# Is the "Furry" fetish a product of Disney animal cartoons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2009, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211 "2009-07-25T10:32:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/121 "2009-07-31T20:27:36Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Because it’s been brought up elsewhere in the thread? Yeah, mostly by you and **Meeko**. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/122 "2009-07-31T20:31:42Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > Yeah, mostly by you and **Meeko**. :rolleyes: **Dio** has been using a non-standard definition of “furry fetish”. Sue us. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/123 "2009-07-31T20:37:50Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Then you must be unique because “furry fetish” typically refers to fursuiters. Those of us who simply like anthromorphic art are called “anthrofans” or similar.I see what you did there. There are three or four different words to describe the subgroup just in this thread. How are those of us that aren’t in the group supposed to know the difference if furries won’t explain them to us? And not for nothing, but when “furs”, “furries” and “fursuiters” refer to three distinct subsgroups, maybe the problem is on your end, not ours. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/124 "2009-07-31T20:38:46Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Then you must be unique because “furry fetish” typically refers to fursuiters. Those of us who simply like anthromorphic art are called “anthrofans” or similar I don’t know all the accepted taxonomy (so to speak), but my impression as an outsider (and this whole side argument started with my comment about how the subculture appears to _outsiders_) is that the fetish aspect of it (and for the sake of peace, I will accept the assertions that the fetishists are a minority) was primarily based on a certain kind of pornography, not so much on physical acts. I pretty much figured that those who actually have sex in costumes were outlers even within the subculture. I figured that most of it was creating and sharing anthro porn, and maybe creating fantasy alter-egos as well, but I didn’t assume that most of them acted it out IRL. My assumption was that most interaction is confined to the internet. > [@](#): > > I see what you did there. Glad you have a sense of humor. It’s an old joke, but still a pretty good one. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/125 "2009-07-31T22:06:51Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > :rolleyes: > > **Dio** has been using a non-standard definition of “furry fetish”. Sue us. I very much doubt it’s that unusual a use of the term, but I sure as hell ain’t going to Google “furry fetish” to find out. But either way, **Dio** was using the term in the same way it was used by the OP of this thread. If you and **Meeko** really want to correct other people’s mistaken ideas about furries, maybe you should try a little harder to understand what those mistaken ideas are first. As things are, you’re only making things worse for yourselves by going on and on about people who have sex in animal costumes. It also doesn’t help to get all huffy when outsiders don’t have perfect mastery of your subculture-specific jargon. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/126 "2009-07-31T23:14:52Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > I very much doubt it’s that unusual a use of the term, but I sure as hell ain’t going to Google “furry fetish” to find out. But either way, **Dio** was using the term in the same way it was used by the OP of this thread. Not exactly. The OP put the emphasis on “furry”; **Dio** on “fetish”. I understand you not wanting to use Google for this but trust me, put “furry fetish” in there and you get an abundance of costume talk. > [@](#): > > _If you and **Meeko** really want to correct other people’s mistaken ideas about furries, maybe you should try a little harder to understand what those mistaken ideas are first._ Which is what **Meeko** was trying to do but I got there before **Argent Towers** , whose only post in the thread other than the first was to ask **MIS** about the not having sex thing. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/127 "2009-07-31T23:32:44Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > There are three or four different words to describe the subgroup just in this thread. How are those of us that aren’t in the group supposed to know the difference if furries won’t explain them to us? > > And not for nothing, but when “furs”, “furries” and “fursuiters” refer to three distinct subsgroups, maybe the problem is on your end, not ours. I’ll give it a shot. “Furries” is shorthand for the group as a whole, sometimes this gets shortened still to “Furs”. It also specifically refers to those who have an animalistic alter-ego. “Fursuiters” are those who sometimes dress up as their animalistic alter-ego. There are people who go as far as to modify their body so as to look like an animal but these people are something beyond “Furry”. “Anthrofan” or variants thereof is used to identify those who are part of the fandom but do not identify specifically as “Furry”. Those who routinely get aroused by racy anthromorpic art are sometimes labeled “Furverts”. As I’ve said elsewhere, I like to look at boobs and don’t really care if they are attached to a human or a panda that looks human. I prefer the former, though. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/128 "2009-08-01T04:28:58Z")
I simply wanted to state that it was a squares and rectangle thing. All people with fursuiting fetishes are furries. [And a VERY limited number at that] Not all Furries are fursuiters. I was of the belief that the OP was confused on terms. * * * In hindsight “We are more \*\*humane \*\*to each other” as was mentioned be someone, and Mobo here more recently would have been better diction. * * * ---
**Author:** ![Artiewhitefox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e95f7d/32.png) [@Artiewhitefox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artiewhitefox)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/129 "2013-04-26T18:32:07Z")
All of the furries have to know that being nude does not have to automatically mean sex. Cartoon can be like any of the past cartoons with the parts not even engaging in sex at all looking more life like than before. Being to overly obsessed with sex with the characters makes them one dimensional. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/130 "2013-04-26T19:47:46Z")
It seems a bit pointless now to go back to the original topic of the thread after all that’s gone before, but I’ve been a furry for over 10 years, and I don’t really like Disney movies. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/131 "2013-04-27T15:36:17Z")
I wonder if people would still feel the same about some of their statements if they replaced the word furry with some ethnic slur? ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/132 "2013-04-27T17:59:24Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > I wonder if people would still feel the same about some of their statements if they replaced the word furry with some ethnic slur? Looking through the thread, and it’s a bit of a car crash, to be honest, it’s clear that one of the major problems that the furry community has is with its image as presented to non-furries. **Diogenes the Cynic** was his usual abrasive self, but his basic attitude is a common one, and I don’t think the usual furry response of “You just don’t understand!” is particularly useful. Also, furry isn’t a race. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/133 "2013-04-28T14:37:30Z")
> [@Teuton](#): > > Looking through the thread, and it’s a bit of a car crash, to be honest, it’s clear that one of the major problems that the furry community has is with its image as presented to non-furries. **Diogenes the Cynic** was his usual abrasive self, but his basic attitude is a common one, and I don’t think the usual furry response of “You just don’t understand!” is particularly useful. Also, furry isn’t a race. “X percent of y do blank therefor all y’s must do it.” ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/134 "2013-04-28T14:47:50Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > “X percent of y do blank therefor all y’s must do it.” To make it clear what I’m trying to say, it’s not that I agree with what **Diogenes** is saying, but that his is a common conception. And the furry community doesn’t really do a lot to dispel the myths (and they _are_ myths). I don’t think **Meeko** ’s claim that furries are in some way more human that other humans holds any weight either. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/135 "2013-04-29T01:02:55Z")
I’ve been a furry since fur was new – by God, I came within an inch of naming the phenomenon! (I was calling it “Fuzzy Fandom.” The name, according to Fred Patten, was coined by Craig Hilton, the Australian creator of “[Doc Rat](http://www.docrat.com.au/).”) (Safe for work.) Yeah, sometimes we bring the problems on ourselves. I’ve heard furries say some very dumb things, much too publicly. But is it really all that different from Trekkies or Whovians ore any other special-interest fandom? And, yes, I believe that the subtle ambiguity of “is it nude or not?” is part of the sublimated sexuality of some of the furry art-style. You have characters wearing no clothes – which is a sexual symbolism – but still entirely decent for being fur-covered – which mitigates the sexuality. It shares some of the same titillation/frustration as seeing people in skimpy bathing suits. Also, the appeal, in part, is in the attraction of the very innocence of animals. Animals (in the fantasy, anyway) are morally clean, fresh, innocent…and yet still sexual. So it’s a little like the “virgin/slut” fantasy. Someone who’s never had sex…who is really good at sex. It’s a fantasy. One problem is the emphasis on neotenic features in many furry art-styles, which has led some to accuse it of being a pedophilic style. It’s bad enough we’re daydreaming of sex with cats, but sex with kittens? But, again, this is a sublimated kind of attraction, with a built-in attraction/repulsion, making for ambiguity of thought. And it is only a fantasy! I also like robots, and superheroes, and angels, and other artistic motifs that have no basis in reality. It’s a question of taste and preference. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211/136 "2013-04-29T15:23:18Z")
I agree with a lot of what **Trinopus** says above. But I will say that I do think that the Furry fandom is a little different to the Trekkies or Whovians - if anything, I think it’s a step back, and on a level with “sf fans”, perhaps. Furry is a huge umbrella term for a lot of things - people have tried upthread to come up with a decent definition to cover it all, but it’s a tough thing to do. I do think that an important part of the definition needs to be, “… and identifies as furry.”. The media likes to concentrate on people who have sex in fursuits. I think that’s a vanishingly small percentage of the furry population - those full fursuits are expensive, and you wouldn’t want to rip it. Also, they are very hot. Putting on a pair of cat ears or a tail belt isn’t really fursuiting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-furry-fetish-a-product-of-disney-animal-cartoons/504211.md?page=6)