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Fursuiting, Characters, Etc...
12 years ago
My 2¢ Worth (5¢ in Canada)
OK, I had a conversion with someone about some stuff a couple of weeks ago regarding fursuits and how folks take on a "role" while in said suits, and so I pose this question to the public for curiosity's sake, and well... for the sake of sanity and how I should handle people as well.
Basically, this is the gist of it, many folks out there dress up and take on a character while in said suit. I don't suit myself, so this is all a bit foreign to me. From what I gathered from the conversation, especially since some people have more than 1 suit/character... when you folks who suit are in a suit, is this more like being in a play and you are an actor playing a part so to speak.. ie... you act differently inside there than you do out of it. I always rather assumed suited folks were themselves, but perhaps acted a little more silly or such, but apparently some folks are very different in/out of suit. This begged me to wonder a question... say you meet someone in suit and they (like many) act very friendly, huggy, affectionate, etc while in said suit vs what they may act like otherwise. I wonder... if you meet someone in a suit and never meet them out of suit, how would you know their friendly nature was genuine and not just some act they were putting on? Any perceived friendship or hint thereof made with someone in suit, if you didn't have the chance to speak to them out of suit, how do you know any time you spent hanging around them meant anything at all?
Much like on a movie set, a couple kisses, it seems romantic, but off set it was just "another day at the office". I'm coming to wonder if folks in suits, if it's all just an act, and time spent with said suited person perhaps doesn't mean a damn thing to them.
Please don't take this as offense, hateful, or such... I'm merely curious and wonder of others' take on this. I just always expected folks in those suits to just be more fuzzy versions of themselves, so it kind of got me to learn that there is some sort of character to "get into" and play a part of. One aspect of it all I guess I never really considered.
Basically, this is the gist of it, many folks out there dress up and take on a character while in said suit. I don't suit myself, so this is all a bit foreign to me. From what I gathered from the conversation, especially since some people have more than 1 suit/character... when you folks who suit are in a suit, is this more like being in a play and you are an actor playing a part so to speak.. ie... you act differently inside there than you do out of it. I always rather assumed suited folks were themselves, but perhaps acted a little more silly or such, but apparently some folks are very different in/out of suit. This begged me to wonder a question... say you meet someone in suit and they (like many) act very friendly, huggy, affectionate, etc while in said suit vs what they may act like otherwise. I wonder... if you meet someone in a suit and never meet them out of suit, how would you know their friendly nature was genuine and not just some act they were putting on? Any perceived friendship or hint thereof made with someone in suit, if you didn't have the chance to speak to them out of suit, how do you know any time you spent hanging around them meant anything at all?
Much like on a movie set, a couple kisses, it seems romantic, but off set it was just "another day at the office". I'm coming to wonder if folks in suits, if it's all just an act, and time spent with said suited person perhaps doesn't mean a damn thing to them.
Please don't take this as offense, hateful, or such... I'm merely curious and wonder of others' take on this. I just always expected folks in those suits to just be more fuzzy versions of themselves, so it kind of got me to learn that there is some sort of character to "get into" and play a part of. One aspect of it all I guess I never really considered.
The best answer I have is just to not take anything too serious unless you've met a person out of suit; it would be the sensible thing to do for a more meaningful connection. x3 Speaking for myself, when I wear my fursuit I'm the same person; only because my fursona is based off me, and not the other way around. But yes, for most out there it is a character; usually a personality they would like to actually have, but tend to feel only comfortable having when in suit. This also, is not always the case.
I guess I get what you mean, though... although I find it kind of sad, really if it's the case for a lot of folks. It makes a dragon just desire to invest no emotion whatsoever in trying to meet someone new in a suit. I haven't seen you in suit yet, just pics, although you seem the sort to "keep it real" and be you no matter what. It's all bizarre to me, why folks can't be themselves in there, and would put on such a show that none of it would be real. When someone acts friendly, I like to believe it is genuine or intended, and not just an act... seems like more drama than is necessary. Even more odd to me if someone owns multiple suits and don't even act the same one suit to another.
The suit can be an extension of one's personality, or an ideal personality. For some, it is a window into their being. For some, it is simply fun.
I don't get the fun in that, really.
mB
The only thing I could say is, go to more meets and cons. Try to meet and chat with suiters while out of suit. I think you will find that suiters are a more close knit social group. We wear these sometimes bulky, ALWAY hot, limited vision, suits of fur. We all know what we have to go through to do what we do. We all have a common ground on what it takes to build, create or buy a suit, what we have to endure to stay in a fursuit. We share tips and tricks and methods of building suits, accessories, props and such.
I also have to say that there are expectaions from non suited folks that are placed on us suiters. We are expected to be a bit more carefree and silly. Not all suiters are like that. There are some that have more realistic suits that simply walk around to show off there skills on the complexities of the suits they make...or purchased. I would say the more costly the suit, the less likely they are willing to do anything that might cause damage to it.
Again, the bottome line... all people are different, suiters are no exception. Does that help at all?