Meeses

[alias_sqbr]

Am sick again at the moment. I've either been working or sick (or both. Or home sick from work) every day since christmas which is beggining to make me a bit grumpy. I had a (pretty minor) bout of gastro, which stopped me absorbing my reflux medication so then I got reflux, and even though that's back under control my entire gastrointestinal system is Still Not Happy With Me, and my throat is all irritated. As Cam has pointed out, it's a pity all my jobs involve talking given that whatever's wrong with me it always ends up giving me a sore throat.

I'm at the stage of not feeling that stupid but looking back on things I've done or said and going "Oh dear, that was dumb". I guess I should be glad that being sleepy and thus losing some of my social inhibitions just means I rant at length about group theory (apologies to the arts students stuck at that table on NYE :)) Apologies for any past or future tactlessness or belated replying to emails etc.

Just rewatched "Basil: the great mouse detective", it's definitely a flawed film but it was still fun, and wierd seeing the stuff that stuck deep in my subconscious during my repeated childhood watchings. It occurs to me the adorable scottish girl may be the reason I felt an immediate affection for my highschool uniform (the pictures don't make it clear, but both have tartan, ties, ribbons, and tam-o-shanters) and the movie probably also encouraged my "Mice are adorable, rats are EVIL" predjudice (somewhat ameliorated by meeting adorable rats)

EDIT: Just watched making of, as I thought they used computers to do the actually pretty impressive (for 1986) clock scene, was interesting to compare to 1936 Mickey Mouse clock short they included on the dvd.

It's a little annoying that there's this..thing where liking adorable somewhat anthropomorhisised animals (such as in The Great Mouse Detective, ACOS(*) or, say, my icon and the comic it comes from) is associated with being "Furry" which at the same time has connotations that, well, Do Not Apply To Me. I guess it's the same as people who like playing the odd computer game or particular speculative fiction authors/movies but do not wished to be tarred with the "nerd" brush since almost every other aspect of the stereotype does not apply. I am too sleepy to express this well, though. Hmm.

EDIT: Oops, I thought it went without saying that while the common perception of "furry" being primarily a sexual fetish is certainly one reason I'm not enthusiastic about the term being applied to me, I realise there's a lot more to it. I know lots of perfectly nice furries, many of whom I knew would read the entry. I guess I have two separate issues: One, that (as with many labels with negative connotations) if you admit to liking a small part of the subculture people go "haha! Your'e one of them!". Two, that what people mean by "one of them" is pretty warped and extreme compared to what your average Furry is actually like. It's like admitting to liking magical realism and someone going "Ah, so you're a nerd. You must go around in a Star Trek uniform speaking Klingon". More in the comments.

(*)Well, I think they're adorabale.

Comments

[infamyanonymous.livejournal.com]

Liking anthropomorphic cartoon animals does not, in any way make you a furry. In the same way that liking cute babies doesn't make you a pedophile, or having a pet make you a beast- uh, I don't know the name for them.
It's one of those square/rectangle things.

[alias_sqbr]

While I am Not A Furry, they're really not all as bad as all that, they just get really bad press. Worse than we sff nerds. Do not judge them by Rowan. If I liked dressing up as animals, fluffy toys, and purring etc at people I might consider myself a little bit of a furry. But I actually tend to dislike those things, so yeah.

[purrdence.livejournal.com]

It's a little annoying that there's this..thing where liking adorable somewhat anthropomorhisised animals (such as in The Great Mouse Detective, ACOS(*) or, say, my icon and the comic it comes from) is associated with being "Furry" which at the same time has connotations that, well, Do Not Apply To Me.

Would you please elaborate on this?

[alias_sqbr]

See, I had a feeling when I wrote that it was coming out wrong. I'm not feeling any better now, so make no promises this will make any more sense.

First off, I don't think there's anything wrong with being a Furry, just that like 80% of the usual meaning of the term doesn't apply to me. To me, Furry implies

1. a general liking of most styles of anthropomorphic animals and, all things being equal, often preferring such depictions to fiction/art with regular people;
   
2. Enjoying dressing up as animals or anthropomorphic animals, or seeing other people doing the same;
   
3. Feeling an affinity for animals in general or one species in particular;
   
4. Finding a particular enjoyment in spending time with other furries;
   
5. Liking fluffy toys;
   
6. All of the above, with "sexualised" added in there as an adjective as appropriate.
   

(This matches somewhat with this definition I found.)

Obviously not all furries satisfy all those properties, the same way that not all nerds like space opera or computers. But me, I like some styles of art involving anthropomorphic animals as a fairly minor subgenre of the art/fiction I consume, and I like cats and other generally accepted adorable animals (though not to a very unusual extent), and that's it(*). In particular, I am really put off by sexualised anthropomorphic characters, they rub me entirely the wrong way. I don't even like obvious boobs on the female characters since the base animal doesn't look that way (human-like hair often bugs me too. I used neither in ACOS and then realised this means it is impossible to tell what gender anyone is, so I do see their purpose) Then again, I think most cartoon women could do with less obvious boobs *mutters in the direction of anime in general*.

(*)Obviously there are a lot of furries I like as people, but I'm fairly sure that's coincidental to your furriness.

[purrdence.livejournal.com]

I see Furry Fandom as a spectrum with the fairly 'innocent' stuff up one end (like liking anthro movies) and the hardcore furries that Paul Kidd does panels about and gives the rest of us a bad name at the other. I would put myself around the middle. It's kind of like the 'Trekkie' vs 'Trekker' thing from the Star Trek fandom.

I do apologise if I sounded harsh, but I do get so tired of the "Furry? Me? Why no, I'm not a pervert." attitude from the fandom at large. I'm not sure if infamyanonymous was doing this deliberatly or not in his response above, but the 'just because you like x doesn't mean you *insert sexual deviant behaviour here*' really did sound like it. I remember going to one con and meeting someone who, upon discovering that I chose to identify as Furry, asked me straight out if I fucked in latex in elevators (apparently Paul Kidd told them that at a previous Swancon), because that's what furries do. It was all I could do to stop myself from banging my head on the table in frustration...

[alias_sqbr]

Yeah, sorry, I was doing my typical "assuming people are psychic" thing, I have added a disclaimer.

In infamyanonymous's defense (speaking of assumptions, she's a girl :)), afaict the only obviously furry furry(*) who hangs around unisfa atm really gives you all a very bad name.

(*)Not sure they'd notice it of hipikat given he's always in sensible work clothes.

[purrdence.livejournal.com]

There's a new unisfan furry? Do tell! I'm afraid I have been withdrawing some from the local fur community because too many of them are immature drama queens.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

So, yeah, about those immature drama queens and the new UniSFAn furry...

[alias_sqbr]

I try not to say bad things about people behind their backs so..uh...*coughs*

[greteldragon.livejournal.com]

Rats are so cute. Just thought I'd add that.

Nothing useful to add to the rest of the conversation, other then that I don't care if your a furry or not.

[alias_sqbr]

Thankyou for your open mindedness :)

Yes, I am much less anti rat now. Also, we had to look after mice at school and they are much less cute when you have to clean up after them.

[mandragora2003.livejournal.com]

Agreed; rats are cute. So are mice. Would love to keep rodentia as pets again. Unfortunately, my cats would enjoy it, too. *sighs*