Celebrity Furries

[lupestripe]

Imagine, in an idle hour, you are sat reading The Sun or Heat Magazine (unlikely I know but let's run with it) and you discover that a major celebrity has outed themselves as a furry. What would your reaction be?

I wouldn't really want wannabe furries roaming the streets who think it's cool because they read it in a magazine and that's what x does so I must do it too. Nor would I want furry itself to appear chic and cool - I like the niche aspect of it and the fact that it is a subculture that doesn't generate much media interest (although that is admittedly increasing).

Imagine chavs called Charlene wearing fox tails in the street as a fashion statement *shudder*. Or burberry bunny ears? Christ. And then what about the sponsorship? Little foxes wear crinkle pants diapers. The image is too horrible to contemplate.

Would it affect the togetherness of the community and its image for the positive or the negative? I guess that would depend on whether the media is praising or bashing that particular celebrity that week. It would probably still come round to haunt the celeb though due to the vitriolic nature of most media outlets.

I think it's a truly horrible vision but others may disagree. Would a celebrity furry endorsement be a good or a bad thing? My own view is that we are only a celebrity endorsement away from anarchy.

Comments

[stuart-otterson.livejournal.com]

I think it is inevitable that something will break the furry anthropomorphic fandom society out into the mainstream, as in proper mainstream. I always personally thought it would be this furry band who happens to get noticed by the NME, whom find them so weird and cool that they launch them out as the new youth scene.

Eventually every subculture goes from the niche community to the outbound. A thousand disgruntle punks watching all these scenesters wearing leather and chains thinking they're punk when they're but copycats. A whole BritPop scene going from the revival of British guitar music to a dozen wannabie bands bandwagoning on an apparent working class lads culture. The million indie kids with their nu-rave neo clothes. Lads who think they're mods just cus they wear an RAF badge and a parka >>;

What can I say? Young people need to fit in as a sheep crowd. Kids want to feel a part of something and will imitate to get there. What can we do but occasionally meet up in the pub and sit there grumpy bemoaning lol. The thing is though, unlike a music scene, furry has been quite a commercial thing from the start, so it would become every increasingly merchandised. Ah well, if and when it happens, I'm just glad I can be middle age and sit in the pub with you and bemoan while nursing a pint. :)

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

It's an interesting point you make and I don't really know where to begin. Music has always been more universal and encompassing than furry could ever be - most people enjoy music of one sort or another and so the migration of people from one genre to another is far easier than it would be to migrate into furry.

I agree that people do need to fit in and there have been a few furs who have attempted to join the Fandom for nefarious intent. I am not sure what you mean by commercial but Furry is certainly a visible group and therefore is more likely to court media attention. At the moment, it is underground but the roots are starting to break through the surface and as you say, it's only a matter of time. However, for it to break through, the media will have to support it rather than vilify it, which is what they largely do now. The media decide social trends, no one else does, and therefore it is at the behest and whim of a handful of editors.

And as for the pint, would you be pouring the third one on to your arm again? :P

[stuart-otterson.livejournal.com]

Well for commercial, it's about how what starts out as a subculture with it's own fashion and niche interests becomes a brand to which it is sold on a mass scale. Suddenly for your money you can buy and image. Like punks, it starts out DIY with pin clothes, rough leather jacket and jeans and gelled spiky hair, but now it's all mass market as an imagine young people can buy, without perhaps considering the true spirit of what the subculture had.

Furry is in some respects a commercial thing on a small scale, you buy you tails and suits, get your commissions and pay for your silly tea mug just cus somebody put a paw print on it. I would hate to imagine that as a full mainstream commercial venture, guy walks in a buys the stuff cus that's what his mates wear at school, all to keep up with the trend and have no thought about the spirit of the fandom as he truants off home to kick his dog.

And yes I have noticed a few furs joining up the fandom for rather dubious reasons. I've encountered one who doesn't seem that furry, looks more like he's in it for easy intercourse. Others seem to enjoy the meet ups as if they were the end all of being a furry, to attend meets and get drunk or something. :S I certainly enjoy the meets, but I think it's not an obligation that one should attend. Sometimes I wonder if things have just wondered off from what the *fan*dom is about. Perhaps I'm just reminded of the early 90's shoegazer's music scene. It was a scene said to celebrate itself, because those who attend the concerts were in their own shoegazing band.

Sometimes it'd be nice if I felt more people could take it back to basics. I might start a reading club for anthropomorphic books. I reckon it'd be brilliant cus it's about appreciating stories featuring furry characters and socialising with like minded people. What'd you think?

And shhhhh! :p Yes when we're old and grumpy and complaining about the newbie scenesters with their mechanical tails made by Sony, I'll probably wet my wrist again, perhaps it'll cause you to laugh so hard in your old age you will literally piss yourself.

Nice to have an interesting topic.

*hugs*