.