Poll time #6! Are you a member of the Furry fandom?

Submitted by Another Canadian Guy on Mon, 03/23/2015 - 16:57

Forums:

General Discussion

Yes I am.

26% (11 votes)

No, but I have friends who are in it.

12% (5 votes)

Not exactly; I like their inflation material but that's pretty much it (see below for examples).

42% (18 votes)

No, I am not.

21% (9 votes)

Furry Fandom?

0% (0 votes)

Total votes: 43

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 06:46

Another Canadian Guy

Alright everyone, been a while since I've done a poll, so lets get another one going!
I notice quite a bit on the forums I notice some posts from what looks like members of the furry fandom. Since from what I've found (and friends have confirmed), furries have a very large inflation community, it's not surprising too see some members on here. I say that no matter the background or group, we all share a similar fetish and everyone is welcome on here. But I would like to see some interactivity and have users vote on this topic, and better yet, say why and how you like inflation in the (furry) community.

Examples for the poll:

I am a member who like the furry community as a whole and (semi)actively participate in it
(self explanitory)
You enjoy some artwork or real life inflation related things, but do not consider yourself a member of the community (example: You like anthropomorphic inflation, or you like those inflatable animal suits like from Squeak Latex).
(self explanitory)
Ask for info and you shall recieve it. Just don't go searching around on...opinionated sites on the internet.

I'll start by going first. My answer to the poll is #3, my reasons being that growing up I played a lot of games and when I first was exploring my fetish, anthropomorphic art was the dominating field for that medium on the internet (at least that I knew of). Since as gamers know, there are some overly attractive anthropomorphic creatures in gaming (Krystal from Star Fox, Rouge the Bat, ETC...), sometimes kinks get a little bit of leeway. I don't actively browse the art, but I do still enjoy it, and I would also love to at least try one of those inflatable animal suits (I love to entertain and to dress up, so this doesn't surprise me). I do not consider myself a member however, and ironically and truthfully, I am a little offput by the general real life fursuits (due to the uncanny valley effect). I have no problem against furries, and I wish them so much wellness out there as we know how society treats those whom are not part of the social norm.

(Not on here too often, replies might be slow.)

Mon, 03/23/2015 - 21:35

BalloonInflator

Personally, I've noticed there's a defininte line of division in the furry fandom. There are those, like my friends, for whom it is just a fetish like any other. They dress up in costume, play a character, get off on it, and that's it.
Then there is the side I don't understand. They think, behave, and otherwise are their character all the time. Maybe it's just my lack of knowledge on the subject, but I just find those who refuse to turn it off a little peculular.

Anyone who might be offended, I apologize, and please feel free to enlighten me. I'm always happy to learn something new.

_{Just a little more. You can take it...I hope...}

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 06:44

(Reply to #3) #4

Another Canadian Guy

Well, I am not a member, but if I was to take a guess, it's a feeling of security, well being, and/or wishful thinking. I of course could be wrong, but over the years I tried to get a better grasp on myself with general psychology and profiling. I didn't take any courses, but because I was trying to profile my fetish, I learned a lot about other catergories and why people do what they do. One of the biggest things I learned about people is that everyone wants a safe haven. A place where everyone can get away from the troubles of life. This isn't just a select few people: everyone wants this to some degree. Even those content with life.

Anyways, back to my point, not just restricted to the furry fandom, many fandoms have people in it that just want to be absorbed and be in that life away from their own due to the beauty and comfort of it. For examples (and they might not apply, this is just opinion), furries and their fandom is generally regarded as being very open and free to non-hateful ideals, actively promoting and encouraging you to be whom you want to be. Since many people feel a natural connection to animals, the furry fandom helps encourage that and give them an enviroment to be closer to that part inside of them. Others see so much tranquility and peace in being a completely different character that has a new mindset and personality. They can be someone that they craved to be but aren't born into a body like that. With a fandom like the furry fandom, they can be that person they wanted to be in a welcoming and encouraging environment.

I don't want it to sound bad, and let me explain it quickly, but it's mostly wishfull thinking. I don't think that's wrong, per say, as it makes a person comfortable, but that is what they wish to be and I want them to be able to thrive in an environment like that.

TL;DR: It's wishful thinking, wanting to be a character they weren't born into. It brings them peace and happiness without harming anyone, so to me, I have no quarrels against that.

(Not on here too often, replies might be slow.)

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 08:46

(Reply to #4) #5

BalloonInflator

Those are some pretty good points. I can certainly understand the want for an escape from an otherwise restricting life and being able to express ones self. I have a healthy respect for anyone who chooses to show their true colors regardless of what their peers or society in general says.

If there are any furries reading, I'd like to offer some friendly advice from your non-furry friends here, if I may. We're not judging you, and most of us never will. But, whether it's in person or in an online forum, introducing yourself as your furry persona raises eyebrows more often than not. It's not the fact that you're a furry that I personally question, it's your general mental health I worry about. It's all fine and dandy to have a fetish, but letting that fetish define you as a person is inhierently unhealthy. I understand, it's who you are, but bear in mind that when a person meets another person claiming to be a fox or a cat or whatever instead of saying "Oh, I'm Bill, and I'm a furry," it leads us non-furries to believe that something isn't quite right in your mind. Again, I know you're just playing a part, but I think you'd go much further in getting acceptance if you ease others into the play rather than jumping right in. Of course, if you're both furries and know it already, this just goes right out the window.

tl;dr:
Furries, be gentle when introducing yourself to non-furries. We're more likely to accept you if we understand that you understand you're a human being protraying an animal personality, not a human who believes they are the personality.

_{Just a little more. You can take it...I hope...}

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 12:18

GiftedShana

I personally have never had any issues with meeting a fur, regardless to how much they invested in that personality. Originally when I started to get into the fetish community, I ran into more than a few furs, and some approached me in the aforementioned fashion of "I'm this animal." I think it was more for the reason I couldn't see eye to eye with someone who was trying so hard to be something else that they aren't originally(human). This ties into some growing up issues of my own, but that aside, as I grew more comfortable with my kink I began to understand them a bit more.

The way I see it is this...for them its about getting close to that fantasy, wanting to embody it, wanting to feel like it is real. To make the unreal as real as possible. Its much the same as when the some of us in the inflation community venture so far as to inflate via gas/liquid. Consider, that while they may be fulfilling a persona which is potentially unbalancing mentally, there are some of us in this community are willing to fulfill a certain pleasure which has the potential to harm us physically. In this sense, we might be considered in a mentally wrong place by others who are outside looking in. These "extremes" are relative to each fetish. There will always be those purists, the truists, and the adventurous among us willing to take the kink a bit farther.

Now, I've been involved with furry culture(via a rl friend), and online via RP. For a good year or so I exclusively played a fur in my sessions, and it was shockingly different in terms of detail and emotion, even if the base of the RP still was inflation/expansion. There's an escapist feel when you're embodying, or for the smaller part, playing something that isn't you. Being a rabbit/feline/canine/draconic humanoid, or even the straight up animal offers something that is unique. Whether scales or fur, each animal has its own mental and physical dynamics which makes them intricate and deep. That said, I'm not a true furry enthusiast. I'm at best only an advocate for them that will don the fur for the sake of being different and fun.

Every fetish has its spin on pleasure and wanting to make more of something that makes one feel alive. It just comes down to acceptance, at the very least, understanding where the other person is coming from.

Life is always a bit better once you pop a few buttons.

Poll time #6! Are you a member of the Furry fandom?

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