Furries in Freak Nation

Dec 02, 2010 14:20

Just dropped by the local Borders and found this little gem on the shelves: Freak Nation: Outrageous American SubculturesSo of course, I had take a look and see what they said about furry-dom ( Read more... )

foolishness, bad writing, books, furry fandom

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Comments 21

redvixen December 2 2010, 23:25:33 UTC
Hmm, I'm furry, a Disney fan, and a D&Der. Triple threat!!!

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eric_hinkle December 3 2010, 01:45:39 UTC
That's pretty much it!

I really wouldn't have minded so much if the author hadn't combined a tone of "we're all mature adults here" with a snickering attitude towards the people they were writing about. It seemed seriously immature.

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headnoises December 3 2010, 03:31:28 UTC
0.0

My mom is an original Tolkien fan, loves Disney (especially the animated Robin Hood), would be a re-enactor and Tea Partier if she had the time/money, and would be a GREAT GM.

Oy.

Did they have any flavors of Christian listed, that you remember? Other than Mormon/splinter mormon?

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eric_hinkle December 3 2010, 04:57:33 UTC
I'll have to check again to see about Christianity, but they didn't think much of anyone's that I could see.

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headnoises December 3 2010, 05:04:18 UTC
Hehe, one of those things where the louder they talk about how X others are, the closer you should look at them.

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eric_hinkle December 3 2010, 05:12:56 UTC
Indeed. It might not be so bad if they weren't putting on a facade of being "interested in promoting tolerance", only to turn around with the whole "look at our sideshow of freaks! attitude immediatly after.

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symphonic_rp December 3 2010, 07:03:53 UTC
I think when researching Furry they must have come across Spectral Shadows. There's a bit where the protagonist says to the furs, "Please tell me the god of that religion is not Bugs Bunny."

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eric_hinkle December 3 2010, 15:40:41 UTC
That sounds to be about as far as the research went.

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hannahsarah December 3 2010, 10:00:33 UTC
I have to admit, I totally do. not. get. the Furry thing. I just don't.

But you know what? I'm totally cool with that, because I'm Orthodox Jewish, and anything we do looks really weird to people on the outside looking in. I've got no room to judge whatsoever.

I mean, what kind of a G-d commands you to go outside and build a tent without a roof (even if it rains) and then makes you eat all of your meals in this tent for the next week? (The holiday is called Succot if you want to look it up.)

Oy vey, don't even get me started on the stuff we do getting ready for Passover. Not to mention the prohibition against Wendy's double bacon cheeseburgers. (I've had them before I became observant, and those things are DAMN tasty!) Why, G-d, WHY?????

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eric_hinkle December 3 2010, 15:45:06 UTC
I have to admit, I totally do. not. get. the Furry thing. I just don't.

That's okay, sometimes those of us inside the fandom wonder what's going on and why we're still here ourselves.

But you know what? I'm totally cool with that, because I'm Orthodox Jewish, and anything we do looks really weird to people on the outside looking in. I've got no room to judge whatsoever.

I suppose everyone's faith looks weird to someone. And thanks for letting me know about your being Jewish; if it's okay I might ask you questions about the faith in the future for the sake of personal reference. Yes, I can get it from books too, but there's something to be said for speaking to someone who can pass along more personal knowledge, the "how it feels to me" part.

Best!

And really, that book... among other "freaks" they listed NASCAR fans and railfans (basically fans of trains). Now are they freaks?!

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hannahsarah December 3 2010, 16:17:54 UTC
You can ask me anything you want. I'm not easily offended, and I'm always willing to educate people ( ... )

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redvixen December 3 2010, 18:07:54 UTC
*grins* I like your question "Who amongst us ISN'T a freak ( ... )

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roycalbeck December 4 2010, 10:31:17 UTC
To me, the only possible response to "You're a furry? Does that mean you dress up in animal suits and have sex?" would have to be "where did you even GET that stupidity from?".

And when they cite this book, or CSI, or whatever, just roll the eyes and walk slowly away. -:D

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eric_hinkle December 4 2010, 16:24:26 UTC
I'm not really worried about this, but I know a couple of (Christian) fursuiters who nearly got into some big trouble with their families when someone showed their relations the furry CSI episode.

Thankfully their relations decided they trusted them more than TV writers.

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