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Some FFFF thoughts, competition, and performing
13 years ago
This started as a reply to 
Shivon about how he is not voting in the Fandom's Favorite Fursuit Fracas (aka the Fursuit Tourney or the FFFF).
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
Shivon about how he is not voting in the Fandom's Favorite Fursuit Fracas (aka the Fursuit Tourney or the FFFF).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 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)" <<< Agreed!!
"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." <<< Thumbs up!
but,
"Entertainment only" is the classic sports defense. If you win the super bowl, if you get an NBA ring, if you are Ricky bobby, if you participate in a competition and win you will be the "Winner." In professional sports you get money as part of your contract so they are sporty even if they lose. In the FFFF not everyone gets a blue ribbon, either you are popular or you get voted out in the first round, it is a petty competition of popularity and shallow self indulgence. Your performance as a character generally holds no candle to a polished brand named suit in the competition.
I have nothing against those who do participate. I personally will never compete on principle. I do not want to make someone else feel like they are not a worthy performer.
Last year I lost one battle with one vote difference, this year it was the opposite. Chill, sit back and relax. Life (your free time) is about fun and not about messing with others in a crazy way!
Not two hours before you posted this, you updated your Wikifur page to include mention that you were a featured "fursuiter of the month" on the Furry News Network. Is that basically what you're shooting for here? (I swear I'm not stalking you! Btw can you pick me up from the gas station?)
I like the idea though...if FNN's fursuiter of the month isn't enough, perhaps Flayrah/Wikifur's contributors could put together a Fursuiter of the Day, something like a blog that is posted/tweeted daily. It'd be more inclusive than a monthly title, and could be a fun read each day, much like the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Glad your not one of those people *Hi5*
I couldn't agree less with this statement. When you're wearing a fuzzy animal costume, you are not you. You are a completely different being. Think like the character that you are playing, not like your own self. I can never stress that enough!
If it is between people I know, I don't vote. If there is something about the owner or builder I hear that makes me biased, I don't vote... If the tourney was not such a popularity contest for most and tried to vote as level headed as I try I'd participate.
I am a good sport, but I am a bad loser if I am rubbed the wrong way. So I try to keep my suits out of this and just be me and go out to have fun, not win in the FFFF... But that's just me and my opinion.