fchan

This is pretty basic, I'd just like to know on what terms somebody would consider themselves furry.
 I definitly find human-type furries attractive,.. best example is Krystal.
So how does it work? Any info is fine.

http://www.ranting-gryphon.com/Other/whatisfurry.htm

I second 2 =3

>>4
You beat me to it. Usually this is my spiel :P

A furry is a special breed. First of, you need to be VERY drama sensitive. Second, you MUST want to reap animals ALL THE TIME. whenever you see a dog or other animal, you MUST want to have sex with it.

The only exceptions are artists, who are allowed to be furry without raping animals. But the first rule still applies.

Also, being queer really helps

>>4 Ah, but I didn't say "anthropomorphic art." Furry has nothing to do with art, though many furries also enjoy the art.

>>7 Are you saying that you're a furry and you're describing yourself?

>>9

Actually, Furry was ALL about the art -- and stories -- before the lifestyle came along.

>>9
Furry has everything to do with the art! That's what started the fandom and what keeps it going.

From my understanding, as has been said by a few, Furry is just another name tag that is used to classify and box up groups of people; no hard and fast definition will ever be suitable, because what it is to be a furry is almost as diverse as the number of individuals who'd call themselves such.

Generally speaking, I believe it originates in art and writing; there's jsut something neat about anthropomorphising that certain people are drawn to, and it's fun to play around with it, and even create characters to explore it with.

Most people can't seem to think of furry these dyas without thinking of two very misleading things:  The first is porn.  Furry =/= pornographic or erotic art/literature.  Frequently, sure, but that's not the whole of it, and I don't believe it was the original impetus either.

The second unhelpful thing is the extreme, which while not bad in itself, has been frequently grabbed by the testicles and waved all over the media, to the extent that someone unfamiliar with the culture could be forgiven for thinking that that extreme makes up the entirety.

As for that extreme itself, if you want to view it that way, fursuiters are one part of the subculture, and pursue a lifestyle very heavily involved with this passion/fettish/whatever, often to the extent that it impacts on their actual lives substantially, and often earns them the image of 'that sick wierdo nextdoor'.  Their lifestyle, their choice, nothing wrong with that, and while I think it would be more fitting to describe that group as desiring to actually be said animals, rather than thinking that they really are, if you want to go to such lengths over it, then I guess that's what does it for you.

I make the distinction above about 'wanting to be'/'thinking they are' because there's another unfortunate misconception that happens far too often concerning that media-created negativity of extreme and a different, distinct and independant community, which doesn't come into the furry culture at all (though per individual, I'm sure there's often a lot of overlap, such as myself), and which I won't go into here because then it liekly really will turn into a massive shitestorm, hehe...

For toehr people, it's less about the art nd writing, and more about the "lifestyle".  I mean no disdain with the quotation marks there, it's just that, to be honest, I don't really understand what that means at all.  What is it about a lifestyle that makes it a characteristically furry lifestyle? **shrugs**  You've got me there, I havne't the foggiest.

So, as for what terms someone would consider themselves a furry, that's sort of a question the individual needs to answer, though the question of in what senses the term furry applies to you might be a more useful question to examine.  For myself, I like antropomorphic artwork and roleplaying (textual), adult and clean, I like the community in some places, and find it tiresome in others.  I'm also part of the other community I mentioned above, which for me personally is a spiritual thing, but again, just personally, I don't relate that at all to being a furry.

Now ending rant/lecture, hope you enjoyed.  If not, please throw all rotten vegetables at the target to my left, as I will be leaving the stage now.

>>13 Someone had to imagine the characters before he or she could draw them.

When I started with furry some 18 years ago, I didn't have a graphic web browser. I didn't have any ways to download or even look at furry art. I got into the fandom by logging in to FurryMUCK via a raw telnet and using my imagination.

The art is nice, but it isn't the only way to be a furry. (And yes I'm old)

>>18
Respect your elders sonny...  Unless they're assholes.  :)