A Walk on the Furry Side

If God had wanted us to be concerned for the plight of the toads, he would have made them cute and furry.

~Dave Barry

One anecdote I always seem to save, like the proverbial ace up my sleeve, is how I once played myself in a movie. Admittedly this is a small, locally shot, independent flick, but a movie on IMDB nonetheless. The movie remains near and dear to my heart because it’s a relic of my younger and crazier days (for the record, I am the Xena-obsessed girl in the synopsis.) It’s almost like a greying hippie recalling her glory days at Woodstock.

What I’d nearly forgotten, and remembered upon watching the film again recently, is its depiction of furry culture. For any laymen present, “furry” does not refer to a subculture of geeks who refuse to engage in shaving or waxing. I’d describe it, but this entry pretty much tells you all you need to know.

One of the original "fur flicks"

I know what you guys are thinking, that this is my way of “coming out of the fur closet” or something like that. It really isn’t. But I’ve been forced to re-examine my own Furry tendencies…and what I find is slightly eerie.

Back in the day, I’d watch certain movies and TV shows ad nauseum until I could repeat them word for word (much to Mom and Dad’s chagrin). Almost unanimously these were “furry-friendly” selections, from the Disney version of Robin Hood and later Disney Afternoon with its plethora of half-hour anthropomorphized animal shows (TaleSpin being my favorite). I couldn’t get enough of the talking animal stuff.

That being said, I never really had the burning desire to dress in a fur suit and meet other “furries.” There are entire conventions for those of the furry persuasion, just as there are cons for comic geeks, RPG’ers, and cosplayers. From what I can gather, fur is big business. For other people.

So, a bear and an Airwolf walk into a bar...

I suppose there are plenty of examples of furry culture being mainstream, from life-size Disney World characters to Japanese manga to even the ancient Egyptian pantheon. There’s something downright magical about human beings taking on the qualities of animals. In many shamanic cultures, it is necessary for the practitioner to do this. And I have to admit, the image of a shaman wearing an animal headdress never fails to awe me.

I think that furries, like every form of geekery, have their limits. There’s a difference between living the life of a shaman or watching classic Disney cartoons and, say, insisting on wearing one’s fox tail and ears in public and insisting upon being referred to as “Vulpix Darksighter.” Just like we wouldn’t wear our Federation dress uniform or our emerald-bladed lightsaber to mundane events. Well, at least not most of us.

Furry culture is the same as any other geek culture to me. I may not fully understand it, but as long as it involves consenting adults and nobody gets hurt, GO FOR IT. I just have no real desire to participate in it. And now that I’m older and my con-going days become fewer and fewer, that goes for just about every form of in-person interaction with fellow geeks. I can’t justify the gas money or the big bucks for cosplaying that could otherwise pay for house repairs or sensible groceries.

If you are a Furry or know a Furry, more power to ya. And I promise to use your Fursona name when appropriate. Me? I think I have dibs on “Dawn Karnage,” but haven’t Googled to find out yet. I am so seriously geek.

All my wolfy friends are here on Monday Night...

What are your secret geek indulgences? Any weird convention stories to tell? Send ’em and you just might be featured in a future episode of P&Q.

Coming soon: Your Burning Questions answered (finally) and the beginning of P&Q’s 33 Films bonanza…

As always, if you enjoyed this post, click that “Like” button and subscribe, eh, mon ami?

 

~ by Howlin' Mad Heather on March 8, 2012.