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Category Artwork (Traditional) / Comics
Species Badger
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File Size 237.3 kB
Well, I'm not the authority, but my understanding is this:
There are non-anthro parallels to the anthropomorphic people that are the centerpiece of SLOP and they're generally treated as that: Animals. But with more familiarity, behavioral understanding, and - I daresay - empathy from the sentient folks. Especially when the interaction is between two 'matching' species. For instance, a sentient equine-type is going to have a much easier time interacting with a non-sentient horse. The smells, cues, and body language are just more natural and come more easily. Think about how domestic dogs and cats have adapted to interact with humans so that we understand their body language and they ours. Now, multiply this by ten for 'matching' species in SLOP and you're on the right track.
Conversely, there's a dark side to this similarity: First, animals will tend to react to a SLOPiverse person as they would a non-sentient version of same. For instance, a captive raised deer has enough trouble not seeing a human being as a predator, now let's replace that with a sentient wolf. There might be problems.
And, secondly, non-matching species aren't likely to be very good at reading each others' intentions, either. A non-sentient horse and a scaly SLOP sentient are going to be quite confused by one another. Even moreso than the awkward interactions between horse and human.
Thirdly, the additional understanding and empathy leads to conflicts. Animal Rights is a well-developed movement in the SLOPiverse - after all, how can you be cruel to something that looks just like your childhood friend? This also leads to varying degrees of social acceptability to using or eating given animals. In some areas, eating certain animals is fine, others it is not. Or it might be considered rude to eat beef with a boviform sentient present, for instance. In some areas, it's only acceptable to eat animals that have no sentient parallels. Capyburger anyone?
Finally, familiar smells, looks, body cues, and often-domesticated docility can lead to some... improper interactions. You'll often find folks in the SLOPiverse with pets or livestock, but they're not often of a 'matching' type. Even if nothing's going on, people are going to talk. "You know that old Coronado buck that moved in to the farm down the road? He keeps goats. Ain't married, neither. Uh HUH." Most folks leave such games behind in childhood and don't want to be associated with such an embarrassing habit. Of course, the flipside is that the best keepers for these animals are their parallels, so a 'matching' farmhand can be quite useful...
Of course, take all this with a heaping helping of Morton's (It Pours!). I don't write these stories and the boar can wade in at any time and root out disinformation.
There are non-anthro parallels to the anthropomorphic people that are the centerpiece of SLOP and they're generally treated as that: Animals. But with more familiarity, behavioral understanding, and - I daresay - empathy from the sentient folks. Especially when the interaction is between two 'matching' species. For instance, a sentient equine-type is going to have a much easier time interacting with a non-sentient horse. The smells, cues, and body language are just more natural and come more easily. Think about how domestic dogs and cats have adapted to interact with humans so that we understand their body language and they ours. Now, multiply this by ten for 'matching' species in SLOP and you're on the right track.
Conversely, there's a dark side to this similarity: First, animals will tend to react to a SLOPiverse person as they would a non-sentient version of same. For instance, a captive raised deer has enough trouble not seeing a human being as a predator, now let's replace that with a sentient wolf. There might be problems.
And, secondly, non-matching species aren't likely to be very good at reading each others' intentions, either. A non-sentient horse and a scaly SLOP sentient are going to be quite confused by one another. Even moreso than the awkward interactions between horse and human.
Thirdly, the additional understanding and empathy leads to conflicts. Animal Rights is a well-developed movement in the SLOPiverse - after all, how can you be cruel to something that looks just like your childhood friend? This also leads to varying degrees of social acceptability to using or eating given animals. In some areas, eating certain animals is fine, others it is not. Or it might be considered rude to eat beef with a boviform sentient present, for instance. In some areas, it's only acceptable to eat animals that have no sentient parallels. Capyburger anyone?
Finally, familiar smells, looks, body cues, and often-domesticated docility can lead to some... improper interactions. You'll often find folks in the SLOPiverse with pets or livestock, but they're not often of a 'matching' type. Even if nothing's going on, people are going to talk. "You know that old Coronado buck that moved in to the farm down the road? He keeps goats. Ain't married, neither. Uh HUH." Most folks leave such games behind in childhood and don't want to be associated with such an embarrassing habit. Of course, the flipside is that the best keepers for these animals are their parallels, so a 'matching' farmhand can be quite useful...
Of course, take all this with a heaping helping of Morton's (It Pours!). I don't write these stories and the boar can wade in at any time and root out disinformation.
"Finally, familiar smells, looks, body cues, and often-domesticated docility can lead to some... improper interactions. You'll often find folks in the SLOPiverse with pets or livestock, but they're not often of a 'matching' type. Even if nothing's going on, people are going to talk. "You know that old Coronado buck that moved in to the farm down the road? He keeps goats. Ain't married, neither. Uh HUH." Most folks leave such games behind in childhood and don't want to be associated with such an embarrassing habit. Of course, the flipside is that the best keepers for these animals are their parallels, so a 'matching' farmhand can be quite useful..."
We are in a 'mono sentient' society, so it is easier to, 'us - them' the world.
But in a 'poly-sentient' society, the 'us' becomes less defined and the 'them' really becomes bleared.
Then you have the 'throw-backs' like Tony Ray, that exhibit some of the more animal like features or abilities.
So I would expect, while there are the 'high society' types that look down their snouts at everyone anyhow.
The practice of 'species slumming' may have no more stigma then being gay.
We are in a 'mono sentient' society, so it is easier to, 'us - them' the world.
But in a 'poly-sentient' society, the 'us' becomes less defined and the 'them' really becomes bleared.
Then you have the 'throw-backs' like Tony Ray, that exhibit some of the more animal like features or abilities.
So I would expect, while there are the 'high society' types that look down their snouts at everyone anyhow.
The practice of 'species slumming' may have no more stigma then being gay.
Sure do. And Skan got it pretty much dead on. Then again, we've discussed the topic before. I would however like to add that some folks in the SLOP universe get creeped out by their quadraped cousins. Its the whole "Uncanny Valley" thing.
http://www.arclight.net/~pdb/nonfic.....ny-valley.html
http://www.arclight.net/~pdb/nonfic.....ny-valley.html
"Sure do. And Skan got it pretty much dead on. Then again, we've discussed the topic before. I would however like to add that some folks in the SLOP universe get creeped out by their quadraped cousins. Its the whole "Uncanny Valley" thing."
Paging Dr. Freud, Dr. Freud, answer the white courtesy phone.
Good point about the uncanny valley. Some people think apes and monkeys are cute and charming and endearing and all that garbage. Other people find them unsettling or downright frightening. Makes sense. I'd imagine some folks in SLOP would think it was cute to find a pet that almost-literally looked just like them or name them after people they resemble. Others might think it noble to act like a feral version and try to live with them and pretend that's what they are. Other folks would find them very, very disturbing.
You know, like furries.
Paging Dr. Freud, Dr. Freud, answer the white courtesy phone.
Good point about the uncanny valley. Some people think apes and monkeys are cute and charming and endearing and all that garbage. Other people find them unsettling or downright frightening. Makes sense. I'd imagine some folks in SLOP would think it was cute to find a pet that almost-literally looked just like them or name them after people they resemble. Others might think it noble to act like a feral version and try to live with them and pretend that's what they are. Other folks would find them very, very disturbing.
You know, like furries.
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