This is a topic...

[nutty_hermit]

'Ello there everybody, I've been here for like three or four days and for those of you that haven't read the greetings thing, I'm basically a 'furry sympathiser'.

Now, as arrogant as it is for me to give you my thoughts (nobody asked for them), I have decided to simply drivel the crap that I do so often, and if you don't want to read it then, well, you can gouge out your eyes (or simply press the back button, whichever one takes your fancy).

Basically, I have one statement and a few questions:

It is true that people should leave you guys alone, I mean, we all have our own fetishes (mine's masochism), so what makes yours worse then mine? Who is the judge?  Basically, we should all just convert to (existential?) nihilism and be done with it.    More importantly, what is the one eyed post symbol meant to be?

Now, I know that this is covered in the whole forum, but it is pretty broad (furries on furry covers alot of crap), so I was wondering if you folks could explain the whole concept of a 'fursona' and what a furry actually is (in a nutshell).

Yeah... that's pretty much it...  I was working out this big long speech, but decided that it was pretty crap, so I cut it *really* short, I didn't want to waste your precious time.  Thanks.

[Jackalman]

Well, I'm basically both BDSM and furry, and I think the two compliment each other very well.



As for "Should we be left alone?" and comparing you're own fetish participation to ours, we don't have a problem with our indentity and that question seems pretty high handed.  

I've been to both worlds and have seen plenty of diffirent kinds of people in them.  A lot of furries are not into fetish indulgances and just enjoy being the character instead of using it as a vehicle for sex.  And that's cool.  I used to be a trekkie, all because I liked dressing up as a Ferengi doesn't mean I wanna hump one.  (Seriously, those ears?  NOT sexy).

Nobody here ever said BDSM was worse than being furry and I don't understand why you would ask unless you're having trouble coming to grips with your own fetishes and you're just lashing out at people in your eyes have to be more freaky than yourself.  If you have some kind of moral conflict going on with that, I suggest you look within to resolve it instead of justifying it by coming down on other people for being "worse".

The one eye?  It's supposed to be funny, accept it.  Don't get it?  Get back to the dungeon.  And you better not give any Dom I know lip like that unless you wanna be whipped hardcore.  Go mess with the Christian BDSM forum if you're looking for that kind of action.

[Bastian]

Being one of the Wizards on a BDSM MUCK, I must say that we do tend to see alot of Furries come and go. While Le Jardin in not a Furry MUCK per se, we don't hold a bias against anyone that can fit into our own little society.

On the topic of whether anyone should leave the Furries alone, I believe many will agree with me when I say that we have the right to be ourselves no matter what that is tpthe point where we begin infringing on the freedoms of others. As long as we don't go places we're not welcoms and demand they let us in, people shouldn't single us out for derision. But that might just be my personal opinion.

For me, BDSM and Furry combine in a way that allows them to be mutually exclusive. I can be furry without engaging in BDSM, and I can engage in BDSM without being Furry. I do feel, however, that both are a part of my personality, so I combine them as best I can and it works for me. YMMV.

[Sporty Fox]

Well ,in the short time I've been an online furry I've met furs of almost every fetish (S&M, BDSM, WAM, Roleplayers, etc) and lots who aren't into any fetish at all. It's out there for everyone ,not just furs. If you can find it IRL you can find it in furry, and vise-versa. You'll find LOTS of furs here who advertise that they don't yiff and aren't in it for the sexual side.
  A fursona is your furry persona, mine's a fox version of me, just me with fur. I am he and he is me. Somefurs is who they want to be, or would like to be. For some it's an escape from a horrible reality of life.
  As to just leaving us alone , that is your and any others decision to make. If you want to be around us then you're more than welcome but if you find you don't like or understand what you see then staying away might be best.

[nutty_hermit]

Crap, that got really misinterpreted.  I wasn't implying in any way that I was better, I was saying that as far as fetishes go(I'm aware that alot of the furry lifestyle is not fetish related, it's just that that is the part that other groups (such as SA) find the most horrifying), everybody has their own fetishes and nobody is perfect, so you guys really don't deserve the flak that you get.  I'm not sure how much sense that just made but it made sense to me, maybe if in the first post I had left out the line 'what makes yours worse then mine? who is the judge?', then nobody would have misinterpreted the thread.

Jackalman, seriously, when did I lash out at anybody?  I guess without pitch, it's alot harder to tell the tone that I was taking...  Here's a rule of thumb:  don't take anything I say seriously.

"I've met furs of almost every fetish (S&M, BDSM, WAM, Roleplayers, etc"

Woah, wait. I don't know the first 3, but roleplaying? Let's not turn a simple game of D&D or GURPS into a fetish here o.O

"It is true that people should leave you guys alone"

No way! That's the problem with this world. No one socializes. Now, I've socialized, learned that I don't fit, and have thus not socialized as much. But those people who are avoiding us are usually quite social beings.

I think the one eyed alien is if it's for an alien (unfamiliar) topic.

[nutty_hermit]

Aaaaah, an alien topic... it all makes sense now!!!!

When I said 'Leave you guys alone', i meant it as in 'stop giving you guys a hard time', not 'isolate you guys from the rest of society'.  So that was the problem sentance.  I thought it was the one I mentioned in the post above yours.

Oh well, hope that's cleared up any problems you guys have with me.  I think it's a bit hard for people to understand the mannerisms of others on a forum.

BTW.  Although I don't really get into the bondage gear myself, I do like the dominatrix stuff for women (not for me, for the woman of course... christ, that really could have been misinterpreted).

Oh, I get it! hehehe.

[Drake Blackpaw]

Welcome to the forum.

As for being left alone, people are both attracted to things they find out of the ordinary and many people are looking for things they can use to prop themselves up and make themselves feel better..."Geez, at least I'm not as sick as those guys".  It sad, they don't have enough self esteem and sense of self worth to feel good about themselves without attacking others.

Fursona:
A fursona is basically an adopted persona that happens to be anthropomorphic.  In the furry world I'm Drake, an anthropomorphic Skunk/cat hybrid.  Drake is essentially me with a few qualities added that I'd like to have in real life as well.  

Some furs/people have many characters they use online, some that represent parts of the personality and some that are just fun to roleplay and interact with others as.

What is furry:
Basically furry is a fandom based around the enjoyment of art (literature, images, animation) that has anthropomorphic characters.  Very much the same as Anime fandom is based around the enjoyment of Japanese animation and Sci-fi/fantasy fandom based around the enjoyment of works related to it.

Now there are some furries that extend their involvement in the fandom to include spirituality, and there are some that feel a deep kinship to certain animals, but not all in the fandom feel this way.  There are also fursuiters, furs who are involved in the sexual aspects of the fandom and the like, etc...  However, probably the only thing everyone has in common that is in the fandom is a love for art involving anthropomorphic characters.  Everything else varies depending on the tastes of the individual.  

Oh, one other thought on the just leave people/furs alone.  If you hang around the fandom long enough you will notice that we are good at attacking the various segments of our own fandom, and don't really need outside help.  We have the sexual and anti-sexual sides of the fandom... The lifestylers and casual fans, and so on.  Furtopia is fairly neutral ground where people from the various camps in the fandom get along, however you can even find some flare ups on here at times.  Other furry forums can be very polarized.  So, while it would be nice if those outside can learn to live and let live, there are many in the fandom that need to learn that lesson as well.

[Ukiko]

Quote (Raef Wolfe @ April 14 2004, 8:45 am)

"I've met furs of almost every fetish (S&M, BDSM, WAM, Roleplayers, etc" Woah, wait. I don't know the first 3, but roleplaying? Let's not turn a simple game of D&D or GURPS into a fetish here o.O

Heh, roleplaying is more...eh...like playing at master/slave, schoolmaster/naughty schoolgirl, hell even batman/catwoman...roleplaying other personas for fun....


Annnnyway, having said that...WAM?  quite surprisingly, hadn't heard that one..definition anyone.....?

As for the rest of the discussion, Drake already said everything I was going to, and probably better than I would have ^.^

[Kada-Ru]

The only comment I can add to Drake's great post is this is a PG-13 forum. We try keep the rants and flame wars to a very minimum here. Other than that, we don't mind topics as long as those posting remember that we do adhere to the PG-13 rating.

So, enjoy your stay and take the time to check out the other topics posted here. You can respond to any of them, even the ones way back when! (LOL)

[Sporty Fox]

Opps, sorry Raef, didn't mean online roll playing. I was refering to Adult roleplaying, which is pretty common IRL bedrooms.

 Yukiko, WAM stands for Wet And Messy. I won't go into details, a quick web search will give you all you want to know.  So will some of my artwork.

  Nutty_hermit, I understand what you were asking and didn't mean my remark to come off rude. It really is a personal choice if someone want to be around furs. What I love about most of the furry sites I've been to is the openness thats given to everyone, tho I've found a few fur sites that are definitaly rude to anyone who disagrees with thier version of furry. Just as in RL, I will hang out with anyone if the're open and accepting of everyone, if not I move on elsewhere. The great thing about furs are you don't know who the next fur will be- they could be a out of work, down on thier luck person or the CEO of a major corp, and it won't matter one bit. Each is an equal here.

[SatisWindpaw]

My fursona is the animal version of me, and has meanings to me that I won't go into.  I guess the most simple way to describe it would be that if I was going to be turned into an anthro, I think it would be fitting for me to become what I draw myself like.  I have a connection to it and the background of it.  There's more, but I don't feel well today and it's messing with my coherency, so I don't want to try and go too into detail.  And do keep in mind that I mean no offense to you by anything I say, so if I sound harsh, it's not meant to be aimed at you specifically, just accusations by the populace in general.

That said, I'll quickly cover what I think of the three most readily-known "furvert"isms...

FURSUITS:  I gladly dress up in fursuits and costumes and such, but not for any sexual purpose--I do it because I love the anonymity it provides, and I feel slightly more at home in it since it gives me the muzzle and the fur I'll likely never get to have in real life in my lifetime, and because I can act silly and amuse kids and grownups alike (depending on the costume--my fursona is more of a serious-minded creature with a subtly wicked sense of humor, not a blatantly goofy one).  I have no problem with those who do get their rocks off with costumes, but I wish people wouldn't assume that everyone who wears one does so for that reason.

PLUSHIES:  I have oodles and scads and lots and crowds of plushies (stuffed animals).  But I personally don't "yiff" them.  I collect them because they appeal to me visually, because they happen to be in the shape of a favorite animal, because it's nice to have something to curl up with and sleep holding onto when my fiance isn't home until really late at night because of his job, because they're cute, because they can instantly transform any surface into a soft and cushy one, because the bigger ones can sub for a pillow if you don't have one and you're tired.... a whole bunch of reasons.  Now, again, I don't have a problem with people who want to "yiff" them, but I do wish that everyone who sees how many I own wouldn't assume I'm being too childish for my age or that I want to make out with them.

ARTWORK:  I do not have a great capability to draw people.  And even in real life, I catch myself walking where-ever it is I am at the time and mentally categorizing people as different animals depending on their personality and their looks or actions.  I also have a ridiculously easier time drawing any animal than I do humans.  So it isn't much of a stretch for me to draw furries, then.  However, if I feel like expressing an emotion or an idea, let's say for this example something sexual, I think it is unreasonable to force me to draw something in a fashion I do not and can not.
So if I draw a picture of my jackal fursona sitting on my fiance's lap (and though he isn't furry, I do draw him as a cougar anthro since he does remind me of one and he doesn't really seem to be bothered), smoochin' on him or chewing on his nekkid shoulders or what have you, I don't want to be fussed at by anyone.  I have an insanely impossible time drawing humans and realism, so by the time I get even the sketch to look good, the idea and/or feeling has passed.  It is much more natural for me to draw these events with the furry characters I draw, and allows me to get these things done without losing my inspiration halfway through and having to stop.
It doesn't mean I want to bugger an animal.  It doesn't mean that I'm attracted to animals--I respect their beauty and majesty and think some are absolutely gorgeous, but I don't want to go next door and party with the neighbor's dog, so to speak.  It's simply the way I use to express myself, much like anyone else would.
Some people's artwork can include some strange things, like the gigantinormous genitalia on a regular-sized furry, or tentacles coming out of odd places, or copious amounts of bodily fluids everywhere, but these same things can be seen on humanbased art as well--it's not a furry thing, it's a human fetish thing.  And I certainly don't want anyone criticizing me for my fetishes, so as long as someone else's don't include children, I'm pretty much okay.  If I don't like it, I don't look at it, and therefore obviously wouldn't look at something I didn't like even if it was humans and not furrys, either.  End of story, really.

I think I've said what I wanted to say.  '>

[Kada-Ru]

I think you said it VERY well, SatisWindpaw!

I agree with all. Just because we want fur suits, it doesn't mean we are into the sex thing either. And we both love plushies, mainly because they are cute and cuddly and we don't have to feed them nor take them outside! (LOL) which also doesn't mean we have them all because we are childish or wanting to do more with them etc.

You said all this better than I did and you weren't even feeling well!  '>

[Ecco]

I personally love drawing erotica. I myself don't get off on it...I have my own quirks *ahem* But drawing furries or Hentai or Kemono is fun to me. If Mr. Billy Goat gets off on my art, good for him.
I do have a personal furry or fursona...a character that represents my most vivid emotions, usually sexual. Do I think I'm my fursona? Nope. But she is some parts of my feelings.
 '>
Did that help any?

[SatisWindpaw]

Quote (Kada-Ru @ April 19 2004, 3:26 pm)

I think you said it VERY well, SatisWindpaw! I agree with all. Just because we want fur suits, it doesn't mean we are into the sex thing either. And we both love plushies, mainly because they are cute and cuddly and we don't have to feed them nor take them outside! (LOL) which also doesn't mean we have them all because we are childish or wanting to do more with them etc. You said all this better than I did and you weren't even feeling well!  '>

Thank you  

I've been in a strange writing mood lately.  Have written little mini-papers about this issue (Furtopia), how adoption of children would serve to keep humans from expanding into cougar territory and then getting eaten, the proper way to use a societal label, and what I think of pregnancy (all Deviantart), and recently on what I think of artists who tell people just to go "read a book" if they ask for help (Yerf).

I wonder how long this will last.   '>

[Kattywampus]

The one thing about furry that mainstream seems to forget is that, "Furry", itself, isn't a sexual fetish.  It never started that way, and that's not the basis of it.  That's not to say that folks don't incorporate it into their own bedroom activities.
But yeah, basically, I think furry is one of those things that you can add to anything.  It's like a spice of life.  I use it as an outlook on life, or sometimes an escape.
To answer your question, hermit, (I understood what you meant at the beginning) people make it seem worse because they just want something to poke fun at and this is an easy thing to make fun of.  I mean...pfftt.. people that pretend they're animals?  A grown man in a bunny suit?  Making it sound as though "furry" is just a sexual fetish is a good way to get attention.  Ya know?