Are You A Furry?

Alastair · Post by **Alastair** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:49 pm

Sleet wrote:
Inali wrote:I seriously chickened out about telling my friend about furries... He came over, and I had the most perfect opportunity to tell him, but I choked.
What was the opportunity?

We were playing video games, and on my Xbox dashboard I have a furry wall-paper, and I could have just explained what that was all about. He actually asked about it before, which was another opportunity that I let slip by.

Post by **Sleet** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:45 pm

Don't go looking for opportunities. Just explain it if you need to.

Therolyn · Post by **Therolyn** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:47 am

If they don't ask, you don't need to tell. I've only ever had a few cases when somebody has inquired about my tastes.

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 7:18 am

I agree with what Therolyn and Sleet said. There's no need to tell if they aren't asking about it. Just be the good friend that you have always been, that's all that matters in the end ^w^

Shirosune · Post by **Shirosune** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:32 am

Interesting topic here, and oddly one I find hard to answer properly. I supposed by all rights that matter I am, but at the same time I don't really see myself as one, if for no other reason than this seeming so normal to me. I grew up on Disney movies and reading books featuring talking and many a time anthropomorphic animals, and to that end it seems truly unsurprising to me that I find such concepts normal and even inviting.

Honestly, I don't think most people actually realize how pervasive the fandom in question really is in most cases. Often times brushing the true examples of it aside for their conceptualized version of it. It's honestly hard for me to think of more than two or three of the Disney animated movies that are with out a talking or in some way anthropomorphized animal, and those are excessively pervasive on their own, with out taking into account other aspects of the fandom that show up in popular media. Maybe its just because I am a furry in reality that I can see these things, but to be honest, with how often I see openly accepted elements of the fandom, I'm a little surprised that more of the world isn't a part of it, that it isn't simply seen a normal thing by most.

Well, that's my two(or three if your prefer) cents on the matter as a whole, as applied to the current bit being discussed, I've gotta agree, there's no reason to talk about it or admit to it if no one is asking. Just keep being a good friend and a decent person and leave the rest be. Everyone has their oddities and quirks, those things they're into that most others wouldn't understand or easily accept, and in regards to those things, I've always found it's better to stand on a policy of 'live and let live', or 'don't ask don't tell' to phase ot in a more normal way.

Post by **Sleet** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:37 am

More people would be furries if they realized how broad the definition actually is.

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:20 pm

Unfortunately for the uninitiated, their first impression of furries is "CSI". Which paints a very unflattering picture...

Therolyn · Post by **Therolyn** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:48 am

Yeah...such a really bad introduction.

By the broadest definition, I would easily qualify as furry. I've always had a huge exposure to things such as Disney movies and video games featuring anthromorphic beings. Although for me, a like of anthromorphic animals wasn't just it, but thats something that need not to be delved in further.

The Grey Wolverine · Post by **The Grey Wolverine** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:29 pm

Okay, so Doug Walker did an Ask That Guy with the Glasses live at a convention with two other people the first giving good advice, the second giving bad advice, and that guy with the glasses being, well that guy with the glasses. So, one guy asked "What is the best way to come out to your parents as a furrie?" The first one says "Don't ear a costume when you do it." The second one says "Wear a costume when you do it" and that guy says, "Hey its better than being a bronie."

my sides.

Post by **Sleet** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:12 am

The Grey Wolverine wrote:Okay, so Doug Walker did an Ask That Guy with the Glasses live at a convention with two other people the first giving good advice, the second giving bad advice, and that guy with the glasses being, well that guy with the glasses. So, one guy asked "What is the best way to come out to your parents as a furrie?" The first one says "Don't ear a costume when you do it." The second one says "Wear a costume when you do it" and that guy says, "Hey its better than being a bronie." my sides.

1.) Why why why why "come out?" Do we really need to keep using that term? Hint: no we don't. Stop it, furries.
2.) They're pretty much the same fandom, with some small differences...

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:21 am

I find it amusing that furries have to "come out" to their parents as a furry. You don't really need to tell them. Even if you tell them, they won't care.

KJOokami · Post by **KJOokami** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:25 am

Yeah, in a lot of ways, bronies are just a subset of furries. Though I'd honestly be willing to bet that even some bronies would be embarrassed or unwilling to admit to also being furries, which is kind of sad.

Post by **Sleet** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:37 am

Even using that term to refer to telling people you're a furry is distasteful and, in some ways, disrespectful. And yeah, it's ridiculous that people think they have to tell people.

Bronies are basically single-target furries.

Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:44 am

I am not a furry, but I am a brony. I think while the fandoms do overlap a great deal, not all bronies are furries.

Post by **Sleet** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:49 am

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:I am not a furry, but I am a brony. I think while the fandoms do overlap a great deal, not all bronies are furries.

Because furries are more than single-target.

Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:55 am

so I suppose it would be more accurate to say they're both subsets of a broader category. I don't know what category that would be, but it's something. probably doesn't even have a name.
or it's just fandoms in general, because die-hard trekkies and otaku pretty much share most of the same qualities.

KJOokami · Post by **KJOokami** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:01 am

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:I am not a furry, but I am a brony. I think while the fandoms do overlap a great deal, not all bronies are furries.

Well, I think that can be mostly chalked up to how varied the accepted definitions of "furry" are. In your definition, they may not be interchangeable. But if you stretch it as broad as say, "I like cartoons with talking animals" (which has been brought up several times in this thread as a pretty accurate, if a little vague, definition), then liking FiM would make you a furry as well.

It's all about perspective.

Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:10 am

usually, that broad definition has the added caviat of "because it has talking animals."

I don't like ponies because they're ponies.

MilesKingford · Post by **MilesKingford** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:40 am

Practically everyone can be viewed as being a furry in one way or another. There are so many different types of "furry": Creative Furries (includes writers, artists, and musicians), Christian Furries, Furry Spiritualists, Fursuiters, Role-Playing Furries, Furry Lifestylers, and probably many more. Not to mention all the environment conversation and animal protection causes there are, as well as peoples tendency to take furry animals as their companions (pets). There are even clubs and conventions held in relation to animals: farmers markets, pet owners associations, and talent contests.
Think of anything and I bet there is a furry group related to it.

It is due to this mass of diversity that people (both furries and non-furries) wonder where the boundries can be drawn, what would define one as being a furry and others for not being furries.

Also, quick question, what exactly is a "bronie"? Is that yet another furry group?

Post by **Dissension** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:31 pm

I'm not certain it's appropriate to tell someone they're probably a furry if they say they are not.

A "brony" is a teenaged or adult male who watches "My Little Pony."

Leafolawl · Post by **Leafolawl** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:10 pm

I'm both a furry, and a brony.
I really do think it's all about perspective, because some bronies aren't furries, prime example being Brent.
Honestly, I'm with Sleet on the "come out" and "confess" thing. The terms are crudely placed, since there is nothing wrong with being a furry.

Post by **Sleet** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:16 pm

All of you are furries! No matter what you say! Mwahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaaaa~

*newspaper'd*

I'll reiterate my definition: "Those who enjoy animals with human characteristics or vice-versa and the media that include them, at least partially because they contain such characters."

Also, bronies don't necessarily have to be male. Some people consider "brony" to extend to females, while others consider "pegasister" to be the term for them.

KJOokami · Post by **KJOokami** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:25 pm

I'd just like to clarify that I wasn't trying to say that anyone *was* a furry, regardless of whether they want to be or not, just that a lot of people who don't consider themselves to be furry (which is entirely up to the individual to decide) would likely still fall under the definition that someone else has created (for themselves or as a general rule) for "being furry".

That said, I'd like to mimic what Sleet said that bronies aren't technically confined to the male population who watch MLP. I believe that's where the term originated, but it's since been expanded to pretty much anyone who enjoys the shows. I also believe that the term originated from those who enjoy the new series, FiM, specifically, but it too has evolved to include anyone who likes MLP.

Post by **Sleet** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:37 pm

I've never heard it applied to fans of older series.

Then again, if you like the old series, why the heck don't you like the new one?

KJOokami · Post by **KJOokami** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:45 pm

Sleet wrote:I've never heard it applied to fans of older series.

Then again, if you like the old series, why the heck don't you like the new one?

Can't account for taste.

lolidunno

Mon Feb 13, 2012 6:28 pm

one thing, I don't think brony is ever used to refer to little girls who like the show. regardless of whether or not you include female fans, it's usually confined to teenage or adult fans.

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 12:42 am

I always thought that furries and bronies are distinctly different. And young girls love ponies as much as they love Barbie, princess-y stuffs and the like, so I wouldn't include them in the brony category. I somehow remember the brony song was dedicated towards the older fans of the series.

How one perceive someone or something as furry will always be up for debate and discussion, as almost everyone has their own definitions, and that those different definitions might not be totally right or totally wrong either. I've been reading some furry discussion sites, surveys and even research materials, and I have yet been able to find any consensus on the matter.

In the end, it's all up to the individual whether to accept him/her/hirself as furry or not. The community is pretty much a forgiving and accepting one, and all opines are welcome~

Blue Braixen · Post by **Blue Braixen** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:41 pm

I always thought a brony was just a male pony(-lover). I must be wrong. I also wouldn't say that being one makes you a furry, but there are very thin lines between the two in places. X3

Kitela · Post by **Kitela** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:55 pm

On the Pony topic. I'm a furry and don't like the My Little Pony series at all, and yet I see so many non-furries who do enjoy it.

I really don't see how they're related at all.

Post by **Sleet** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:06 am

Kitela wrote:On the Pony topic. I'm a furry and don't like the My Little Pony series at all, and yet I see so many non-furries who do enjoy it.

I really don't see how they're related at all.

They're related in that My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is an anthropomorphic animal cartoon, and furries are fans of anthropomorphic animals.

Kitela · Post by **Kitela** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:51 am

I know that. What I mean is that I've seen so many (male) people who are not into any other anthropomorphic animal related anything but still like My Little Pony series. I guess that what a brony is.

Maybe I just have a different definition of exactly what a furry is.

Post by **Sleet** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:19 am

Being a furry doesn't make you a brony. Being a brony doesn't make you a furry. But an elevated proportion of bronies are furries and an elevated proportion of furries are bronies.

Leafolawl · Post by **Leafolawl** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:43 am

Sleet wrote:Being a furry doesn't make you a brony. Being a brony doesn't make you a furry. But an elevated proportion of bronies are furries and an elevated proportion of furries are bronies.

This. :U

I like MLP:FIM because it's not as corny as most shows that are out today. Mark these words, not AS corny. Still has it's moments. Also, I find I'm able to relate to the characters. And above all, there's a realism to it's fantasy setting, a quality hard to find in any show, let alone a kids show.

But I also kinda like it because talking ponies that are funny. |D
What more would a Furry need?

FlintTheSquirrel · Post by **FlintTheSquirrel** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:25 am

I am of the portion of Furry that does not like Ponies in any case. Though to be true, I have not gave it any chances. (I do not watch TV) I am kinda against and often annoyed by cult followings, such as Portal, so I might not like it even if I saw it due to that inner annoyance feeling. ^^;

I am well aware the two are separate though. It does feel like most furries like it, hence what you mean by elevated I suppose, but I am not sure about the other way around. I am willing to wager only 20% or so who like it consider themselves furry, since a TON of people watch that show, and only a small portion people in the world are Furry.

Post by **Sleet** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:55 pm

FlintTheSquirrel wrote:I am of the portion of Furry that does not like Ponies in any case. Though to be true, I have not gave it any chances. (I do not watch TV) I am kinda against and often annoyed by cult followings, such as Portal, so I might not like it even if I saw it due to that inner annoyance feeling. ^^;

I am well aware the two are separate though. It does feel like most furries like it, hence what you mean by elevated I suppose, but I am not sure about the other way around. I am willing to wager only 20% or so who like it consider themselves furry, since a TON of people watch that show, and only a small portion people in the world are Furry.

I think Portal is mainstream enough its following doesn't really count as "cult." It's just a very popular game.

I think 20% is probably too high. And a rather amusing percentage for you to be using on this topic. *giggles*

KJOokami · Post by **KJOokami** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:39 pm

Sleet wrote:I think 20% is probably too high. And a rather amusing percentage for you to be using on this topic. *giggles*

Ha!

Kitela wrote:Maybe I just have a different definition of exactly what a furry is.

That's actually been a pretty central point in this thread. Everyone's definition is going to be different as there really *isn't* a set definition that everyone (or most everyone) agrees upon.

The main thing that *is* agreed upon is that furries like anthropomorphic animals. How much more complex and specific the definition gets varies on a person-to-person basis.

The Grey Wolverine · Post by **The Grey Wolverine** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:49 pm

With the topic of ponies, I just ave to say I don't get it, I'm sure its popular for a reason, but I just don't get it.

KJOokami · Post by **KJOokami** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 3:00 pm

That's probably a topic better answered in the MLP thread, but if you haven't already, I'd recommend watching an episode or two (the newest one was great!) just to see if you enjoy it. If you have already watched and just don't like it, then that's fine too. Not everyone's gonna like it.

Post by **Sleet** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 3:09 pm

The Grey Wolverine wrote:With the topic of ponies, I just ave to say I don't get it, I'm sure its popular for a reason, but I just don't get it.

It's popular because it's good. And it features anthropomorphic ponies, which furries tend to like. Like Ook said, watch a few episodes. Or go over to the MLP thread if you want to discuss it further.

Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:58 pm

It's good because It was made by a team who didn't forget that parents, including fathers, have to watch this with their kids, so it was made to be entertaining to them at least a little. As Lauren Faust has said, it's not that odd that adult males without kids would also find it entertaining.

Do you consider yourself a furry?