History Main / Yiff

In a nutshell, yiff is {{furry|Comic}} porn.

Of course, yiff has [[MediaWatchdog its critics]]. For a lot of people, this kind of smut skews just a bit too close to {{bestiality|IsDepraved}} due to the animal-like characters pictured, and {{Fan Hater}}s are quick to label anyone who is aroused by Furry fanservice as actual zoophiles. However, many Furries -- along with non-Furries who don't share this mentality -- like to bring up one simple observation in response: The majority of Furry fanservice portrays characters who are anthropomorphic in design, and are thus essentially ''human from the neck down''. It makes little sense to claim that this type of fanservice is somehow fundamentally different from standard fanservice with human characters, while [[ElephantInTheLivingRoom ignoring or dismissing the obvious overlap between the two]]. [[labelnote:*ahem*]] As in [[BuxomIsBetter breasts]], [[HartmanHips hips]], [[ShesGotLegs legs]], {{hunk}}yness... you get the idea.[[/labelnote]] As a result of said overlap, non-Furries aren't necessarily immune to yiff either. Furry fanservice can appeal to a surprising number of outsiders if done particularly well, because the artist takes advantage of the fact that any sufficiently anthropomorphized animal character can be perceived as attractive by ''human'' standards in spite of their animal-like appearance, and does so by [[RuleOfSexy deliberately portraying their characters in a way that achieves this effect]] -- typically giving them a human-like figure, and sometimes making it so the non-human traits ''complement'' it -- while avoiding the UncannyValley at the same time (because a sexy person [[ButterFace with a photorealistic animal head]] is just plain weird). [[note]] In some corners of the Internet, this phenomenon is the basis for a memetic MortonsFork dubbed the "ComicBook/{{Tigra}} Paradox"; people will label you a Furry if they suspect or discover that you find the [[SexyCatPerson tiger-woman in question]] (or some similar character of the opposite sex) attractive, but because many of them share the same sentiment more than they care to admit, you ''also'' risk being MistakenForGay if you try too hard to deny it (the Furry fandom being a popular AcceptableTarget and all).[[/note]]

Of course, yiff has [[MediaWatchdog its critics]]. For a lot of people, this kind of smut skews just a bit too close to {{bestiality|IsDepraved}} due to the animal-like characters pictured, and {{Fan Hater}}s are quick to label anyone who is aroused by Furry fanservice as actual zoophiles. However, many Furries -- along with non-Furries who don't share this mentality -- like to bring up one simple observation in response: The majority of Furry fanservice portrays characters who are anthropomorphic in design, and are thus essentially ''human from the neck down''. It makes little sense to claim that this type of fanservice is somehow fundamentally different from standard fanservice with human characters, while [[ElephantInTheLivingRoom ignoring or dismissing the obvious overlap between the two]]. [[labelnote:*ahem*]] As in [[BuxomIsBetter breasts]], [[HartmanHips hips]], [[ShesGotLegs legs]], {{hunk}}yness... you get the idea.[[/labelnote]] As a result of said overlap, non-Furries aren't necessarily immune to yiff either. Furry fanservice can appeal to a surprising number of outsiders if done particularly well (and indeed, this is more often than not [[IntendedAudienceReaction the intended effect]], if certain fictional {{Funny Animal}}s such as [[Film/SpaceJam Lola Bunny]] are any indication), because they take advantage of the fact that any sufficiently anthropomorphized animal character can be perceived as attractive by ''human'' standards, [[RuleOfSexy causing their non-human traits to be ignored or overlooked]] (or sometimes even ''complement'' their humanoid appearance). [[note]] In some corners of the Internet, this phenomenon is the basis for a memetic MortonsFork dubbed the "ComicBook/{{Tigra}} Paradox"; people will label you a Furry if they suspect or discover that you find the [[SexyCatPerson tiger-woman in question]] (or some similar character of the opposite sex) attractive, but because many of them share the same sentiment more than they care to admit, you ''also'' risk being MistakenForGay if you try too hard to deny it (the Furry fandom being a popular AcceptableTarget and all).[[/note]]

Of course, yiff has [[MediaWatchdog its critics]]. For a lot of people, this kind of smut skews just a bit too close to {{bestiality|IsDepraved}} due to the animal-like characters pictured, and {{Fan Hater}}s are quick to label anyone aroused by Furry fanservice as degenerates who want to have sex with ''real'' animals. However, this can be countered by one simple observation: The majority of Furry fanservice involves characters who are essentially ''human from the neck down'', so it makes little sense to claim that it's somehow fundamentally different from the regular kind of titillation seen anywhere else. (Most yiff artists [[EveryoneHasStandards find zoophilia just as abhorrent as the average person]], after all). In fact, people can be willing to overlook these characters' animal traits if they find them to be sufficiently attractive by ''human'' standards. It's why certain fictional characters of this type -- such as the ''Film/SpaceJam'' incarnation of WesternAnimation/LolaBunny -- are famous for drawing fans outside of the Furry fandom as well, due to being humanized enough in appearance (usually incorportating certain physical human traits such as [[BuxomIsBetter breasts]], [[HartmanHips hips]], [[ShesGotLegs legs]], [[{{Hunk}} hunky build]], etc.) to the point of making the less human traits irrelevant at best, or merely cosmetic at worst. [[note]] In some corners of the Internet, this phenomenon is best summarized by a MortonsFork named the "ComicBook/{{Tigra}} Paradox"; people will label you a furry if you ever admit to finding the [[SexyCatPerson tiger-woman in question]] (or some similar character of the opposite sex) hot, but you also risk being MistakenForGay if you try to preserve your honor by denying it. (The Furry fandom being a popular AcceptableTarget and all).[[/note]]

Of course, yiff has [[MediaWatchdog its critics]]. For a lot of people, yiff skews just a bit too close to {{bestiality|IsDepraved}} due to the animal-like characters pictured, and many a FanHater are quick to claim that anyone who is aroused by Furry fanservice is a degenerate want to have sex with ''actual'' animals. But these accusations can be countered by [[OccamsRazor one simple observation]]: More often than not, the majority of Furry fanservice involves characters who are essentially human from the neck down, because the majority of people [[EveryoneHasStandards don't find actual animals attractive]], and are also willing to overlook said characters' animal atributes if they find them to be sufficiently attractive by ''human'' standards. This is why certain characters -- such as the ''Film/SpaceJam'' incarnation of WesternAnimation/LolaBunny -- are known for drawing fans ''outside'' of the Furry fandom, as their designs include enough SecondarySexualCharacteristics (such as [[BuxomIsBetter breasts]], [[HartmanHips hips]], [[ShesGotLegs legs]], [[{{Hunk}} hunky build]], etc.) to the point of making the less human traits appear more cosmetic than anything. [[note]] In some corners of the Internet, the phenomenon is best summarized by a MortonsFork named the "ComicBook/{{Tigra}} paradox"; if you find such a character of the opposite sex to be hot, you are forced to choose between being labelled a furry by others, or risk being MistakenForGay if you try to preserve your honor by denying it. (The Furry fandom being a popular AcceptableTarget and all).[[/note]]