Okay... My connection really stinks, so I can't watch the videos anytime soon. If anyone could give me some analysis, that would be awesome.
Now... I CAN address the comments in this thread...
What I see here is a lot of painting with broad brushes. First, remember that anyone can make a video, stick it on Youtube, and make any claim. It's not really a reliable source for information of any kind, and that includes sub-cultures like the furry fandom.
Apparently some here don't know that I consider myself a furr. No, I don't take it to some of the extremes that other people do, but then that is part of the problem with vids like this.
Furriness, like all sub-cultures has many different fascets and levels of interest, and the definition of what is "furry" and what is not is really up to every individual, even those who reside within that sub-culture. Some merely enjoy creating and viewing different forms of furry art, whether it be feral (four-legged), or anthro (two-legged), or any combination you can imagine.
Others, like me, consider themselves furry because not only to we enjoy the art aspect of it (which in and of itself, once again, spans many different levels and points of interest), but find ourselves with a strong affinity for animals (Angel used the example of Steve Irwin). They (and I) believe that in spite of us being the highest species, there is still a lot we can learn from those lower than us, just as an adult may often learn from a child.
And yes, there is the extreme who get into it to the point where they are so unhappy with their humanity they wish to make alterations to themselves, whether physical or otherwise, to become less human and more animal. Some will even admit an attraction to or a desire to engage in sexual acts with some animal or another.
However, let me state emphatically that this "dark side" of the sub-culture represents a MINORITY. The MAJORITY of furrs do not go nearly this far, and it is always a wonder to me that any media that even takes notice of the Furr sub-culture, it is on this small part they focus. Shows like CSI have focused on this aspect, to the point where when one thinks of a furry or a furry convention such as Anthro-con, they think of (as one google vid put it) "a bunch of mascots in heat".
These videos do not take into account many things regarding these conventions. They don't take into account what kind of people attend these things: mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, children. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that (at least this was true when last I checked) over 50% of the Furry sub-culture is Christian! Even if some do engage in the darker aspects, the "yiff" aspect, the majority of these people do nothing of the sort. We are talking about a group of people who come from all different walks of life, and they're united by one thing: that is by their love for the creatures whose care the Lord has entrusted to us.
I should also point out that "furries" and "therians" are two very different sub-cultures, and so the two should not be mixed. Unfortunately, I have not followed the latter so extensively as the former, so I cannot give you the specific definition of a therian vs. a furry.
I guess all I'm asking is that next time something like this is posted, people need to take it with a grain of salt. There is a LOT of media available on furries, and if you watch, you'll see that the majority is focused, as I said, on the "darker" aspects, but if you actually know a person who considers himself or herself a furr, if you actually take the time to try to understand them, and their reasons for engaging in that subculture, you'll be amazed at just how wrong an image you've gotten.
Even in cases where people do take it to extremes, the solution isn't to call them whackos, to say that they're "off their rockers" (to quote Wes). It's to love them, to pray for them. It's to reach out to them, and hope that God will allow them to be proud of their humanity, even while they seek to enjoy that sub-culture as it was intended to be enjoyed. We need to seek to show the love of Christ... and a lot of the comments I'm seeing here... are not loving at all.
Anyway... I think that's the end of my speech.
Edit: A buddy of mine informed me the vids are from the BBC... My point about the media seems proven true again.
Anyway... I wanted to take one extra moment to address this question that Cookie Monster asked.
| Quote: |
Are all male furries gay/bi? It sure seems that way.
|
Not at all! This is just one more example of a stereotype that is all too common. In truth, there are many gay furrs. In truth, there are many bi-sexual furrs. And in truth, there are MANY straight-as-an-arrow furrs, like me.
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Subject: Anna Meets the Furries 
Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:43 am
) like a normal human dude, was married to a normal human woman and had normal human kids!
I will totally agree with you there. 
