*Asks a foolish question*

[DoctaMario]

So, uh, what is a Furry? I've been here a month and a half or so and I have no clue as to what one of these is, much less what being one entails. Is it a guy who refuses to shave? A girl who refuses to shave?

As with pretty much every other topic I've created, I have no idea where this is supposed to go, so mods, if you move it, my feelings won't be hurt.

But can someone answer this nagging question? *looks hopeful*

[Dannysaysnoo]

Well, i think its an animal that has human characteristic (Talking, bipedal, clothing) while retaining animal characteristics as well (muzzle, fur, tail). Thats what i figure it to be.

[Brunhidden]

actually thats an 'anthro', as in 'anthropomorphic'. this basically means any combination of human and animal, regardless of the proportion. for instance buggs bunny is an anthro, so is the egyptian god osiris, the big bad wolf, and anime catgirls

a 'furry' is usually a derogatory term, used for 'those kinds' of anthros.... you know the ones

[Dannysaysnoo]

actually thats an 'anthro', as in 'anthropomorphic'. this basically means any combination of human and animal, regardless of the proportion. for instance buggs bunny is an anthro, so is the egyptian god osiris, the big bad wolf, and anime catgirls

a 'furry' is usually a derogatory term, used for 'those kinds' of anthros.... you know the ones

I hated that CSI episode.

[Netrogo]

I, myself, generally consider a furry to be anyone who's into the fur/anthro culture that has a fursona of some sort themselves.

[Brunhidden]

this is probably one of the only threads on this forum thats furr free, i am impressed

[xHaZxMaTx]

I don't think there's a set definition - the line that dictates whether someone is a furry or not is very thin, from what I've seen.  However, Urban Dictionary has some good definitions, believe it, or not:

There is no one single definition of what a furry is. Even within the furry fandom, people cannot always agree on just what makes a person a furry or not.

Some would argue that to be a furry, you must think and talk like one (i.e. use furry specific words and phrases). Even if you go to conventions, wear a fursuit, draw the art, writes the stories etc but don't talk using furry lingo, you're not a furry. Basically, someone that may walk the walk but doesn't talk the talk.

Others would argue that even liking anthropomorphic creatures makes you a furry. You may have no idea the furry fandom exists or have ever heard of a furry convention, let alone any of the websites; simply liking 'anthro' critters makes you a furry.

The way I see it, if or if you don't consider yourself a furry is a matter of personal opinion.

As with any hobby, most furries are normal people just like anyone you'll meet at work/school or going to/from work/school or anywhere. Then there is the small percent that are hard core fans and have taken what for most is a hobby and perverted it (sometimes in an all to literal sense).

As is with so many other things in life, the few that take it too far tend to be the loudest. The silent majority are often forced into silence by the loud majority for fear that people will label them as being in the same class as the minority that have perverted it.

One unfortunate side effect of the internet and the relative anonymity that some sites grant their users is people are able to engage in activities (even if only on a virtual level) that they would never even consider doing in real life. An example of this is trolls of message boards that say things to people they'd never say to them in person. I think a lot of the stereotypes associated with furries are because of this.

In conclusion, as with any hobby, there are some furries that have taken it too far and/or perverted what for many is a fun harmless hobby.

[Netrogo]

Well I think Haz's answer pretty much wraps up this whole convo.

[Tapewolf]

So, uh, what is a Furry? I've been here a month and a half or so and I have no clue as to what one of these is, much less what being one entails. Is it a guy who refuses to shave? A girl who refuses to shave?

Haz has found a good - if lengthy - definition, but here's my attempt to give a simple overview.
Basically it can refer to a person or a fictional character.
A furry character would be someone like Dan from the DMFA strip - part man, part animal.  Like a werewolf, or the Khajiit race in Morrowind, Oblivion etc.
'Furry' as applied to a person refers to someone who thinks furry characters are a really neat idea.  In the media, it usually refers to people who takes this to, shall we say, extremes.

[Dannysaysnoo]

So, uh, what is a Furry? I've been here a month and a half or so and I have no clue as to what one of these is, much less what being one entails. Is it a guy who refuses to shave? A girl who refuses to shave?

Haz has found a good - if lengthy - definition, but here's my attempt to give a simple overview.
Basically it can refer to a person or a fictional character.
A furry character would be someone like Dan from the DMFA strip - part man, part animal.  Like a werewolf, or the Khajiit race in Morrowind, Oblivion etc.
'Furry' as applied to a person refers to someone who thinks furry characters are a really neat idea.  In the media, it usually refers to people who takes this to, shall we say, extremes.

Bloody CSI...

[Netrogo]

Something I've been wondering about just came back to mind.

I'm fairly new to the furry fandom, started into it with Second Life a little over a year ago. In SL there are all kinds of retards who show up in the furry sims spouting off about 'fur fags' and such and being general douch bags. Did this large amount of hatred for furries exist before the CSI episode? Before CSI I hadn't really heard much about furries other then traces here and there of what seemed to me to just be some thing I wasn't into and didn't bother learning about or looking into (Kinda like Germany, never been there and don't know much about it other then a few things from conversations and the news)

Basically if I didn't know much about furries before the CSI ep I'm wondering if the CSI ep is what caused the 'pandemic' of furry hatred to escalate to higher levels then it had been (I'm assuming there was still a small group of 'blaaaahh fur fag) idiots out there before hand)

[Dannysaysnoo]

Something I've been wondering about just came back to mind.

I'm fairly new to the furry fandom, started into it with Second Life a little over a year ago. In SL there are all kinds of retards who show up in the furry sims spouting off about 'fur fags' and such and being general douch bags. Did this large amount of hatred for furries exist before the CSI episode? Before CSI I hadn't really heard much about furries other then traces here and there of what seemed to me to just be some thing I wasn't into and didn't bother learning about or looking into (Kinda like Germany, never been there and don't know much about it other then a few things from conversations and the news)

Basically if I didn't know much about furries before the CSI ep I'm wondering if the CSI ep is what caused the 'pandemic' of furry hatred to escalate to higher levels then it had been (I'm assuming there was still a small group of 'blaaaahh fur fag) idiots out there before hand)

Maybe in individuals, but it is probably used as a weapon in the Fur-Fights.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Ah... Outer Fortress or Villa.

*flicks coin*

Outer Fortress it is.

[Darkmoon]

I think OF is a good place for it.

Fursona. That's a word I hate. Why, dear lords, do people feel the need to state, in the word, that it's a furry persona. Is that any different from taking a persona? Does being a furry make it any differnt from being a drow, as an example?

Grah.

[Dannysaysnoo]

I think OF is a good place for it.

Fursona. That's a word I hate. Why, dear lords, do people feel the need to state, in the word, that it's a furry persona. Is that any different from taking a persona? Does being a furry make it any different from being a drow, as an example?

Grah.

I stand by you in this. Its a retarded word. You know the iPod Touch? My friend is determined in calling it the iTouch! bloody retarded...

[Darkmoon]

iTouch?

 

dirty.

[Fuyudenki]

personally, I've always thought that furries are perfectly normal, and don't understand why people are so weirded out by them.

But then, I also always thought that running hither and thither, and climbing anything vertical was perfectly normal, and can't understand why people are so weirded out when I do those constantly, either.

[Reese Tora]

Something I've been wondering about just came back to mind.

I'm fairly new to the furry fandom, started into it with Second Life a little over a year ago. In SL there are all kinds of retards who show up in the furry sims spouting off about 'fur fags' and such and being general douch bags. Did this large amount of hatred for furries exist before the CSI episode? Before CSI I hadn't really heard much about furries other then traces here and there of what seemed to me to just be some thing I wasn't into and didn't bother learning about or looking into (Kinda like Germany, never been there and don't know much about it other then a few things from conversations and the news)

Basically if I didn't know much about furries before the CSI ep I'm wondering if the CSI ep is what caused the 'pandemic' of furry hatred to escalate to higher levels then it had been (I'm assuming there was still a small group of 'blaaaahh fur fag) idiots out there before hand)

Maybe in individuals, but it is probably used as a weapon in the Fur-Fights.

There's the Vanity Fair article, the various spot news stories (sensatinalist covering the latest 'fetish' as opposed to objective stories... but what else should you accept from the media? They show what people want to hear.)

There are a lot of points in popular media that combine to a pretty big negative image, and fewer points of the more normal stuff.

As we covered in my critical thinking class, it's the media paradox: the rarer the event, the more it's covered.  The more something is covered(and mroe emotionally engaging), the more common people think it is.

[Zina]

In my experience, furries are pretty weird and some are as bad as the media makes them out to be. If you want to think otherwise, and believe that they are taking facts "to the extremes", then you're only fooling yourself.
I know a lot of awesome people in the furry fandom, most of them are pretty normal and draw clean art. But, honestly, despite whatever it is you want to tell yourself, the furry fandom is a sex driven fandom. I've run into the weirdest fetishes that I've only found in the furry fandom. And I've run into several creepy people at cons.
Furry is weird.
And yes, a lot of them are THAT bad.

[Ryudo Lee]

I find the fandom in general to be a lot like high school was.  You gotta find your own group and stick to them.  Unfortunately, this causes quite a few outcasts, as it were.

[Netrogo]

In my experience, furries are pretty weird and some are as bad as the media makes them out to be. If you want to think otherwise, and believe that they are taking facts "to the extremes", then you're only fooling yourself.
I know a lot of awesome people in the furry fandom, most of them are pretty normal and draw clean art. But, honestly, despite whatever it is you want to tell yourself, the furry fandom is a sex driven fandom. I've run into the weirdest fetishes that I've only found in the furry fandom. And I've run into several creepy people at cons.
Furry is weird.
And yes, a lot of them are THAT bad.

Yeah, I'd have to agree with that. I have quite a few friends on SL that are awesome and indeed normal. Then there are those random weirdos whom I see running around the sim nude with rediculously oversized realistic penises that flop about and even 'drip' *shudders*

Not to mention just about 90% of the furry population there seems to be gay for some reason. I'm one of about 7 male furs on SL that I know are straight or atleast bi, the rest all seem to be flamboyantly homosexual.

[Toric]

And I've run into several creepy people at cons.

Baby furs..... *shivers*

[Netrogo]

And I've run into several creepy people at cons.

Baby furs..... *shivers*

Oh god! Those exist in real life too?!? I can't decide whether to scream or shudder

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Oh god! Those exist in real life too?!? I can't decide whether to scream or shudder

... you mean you didn't know?

That's ok, baby. We'll shatter your world some more later.

[Netrogo]

I can't believe it didn't occur to me that they might exist in real life as well as SL. They're kinda horrible in SL but atleast most of them actually look like children there, in real life I can't imagine how horrifying that must be. I keep visualizing man fae with a lion's head and diaper

Now normally I'm not one to judge any group based on their actions and such. I mean I have gay friends (even went to a gay bar for one of their birthday parties, fun story), fur friends (SL, here take your pick. Even thinking about hitting anthrocon someday), friends that are way too into bondage (Don't ask), you name it. But honestly... WHAT THE FLYING FUCK IS WRONG WITH THOSE FREAKS?!?!? There's a freaking limit between weirdo and seek psycological assistance. In my opinion THAT is that limit. Arrrrgh!

[Zina]

There have been quite a few horror stories about baby furs. Whereas I usually don't care what people are into, as long as they keep it to themselves, a lot of furries(with all fetishes, not just baby furs) tend to like to shove it into your face.
Cons can be especially bad, because now they're surrounded by people who encourage their behavior. Which, in itself, is pretty depressing.

[Feroluce]

baby... furs? suddenly my life has a new fear. 

[Tapewolf]

baby... furs? suddenly my life has a new fear. 

Yes.  I wish that hadn't come up 

[Kasarn]

Gurochan's tagline should be changed to, "At least we're not furries!"

[Eibborn]

*Gives a foolish answer*