(Warning: RANT) "Furries". What is...what is Not?

[Kzinistzerg]

Renorei wrote:
You guys need to learn to separate the word "furry" from the negative connotations associated with it, and to understand when those connotations apply. The word "furry" does not necessarily imply the presence of perverted cartoon animal porn. Furry can imply the presence of perverted cartoon animal porn, and sometimes does, but not always.

As with any group with a very vocal minority, that's easier said than done.

Well...

At school I showed one of goldenwolf's pictures to a friend; she responded that she doesn't like hat stuff because it remind her of furries. Quite plainly she's referring to the nasty-nasty part of the culture. That's what vuldari is angry about; art that is anthropomorphic in nature (say it's a werewolf holding up a smiley face) automatically calls up the name "FURRY!" and not the normal furries, it calls up the "ewwwwww" connotation. Thus the word furry when used in conversation with non-furries immediately means "weird people who do weird stuff with fur and are really nasty" to the person you speak to, and not "people who enjoy characters that blend human and animal characteristics". This is like the word 'gay' it meant 'happy' and I have NO clue WHY it now means homosexual. Why?

Aaaannyway, the thing is, the word furry is very likely to conjure up said images which are repulsive to mainstream thought. And it's probably not going to change.

This is why, if I ever need to associate myself with werewolves, etc, I just call myself a werewolf fan. Because saying I'm a furry, today, to the people my age and in my school, means "i do really weeiirrrd stuff with fur and it's naaaastyyyy".

[PariahPoet]

But what I'm upset about is he's lumping all the rest of us therians and furs in with the depraved few.

[Kzinistzerg]

Undestood. I think what He's saying is that the name has since been extended to include and tinge all off anything remotely anthropomorphic.

Thus a newer name ought to be invented, free of what currently tinges the word furry.

[LoboLEO]

Are you talking about anthropomorphic art?, well call it THAT way or "Anthro-art" and use it well to define the art the way it is. I even remember the word "were-art" that even Goldenwolf made a clear ditinction between that and "furry" stereotypes time ago... Whish someone could put up that reffer pic...

Somehow "were-art" -which I assume is barely used - difine a more realistic approach to what anthropomorphic art is... In the same sense from the very begining of my work into the area I worked knowing that I was doing something different of what the Furry fandom was up to . Me focused mainly into werewolves and transformation art . And even so I got plenty of incoming asking me why I wasn't doing anything else (put an animal here) "furry"...
After a time I managed to deal with this naive or stupids observations , but if Vuldari is up to develope a mature movement about what are the limits on here, there ...aye, this will be a never ending story...

I think at the very end is up to eachone of you to know what you like and how YOU define it foryourself and WHAt you do with IT. You share that thought with your friend, with anyone and put clear your point of view about furry, anthro art or wathever subject , because that is how everything works. Probably people will agree with you, and some of them will not.
And for tell you the truth, I think that's the only thing that matters in the end, what you do about it is up to you to share and make people think on that.

[Lukas]

okey i think we all need to let this topic go since its turning into 2 camps veruses each other like congress and neither side is willing to budge so i declare that we should:
a little crude way of saying, but it makes its point

[Vuldari]

Although I have been trying very hard to choose my words carefully, this whole thread has been a bit of a tantrum-like release of anger from me, and I'm quite impressed that you have all taken it as civily and understandingly as you have.


As I have been unloading all of this emotional baggage I have been carrying around with me for so long on to the screen through my rantings, I've found that it has been uncovering many uncomfortable truths about myself that I had hidden away in the back of my mind and tried to ignore.

Now that I have gotten most of the garbage out of the way, the REAL reasons for my anger have become much more clear to see, and unfortunately...it's not pretty.


Since this is a publicly viewable forum (wordwide even) It would be advisable for me not to say 'too much', for my own sake. However, this is what I have found:


My Anger towards the "Furry" culture stems primarily from them being a reflection of parts of myself that I am deeply ashamed of...things that I HATE about myself. I am angry, not because they are making me look bad by doing things I would never do, but because they act out things in the open, without shame, that I have had thoughts about myself, but hid from the world out of my own shame.

I hate that they are not writhing in shame as I am. I hate that those who seem to be the only ones who understand the feelings that I feel do not acknowlage our shared faults.

I hate that, in spite of the moral, noble, sensible person I strive to be, and present myself as to the world...when I look into the dark pool of the bowels of the Furry Culture and can see a reflection of myself. ...a side of myself that I keep hidden from everything...but can not hide from my own concience.



I am not a well person.

When you picture the steriotype of the internet-videogame junkie / "lost in his own world" / lives in his mothers basement / pale skinned / anti-social outcast... That's Me.

Though I finally moved OUT of my Mothers basement a couple years ago, the rest is pretty much dead on. To say I "don't get out much" would be a serious understatement. I weigh only 118 pounds, (due to forgetting to eat), I only have one friend I am currently in regular contact with (and only because she won't leave me alone), and the only thing that get's me outside of my house, besides going to work and buying groceries, is walking my two dogs. If not for them, I might almost never see the light of day...or so it seems sometimes.



{I think I've passed the "don't say too much" stage by a long shot at this point.}




Anyway...I think my point here is;

If I have said anything RIGHT at all in this whole Ranting Debate, it was not for the right reasons, because I have not been truely honest.

...it's just taken me untill today to fully realise it.

(To use one of my beloved metaphors:) I've taken a stab at what I hate about the culture, only to find that most of the blood I have drawn is my own.

---------------------------------------------------------


PLEASE: Any Moderator. "LOCK THIS THREAD"

This Rant is Over.

[Figarou]

As requested by the topic starter....

Thread is now locked.



Any future Furry rant threads will be locked.