Please
Read Me: For
surfers who are new to Furry or otherwise curious, here is a FAQ (Frequently
Asked Questions). The answers reflect the opinions of the creators of
FurryStuff and others may disagree. We welcome your comments or suggestions
to improve this FAQ.
Q:
Many Furry characters look like cute cartoons. This is for kids, right?
A: No, not really.
Although many people believe cartoons are "just for kids",
much of what is Furry is created by adults for adults. This can be compared
to Anime and Manga (Animation and comics from Japan), where cute cartoon
characters often appear in stories and situations that are very definitely
"adults only". Not all Furry creations for mature audiences,
television and feature animation with animal characters, children’s
picture books and comics for younger readers often contain animal characters
and are most certainly Furry.
It’s important to remember that Furry sites on the web often contain
adult material.
Q:
Why is there so much Furry material with mature themes?
A: Like it or not,
humans are very interested in sex. You can see this everyday in all
forms of media, advertising, TV, magazines, and everywhere you turn
on the Internet. Sex sells, because we will look. Some believe that
cultural restrictions cause us all to become more obsessive. The attraction
of the forbidden has always been strong. Add the aspect of fantasy to
that, and you have something that appeals to a wide audience. (Please
refer to the next Q & A)
Q: It seems that a lot of Furry involves alternative lifestyles, morality,
values and spirituality. Why?
A: The answer is
that creative people, Furry or not, want to impress their audience.
They want to say, through their creations, "Hey! Look at this!
Look at me!". Their creations define an identity, a way to say
who and what they are, what they think and how they feel. Creative people
sometimes feel outside of "normal" society, so they are often
critical or skeptical about what is considered "main stream".
They may be quiet and introspective in person, but through their art
they can speak out and be proud of who they are and of the community
they belong to.
Q:
In my visits to Furry sites, I find many personal statements, conflicting
opinions and heated arguments. Is this typical of Furry?
A: Actually, it’s
typical of humans. Whenever you have more then 2 people, you have politics.
Furries are still human after all, unfortunately, and humans are an
insecure species. Everyone wants to be a unique individual as well as
to belong to some family or community, be a part of something outside
of themselves, and not be alone. The larger and more diverse any community
becomes, the more often opinions clash and the more likely splinter
groups form. The Furry community has a large percentage of very creative,
passionate types. This often leads to more intense arguments. (see above
Q & A).
Q:
I’m interested, so how do I get into this Furry thing?
A: If you like what
you see or read on Furry sites, you are already there! You don’t
have to be an artist, writer, costumer or even have a web page. There
are conventions all over the world for Furry fans, and many cities have
Furry mailing lists that announce local events. There are on-line chat
lines, role-playing environments and Internet services. You can find
a lot of these right here on FurryStuff, so click on in and Surf on
the Wild Side!