The FFFF, competition, and fursuit performance
This started as a reply to Shivon's FA journal about how he is not voting in the Fandom's Favorite Fursuit Fracas (fursuittourney). Crossposted to my FA Journal
I've long had mixed feelings about the tournament. While it's nice to showcase new suits and people who make fun videos and pictures to promote their suits, the "whoring" for votes and negativity focused on opponents -- even the basic message of voting that one suit is "better" than another, is a bad result of the competition.
I have tried to promote being a good sport with the competition, in both victory and defeat. I've done gift art for all my opponents since 2008, to help promote positive feelings after the poll closes.
I consider everyone a winner who wears a suit and makes effort toward performing a character (i.e. act beyond more than just a guy-in-a-costume). We have the opportunity to bring a piece of furry art to life, beyond the fur, foam and stitching, and become a character to believe in. Pretend along with me! I'm a cartoon coyote, or flirty purple bunny..we can be whatever we want!
I tell people that the FFFF is for entertainment value only, and should not be used for validation. Just because there is only one winner, does not mean the other several hundred fursuiters are losers.
It would definitely be more positive if there were a way to showcase the suits without the competitive element. Maybe if there were some sort of fursuit showcase that would be an organized effort to feature fursuiters, spaced out over weeks and months, much like the random matchups, but with a known schedule beforehand to allow participants to prepare their entries. If it involved the organizers of the Fursuit database and WikiFur, it could help fill out those fursuit biographies.
--Yippee Coyote
2009 FFFF Champion
I've long had mixed feelings about the tournament. While it's nice to showcase new suits and people who make fun videos and pictures to promote their suits, the "whoring" for votes and negativity focused on opponents -- even the basic message of voting that one suit is "better" than another, is a bad result of the competition.
I have tried to promote being a good sport with the competition, in both victory and defeat. I've done gift art for all my opponents since 2008, to help promote positive feelings after the poll closes.
I consider everyone a winner who wears a suit and makes effort toward performing a character (i.e. act beyond more than just a guy-in-a-costume). We have the opportunity to bring a piece of furry art to life, beyond the fur, foam and stitching, and become a character to believe in. Pretend along with me! I'm a cartoon coyote, or flirty purple bunny..we can be whatever we want!
I tell people that the FFFF is for entertainment value only, and should not be used for validation. Just because there is only one winner, does not mean the other several hundred fursuiters are losers.
It would definitely be more positive if there were a way to showcase the suits without the competitive element. Maybe if there were some sort of fursuit showcase that would be an organized effort to feature fursuiters, spaced out over weeks and months, much like the random matchups, but with a known schedule beforehand to allow participants to prepare their entries. If it involved the organizers of the Fursuit database and WikiFur, it could help fill out those fursuit biographies.
--Yippee Coyote
2009 FFFF Champion