In this actual thread, several instances of furry fandom in the media have been mentioned.
Cure Candy
Then this trope should be examples of that. As is, it is laid out like a works page.
Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!
@75: That's why I think it should be about the works the fandom creates, as well as the media perception. We have lots of pages for anime works and anime tropes, but not furry works and furry tropes. Or do we?
The Internet misuses, abuses, and overuses everything.
The article is a big mess. It should just be the definition, some indication of where to find the tropes that make up 1) fandom and 2) furry media, and in-universe examples of the trope because that's interesting.
Hammer of the Pervs
Is anyone willing to do the re-write? Again, I could try, but I'd probably get a lot of things wrong since I'm not a Furry.
"Did anybody invent this stuff on purpose?" - Phillip Marlowe on tequila, Finger Man by Raymond Chandler.
This is going to be so much fun.
Honestly the disassociation here seems to stem more from having a negative stigma rather than "by definition", but I do agree that enjoying something doesn't mean one is a part of it.
Death is a companion. We should cherish Death as we cherish Life.
Hammer of the Pervs
It's a mix of both, I'm sure.
I good analogy, I think, is how I classify myself as a gun enthusiast (or gun fan or whatever) as opposed to some other people who just like guns. My old roommate from Fort Benning owns two handguns and a few long guns for hunting. I own about the same number. Both of us like to shoot and are good at it, both are Infantry Captains, and both of us believe in 2nd Amendment rights. However, he's just a guy who likes guns and owns some. I'm a gun enthusiast, because I also subscribe to and read gun magazines, I study the history of guns in my spare time, I draw guns, think about guns, write about guns, you get the picture. I identify weapons in movies obsessively, and I immediately have to check imfdb.com if I can't identify the weapon.
That's the difference between a fan or enthusiast, and someone who just casually enjoys something. Thus, I can love Blacksad and Star Fox, but not be a furry fan, just like I can love Ghost In The Shell Stand Alone Complex and not be an anime fan.
"Did anybody invent this stuff on purpose?" - Phillip Marlowe on tequila, Finger Man by Raymond Chandler.What's Sandbox.Furry Fandom used for?
So, I'll give it a try. Just the standard disclaimer of me not being a furry, so some of this may need correction, especially terminology. I think it's better to just scrap the entire sliding-scale setup and write one consistent description. It looks better and less confusing.
If it's acceptable, I can replace the actual page description, but I wanted some consensus on if it's good or not.
A furry is, at the base, a fan of anthropomorphic animal characters (frequently and somewhat ironically abbreviated as simply anthro). Exactly where on the Sliding Scale of Anthropomorphism these characters are doesn't matter, but most of them fall under Petting-Zoo People and Funny Animals, and they're not on either extreme end. The characters may in some instances also be shapeshifters, transforming from fully human form to some kind of animal.
The majority of the fandom consists of people who enjoy fiction and art centered around furry characters. They may simply take part in what others create, or they may be creators themselves. Many, but not all, also have a fursona*, which is a furry character representing the individual.
On the deeper end of the fandom, which is a minority, there are people with anthropomorphic animal fetishes, and a minority of them are erotic cosplayers. Despite the small size of this group, they have gathered the most attention in the fandom, much thanks to CSI, ER, MTV, American Dad!, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Vanity Fair, Maxim and Something Awful.
Another subculture of the fandom is Otherkin. These are people who believe they are, in real life, not actually fully human. It may be that they claim to have an animal spirit, which may or may not be a real animal (Therians limit themselves to real animals). Some go so far as to disown the human race entirely, and claim they've been born as the wrong species. Even Otherkin, who're mocked by other furries, mock these people, to give some context to where they are on the social ladder.
There is a significant stigma to identifying yourself as a furry, mainly because on The Internet, they are often the butt of many jokes. For this reason, there are a lot of people who have the same interests, but don't identify as furries. On the other hand, if you do like works with furry characters, some people are inclined to label you a furry. They may like the works for the furry characters, but they may also like thm for simply being great stories. Who exactly is a furry is up for debate, but the only people you can be certain of, are the ones who identify themselves as such.
edited 11th Apr '12 6:14:30 AM by Feather7603
The Internet misuses, abuses, and overuses everything.
That's great, except that the language grows, uh, simplistic near the end. Lots of small sentences.
Hammer of the Pervs
Looks great.
"Did anybody invent this stuff on purpose?" - Phillip Marlowe on tequila, Finger Man by Raymond Chandler.![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Good point. I generally use shorter sentences for emphasis, but sometimes I just want to emphasise everything. Made one small edit to it. However, I do tend to be somewhat laconic when I describe things.
edited 11th Apr '12 6:17:22 AM by Feather7603
The Internet misuses, abuses, and overuses everything.
Hammer of the Pervs
Nothing wrong with plain language that's clear and to the point. Trope descriptions tend to be rambling and unclear, so what you did is a huge improvement.
"Did anybody invent this stuff on purpose?" - Phillip Marlowe on tequila, Finger Man by Raymond Chandler.Description changed. Feel free to touch it up.
The Internet misuses, abuses, and overuses everything.
Hammer of the Pervs
I just did a big clean-up, removing a bunch of the obviously anecdotal and subjective tropes, and fixed a lot of bad writing and natter. Looks pretty good now, I think we can lock this.
"Did anybody invent this stuff on purpose?" - Phillip Marlowe on tequila, Finger Man by Raymond Chandler.
Nice work all.
"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer
If this was about characterization of a particular fandom in media like Yaoi Fangirl or Yuri Fan. We dont have a page for Anime Fandom but we do have in-universe extremes in Otaku, Occidental Otaku.
Also being an anime fan does not make you a furry fan...
edited 5th Apr '12 10:13:59 PM by Raso
Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!