Some Questions

[zenia]

I understand what you're saying here, but furry isn't as accepted as the three examples you gave.

*shrugs* Everyone I know in real life didn't even know what furries were until I mentioned that I draw furry art and had to doodle a picture of my fursona to show them. They were like "Oh, that is pretty cool!"

[Drake Wingfire]

-Do you believe a lack of proper knowledge of what furry really is, is keeping more people from joining up?

-What would you do to clean up the misconception of what furry is to the general public?

-What are some common misconceptions about furry that you like to correct right now?

Ahhh now we get to the juicy controversy XD

-Do you believe a lack of proper knowledge of what furry really is, is keeping more people from joining up?
I could see it keeping some people away, but not everyone is gonna understand furrys or want to understand, one has to understand there are people out there who regardless of how you present furry to them, will just hate everything about it. I know many furs who came into this fandom just by seeing the CSI episode O.=.o and that was furry portrayal at its worst hahaha.

-What would you do to clean up the misconception of what furry is to the general public?
Mmm this sorta ties in with the first question, we have been trying ever since furrys started getting mass media attention, all we can do is put our best foot forward. at the same time we have to not make the adult thing so taboo, the media and the general public can tell we are dodging the questions about that side of the fandom and that leads to as many bad conclusions as outright saying "most of us are gay and think foxes are hawt" we have to be able to stand strong regardless, if we avoid the questions and try and hide it then we are really saying that the adult side of things is as big as everyone thinks.

-What are some common misconceptions about furry that you like to correct right now?
Honestly.. this is a hard one to answer. I could make a list about different types of furs, spirituality, fetishes, fursuits.. the works, but I would be here for ever and I would have written a novel that would give the length of the Harry Potter series a run for its money hahaha.Pretty much every single assumption about this fandom has its own degree of truth behind it. Fursuit sex? yes it happens. Furs who believe they truly are animals at heart? yes. (hell I am one lol) Furrys who are engrossed in the adult side of the fandom? bleeding obviously yes. Its hard to disprove anything because the community is so big and encompasses so many different types of people, we are a melting pot sub-culture. It only just makes me cringe and face palm to see furs out there who go "noooope,. no adult stuff happens, that's all just rumor, all fox-news ilk lies.. We are enthusiasts of animals who just like to draw and play video games!"

[bigjonesb]

 I know I look like total idiot now, but my questions were to be about if there were any hiccups about joining the furry culture, any mental stigmas, roadblocks or was it just a bing bang tada step, not to insinuate that furries are bad, hell if anything I'm trying to find the good, double hell, I was beginning to think I might've been one after talking to that one guy from Louisiana, hence why I came here, but due to not so great questions that wound up stepping on everyone's tail in the process and the some of somewhat negative responses I'm getting. I feel maybe I was wrong, to be honest, I feel a little bullied right now.

Honestly I want to help Furries be better understood, but you got to help me understand what it is, so I can put a brighter light on it. I know there's some bad press out there, some go as far as to say it's nothing but a fetish. Now I'm just one guy with little to no connections but I want to help move Furry forward, make it as well known as like Zenia's three examples.

I know the questions now seem like junk as if plagiarized it from a gay questionnaire, but I was basically trying to ask how did you deal with family when the subject comes up, because I'm sure some of you had, now unwarranted, fears about what they would do to you),  have you lost some friends because they got all weirded out about it, and refused to understand, how did you find out about furry, and and how quickly did you adopt it as something you wanted to be a part of. that kind of stuff

Zenia, it's a good thing you told your friends about furries before they found out from somewhere else, now they know to turn to you if they have any questions and want to know the truth

[Tef]

I'm digging this discussion so far. Let me thank you in advance, bigjonesb.

These three questions can be answered as one for me.

It is because there is a lack of proper knowledge, that creates a stumbling hurdle for would-be furries. I know I'm stating the obvious, but since these questions are directed at a western furry audience, I will answer to the best of my ability in the western context. Besides, it's only when I came to Vancouver that I realized there is a BC Furries group.

The media is the culprit. The media puts these images in their consumers' heads, stuff that they deem as "juicy" and "controversial" as being hot picks. They take aspects of the fandom and turn it into a defining identity - almost synonymous with a stereotype. My sociology minor think-tank of a mind would state that Michel Foucault would have a field day with his concept of docile bodies regarding how the general western populace laps and conform to whatever landfill the media pulls onto us. Deviation are the seeds for the sprouting of ridicule and the flowering of stigma.

It's hard to express deviation in the furry fandom of sorts - you're gonna run a risk of eliciting a "Aha! I KNEW it!" response from the media.

I got into the fandom during my 3rd year. If being furry was really a walk in the park, I can state that I'll be able to get into knowing about the fandom way sooner.

Until the general populace can take a scalpel and slice a line between individual aspects and defining identities+stereotypes, misconceptions will exist till the end of time.

[bigjonesb]

Drake makes a good point, How do you let people know that, what some might call the darker side of furry, does exist but doesn't mean everyone has to participate in it. I think there lies the problem, I guess it could almost be the equivalent of saying all gun owners are going to shoot someone because a small group use guns to do that. Some gun owners will never even fire their gun, they might just want to collect them.

[bigjonesb]

Tef I definitely give you that one. The media hasn't exactly been good to any group, black people in the 50's, gay in the 70's-80's, now the cannon is aimed on you guys in an attempt to keep you down. even now those groups still face some sort of edging out, but clearly as you can see none of those worked out, people will find out the truth if they want to. that's why I want get more info from you guys and not wikipedia.

I know some people will hate almost anything just because they can, if it isn't something pertaining to them, they hate it. Unfortunately I know a guy like that on xbox, I've told my Louisiana "fur"iend (I believe you guys are familiar with the term) to avoid joining me in parties if I am in there with him, As I don't want to see him get entangled with the guy, more for my sake as I'd feel bad if he did get verbally attacked by said fellow. Also unfortunately said fellow plays driving games whereas my Louisiana furiend is more into COD and Battlefield(not really my cup of tea)

[Drake Wingfire]

I know I look like total idiot now, but my questions were to be about if there were any hiccups about joining the furry culture, any mental stigmas, roadblocks or was it just a bing bang tada step, not to insinuate that furries are bad, hell if anything I'm trying to find the good, double hell, I was beginning to think I might've been one after talking to that one guy from Louisiana, hence why I came here, but due to not so great questions that wound up stepping on everyone's tail in the process and the some of somewhat negative responses I'm getting. I feel maybe I was wrong, to be honest, I feel a little bullied right now.

Don't sweat it man, there are just those who are very... edgy and defensive about talking about the furry fandom on such levels. Usually the mindset seems to be to avoid such discussions at all costs and go all DEFCON 3. My personal opinion on it would simply be, if one is uncomfortable talking about such deeper social topics regarding the fandom then perhaps they just need to just not post if they can't contribute anything aside negativity about the subject. I have never liked when a topic gets that type of attention due to people not being able to handle a discussion.

Haha... You could almost say I live for this stuff, I like when someone can engage on a level that's more than "whats your favorite species" or "why I like being furry"

[Tef]

Tef I definitely give you that one. The media hasn't exactly been good to any group, black people in the 50's, gay in the 70's-80's, now the cannon is aimed on you guys in an attempt to keep you down. even now those groups still face some sort of edging out, but clearly as you can see none of those worked out, people will find out the truth if they want to. that's why I want get more info from you guys and not wikipedia.

Aye, it's the "bogeyman" mentality in short.

[Silvermink]

-What was the moment you discovered you were a furry, what got you on the path, what made you say "I got to be a part of this"?

I used to pretend to be an animal a lot while I was growing up, though Disney's Robin Hood was the more proximate cause. I wanted to get into it as soon as I discovered there was a community (this was back in 1994 and finding anything you wanted on the Internet wasn't quite as simple as it is now).

-Was there any reason whatsoever that held you back from entering the furry community sooner?

Other than not knowing it existed, nope. Ironically, I logged on to FurryMUCK several months before I properly discovered it, but I couldn't figure it out and the thing about it being a virtual world full of animal people hadn't quite registered with me.

-Did anyone have trouble dealing with you being furry?

I got a little bit of grief about it in high school, but not significantly more than I already got as a nerd.

-Does being furry make you feel better about yourself, add a little more spring to your step?

Not as such, I don't think. It's an interesting community to be a part of, though.

-What do you think makes someone a furry? What would your checklist look like?

I think all you have to do is have an interest in anthropomorphic animals and claim the label. I'm not interested in second-guessing anyone's furriness.

-Do you believe there's an age limit, or is it part of you for the rest of your life?

I think it's a lifetime thing for me. I can see people drifting away from the community but still being interested in the subject matter, though. I don't think it's about age at all.

-Do you believe it ever too old to enter the furry world? (excluding the obvious, Death)

No.

-Do you believe a lack of proper knowledge of what furry really is, is keeping more people from joining up?

It probably doesn't help.

-What would you do to clean up the misconception of what furry is to the general public?

I'd like to tell people that furry is a large, diverse group full of lots of different kinds of people expressing their furriness in lots of different and perfectly valid ways, and that anyone who calls him or herself a spokesperson or claims to speak for all of us is not and does not.

-What are some common misconceptions about furry that you like to correct right now?

I am disgusted with the way furries are depicted on television. We are not all vibrant, fun-loving sex maniacs. Many of us are bitter, resentful individuals who remember the good old days when entertainment was bland and inoffensive.

...okay, that's not my opinion, I just wanted to steal that from The Simpsons.

The media hasn't exactly been good to any group, black people in the 50's, gay in the 70's-80's, now the cannon is aimed on you guys in an attempt to keep you down.

Equating the "struggle" of furries to the struggles of blacks and gays is frankly offensive to me as a queer person. It is NOTHING by comparison. Not even close.

[zenia]

Equating the "struggle" of furries to the struggles of blacks and gays is frankly offensive to me ... . It is NOTHING by comparison. Not even close.

I agree with this part.

It bugs me when anyone treats being furry as a huge identifier... something you can't change, like being black, white, gay, straight, etc. Being a furry is a hobby. It is just a fandom much like being a big fan of Xena, House, Dr Who, etc.

[bigjonesb]

Silvermink, Thank you, I appreciate the response.

Apologies for making it sound like the struggles of gays and blacks seem little, I know they weren't, but I was referring the fact that media has a tendency to poorly execute proper display of anything "Out of the Norm" (something not from cookie cutter society)

I remember that part - "Grandpa" Simpson writing to Buzz Cola company on the typewriter:
I am disgusted with the way seniors are depicted on television. We are not all vibrant, fun-loving sex maniacs. Many of us are bitter, resentful individuals who remember the good old days when entertainment was bland and inoffensive.

[Drake Wingfire]

I agree with this part.

It bugs me when anyone treats being furry as a huge identifier... something you can't change, like being black, white, gay, straight, etc. Being a furry is a hobby. It is just a fandom much like being a big fan of Xena, House, Dr Who, etc.

Well, for YOU it is a hobby, you have made that very very clear. I think you are over simplifying the issue though and the degrading the fandom by just slapping the label "hobby" on it.

A hobby is just something you enjoy but doesn't define you aside just being an interest of yours. Its pretty much saying "yeah, I enjoy it kinda, I like to do it every so often, but if pressed I could just give it up" RC cars are a hobby, woodworking is a hobby, racing your car on a track is a hobby. But being a furry, creating an identity and a name for yourself, going to group meetups, doing art. That is a lot more complex than what a hobby entails. When one (for example) gets into RC cars, they don't create some name and identity for themselves, they don't just go "Im Xthanor Blazeskull, the master of the 4 wheel'd fury truck and this is how I look as a race driver" Furry vastly stands apart in this aspect because people DO create a entire new name and identity for themselves.

[Morrogh TDO]

Being a furry is a hobby. It is just a fandom much like being a big fan of Xena, House, Dr Who, etc.

I'm going to have to strongly disagree with this comment. Being furry is more then "just a hobby". I happen to be into the RC car hobby and i can definitely say that it's not something I identify as me. I don't have an RC truck because I see myself spiritually as a monster truck driver.

Basically saying it's a "hobby" is like saying it's just something you just do on the side for a source of entertainment. To most furries it's a LOT more then that. To me being furry is something more spiritual then something just for fun. You don't go to someone and say that Christianity is "just a hobby" do you?

I know I'm coming from the more spiritual side of things. But I'm sure others might agree that it's more then just a "hobby".

[bigjonesb]

  That is why I was hard pressed to word my question right, to some it's a hobby, to others it's a part of their life that will be with them in the nursing home until either a horrible disease plays with their brain or they meet their end. I didn't want to diminish the furry culture as a hobby to those who hold furry with more regard, but i didn't want overstep it either as not to ignore the hobby group, there are various levels of being a part the furry community and i tried (horribly) to get a questions that i thought would get answered with the most responses, by trying to word it right.

I can understand why some of you are guarded about it, especially when a newcomer like me comes in and starts asking questions. You fear you're going to have your words twisted in to some kind of demented concoction of bad publicity dribble. I was only asking question to understand and maybe find out along the way that I could be a part of your group. I have no intentions of slandering furries, especially if I find out I am one. If I am one, why would I slander myself?, Right now I'm sitting on the fence looking for some hands (or paws as the case may be) to help and see if I fit in.

All I'm looking for is a fair chance, this is taking a fair bit out of me, as I have many fears, frustrations and worries on my mind right now. I appreciate the positive input some people have given me, as I know it's not the easiest thing to talk to a total stranger. When I get the negative input, I feel like a dog with it's tail tucked in, peeing itself, in fear that I've ticked off everyone. Simply stated, it hurts

The base reason I'm asking questions is,1. if I do find out along the way that I'm furry, is I'll know what to do in situations if they arise, such how do you deal with family member you care about and want assure that this is nothing wrong. 2. I don't want to do something stupid and degrade the furry culture any worse, it doesn't need that. The questions were meant to be like a hand guide, so to speak, for new furries, who might not know how to handle some situations that might come up on them on their path to discovery.

[zenia]

It is impossible to generalize how everyone feels about the fandom. Which is why to me it is a hobby (albeit one that I am more invested in that say, liking the TV series 'Xena') but others have some sort of spiritual connection with it. Personally... I don't get the spiritual thing. Not at all.

So people get mad at me for saying it is a hobby (and don't mention the people that are spiritual about it), but I get mad when people say it is a 'deep, spiritual connection' as if it is the only way it can be. You just have to take it on a case by case basis I guess, and don't lump everyone together in one stereotype.