"Are you a furry?"

[Andara Bledin]

G: Are you a furry?
K: What? No!

I'm just curious, but why is your answer to that question so vehement?

It's not like he asked if you ate babies or anything.

What? He asked if you were a furry when you are very clearly a nekomimi? He should have been turned into an inumimi. *nodnod*

Nekomimi are still furries. So are inumimi. And kitsunemimi and gyumimi and any other -mimi. Sure, they're a subset, and sure elitist furs say otherwise, but that doesn't make them any less furries.

Not that that really means anything either way.

Ok I am at a loss, what is a furry O_O

Short form: It's a fandom. Trekkies like Star Trek, Filkers like making up and listening to new lyrics to old songs, furries like anthropomorphic animals.

Being a furry is no different than being a member of any other fandom, really, except that the furry fandom tends to be a lot more supportive and close-knit than other fandoms. There is a general sense of inclusion, so there are a lot of people who only feel comfortable when being "furries" than otherwise, since people they know outside of the fandom don't really know or understand who they are.

I'm a furry, myself. Oh, and that whole "ask ten furries and you'll get a dozen answers" was originally a quote by Nekojin.

If it's the episode I'm thinking of, it was based on a real case involving a furry getting shot by a hunter who mistook him for a real bear. Or maybe I'm thinking of a different show.

I'm an extra in that episode. The writers idea of 'research' was watching a couple of strongly biased shows about furry sex and writing a story based around that. There are shirts that are popular in the community because of it. The front has a roadkill raccoon and the back says "I thought it was a coyote."

As far as I know, there is no real case upon which it was based. I'd link to the wikifur article on the episode, but it contains glaring errors. The first being about whether changes were made to the script based on input from real furries. Changes were made. Not enough, but the final edit wasn't nearly as bad as the original script. The second being the claim that no real fursuiters were shown in the episode. The kangaroo in ski goggles was one of ours, and there was another in partial fursuit. And all of the furs who showed up got to walk on as extras.

....

Yeah, more than you ever wanted to know.

Why furrydom is viewed so askance baffles me.

But I blame Rick Castro. The dude's got issues.

^-.-^

[Imogene]

If it's the episode I'm thinking of, it was based on a real case involving a furry getting shot by a hunter who mistook him for a real bear. Or maybe I'm thinking of a different show.

Fur and Loathing was the episode with the 'drunk' 'raccoon' (uh, huh, sure) that got shot from the cliff, cause the guy thought he was a wolf out for his chickens... and his date smashed headlong into a semi...

[edible_hat]

And it was just regular ol' CSI that did that episode, Fur and Loathing in LA. And it was sensationalism to the extreme.

If it's the episode I'm thinking of, it was based on a real case involving a furry getting shot by a hunter who mistook him for a real bear. Or maybe I'm thinking of a different show.

[Imogene]

Ok I am at a loss, what is a furry O_O

That's a whole can of worms just asking that question.
Generally, the rule states, "For every ten furries you ask that question, you will receive twelve unique responses."
A furry, generally, is someone who wears stuff (tails, ears, paws, or for the obsessed, costumes) to look more like an animal (generally? Foxes, cats, bunnies)
I used to be one myself, and realized I wasn't quite thinking of myself in those terms. I upgraded to Otherkin, and am currently stuck. (Otherkin are the 'fantasy' version of Furries) Just about everything you may have ever seen on TV about the furry subculture is focused on the extreme 2%. And even then, a lot of it is sensationalism.

and the costumes in some cases are used for fur parties, where they may act like they have sex in them.

(the sexual fur parties have actually been used on CSI Miami I believe).

Erg... No, sex in a suit would lead to heat exhaustion. Anyone who's ever been a mascot will tell you, just wearing the damn suit is enough to send you into heat stroke. Sex is right out. And it was just regular ol' CSI that did that episode, Fur and Loathing in LA. And it was sensationalism to the extreme.

[Skrae]

Ok I am at a loss, what is a furry O_O

It refers to a subculture that draws and in some cases dresses up as anthropomorphic animals. The drawing can range from tame (SFW) to disturbing (As all drawn porn does) and the costumes in some cases are used for fur parties, where they may act like they have sex in them. Where in the spectrum the individual lies of course depends on the individual, and as with anything, the more extreme stuff is more well known (the sexual fur parties have actually been used on CSI Miami I believe).

[gunsage]

"I'm not a furry, but say hello to my little friend..."
Okay okay...not LITTLE...

[XXDarrienX]

Ok I am at a loss, what is a furry O_O

[Skrae]

Most my friends are furry and trying to convert me. I think it's cute. Nothing wrong with the Furry community.

Oh I agree, just a bit odd to ask someone you don't know. But after the initial shock we took it in stride.

[Sliceanddice]

My sister is basically a catgil and owns cat ears tail and mittens

[fma_fanatic]

What? He asked if you were a furry when you are very clearly a nekomimi? He should have been turned into an inumimi. *nodnod*

[Evil Queen]

Most my friends are furry and trying to convert me. I think it's cute. Nothing wrong with the Furry community.

[Skrae]

So last night my girlfriend and I double dated with another couple we're friends with, went to see The Ruins and afterward stopped at IHOP. Anyway, we're sitting there eating and another guy stopped by our table as he was leaving. I don't know if it was sucky of him or not but the exchange went like this.

K: Friend's girlfriend
G: Random guy

G: I'm sorry to be so bold, but I just noticed your cat ears, I like em.
K: Thanks?
G: Are you a furry?
K: What? No!
G: Oh well I don't see cat ears often so I was wondering. anyway, sorry to interrupt.

As he left we noted we'd probably see him at Starfest this weekend (My girlfriend and I are working staff).