No, I am NOT a furry, and I think furrry-ism is a bit strange. Okay, a LOT strange; stranger than LARPers, hardcore Civil War re-enactors who spoon when they sleep, and people who undergo plastic surgery to get Klingon ridges and Vulcan ears.
When I see photos picturing groups of people wearing fursuits, though, it seems like at least half of them, if not more, are dressed as foxes. Why is the fox so popular among the furry crowd?
It’s gotta be this.
IANAF, but I’ve seen them at conventions. Most Furries do NOT dress up – “Furries” are fans of cartoony, anthropomorphic animals. They read about them, draw them, write about them, etc, but I think most have not the slightest interest in crawling into a bulky, sweaty, sprts-mascot-like fursuit and indulging their fantasies. I think there’s another name for that bunch – “Fursuiters” or something.
IS there a preference for fox?
I can’t speak to 'suiters at all, since I’m not one, nor are any of my friends in the community, but as to furres in general, I’ve not actually seen foxes that disproportionately represented.
They’re definitely one of the most common personae to adopt, but IME, not any more common than cats or wolves.
As to why foxes might be common?
The physical and behavioural traits associated with foxes are fairly positive - they’re intelligent, graceful, independent, and beautiful. Frequently tricksters. Often highly sexual. (I point that one out with a sigh, because it just re-enforces an obnoxious stereotype of the community.)
Thank you for pointing this out, BTW. 'Suiting is just a subculture within the subculture.
There are many ways of indulging in furry fandom, not all of which involve role playing, and even role playing doesn’t necessarily involve suits.
Maybe because of THIS thread:
I’m sure I can’t be the only one, but what’s a Furry?
Cal summed it up:
A furry is a fan of anthropomorphic animals (also called furries).
A furre can be an artist, or a writer who creates works using furry characters, or just someone who enjoys those works.
A furre can role play in a furry persona.
They can dress up in the aforementioned expensive uncomfortable fursuits.
They can do any or all of the above.
The art and role playing might have a sexual element, or it might not.
'Suiting most likely does not (again…expensive and uncomfortable).
So, being a Bugs Bunny fan makes me a furry? I thought it just meant I had good taste in cartoons.
Well, that’s a relief. It’s one thing to sit around and jack off to cartoon animals—but to dress up like one? That’s crazy.
Or does having tons of stuffed animals make on a furry?
(Note: I am NOT a “plushy”)
Eeeh, no not really.
Bugs is a Furry character, but unless that’s why you’re interested in the Loony Toons, you’re not a Furry fan.
A person can watch Star Trek without being a sci-fi fan, a person can read LotR without being a fantasy fan. Just because the work fits into a genre, doesn’t mean all its fans fit into that genre’s fandom.
This kind of white washes it. Why be so evasive about admitting that it’s primarily a sexual fetish for anthropomorphic animals. It’s not just Being a “fan” or “cretaing characters.” Jim Henson wan’t a furry. Walt Disney wasn’t a furry. What makes a furry a furry is the sexualized aspect.
Yikes. Is spooning amongst Civil War re-enactors common? I notice a reference to it in this book. I can’t imagine spooning some stinky unbathed dude for the sake of authenticity.
Except that furries won’t agree with you in that characterization. Many of them are just fans, or enjoy creating characters, or drawing animals without a sexual aspect involved.
I don’t know about ‘gotta be’, but Robin Hood is definitely one of the major furry influences. Watership Down is probably the other major serious one.
It’s been a while since I was part of the fandom, but foxes are the major sexual animal. ‘Yiffy’ (the furry term for adult / hentai) is supposedly taken from the sounds foxes make. Rabbits are probably the other major sexual critter, although they seem to be almost-entirely female.
But there are a lot of wolves and other canines and various felines too. It may just be that they can look so much more diverse than the foxes.
I think you’re oversimplifying. It’s not necessarily sexual, although I’ll admit, it often is. Very often. Most furries feel a connection to their preferred animal(s) - call it spiritual, totem, or whatever. Some of them take it to extreme lengths (‘Dude, why are you walking funny?’ ‘I can feel my tail!’ ‘…you’re on drugs, aren’t you?’)
You’re a furry if you think you are, whether that just means you like pictures and stories with anthros or you claim a particular species as a totem animal or you feel your soul is really that of an animal. Furry fandom is very inclusive, and unfortunately, that also means there are a LOT of utter freaks who tend to also be very loud.
Yeah, right. And I watch porn for the cinematography.
Because that is BULLSHIT.
Furry fandom is being a fan of furry characters.
Period.
There CAN be a sexual aspect, but it’s NOT the primary focus of the fandom, nor of many furry fans.
And those of us who aren’t get shouted down, not be the freaks, but by people outside the fandom who want to hold on to their beliefs, so we get more and more quiet and let the freaks define our public image more and more.
Spooning? What’s so special about that during the CW? (Yes, I know what spooning is)
Are you suggesting that any non-child who enjoys Disney movies is necessarily wanking to them? Would it follow that any Sci-Fi fan necessarily has sex in Klingon costumes? Or any baseball fan does unholy things with baseball cards?
I think the real wankers just get all the attention, and the more moderate furries get the flak.