This fandom is batshit crazy and I sure as hell haven't been innocent when it comes to sheer stupidity either.

Eh, I wouldn't be that harsh. Most furries are genuinely good people. The guy who blocked me has some definite issues (temper, temper), but I feel like he's a good person too. To be honest, if they were this batshit insane, you'd already see a fuckton of them brigading over here, calling me a hateful person and generally trying to ruin my day.

Or maybe I'm too optimistic about the nature of people here?

True. I've made a a lot of friends in this fandom and I'm always trying to self-improve in spite of my flaws. There's gonna be good and bad in every subculture and fandom, whether we're part of them or despise them.

I'm a little bit jaded towards the fandom myself, but I can definitely appreciate your optimism.

I would say that as it grows older and people get older, it will tend towards improvement. The real problem is the influx of hormone-driven teenagers whenever the next year comes of age and discovers the promiscuous furry community (I'm saying that sarcastic) and their respective genitals go haywire.

Eh, I don't let it bother me. It's funny, I guess I misinterpreted the little exchange we had for an amusing one. Guess not everyone is as laid back as I am. :P

Fucking teenage hormones, man. Hopefully the worst of that is behind me. Basically instead of my fursona being an ideal version of myself like lots of other fursonas, he's basically become a main OC that I can project the worst of myself into so that I can focus on being a better person IRL. It's helped me quite a bit.

Good point. In general, I have a little pet theory: That the more people are at ease with themselves, the less idealized their characters are. Tagaziel is fundamentally me, down to his preferences in food and politics. I never felt the need to idealize him.

In a sense, Wayne is basically me and my life gone horribly wrong, and what I'd imagine that would look like as a character. He's survived the crappy cards life has handed to him, but it's turned him into a real loose cannon. Best way I can summarize him is he's Joel from The Last of Us crossed with Trevor from GTA 5.

Like I've said, it's allowed me to focus on improving myself, so I can definitely connect with your theory.

If you're talking about me, I wasn't aware of it until I saw your journal, I apologize, and I'll refrain from doing it in the future.

If it's between you and Tagaziel, don't involve me in it. I want to avoid drama.

Or you can just be respectful of peoples' characters because I'm sure you wouldn't like it if someone just came along and reduced you to just "food" :3c

In all seriousness, I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't see how you think saying that to someone isn't rude in the least. I'm sure these people are 100% aware that their character is a prey animal, so maybe stop and think how many times they have people making such comments to them every time they post art. Sort of would get old, don't you think?

Not to mention it is just plain rude. I don't go up to wolf fursonas and be like "My you'd make a great coat".

The problem is with the thickness of people's skin - or lack thereof. Actually, it would be interesting to say "My, you'd make a great coat" and see their reaction. People with a healthy amount of distance to themselves will take it in stride and laugh. Those without will throw a bitch fit.

You can be casual or a casualty. I choose the former and don't really expect to be treated any other way.

This gives me an idea for a puma throw rug pic, hmmm...

But if you've been on this site for a lengthy amount of time and people made such comments on every single art piece you post, it would get old.

I'm sure they did take it with stride at first, but you know, after a few years it just get more degrading and insulting than it is cheeky and amusing.

Comes with the territory. It gets old, yeah, but getting annoyed by these comments is a choice you make. You're not under any obligation to respond, after all.

And so what? What part of you gets physically hurt by a comment stating the obvious?

I really don't get why trying to be respectful to someone is such a tall order, it seems you feel entitled to make whatever comment you want and it doesn't matter if people are offended, because you don't see it as a big deal.

Well maybe some people do see it as a big deal. To you it's just a comment on a furry portal, to someone else it's blatant disrespect for their art or their character. To someone else, it's someone who happens to have a prey fursona feeling like they can't enjoy the community like everyone else because they are expected to just take belittling comments with stride, because it "comes with the territory". To someone else, it means they can't ever post art of their characters, that mean a whole lot to them, because people will just constantly talk about hunting, killing, or eating them.

I think you need to respect the fact that people have emotions and perspectives that differ from yours.

It's not a big deal to me either, because this isn't really a big deal. If you take a comment on a furry portal as blatant disrespect, there's something fundamentally wrong with your priorities. Seriously.

And there's the problem.

And in all honesty, you don't get to choose if you offended someone or if what you say is offensive.

Yep, it's all on the person reading the comment. To be honest, I have trouble wrapping my head around the idea of being offended at a comment made on a furry art portal.

I am pretty sure you haven't meant it to be a rude comment. You seem like a very nice guy and you're arguing pretty nice. It's just, if somebody tells you, that he finds these comments rude, or he let's you know that he doesn't like those sorts of comments, it would be a decent thing to just let go and instead maybe say something about the art itself.
I also get this "food" stuff a lot and it gets so annoying at some point. Also I think it's a very rude thing to write or say.
If you'd upload a picture of a wolf ( or whatever animal), which is your fursona, you wouldn't be so thrilled to hear "OH lock! I would love to make him into a bedside carpet!".
Please have some respect. We also have respect.

This

I am trying to be respectful. I actually thought Fianna enjoyed a little bit of teasing and bickering, given that he did keep up a comment conversation earlier (look up the Face of Mercy submission). It gave me a hearty chuckle and I thought that was reciprocated.

And actually, I would be thrilled about that comment and tease you about haunting. Disembodied canine howling downtown - the neighbors would love it. :)

I was searching for the submission, but unfortunately I couldn't find it.
If that's the case, than it all was a misunderstanding. In the links I've been shown (sadly the journal has been removed, so I can't show you anymore since I also cant remember the artwork) he seemed to be quite pissed about these comments and that he told you to better fuck off or back off. In that case I thought it might be clear to let go of it.

Whatsoever now you know how to deal with it. And as I don't want anyone to write things like that on my art, I wouldn't do it on your art haha. :)

Being a Lion King fan (damn, I can't count how many times I watched it as a kid and now as an adult, just to enjoy Jeremy Irons' voice acting), I wouldn't write anything like that. Especially not after Gothic II: Night of the Raven, where warthogs are fucking demonic spiders from hell that will destroy you and consume your soul. What's worse, you can't see them easily and they tend to loiter on the edges of the forest, which means you'll get nuked nine times out of ten just because you passed a little too close to the dark, foreboding place.

And yeah, it was probably a misunderstanding. I banter with my friends regularly (the usual greeting with a dragon friend of mine is "MOTHERFUCKER" and me jumping on him), and I believed, given the exchange, that we were both enjoying it, given that it went about the same as it goes with my friends.

Eh, no harm done. I'd apologize to Fianna if he didn't block me, but oh well, at least I encountered a couple of nice people through this debacle. :)

You all are food to me.

Do you take your cougars saute or fried in deep grease?

You mean deep fried in grease? Deep grease would be a waste of grease. And human fat is the best to fry cougars in and it's kindof difficult to get.

Especially if you want pure, unpolluted fat.

From babies.

I know what I'm talking about. Like my briefcase? Department issue. Baby hide. 100% genuine, human baby hide.

Nice! And yes. Babies are the best. But only if they are from the most organic loving free range meat eating kind of hippies. None of that vegan crap. Makes them taste like shit.

Mmmm, human farms. Are you familiar with Transmetropolitan, perchance?

No i haven't?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmetropolitan

Well worth the read.

honestly there is no such thing as 'prey animal'.
Every animal is prey when it comes down to it, as lions, bears, and alligators are all shot, and grilled up too.
Saying that my character, or anyone elses 'prey character' is food, is very disrespectful, and it's really actually disgusting because it's disheartening for people who would enjoy to change their character to anything but a canine and a feline, but would not like to because they don't want to be bombarded with 'OOH NICE A RABBIT STEW.' or, 'YUM, I THINK I COULD HAVE A TASTY VENISON TONIGHT'.

I'll give you this though, you'd make a nice skin rug on the living room floor in front of a nice fire while I sit with my hooves propped on your head while reading a nice old book that has dust coming off the pages.

Uh, yes, yes there are. It's the basic mechanism of predation and selection pressure. While yeah, some smaller predators can be killed and devoured by bigger predators, their diet does, in fact, rely on killing.

The predator - prey relationship is actually pretty interesting to explore, considering the n+1 adaptations that prey animals have developed to defend themselves. The entire dynamic is fascinating - and unfortunately, most furries don't pay it any mind. Also, note that the post that provoked the bitch fit was actually a reference to the reversal of this dynamic, not "OH LOOK TASTY FOOD."

On the subject of rugs: I think you'd do better with a proper leg rest, Taxidermied heads are uneven and you don't want to give me the last laugh with a sprained ankle, now do you? ;)

Lol, I know why the reasoning of this journal is. I know the person who sprung this on personally.
It's annoying to me though, that every predator has to always bring up the whole 'predator - prey' conversation.

I'll admit this much though.

Being a prey animal mated to a predator animal is hot :B

Personally, I don't do it, unless it fits the situation. Sometimes I just get an idea into my head and I post it, since I appreciate wordplay (you should hear me and my wife banter, it's hilarious at times) and in this case, it reminded me of the "Don't play with your food" reprimand we hear all too often from our beloved parents. 'course, they never mention the possibility for food playing with you and I'm not talking about spirited, animate spaghetti either.

As for mating, I can sympathize - predator-predator relations have the caveat that your mate can rip your head off if you aren't on your best behavior. At least it's not as bad as with the praying mantis, now that's a volatile relationship.

"Hey, where are you going hot cakes, I just want to kiss you!"

Haha, well I mean. The thing with it is, some people don't like the comments, and don't appreciate the jokes of being called food. (I don't either!)
If they state they don't like their character being looked at food I think it's somethin' that should be talked about no more.
TheFianna's always stated that he doesn't like his sona being referred to as food, you just stepped on his feet a tad bit more, and then shit escalated.

I personally hated the whole 'I'm gonna go hunting' and the 'you'd taste like nice venison' comments the first day I had my sona which is a sika deer. (which might I add, they have no predators where mine is originated from, and they're protected by law in the park, so honestly my fursona doesn't have anything to worry about!)
The comments still aren't appreciated unless the person's a prey vore fan.

I've did it a total of two times, and the second one wasn't even aimed at him or his sona. I think this is just one big misunderstanding. Eh, I think he'll be fine. Besides, I don't really do it. :)

I've looked the sika deer up and they're devastatingly cute! Also, a female deer is called a hind? Now... That's a bit of a shock, I always thought Hind referred to a bird. Why is the Mil Mi-24 named after a deer? WHY SOVIET RUSSIA, WHY

Haha, actually it's the same as how a buck can be called a stag too!
Does may be called Hind's as well.
Sure reminds me I gotta draw more hinds haha! But yeah, mine's more of the Nara park sub-species of sika deer.
I'm pretty sure they originated in Russia, which is why their named similar to the Mil Mi-24 o3o!

Some people thrive on being butthurt. Some people thrive on being dickheads- "if you don't agree with me, you're a dumbass!"

Less deer, more drama-llama.

Oh deer. I mostly thrive on banter, eccentric conversations, and tangents - though some would accuse me of thriving on devoured souls and broken dreams.

Those are all MUCH more sustainable than drama and butthurt- eventually one will wish to sit down but the butthurt overload will prevent it. ^_^

Devouring souls is a good way to get your daily value of most minerals and vitamins without all those nasty sugars, and broken dreams are chock full of fiber, so who could fault you for that?

It sustained me for years, especially in marriage (though the amount of in-jokes makes our banter all but indecipherable to others).

Souls are good, but should be enjoyed in moderation. Soul-stoppage is a pretty nasty thing.

Heh, I used to have a friend like that- other people thought we were nuts with all of our in-jokes and movie references. Fun times!

lol, true enough!

"Define prey animal" http://sta.sh/0phbjcbxrvi

"Are deer prey animals" (sixth link down) http://sta.sh/0gfjgiuwq34

Just because a furry chooses to relate to and represent themselves with a deer or any other prey animal physically, mentally and or spiritually doesn't make that prey animal any less of a prey animal... lmao

That shouldn't be taken as an insult though because clearly you're not a deer you're a human being and that would be silly??

The furry fandom is just people playing make believe. Shhh it's ok.

^^10000x THIS^^

What I was saying. I think a lot of people equate prey with defenselessness - prey animals are anything but. A cursory search of YouTube produces numerous videos of predators getting their arses handed to them by prey. Giraffes trampling lions or zebras using their hooves to make a point, that's all some pretty powerful stuff.