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Defining Furry Moment
15 years ago
General
Do you guys have any strong furry memories before you really knew what furry was? I don't mean a vague, overall interest in anthros - rather a unique experience that stands out as surprisingly more effecting than it should have been...
Back in 1993, a few days before Christmas, the whole family was decorating as it snowed outside and there was a beautiful fire roaring. It was one of those rare, perfect moments when everyone's there, relaxed, and happy.
The TV was tuned into a remarkably furry version of David Copperfield. I remember my attention being inexplicably drawn to it despite everything else that was happening. There were even distinct feelings of attraction for the main character (which I didn't understand, but felt all warm and appealing at the time). I was 11. I just turned 28 and that memory still stands out.
Maybe this clip had something to do with it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzYtTT5K9cQ#t=9m4s
It probably didn't hurt that he was pants-less like half the movie O_O
Back in 1993, a few days before Christmas, the whole family was decorating as it snowed outside and there was a beautiful fire roaring. It was one of those rare, perfect moments when everyone's there, relaxed, and happy.
The TV was tuned into a remarkably furry version of David Copperfield. I remember my attention being inexplicably drawn to it despite everything else that was happening. There were even distinct feelings of attraction for the main character (which I didn't understand, but felt all warm and appealing at the time). I was 11. I just turned 28 and that memory still stands out.
Maybe this clip had something to do with it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzYtTT5K9cQ#t=9m4s
It probably didn't hurt that he was pants-less like half the movie O_O
When I was about 12 or 13, I heard the story of Maui (the mythical hero, not the island named after him). For whatever reason, I imagined him as an anthro. Sort of a dog/wolf hybrid with chocolate brown fur, long hair, and a playful smirk. Um... clad only in a loincloth. (Bow shicka wow wow!)
And the minute that mental image clicked in my mind, I wanted him. Not sexually, but romantically. I remember listening to that story over and over (it was a book on tape) and feeling absolutely infatuated. In the myth (or at least in this telling of it) Maui is simultaneously a noble hero, a loner, and a lovable troublemaker. That totally pushed my buttons. I imagined hanging out with him, hugging him, walking the beach, lying in a hammock together...
At the time, of course, I had no idea what those fantasies meant. I thought that was just how all boys felt about their idols, fictitious or not. Somehow, though, it seemed like something I should keep private. It wasn't until years later that I recognized this experience for what it was: the first fantasy-crush of my adolescence.
Was it an audio book while riding in the car? MAN, were those some excellent day dream opportunities!
And I think you're tapping into something bigger than just an adolescent crush. There's an undeniable allure from large, confident, furry characters. Perhaps it's combining the unconditional love of a pet with the emotional security of a stuffed animal? And, you know, soft furriness...which occurs in both ^_^
Glad you liked it ;)
"Was it an audio book while riding in the car? MAN, were those some excellent day dream opportunities!"
Yes indeed - in the car, on the way to a sunny beach vacation. Day dream opportunities galore!
"And I think you're tapping into something bigger than just an adolescent crush. There's an undeniable allure from large, confident, furry characters."
You're right - there totally is. For example, I'm not too attracted to buff guys in real life, but I love buff furries. When if comes to human beings, I associate a ripped physique self-absorbed macho coldness (in fantasy, anyway). Ripped furries, however, seem softer, sweeter, more welcoming. Strong without being threatening or emotionless, you know? Which makes... me... melt :)
"Perhaps it's combining the unconditional love of a pet with the emotional security of a stuffed animal?"
YES. I've had that very same thought myself. When you're a kid, even innocent physical affection is basically off-limits. Sure, you can hug your parents, but can't just say to another kid: "Hey, you're nice! And you're pretty. Let's cuddle!" However, you can do that with a puppy, or with a stuffed turtle. In other words, animals end up becoming kids' first and only outlet for physical affection. So when they get a little older and start to fantasize about love and companionship, is it really surprising when a few seek the comfort and familiarity of something animal-like?
Heh... I've written another tome, here. Pardon the wall of text :)
But, I do have to disagree a little. I TOTALLY get where you're going, but I don't think pets are kid's primary source of affection. A lot of kids not only receive hugs from their parents, but sit on their laps, cuddle, rough-house, tickle-fight, and lay in their bed after scary dreams.
There are different kinds of love; romantic, filial, and the love of a pet. Which, is much more hierarchal - a servant / master relationship. Nothing makes a pet more happy than pleasing it's master. That's a really appealing relationship that I think plays a part whenever we think of furries.
So yeah...I think it all comes down to subconscious associations. The greatest source of anthropomorphic material in our society is Disney. cartoons, and programming aimed at kids. This material is full of positive messages and characters who are warm and nice that embody good characteristics like openness, acceptance, and security. All of these positive emotions are triggered whenever we see anthro characters. It's not hard to see why we're drawn to them and, when you add an anthro character (plus those positive associations) to sex, why so many people find it appealing. Especially when sex can be awkward and scary. Wipe all that weirdness away with a furry who's just happy to make you happy ^_^
I psychoanalyze eeeeeverything... to a fault, probably!
"I TOTALLY get where you're going, but I don't think pets are kid's primary source of affection."
Good point. Yeah, I probably should have said "SOME kids". I mean, that was totally me - I was the shy, nerdy kid who didn't cuddle, didn't rough-house, didn't tickle-fight, etc. But you're right, it's not everyone. When I over-generalize about how things are for ALL people, it usually means I'm projecting. Surprise surprise :)
"Nothing makes a pet more happy than pleasing it's master. That's a really appealing relationship that I think plays a part whenever we think of furries."
Yes. Actually, I think both sides of that relationship can have their appeal, depending on how dominant or submissive you are. For instance, I had fantasies about being a pet owned by furries! Around adults I was always the polite, well-behaved, ingratiating kid, so taking on a warped caricature of that role in my fantasies felt quite natural.
But even then it was a balance; the furries wanted me to be a happy pet, I wanted to make them happy masters. So even as... uh, incredibly KINKY as that scenario sounds, it was still within my comfort zone. Like you say, I think it came down to subconscious associations. Since I was influenced to associate furries with safety and comfort (by Disney, by pets, etc.) they made the adult world of sex and romance (even WEIRD sex and romance) seem less scary.
Everyone's compulsions - no matter how weird - can be deconstructed to universally understandable reasons.
I don't know that I've got myself totally figured out, and I'm not sure all my psychology is as intuitive or reductionist as I sometimes think it is. Still, not everything is impenetrably complicated. And whether you find solid answers or not, I think it pays to examine yourself. If nothing else you're still exercising your brain, you know?
I don't know that I've got myself totally figured out, and I'm not sure all my psychology is as intuitive or reductionist as I sometimes think it is. Still, not everything is impenetrably complicated. And whether you find solid answers or not, I think it pays to examine yourself. If nothing else you're still exercising your brain, you know?
To say...not, really much. You seem to be echoing exactly what I already feel :) I wouldn't trust anyone who says they've got themselves totally figured out. I think that's something everyone works on until they die. So yeah, there you have my contribution. Death.
Anyway, despite the depth that the feeling apparently go, we still have an ambivalent relationship.
Bluebirds may not be the sexiest introduction into furry, but now at least you have Mordecai ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pPw-iow4PA And, well...I guess I shouldn't be surprised: http://rule34.paheal.net/post/list/mordecai/1
that was the worst show and tell ever
Also, I drew this for you: http://e621.net/data/07/9d/079d2174.....1d0fb1fb40.jpg
and this: http://e621.net/data/49/0e/490e5ba0.....3241d661e5.jpg
and this: http://e621.net/data/79/ae/79ae9cc9.....9a40bc08e1.jpg
and this: http://e621.net/data/sample/20/a1/2.....9cff74d579.jpg
Yes...happy birthday, indeed.
OR SHOULD I SAY MALCOM XXX!
Malcom Sex works well, too.
I'm sure you'll get better with practice, though
I have several terrible ones.
-at 4- I was fucking pissed that people didn't have tails. Tails are neat things. Almost every other mammal seems to have a tail WHY DO WE NOT HAVE TAILS GODDAMMIT.
-at 6- I notice that EVERY CHILDREN'S CARTOON on the air at the time had AT LEAST episode where characters otherwise not anthropomorphic animals would turn into anthropomorphic animals (the fewer normally anthropomorphized animals and more humans, the more likely there would be for more than one episode of this (see: Aladdin)). I would always watch out for these.
-at 9- Was so goddamn fascinated by the burly fuzzy men at lumberjack competitions and-- oh, wait, wrong kind of "furry". .
-at 13- Watched An American Werewolf In London with my family, GET BONER DURING ALL TRANSFORMATION SCENES, FEEL AWKWARD FOR DAYS AFTERWARD. Look up "werewolves" on the google, within the first page there is werewolf/transformation/furry porn.
I know there must be more, but these ones are the most notable off the top of my head. I think most of the other ones are just being endlessly fascinated by movies/TV with metamorphosis and any sort of funny animal people at all.
Dude, wild. These are some interesting examples. I haven't seen an American Werewolf, but I always thought the transformations were kinda brutal? Maybe that's just my ignorance. It shows how powerful your libido was to overpower the horror aspects :o
I tried to recreate your werewolf experience and it took me scrolling past 106 rows of google image results to get overt werewolf porn :( http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/.....erewolves5.jpg Fucking VCL, though - old school! That is a place a lot of people start out in the fandom...
Not long after, I found myself sucked into the universe of Fraggle Rock, wanting desperately to live there instead of with these dumb people I had to go to school with.
Do you have any links for pics/video of the Night Before Christmas one? I'm not sure I know what you're talking about. But interesting, huh? Both us had these epiphanies around Christmas time - as though the season or break from routine allows for certain realizations.
There's a distinct lack of fraggle rock (or any muppet) porn, isn't there. Not saying that's bad (or good), but because it was so formative for you, I was just curious about your thoughts on that :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQAKqQGmdK8
The little mouse-kid crying moment's at 5:50 in this piece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht5hNo027qI
As far as Fraggle Rock goes, I was a big Muppet fan as a kid (I grew up with the Muppet Show, 'cause i'm oooollld) but Fraggle Rock was a whole other story. It wasn't so much the fact that they were puppets, or fuzzy, or anything like that, but that this goofy kids' show depicted this whole complex universe with amazing caves and creatures with a really appealing lifestyle. For an alienated 5th/6th grader, this was heavy stuff :) And frankly I'm A-OK with the lack of Muppet/Fraggle porn; there's something decidedly nonsexual about them... maybe it's the googly eyes.
Just watched that seen and...wow. That actually was pretty poignant, even now. Though, I gotta say I think what I'm responding to is the big, furry dad who's got an excellent voice actor, and is just oozing sympathy and concern. Awww, I want him to fawn over me like that...
Muppets do = non-sexual. Let's not fight that
The topic of that month's issue was Funny Animal artists.
It had all the early furry artists in it, and was full of sexualized, adult furry things. I think Omaha the Cat Dancer was in it, even.
I was born in 1986 and have had that comic as long as I could remember. I was turned furry by the furry fandom.
You know, I'm normally the first guy to say it's the internet that's not only desensitizing, but enabling such taboo interests - but as you look at all these stories - they're entirely internet free. Just wait to see how this talk will go with future generations who DO have the internet :o
Back then I thought I was straight -- or, at least, I had not yet discovered the fact that I am bisexual. So even though today my attraction to Simba vastly outweighs my interest in Nala, it was through her that I realized that I was interested in anthropomorphic animals that way.
[faicon]Gelsh[/faicon] seems to nail it when he distinguishes between a romantic and sexual attraction to Maui. What attracted Gelsh, at least judging from what he wrote above, seems to have very little to do with the the furriness of the character (it wasn't the fact that Maui is a furry that was attractive). I think there's a very slippery line between whether what we as furries find attractive is (1) the addition of animal anatomy to human characters (e.g., making sexual animal characters), or (2) the anthropomorphization of otherwise sexy animals (e.g., making romantically available creatures that otherwise are considered beyond the purview of sexuality). I fall more to the second, quite frankly, but the fandom seems more interested in the first.
Weazal, I'd be interested in talking about this more in depth sometime.
I hear you about Redwall! Talk about beautiful escapism. I remember countless hours when I was stuck someplace just daydreaming about what my life would be like in that world. And...who would take an interest in me
I like your dilineation between the two aspects of furry. There's definitely a current of animal love in furry that's understandable for how close our content comes to it. I gotta interject my stance, though. That the whole reason these animals are sexy isn't always their looks as much as the psychological comfort and warmth their character's embody. The double pleasure that comes from turning those positive, appealing emotions sexual is a significant driving reason, as well.
Like, if there was a perfect, giant teddy bear that could hold you - I guarantee nearly 100% of people would love that. Settled securely in the warm, furry embrace it's not an unappealing idea for things to become sexual. Most people don't go there, but if they were introduced to it the right way, I can't imagine anyone turning it down. Especially when the relationship is inspired out of our association with animals = pets. And pets want to please their masters.
It seems the majority of these stories were about people blissfully leading normal lives until *boom* some random furry thing evokes a reaction that resonates far more potently than it should have. These folks are like, "Huh. That's interesting" and then engage the fandom to a sufficient degree that they're here, now, interacting with each other.
Your early furry experiences, or the unique susceptibility of your mental state at that age, was so effecting that it provoked you into this I AM LION state - an intense magnification of where most other people reside in this fandom. You'll always find folks at all ends of the spectrum where ever you go, so it's especially intriguing to meet you :)
Being specifically a white lion has always been a part of you since the very beginning. Did nature make you like that?
"So, you have always been part white lion since the very beginning."
There!
At the end of "Born Free", as the backdrop for the credits we see Elsa and her family; husband and cubs, all sitting together on the top of a large boulder rock. The song,sung by Matt Monro, "Born Free" is played. Honest to God, talk about a emotional moment! I softly cried there in my seat in the theater. And I do the same today if I watch the movie in my house. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_89U-N-5w0g I tear up listening to the song every time I hear it. With this U-Tube video with all the lion pics, It's all I can do from literally breaking down. This emotion I feel is deep, primal, if not this side of a kind of a non-sexual orgasmic feeling.
When I "met" Kimba in 1966, I felt that he was me and I was him. In the sense of the supposed philosophy of the white lion as "explained" in the series. White lions have the biggest hearts, are the lions that defend and honor the downtrodden and the outcast. In addition to being a steadfast and loyal friend. A white lion's friendship is strong and true. You know he'll be there whenever you need him.
And, of course, there's Aslan from "Narnia". The recent film done together with both Walden and Disney, the CGI Aslan, when you first see him come out of his tent at the encampment....lion perfection! This time, there is a very strong sexual orgasmic feeling.
"ROWL!"
As I said, it was a strong and deep connection. I was being "spoken" to even though I didn't know it. Again, in childhood no voices from above, no answers as such, just a OVERPOWERING feeling of almost a deja-vu nature. I must say that even at 14 years of age in 1966 when I met Kimba, I so wanted to be him. Much like a littler child wants to be a favorite cartoon character. I'd like to think at 14, I was past that and that what I was feeling was my deep lion connection.
In that way, may I say I had a repeat of that feeling in a way when I first donned the Rudolph fursuit. If EVER there was a doubt that I was what I would come to know years later as being a "furry", I can tell you by the extreme and total pleasure I had getting into the fur
I KNEW "I had come home". I think I made a mistake going human, I should'a stuck with animal....
And, speaking of that, that leads into something that I don't know will either "turn you off" or "offend your sensibilities", but four the last four years I have become friends with a true psychic. None of this "read your fortune stuff", someone who is and doesn't announce it or try to make money off of it. From this friendship I have learned many things that now give me certainties to things I only had wondered about before.....
I will be happy to elaborate, but will stop "here" for now....
The vast majority of people don't have OVERPOWERING connections with animals in the same way you explained. Something caused you to be different, caused you to have these feelings. What do you think that is?
The chemistry of your mind? Experiences in your life up to that point? Reincarnation fucked up and put the soul of an animal in your human body? Spiritual influence? Or anything else...What do you think?
I don't mean to seem like I'm evading the question,I'm not. But for up until my psychic friend, I only had feelings. Now I do have answers, many answers, but one has to be open to the idea of spirits and such to believe what I can now say about myself.
Thank you.