[Hitokage]

CHEEZ was being facetious, y'know. :P

Which is why I said referenced. :P

[CHEEZMO™]

Hey, I'm totally able to appreciate anthro in a non-sexual fashion.

[Hitokage]

Hey, I'm totally able to appreciate anthro in a non-sexual fashion.

Lucario says you're lying to yourself.

[CHEEZMO™]

Lucario says you're lying to yourself.

He's like a Furry Dan Savage.

[Lucario]

Hey, I'm totally able to appreciate anthro in a non-sexual fashion.

Aw, new page. Now nobody will see my stealth-edit backpedaling.

(I am too. I'm just sayin', if that was the -only- way we could enjoy it, we wouldn't be in this fandom.)

[Hitokage]

He's like a Furry Dan Savage.

You mean a horribly poor spokesperson for groups aligned with but separate from his own?

Wow, that's put really well.

[Hop]

You know, aside from the total sexualization viewpoint presented by Lucario and the roleplayer crowd referenced by Cheezmo, there are people who just like the idea of people with animal traits.

*raises hand*

Really, any discussion as to what makes someone a furry is going to be mired in an awful lot of No True Scotsman, mostly because each group kinda has valid claim. I mean, I'm not a furry for the sexual elements (though I've had more luck finding worthwhile people on Pounced than OKCupid, so there is that) but I won't pretend for a moment I don't know where Cheezmo and Lucario got their avatars.

[Hitokage]

Lucario: You have a point about people who adamantly reject sexualization, but I feel you overstate it and go too far the other way.

[CHEEZMO™]

Pounced

Come again?

[Uchip]

You know, aside from the total sexualization viewpoint presented by Lucario and the roleplayer crowd referenced by Cheezmo, there are people who just like the idea of people with animal traits.

I don't like the idea of people with animal traits specifically
But i do believe it can add to characterization (also I like my gaf gimmick)
It can also be generic as hell, like what anime does with sticking cat ears on everything.

[Lucario]

Lucario: You have a point about people who adamantly reject sexualization, but I feel you overstate it and go too far the other way.

I think my viewpoint is being misconstrued a bit, so allow me to clarify:

I believe it's possible for someone to identify as "furry" without any sexual implications whatsoever; I just think it's extremely rare, and often a much older crowd than I would be likely to associate with. There's also the "spirit animal" category, who are, for lack of a better term, batshit insane.


If you are in the fandom to enjoy the animation and clean drawings of anthropomorphic animals, neat! I hope you enjoy yourself. I'm just tired of the stereotypical persecution complex furry who argues tooth and nail that the "average furry" does not find any sexual attraction to the art, all while maintaining a 4GB yiff folder on their computer.


In the end, it's all about identifying the word "furry". I personally believe it applies to those active in the fandom, which, as you likely know, is mainly focused on pornographic websites. Some define it as anyone interested in anthropomorphic animation, which would make the "average furry is not interested in anything sexual" statement true.



(In the end, yes, you're right, I took my argument too far. I guess I'm bitter today.)

(Why are all of my long, argumentative posts in the furry thread?)

[Uchip]

Its not my fault that the cutest characters are from porn!

[Hop]

Come again?

You're surprised there'd be such a thing as a furry-focused dating site?

[CHEEZMO™]

Its not my fault that the cutest characters are from porn!

You're not wrong.

Also



OMFGGGGG *dies*

You're surprised there'd be such a thing as a furry-focused dating site?

Now that I think about it: not really, no.

[Uchip]

You're not wrong.

im never wrong!

[Songbird]

I think my viewpoint is being misconstrued a bit, so allow me to clarify: I believe it's possible for someone to identify as "furry" without any sexual implications whatsoever; I just think it's extremely rare, and often a much older crowd than I would be likely to associate with. There's also the "spirit animal" category, who are, for lack of a better term, batshit insane.

I don't think it's as rare as you might think. After all anthropomorphism has existed long before people organised themselves on the internet. There wouldn't nearly be enough young fiction using animal characters if it was that rare. Besides, I've seen enough people being introduced to the furry subculture through stuff like that and cartoons who just think animal headed people are funny and don't like the porn. These are people roughly my age. There are packs (oh ho ho) of teenage girls on Deviant Art with sparkledogs, canine characters with silly amounts of colour. So it's not as rare as you think, and a lot would call themselves furry.

In the end, it's all about identifying the word "furry". I personally believe it applies to those active in the fandom, which, as you likely know, is mainly focused on pornographic websites. Some define it as anyone interested in anthropomorphic animation, which would make the "average furry is not interested in anything sexual" statement true.

Maybe. It just seems there so many shades and preferences that identifying or classifying what is or isn't furry doesn't work.

Another awesome character by Analon who drew the newt girl I posted a while back. He does awesome stuff. And no fur! 'Cos fuck the police!

[Kai Dracon]

I think my viewpoint is being misconstrued a bit, so allow me to clarify: I believe it's possible for someone to identify as "furry" without any sexual implications whatsoever; I just think it's extremely rare, and often a much older crowd than I would be likely to associate with. There's also the "spirit animal" category, who are, for lack of a better term, batshit insane.

Short remark on this part. Part of the issue is that it's disingenuous to try and separate people from all aspects of "sexuality". In other words, human beings sexualize everything they touch, to some extent, no matter how minor. That's not "perverted". That's normal.

In sexually avoidant cultures - like much of the good old US of A - where sexuality is has many taboos hung on it, people often cling to the ideal that people and how they function can be entirely separated from the sexual (and the sensual).

What's pertinent here is, rather than say "almost nobody in furry fandom is in it for non-sexual reasons", it might be more accurate to say "almost nobody in furry fandom has an unusual and uncommon lack of sexuality".

The problem, and it's in part a result of our cultural framework, is that there is often no middle ground between "squeaky clean Leave It To Beaver cast member" and "sexual deviant with a bedroom full of whips and chains and live manslaves". You're either "clean" or "dirty". And we know what many or most people, afraid of the negative connotations society will project onto them, would rather be perceived as.

This problem really manifested itself among furries because people are already insecure as hell about sex, and normal human sexuality crossed with a subject perceived as having nothing to do with sexuality (cartoon animals? Like BUGS BUNNY? That's sick!) was a scary thing.

So you ended up with a lot of people jumping on the "don't look at me, I have no sexuality at all!" bandwagon. Eager to portray themselves as inhumanly unmoved by any erotic or even sensual display.

... which often ended up resulting in the stereotypical situation of "gay hating politician caught in road stop amid gay orgy". Squeaky clean furry has 20gb of porn on hard drive. Roll on snare drum.

Okay, it's not a short remark. I have a problem there.

[Songbird]

But then how do we know a furry who is more appreciating of clean art is squeaky clean away from the computer and from funny animals in general?

Ed: Wait, I'm misunderstanding you.

[Uchip]

But then how do we know a furry who is more appreciating of clean art is squeaky clean away from the computer and from funny animals in general?

you don't

[Hitokage]

Sexuality is omnipresent in the human experience, but it's not utterly domineering either. It's just one of the many things we do. Accordingly, any body of art is going to represent a spectrum, and people are going to have their own range of preferences with it.

But then how do we know a furry who is more appreciating of clean art is squeaky clean away from the computer and from funny animals in general?

Sometimes words get so semantically muddy it's not worth bothering anymore. For example, try nailing down the proper meaning of "cult".

[Songbird]

In sexually avoidant cultures - like much of the good old US of A - where sexuality is has many taboos hung on it, people often cling to the ideal that people and how they function can be entirely separated from the sexual (and the sensual). What's pertinent here is, rather than say "almost nobody in furry fandom is in it for non-sexual reasons", it might be more accurate to say "almost nobody in furry fandom has an unusual and uncommon lack of sexuality". The problem, and it's in part a result of our cultural framework, is that there is often no middle ground between "squeaky clean Leave It To Beaver cast member" and "sexual deviant with a bedroom full of whips and chains and live manslaves". You're either "clean" or "dirty". And we know what many or most people, afraid of the negative connotations society will project onto them, would rather be perceived as. This problem really manifested itself among furries because people are already insecure as hell about sex, and normal human sexuality crossed with a subject perceived as having nothing to do with sexuality (cartoon animals? Like BUGS BUNNY? That's sick!) was a scary thing. So you ended up with a lot of people jumping on the "don't look at me, I have no sexuality at all!" bandwagon. Eager to portray themselves as inhumanly unmoved by any erotic or even sensual display.

Ok, this makes a lot of sense. I was confused for a moment because of what my post was trying to say.

[Myke Greywolf]

I don't even care any more. I like cute stuff. Some of it sexualized, yes. Haters gonna hate.

[Hitokage]

Basically, if somebody were to use the existence of MLP-inspired porn to claim the main reason adult MLP fans like the show is the internet-produced erotic side, many would be correct in disagreeing.

[Uchip]

I don't even care any more. I like cute stuff. Some of it sexualized, yes. Haters gonna hate.

heh
apparently word got around that im some kind of pervert on gaf
IRC gossip i guess. Not that it matters.

[Acerac]

I went to a seminar given by Kathleen Gerbasi yesterday at UBCon. Pretty interesting stuff.

It's amazing how difficult it is to get research on the subject. It's amazing some of the hurdles that need to be overcome to get information, and how many limitations there are in place that prevent further research on the subject.

[Kai Dracon]

I went to a seminar given by Kathleen Gerbasi yesterday at UBCon. Pretty interesting stuff. It's amazing how difficult it is to get research on the subject. It's amazing some of the hurdles that need to be overcome to get information, and how many limitations there are in place that prevent further research on the subject.

Now there's a name I do recall. I've heard it from both perspectives; how hard it is to do research, but how that fact can make the results of the research confusing.

For example, the controversy I heard about was how one of the Gerbasi furry surveys returned some high percentage of the fandom answering "yes" to a question like "do you believe you are not entirely human". Which resulted in all kinds of arguing from every quarter.

Problem was, due to the conventions of the subculture, it was strongly suspected that most of those who took the survey approached the question as "do you imagine yourself having something in common with an animal".

Social shorthand in the community treats a lot of "in character" concepts as literal. People talk about their idealized personas as themselves all the time, but relatively few are actually claiming they're (in some way) not human.

Furry subculture seems not to have as elegant of a framework for interfacing with the outside world as other groups do. This is often given away by fans who don't want any media attention; common sentiment is that literally nobody should ever talk to the media. Which is a tacit claim that there are no good furry ambassadors / no good way to explain the culture to outsiders.

[How About No]

Well, that portrayal certainly makes those characters more pedo-rific than normal.

[Uchip]

does cheezmo really surprise you anymore?

[Lucario]

I want this on a playmat so goddamn bad @_@



So gorgeous ~<3

[CHEEZMO™]

Well, that portrayal certainly makes those characters more pedo-rific than normal.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Haly]

You should make a custom playmat using characters from HB.

[Boss Doggie]

Wrong thread.

EDIT

[G-Fex]

you guys still on this?

[Hitokage]

you guys still on this?

And you wonder why you have the tag you do.

[G-Fex]

And you wonder why you have the tag you do.

I made you a superstar after you gave me this tag.

I am not Tsundere...or maybe I am. I don't know. All I know is I made you famous Hito.

[Hitokage]

If you say so.

[G-Fex]

It's true, I made you a motherflipping superstar.

I um...it's not like I care about furryism or anything >_>

[Hitokage]

You know, if you change your avatar I'll remove your tag.

[G-Fex]

I see you're not a fan of the charismatic Enigma

Ok, I was going to do it anyway

[CHEEZMO™]

http://i.imgur.com/Sq3q9.png

[G-Fex]

Yes Cheezmo I thrive on attention.

I don't need yours though :P

[Horse Detective]

Whats going on in this thread.

Does anyone know how long it takes for a username change?

[Hitokage]

Ok, G-Fex, it's gone.

Now stay out of this thread and the pony threads. :P

[G-Fex]

Ok, G-Fex, it's gone. Now stay out of this thread and the pony threads. :P

You didn't have to...but thanks though.

Any chance you can lock the cosplay thread in gaming side, out of my bitterness?

[Lucario]

You should make a custom playmat using characters from HB.

It's all about custom hardblush sleeves.*


*I would never actually do this. D=

[Haly]

Playing morph would be so awkward.

Or amazing depending on your viewpoint.

[CHEEZMO™]

Don't mind me

:3

[Uchip]

*minds you*

[Hitokage]

Random post of random pics.

[FoxSpirit]

I want this on a playmat so goddamn bad @_@ So gorgeous ~<3

Card seems okay but a bit vulnerable to black and blue which can easily snipe the partner.
Here, have the classic Magic Furry card :-P