FURRY FUR FUR

After researching in and out of sub cultures I couldn’t help but get bored of constantly being reminded of punks and emos! But then something caught my eye when I came across the wonderfully weird culture of Furries!

So I bet your thinking exactly what I thought what the hell is that? Or maybe you’re a secret furry reading this now? So for the people who don’t know the furry fandom originated back in the 80’s at a science fiction convention, since then it has grown worldwide shocking the nation with regular conventions, fur parades and a growing fur cybersex fandom.

Furries create an animal alter ego, they think of a name, a costume, and even a whole new personality! Most furries gather online to banter about costumes and their characters in which they trade cartoon like drawings of their furry self or even in some cases upload videos in which they portray themselves in a provocative, sexual manner.

Check out this sexy fox!

There has been a lot of conflict within the sexuality of the furry fandom, furries often like to make erotic art of their furry selves or as you saw in the video furry-themed cyber sex.

They even have there own language in which mostly relates to the fur sexuality, for example:

Furplay: Foreplay

Yiff: Happy, yes, sex: now

Yip: Happier

Yerf: Happy positive greeting (hi!)

Growf: NO, unhappy

Yipp: Sexual propostion

Furvert: Pervert!

Yiff is the most popular word and often relates to sexual activity within furries or sexual online interaction.

Apparently due to studies 25% of the fandom members are homosexual, around 40% are Bisexual and 45% are heterosexual.  The fandom also attracts a small amount of people who are interested in zoophilia, which is the practice of sex between humans and non- human animals.

Furrie's obviously love dressing up, so I wanted to
know who is making these amazing costumes? That's when I contacted Lindsey. This
is what she had to say about working as a furry costume designer……


So how did you get introduced to
making costumes for the furrie fandom?
I got introduced to the fandom by a friend years ago. I didn't think much of it, until one day I saw pictures from a convention of some beautiful costumes and was totally interested in trying my hand at one. I had had experience with costume design before at childrens summer camps and was up to the challenge of something more complex.

What is the most popular fursona that you make?
The most popular critters are foxes and wolves. My first two creations were both wolves. They are generic, simple, and lots of beautiful photo references available.
 
Describe a normal day in your life?
A normal day starts with emails and checking up on the community blogs and news. Livejournal, twitter, and other social media are huge in the community. Then lunchtime and down to my shop where I turn on the tv for background noise and settle onto working with whatever project was scheduled for that week. Some nights are later than others, with crunch time occurring close to various convention dates. 
 
Do you feel there's a story behind the fursona costumes?
As for character/animal choice by customers, there are many different thoughts on it. Some feel a spiritual connection to a certain animal, some jut like certain color combinations, while others are looking for something big and shiny to attract attention. There is definately an ongoing Contest to have the coolest, newest, most awesome costume at events. 
 
Do you get alot of clients that are couples or partners?
I don't get a lot if clients that are partners directly. Sometimes one partner will get a costume and later on the other partner (who is likely jealous of the attention the first gets) will order one as well. Usually Individual designs, but I've seen a few matching costumes that are pretty cute. 
  
What's your most common sexuality of a client?
Sexuality of my clients really is no business of mine. Contrary to popular belief there are a ton of straight people in the community. I feel it's average to other fan communities, with a mix of bi, straight, and gay. Perhaps (speculation) gays feel more comfortable in this community and are more likely to express themselves and be more easy accepted. 
  
Do furries listen to a particular type of music?
Music tastes range as much as they do as on a city bus. Everyone is different in their tastes. At conventions dance music is popular as it gets dance party's going. 
You can check
out Lindsey’s stuff at 
http://www.furrhappens.com/

The furry fandom has had quite a lot of media coverage including US shows like ER, CSI, Entourage and a special documentary on MTV. And have featured on the front cover or FSU’s Gay magazine.

But people only seem to know the sexual side to a furry? So I contacted a furry off of you tube and this is what he had to say.....

 So what country your from? And how did you get into the furry fandom?

Hey ok well i'm from Chicago IL in America. And when I was in high school we had this club called key club its a club where we did community service work for the community. So I was in key club doing this project for an elementary school. and they asked me to be the Easter bunny. So I was like naw that’s so embarrassing. Well finally they talked me into doing it. So I was the Easter bunny and everyone was giving me attention and I thought it was fun actually. So one day I had an idea and was interested in making one for my self to play around in. well I found out how to do it off of you tube. And then I herd that there was a group called the furry fandom where people did the same things I liked to do. So I went on my facebook and found out that there was a furry by me named aiden racoon and so I talked to him and hung out with him and I meet more furries that night and we just all started hanging out.

Can you tell me about your furry character?

I got this fursona a fursona is what your furry character is and I did a cross breed between a wolf and a kangaroo. So I called him a wolfyroo. His name is skrat. The colours I chosen because there my favourite colours. He looks more of a wolf just with a bigger tail and squeaks like a squeaky toy.

Where I got the name SKRAT for my fursona. I was just walking around thinking of names for my furry. And just one day it came to me in a dream I was walking around in my town and someone called me SKRAT and I remember that from the dream I had and I liked the name so I stuck with it.

Describe a normal day in your life?  A normal day in my life. Is like anyone else’s I got a job djing and making fursuits the mascot costumes you see furries wearing. I wake up. Make food and just be a normal person like everyone else. Once in a while I would like to have fun by fursuiting and it’s not a fetish like what most people think its just about going out and having fun. You know you only live once might as well enjoy it as you possibly can. But a normal day for me is I wake up go to the bathroom eat work watch TV hang with friends and then go to bed. I fur suit once in a while.

We even have these meets here for furries we all go bowling mini golfing and go play softball. At these meets some people do dress up to have fun. Some just come to just see other people. We even have these things called furcons it’s a convention for furriers. Where we go to states and just meet new people and hang out fursuit and even just have fun. That’s all what a furry really wants is to have fun with there life.

Can you describe to me the furry language what are the top slang words?

Do you have a partner and are they a furry?

Ok the slang for furries.

FURSUIT-a furry character, a mascot costume people wear. And a fursuit cost as much as a used car. There hand made and custom made to only fit that one person that ordered it. It cost between a few hundred dollars to over three grand for one fursuit.

YIFF- it means the word sex.

MURR- means sexy

MERF- means like stupid thing to say and or like a face pulm.

 FURSONA- a furries out look on what they see in them self being a furry they choose the animal on what they feel like what there body tells them.

And yes there are some furries that will have sex in a fursuit but most furries don’t do that. 

MATE- means a partner or like a boy friend or girl friend.

um right now I don’t have a mate but I like to be single lol that’s just me.

What does your family think about you being a furry? 

Yes my family knows i'm a furry. My mom and dad are completely fine with it. They told me it’s your life you have fun with what you like to do. If its not hurting anyone or anything your cool with us about it and that’s what my mom and dad told me.

Do furries listen to s particular music?

Well for me being a dj. Your lucky lol. furries listen to more of techno dubstep and shuffle music there are some furries that do listen to metal or RnB and rock or even rap music.

So I wonder if the furry fandom will grow over time? Will it just become a norm, or maybe it would become as big as the Punk sub?

Who knows you may see a giant fox on your bus tomorrow? If you do make sure you say YERF!