Furry discussion thread

[Evilshy 5,089]

First off, I'd like to make sure everybody is on the same page as to what exactly a furry is.

The worry furry carries quite a negative stigma; most people think it means "somebody who whacks off to anthropomorphic animal porn", and while there are plenty of people who do, this is most definitely NOT what the word means. Yes, people who do get off to furry porn are technically furries, but they're very different from what the original term meant, which is simply somebody who likes anthropomorphic animals. Conversely, being a furry doesn't automatically mean you like to dress up and/or role-play as an anthro character, either.

 

Ponies aren't anthro, so bronies aren't automatically furries. I'm sure there are many that are (I am, a few others in the thread seem to be as well), but they aren't the same thing.

 

 

The fight against ignorance continues!

[Aureity 3,055]

A furry is someone who enjoys anthropomorphic animals.

A brony is someone who enjoys a television show.

How on earth do you consider them the same thing?

[hoofian 10]

I'm not a furry, but I can dig some of the art and fics and such. I respect the culture, and all that, I just am not heavy into it. I can see the point of MLP being slightly anthropomorphic and such. I am not offended hen people compare bronies to furries, why should I be? Both fandoms are misunderstood, neither are harmful to anyone else. I know not all furries are the ones who get off on furry art, or like to have sex in fur suits. Doesn't mean there is anything wrong with those who do, though. It can be a fetish, just like anything else, but those people aren't hurting anyone. They aren't even hurting themselves. I don't understand why some furries are so quick to say "but I'm not THAT kind of furry!" instead of saying something more tolerant like "some people are into that, I'm personally not, but its whatever floats your boat". Why do people, in general, feel the need to ostracize others, just because they are slightly different? In fact, we tend to argue more over our slight differences than the real differences. People who have a problem with furverts or whatever you call them, aren't going to care if you aren't "that kind of furry" anyway, they will hate you because you are different. Just ignore their hatred, and love and tolerate everyone, regardless of fandom or fetish.

[I_wesley125 393]

It would seem some people are equating furies to yiffers, something they are not.

Just as we have cloppers, they have yiffers.

OT:I never really thought of us as competitors.

[M14Brony 92]

*brohoof* honestly i dont understand it, im a furr too, bronies and furries are the same thing, even though we dont like to admit it.

 

Given the drama and attention whoring that occurs in certain brony communities, one could, at first glance, be forgiven for stating that bronies and furries are the same thing. However, once one scratches the surface, this statement is revealed to be false. For starters, as others have pointed out, the pony fandom is related to MLP: FiM, while the furry fandom is about anthropomorphic animals. Bronies do make "ponysonas" (even I have done this), but to my knowledge, there are not any bronies that think that they have some sort of "inner pony" (some furries claim to have some sort of "inner animal").

 

The furry fandom has degenerated to the point where it is known for yiff porn. While I realize that not all furries are into such suff (and there are ones that are into it that will have the common courtesy not to cram it down one's throat), the bad elements in the fandom have tarnished the image of furries. The furry fandom is also known for drama (those who dare to criticize and/or mock the fandom have been blacklisted as "trolls"), and this is what made the fandom a popular target for trolls in years past.

 

The bad elements in the furry fandom (babyfurs/pedophiles, Nazifurs/Furzis, those that cram yiff porn down other peoples' throats, bestiality advocates, etc.) were encouraged by the fandom's "open door" policy, as such people were not judged for their deranged, sociopathic behavior; they were welcomed with open arms. This enabled such a grouping to grow within the fandom and attain a degree of prominence that has caused some larger furry communities to cater to such people.

 

Bronies currently do not have an image that is tarnished to such a degree, but we cannot overlook the fact that the pony fandom has degenerative tendencies that could eventually cause it to attain a negative reputation analogous to that of the furry fandom. It does not help that this fandom started on 4chan, as that has attracted some unsavory types to the ranks of the pony fandom. We also have elements of the fandom that have cynically distorted the meaning of "love and tolerance" for their own purposes - "love and tolerance" was originally nothing more than a countermeasure deployed against 4chan trolls (it was basically a method of telling them off and stating that bronies would not be deterred by their acrimonious, stultiloquent ramblings). However, there are elements in the pony fandom that want to take over our fandom and turn it into a support group, i.e. the term "love and tolerance" has been hijacked and it is being used to advocate the creation of an open door policy.

 

Karl Marx noted that history repeats itself - the first time as a tragedy, the second time as a farce. The furry fandom's reputation was destroyed by the results of the open door policy that fandom took, and the same degenerative rot can do damage to our fandom if this tendency is not kept in check. An open door policy will serve to create an atmosphere of mediocrity and servile conformity, as actual discussion will be pushed aside for attention whores who want to be loved and tolerated regardless of what they say and how they act; they want unconditional support, even if they exhibit sociopathic tendencies. The people pushing for such a policy tend to become active in support groups, and they will eventually expect an environment of perpetual, unconditional support. Due to the expectation of unconditional support, criticism, no matter how constructive and/or mild, will be seen as a deeply personal attack, and such people will lash out at those that disagree with them. In short, these people will end up at each others' throats over what appears to be a mere triviality.

 

Needless to say, I do not think that we should let our fandom become a farcical "repetition" of the furry fandom. Sane furs most likely have to fight a regular, uphill battle when it comes to publicity due to the bad elements that have tarnished that fandom's reputation. Let us preserve the original meaning of "love and tolerance" and create an atmosphere that is geared toward an exchange of ideas (the original purpose of forums). We can still offer advice for each other, as life can be rather unpleasant at times, but we must not take things to an absurd level, i.e. we must not cater to attention whores (these people are utterly vexatious, and they will often make idle threats about leaving a community in order to get people to reply to their posts) and demand unconditional support, as it is through criticism that people learn to deal with criticism and learn new things.

 

Let us keep the sane furs and sane bronies in our community. Let us show the door to the bad elements in both fandoms!

Edited April 24, 2012 by M14Brony

[Applesmack & Brandy 120]

Im both so, /)( (dont worry the good kind of each )

Edited April 24, 2012 by AppleSmack

[CapnKrunk 307]

I'm not a furry,but I think the fanart is kind of cool

[Viscra Maelstrom 3,718]

A furry is someone who enjoys anthropomorphic animals.

A brony is someone who enjoys a television show.

How on earth do you consider them the same thing?

 

well, the ponies in the show ARE anthropomorphic animals, too, and since furries like anthro animals you put two and two together and...

 

although, like i already said, the pony fandom centers around the show MLP:FiM. the furry fandom centers around anthropomorphic animals as a whole. this can include the show into their interests, but in most cases it's animals like canids, felines, lizards, avians, skunks, etc. most of the furries i've seen who like the equines is more likely to be the more... equine-ish looking ones, i.e. less like the ponies from the show, and more like ACTUAL horses.

[PeachPalette 1,000]

Definitely not both. I'm a brony. I used to LOATH furries...that is...until I found out one of my best friends was one. Then I tried to involve myself by being interested in her furry things. I now show tolerance towards them. To me, they're completely different though because I view a brony as being a fan of a show, and not always to the extreme of feeling they NEED to look like an animal in real life. But being a furry or a brony is what you make it and everyone is entitled to what they like.

[prettycool 65]

I highly disagree. Ponies and Furries are 2 different things.

I could basiclly say what 2 other guys said in my own words but I'll just quote them instead.

I don't think bronies and furries are the same thing.

 

Just because the characters are ponies, doesn't mean we are furries.

And:

 

A furry is someone who enjoys anthropomorphic animals.

A brony is someone who enjoys a television show.

How on earth do you consider them the same thing?

[Jemboi 127]

I thought "furries" was a weird sexual fetish thingy? I'm certainly not associated with that "movement" whatsoever.

[a1763342 38]

Edit Post: Post was deleted

Edited June 27, 2014 by a1763342

[cuteycindyhoney 13,283]

[Evilshy 5,089]

I thought "furries" was a weird sexual fetish thingy? I'm certainly not associated with that "movement" whatsoever.

 

Proving my point; most people don't know what a furry actually is, since the only type of furries people ever talk about are the ones who get off to furry porn.

Not blaming you, btw. Ignorance isn't a sin. But holding onto false notions after you've been told the truth is.

[Jemboi 127]

 

 

Proving my point; most people don't know what a furry actually is, since the only type of furries people ever talk about are the ones who get off to furry porn.

Not blaming you, btw. Ignorance isn't a sin. But holding onto false notions after you've been told the truth is.

 

Not to be rude, but how are people supposed to know unless they've been told? It's not the sort of thing one learns about unless personally interested. I admit I've only ever known about the sexual side of the term. Even so, I do think that people who love to dress, act, and pretend to be furry animals are bizarre to say the least. Dressing up for Halloween or a costume party is one thing but "furries" are in a whole other ballpark. IMHO opinion furries and bronies have nothing in common whatsoever. I love watching MLP, I don't literally think I am one or want to be one (let alone have sex with one). I'm not trying to be judgmental and I apologize if I offend. I just really don't think the two things correlate in the slightest.

Edited April 25, 2012 by Jemboi

[NoodleFox 19]

Definitely not both. I'm a brony. I used to LOATH furries...that is...until I found out one of my best friends was one. Then I tried to involve myself by being interested in her furry things. I now show tolerance towards them. To me, they're completely different though because I view a brony as being a fan of a show, and not always to the extreme of feeling they NEED to look like an animal in real life. But being a furry or a brony is what you make it and everyone is entitled to what they like.

 

You know I have to really give you props for this. It takes a lot to get past a preconceived notion and actually attempt to involve yourself like you did for the sake of your friend and change your entire attitude towards something. I wish more people went at life with this kind of attitude.

 

I was a furry long long long before I was a brony and there is a definate difference between the two. Being a brony, at least for me, is about enjoying a very well made television show that sometimes gives me insights into my own life and how best I can try to live it. Being a furry... well that's a different and far more personal matter all together.

[PeachPalette 1,000]

You know I have to really give you props for this. It takes a lot to get past a preconceived notion and actually attempt to involve yourself like you did for the sake of your friend and change your entire attitude towards something. I wish more people went at life with this kind of attitude.

 

I was a furry long long long before I was a brony and there is a definate difference between the two. Being a brony, at least for me, is about enjoying a very well made television show that sometimes gives me insights into my own life and how best I can try to live it. Being a furry... well that's a different and far more personal matter all together.

 

Well thanks so much for those kind words. It's all true though. Funny thing is, when she found out I was brony all she did was post slanderous things on facebook about bronies. If it's anything being a brony taught me, it's that I did the right thing in accepting her for who she was, and also done right in choosing to remind my friend of how I treated her, and no matter what I'd be her friend and hope one day she would show the same tolerance towards me.

 

Well, it worked. It really goes to show how far kindness and tolerance can go.

[Crispy 5,563]

*is a brony, isn't a furry*

 

I don't care if people are, what people like isn't any of my business unless it directly involves me. Everyone has the chance to be awesome or stupid regardless of what they are into.

 

</my argument for almost anything>

[Evilshy 5,089]

Not to be rude, but how are people supposed to know unless they've been told? It's not the sort of thing one learns about unless personally interested. I admit I've only ever known about the sexual side of the term. Even so, I do think that people who love to dress, act, and pretend to be furry animals are bizarre to say the least. Dressing up for Halloween or a costume party is one thing but "furries" are in a whole other ballpark. IMHO opinion furries and bronies have nothing in common whatsoever. I love watching MLP, I don't literally think I am one or want to be one (let alone have sex with one). I'm not trying to be judgmental and I apologize if I offend. I just really don't think the two things correlate in the slightest.

 

*ahem*

 

Not blaming you, btw. Ignorance isn't a sin. But holding onto false notions after you've been told the truth is.

 

It's not your fault you didn't know. I'm not saying you should've known.

Edited April 25, 2012 by Evilshy Liege of Chrysalis

[NoodleFox 19]

Well thanks so much for those kind words. It's all true though. Funny thing is, when she found out I was brony all she did was post slanderous things on facebook about bronies. If it's anything being a brony taught me, it's that I did the right thing in accepting her for who she was, and also done right in choosing to remind my friend of how I treated her, and no matter what I'd be her friend and hope one day she would show the same tolerance towards me.

 

Well, it worked. It really goes to show how far kindness and tolerance can go.

 

You deserve them. It's easy to be a good friend in the best of times, it's a true test to continue to be a good friend during the worst.

 

I'm just glad it seemed to work out well for you in the end. Can you imagine how much easier life would be if we learned to accept people for all of their strange quarks and differences and tried to understand them before we judged them? I realize that's a bit of a cliched statement, but it holds so much truth behind it.

[Matackable 534]

The MLP community is still in its infancy really... The furry community has been around for a long long time.

 

I've dabbled and been involved in a lot of furry related activities in the past. I can't really say that I am much involved in them anymore.

 

I've never liked the furry community all that much to be honest. Yes I've met some great people through the fandom, but in general, I've never seen more support from a bunch of random strangers on the internet than I have coming into the MLP community.

 

 

Yes there are the rotten apples here and there, but for me they've been so few and far between that they're not even relevant to my experience.

[Ice Storm 1,020]

well, I can't really say that I'm a 'furry' persay, as my animal persona isn't one with fur, nor is even an actual animal. My animal persona is that of a dragon, so while it falls under the same category, I'm technically classified as a scaly rather than a furry.

 

Oh, and the ponys are NOT anthropomorphic. They are very much the opposite. In the language of Furries, Anthropomorphic means an animal that has been give humanized features (Hands, feet, fingers, bi-pedal other things like that). While I have seen anthro versions of the mane 6, they are very much, not anthro in the show.

[Page Turner 607]

*brohoof* honestly i dont understand it, im a furr too, bronies and furries are the same thing, even though we dont like to admit it.

 

Well not quite, I will admit that the two are capatable, But I am a die hard brony yet would never consider dressing up in a fur suit, and as such do not identify myself as a furry.

 

well, the ponies in the show ARE anthropomorphic animals, too, and since furries like anthro animals you put two and two together and...

 

although, like i already said, the pony fandom centers around the show MLP:FiM. the furry fandom centers around anthropomorphic animals as a whole. this can include the show into their interests, but in most cases it's animals like canids, felines, lizards, avians, skunks, etc. most of the furries i've seen who like the equines is more likely to be the more... equine-ish looking ones, i.e. less like the ponies from the show, and more like ACTUAL horses.

 

the ponies are not anthropomorphic. they are completely Equine. (at least in the show) to be anthro they would have to have human qualities such as walking on two legs or fingers. Edited April 25, 2012 by Page Turner

[Raptor_a22 83]

I'm a Brony, and also a bit of a Furry myself as of late. While playing on the AuB TF2 server I thought to myself "Hey, this server isn't actually hosted by AuB... its hosted by OzzyFurocity... might as well go look."

 

Well, I did. I had a fair idea of what furries were before I had a look, but I saw some artwork and thought to myself "Hell, this is actually pretty decent. Cant really blame the people who enjoy this, seeing as I watch the manliest show in existence a show that has brightly multicoloured ponies."

[NoodleFox 19]

The MLP community is still in its infancy really... The furry community has been around for a long long time.

 

I've dabbled and been involved in a lot of furry related activities in the past. I can't really say that I am much involved in them anymore.

 

I've never liked the furry community all that much to be honest. Yes I've met some great people through the fandom, but in general, I've never seen more support from a bunch of random strangers on the internet than I have coming into the MLP community.

 

 

Yes there are the rotten apples here and there, but for me they've been so few and far between that they're not even relevant to my experience.

 

Honestly, while I don't agree with it, I can see why the furry community gets the hate and misunderstanding that it does. I've... well not talked to (I've only ever lurked in the outskirts), but I've seen some absolutly amazing and supportive people, but on the other hand... on the other hand there is a LOT of drama. And I mean a lot. Not to mention this strange... I don't even know what you would call it. Racism (?) among various species. It seems like if you're something "generic" like foxes or wolves you get a lot of slack for it. But again this is speaking as someone who has only ever treaded on the edge of the community and never really gotten herself involved. Have you noticed this?