[Flafurs] Moderation

[Jonathan Jones]

On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 12:36 PM, M. C. Henry <leblaireaubougon at gmail.com>
wrote:

  >The standards for excellence of any sort in furrydom are well below the
> bar for society (or even mainsteam fandom) itself.  Think about >it, when
> just having a job that pays above ten dollars an hour is the sign of success
> in furrydom (neglecting things such as >maintaining an independent dwelling,
> achieving educational success, rising into the middle class, holding down
> meritable benefits), >the bar is pretty low.  Likewise, furry art of any
> variety is well below the quality of the true professionals.  Thus, furry
> fandom becomes >a place for the low/no skilled to come in and enjoy
> social/commercial success.  For the Gen X'ers on the list, it's like saying
> that you >beat an Atari 2600 game....in teddy bear mode.
>


This is VERY opinionated.  Considering there are 100s of successful people
out in the world who are furs.  Why does being social with people and making
friends all of a sudden become a special olympics competition?  Some of the
professionals are OUT there making a fantastic living as well as being
social with a group of folks who have the same interests in this fandom.
And on top of that.. I know plenty of 'regular' folks outside the fandom who
are living a HELL of alot worse and with just about all the same
relationship problems and foul ups that people IN the fandom make.  It's
like you are trying to individualize this 'Furry Fandom' into something of
its own.  Well, sorry to say, but this kind of stuff is world wide.  Take a
look outside of the ball.

People devote time to the fandom because it brings people in that can
potentially become friends.  It brings together a familiar interest.  If
friends just aren't important anymore, well, that's news to me.

>
>
> >>"Why are people spending $3000 on costumes??"
>
> >Because it's easier for people to spend $3000 on a costume rather than
> (*gasp*) work on developing and fine-tuning a skill.  This is >why
> substandard graphic artists flock to furrydom like hillbillies flock to
> Branson, Mo.  This is why every other fur under the age of 25 >is a "DJ."
> This is why fursuiting has tried to legitimize itself as "art" in the
> fandom.  Why learn to draw, when you can pay someone >to bring your creative
> vision to life?  Why learn an instrument and musicianship, when you can mix
> other people's music and toss in >some crap you found on a soundboard to
> make a mix CD.  Why learn applied and artistic costuming, when you can shell
> out a few >thousand dollars and use the skills you got in your 10th grade
> high school drama class to play amateur actor in said costume a few
> >weekends a year, and self-promote yourself on the Internet as a
> "professional mascot."
>

This may be a definition of why people buy $3000 costumes.  But then it must
be a pretty serious thing then for alot of people, because alot of folks are
doing it.  Serious??  Maybe not to you.. but to the folks selling these
costumes.. It's serious business indeed.  They're probably making A LOT more
money than alot of folks I know, and the fact is.. there's always gonna be
folks that buy'em.  Whether they are overpriced or not.

Making them is an art, yes. And I do agree with you about the performing
part.  I don't like that folks buy them and then fail to learn the actual
2nd half of the game in creating a character specifically different from any
other character.  They should take the time to learn new things in the art
of performance.  But ya know, if they are advertising theirselves as
professional Characters or Mascots, well.. just ask to see their Resume.
;)   Because walking around at a convention aimlessly, playing Twister,
or passing gas in an elevator doesn't quite count.

The top most reason people buy them is for popularity.  Just look at this
Tourney that's going on right now.  Not to throw arrows at everyone, because
I know some are JUST doing it for fun.  But man.. for alot of people, this
'Fursuit Tourney' is a real self-esteem kicker.  Once someone finds out they
lost... they'll want to go out and buy a new costume.  It's a pathetic
replacement for the human body (and brainpower for some people), but a
fantastic way to entertain.

>
>
> >>>"Why do people go to conventions??"
>
> >Self promotion, attention whoring, social networking (though I'd argue
> "social vampirism" in the case of many furs) and attempts to self >actualize
> as the most specialist snowflake on earth.  "Pay attention to me!  Pay
> attention to me!  I'm important!  I'm special!"  :)
>

Well, for some that's true.  They want to be noticed, but that's part of
human nature.  For alot of furries 'background' stories (at least the ones
I've heard of) I can see why that would be true.  I don't have anything
against it.  Just as long as they aren't interrupting my life or weirding me
out in person.

But.. yes, social networking.  There's honestly nothing wrong with that.
Anyone enjoys going out to the bar with their friends and getting wasted..
it's good times.. GREAT times.  F'in A.. we don't have much of that
anymore.  At least, I don't.  It's a very small vacation.  You need a
breather every once and awhile to be with people you know, or would like to
know.  It's not all about the negative all the time.


-Laphin Hyena
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