I don't comment often and as much as I respect your opinion I think
you've missed a few things along the way. I'm going to skip right to
the points I want to make and attempt to do so in a clear and concise
manner. I will attempt to leave pure opinion alone and only focus on
what I believe are missteps in logic or scope.
> At what point did the furry genre become a "sexual fetish" or a "lifestyle"?
==The moment the first sexual active adult became a part of it.
Sexual Fetish is the sexual arousal brought on by any object,
situation or body part not conventionally viewed as being sexual in
nature. Drawn characters fall under this catagory. People like to use
the word fetish as if it means something deviant or even aberrant,
its not its more simplistic then that. Sexual arousal + Drawn figures
= Fetish. "Lifestyle" is a 'polite' way of catagorizing people that
aren't of the norm. Circa 1935, Cowgirl position or doggy style would
have been considered a type of lifestyle. Homosexuality is currently
a lifestyle. This label will eventually fade with time.
>>I always thought it was about funny animals, cartoons, and science fiction.
== It was and still is, but it also encompasses everything else that
any member likes or wants. Furry was never an independent entity
that existed immutably. It was simply people who shared at least one
thing in common, anthropomophism. If some people started a fandom on
mustaches you would get the same result as more people take part, sex
and fetish is a part of human society thus it will be a part of any
culture that has humans in it. You can even view society as one big
'human' based fandom. You'll notice similarities in how popular
trends are formed and how they develope.
>>Sure, there was sex sometimes, but it was usually fairly normal
stuff, not some of the weird shit that populates Fchan's /ah/ board.
==Normal? That is completely subjective. I already covered that more
fans cause more changes to a group. Once sex is involved its down to
what an individual likes.
>>Where exactly does diaper-wearing, dismemberment, horribly-prolapsed
internal organs or any of the other soul-searing crap come into the picture?
==From day one. It was already part of society then and by extension
its a part of all its sub-cultures and fandoms. The moment you
started letting humans join you got all that comes with it. Just
because it wasn't prominent at the beginning doesn't mean it wasn't
there. If you don't want it in the fandom, don't let humans in the
fandom.
> These days, it seems conventions are used as "meat markets".
Many people (who probably have no interest in artwork or stories)
seem to use these events to hook up with potential partners, attempt
to get laid (even MY mind refuses to picture what that must look
like), get wasted on recreational drugs or get drunk. So where,
exactly, does "furry" make it's presence known in that sordid little
concoction?
== Internet is the same way, so is news papers, magazines, US Postal
service, movie houses. Where ever there are people, there will be
such activities. Annoying? I think so. What do you do about it? Other
then simply don't associate with them, make additional convention
rules reguarding such behavior. Be careful you don't shoot yourself
in the foot.
>>"Furry" seems to be used as a loosely-binding glue to adhere to
people of questionable character and motives. Unfortunately, that
same glue is making them stick to the innocent fan, damning them by
simple association. No one likes to be grouped in with the likes of
animal-abusers, kiddy-diddlers and the like.
== You've finally hit on one primary problem of society, categorizing.
Its great for teaching children, but is completely inept for dealing
with complex matters. People lump together things because they never
take the training wheels off their brain and realise the world is
gray, never black/white. Its an asymptotic function with varying
phases and multidimentional spectrums. Normal is an illusion that is
used to represent what some call ideal, it doesn't exist. Trying to
label 6 billion people is not only futile, it's decremental to
society.
>>But, unfortunately, the fandom's "open arms" policy has presented a
severe chink in the armor, and all the outcasts are using it to find
a haven.
==You're right, but that same chink is also the air holes of the
fandom, seal it at your own risk. Its a simple choice; evolution
through changes in membership and notoriety, or death by asphyxiation
due to stagnatated air. The same thing that brought forth what
people enjoy about being furries, brought what they don't enjoy. The
fandom would not have survived with out that chink.
>What do you think should be done, or how do you think it COULD be
done?
== Simple, but not easy. The worlds going to have to grow up. Take
responsibity for their own actions, and stop complaining because
people are different. If someone wants to label something 'right' or
'wrong' fine, but they better bring some intellectual clout into the
arena. Logical falllacies and moral labeling isn't going to cut it
anymore.
BTW, You've already hit on the answer below. I'll point it out when we get there.
> As I posted on CYD, I believe that artists are just as resposible
for the situation. An aspiring artist gets a few fans, some of them
ask if he can draw some enormous dog cock drilling some 4-year-old
beheaded cub herm (and offer him money for it), and the artist does
so. Boom! Now he's getting money and all sorts of fans, but are
these the kinds of fans he really wants? Was that little bit of
money worth opening the floodgate?
== Thats up to the individual artist. The real question is do you
look down on them if they did? Why or why not? Should you be looked
down upon because you draw non-human porn?
>> I will be focusing on the characters and the stories they have to
tell. The stories are not G-rated (there's nudity sometimes), but
they're also not XXX-rated spank magazines. If you want something of
that nature, well, that's what the portfolios are for.
==Great! I look forward to it. I love a well written story.
> I'd like to try to transcend the "furry" genre and try to steer my
little corner of it into a greener pasture, a place where the nutjobs
aren't welcome and won't find anything fap-worthy for their
disturbing fetishes.
== There some irony in one fetishist railing on another. I covered it
above so I won't now. Aren't welcome? How will you know who to keep
out? A stern warning on the home page? Your statement sounds as if
you have control over who sees your work, unless you place passwords
and never give them out. Then no one will see them. Would it suprise
you to know that those same "nut-jobs" may find your artwork "fap-
worthy" and their other fetishes "fap-worthy" as well. You aren't
keeping anyone out of anything with this logic.
> So what do you folks think? What should, or COULD, be done? Realistically, mind you.
You said it best here:
>>>I have mentioned in the past that I am changing how I do my work. I still
plan on doing portfolios (I have several drafted already, as a matter of fact),
but I will be focusing more on stories. I will be using Caterwaul Inc. as my
vehicle for this adventure. I will also be putting a lot of my "mainstream"
work into these comics, and I hope it will be evident in the camera angles,
lighting, and detail. I will be focusing on the characters and the stories they
have to tell. The stories are not G-rated (there's nudity sometimes), but
they're also not XXX-rated spank magazines. If you want something of that
nature, well, that's what the portfolios are for.
Speaking of which, I have mentioned to some folks on the group that a lot of
the future folios are considerably tamer than my older material. In fact, the
roughs for "Skunkworks VII" look more like Playboy/early Penthouse than Hustler.
There are still the occasional hardcore pieces, but not quite as prevalent as
years past. I hope that folks will enjoy this change. My reason for changing
my formula? I want to produce a high-quality item that even someone not
involved with the fandom would be interested in reading or looking at.
Something that one wouldn't feel the need to hide from everyone else because
it's not the usual thing.
==This is the best solution. You are doing what you enjoy and are
comfortable with and telling people up front what to expect. This way
people 'should' show up because they have an interest in your style
of artwork. If you don't like something, don't support it. Build
your own area of the net with your artwork and the kind that you
like. Be vigilant or else some "nut-job" will come along who thinks
your fetish is ruining their part of the internet or some such
nonsense.
-Dyne
Received on Sun Jun 07 2009 - 00:22:39 CDT