This thread is about the discussion of furries and the furry fandom.
Before reading onwards and posting, please read these guidelines:
- Please be civil and respectful - While this is self-explanatory, I stress this guideline in this thread because the furry fandom is a subject that has a long history of spiraling out of control on Pure ZC despite there being few threads on the subject. While we are on the subject, I ask of you to please do not try to open up old wounds by bringing up past drama that has occurred on previous furry threads. Tact would also be appreciated when you post.
- Please do not try to start debates - Even in normal, less sensitive topics, Pure ZC has trouble handling debates. Due to furries being a touchy subject, I request that anyone who wishes to post in this topic not post with the intention of causing debate.
If you feel like you can't post while following these two guidelines, please leave this thread now. I do not wish to stifle discussion, but rather promote peaceful, respectful discussion and try to not repeat the same mistakes that shut down other furry threads in the past.
To start this thread off:
What are furries?
While there is a general consensus that "furries" are people who are a fan of anthropomorphic animal characters. there is no clear boundary of the definition of what "furry" is. On one hand, people use it only to describe people who are into sexualized anthropomorphic characters, whereas other people use it to describe anyone who are a fan of anthropmorphic animal characters like Rigby from Regular Show. Even the characters themselves are often called "furry" by furries themselves.
Another thing to mention is that the fandom is very large and broad, containing all types of people with all different types of interests. A large majority of the fandom have created one or more characters or "fursonas" to express themselves in the form of an anthropomorphic animal being to communicate with other furries who have done the same, which are expressed in many ways. Many people choose to express their characters via obtaining artwork depicting them or may have someone construct a real life suit representing their character for them to wear when meeting other furries or when visiting major conventions. Others may choose to express their characters in the form of literature, telling stories about them and their exploits, or by "role-playing" with one another.
Some of us who know about furries may have largely known about the fandom through NSFW content involving sexualized anthropomorphic animal characters (including sexualized fanart of existing anthropomorphic characters like those from the Sonic or Starfox series) and/or the fandom being portrayed in a sexual manner by the media. One of the most infamous of these depictions in the media being an episode of CSI named "Fur and Loathing"; which depicts and describes furries and the fandom in a highly sexualized and perverse manner.
While I will make no attempt to dismiss the idea that the furry fandom has its share of sexualized/NSFW content, I will say from my experience as a furry myself that the fandom is not all about sexualizing anthropomorphic characters and thus sexualized media portrayals like the one in "Fur and Loathing" are highly misleading as to showing what the fandom is really like. But like all fandoms with a predominant young adult userbase (eg. Anime fanbases), it is wise to tread carefully and know where to look for to avoid the NSFW side if you do not wish to go there. On the bright side, many furry art sites like Fur Affinity filter out NSFW artwork for those who do not wish to view it.