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

[schnee.livejournal.com]

I'd have mixed feelings about it. Yeah, as you said, it would very much increase media attention, and it'd likely bring in a wave of people who're only in it because it's cool and trendy, not because they really care; on the other hand, though, it might actually generate some positive feedback and take the wind out of the sails of the trolls etc. that try to give furries a bad name.

In the end, it'd probably depend on the "celebrity" in question, how they'd present it and why.

[albrecht-fur.livejournal.com]

tbh, I rather like it being something small and cliquey.
It's nice to see peoples reactions when you go out suiting, and I think that would spoil if given too much publicity.
It's also nice having a small network of people you can chill with, the meets and cons are already getting much larger as it is.

[krakendwaggin.livejournal.com]

It'd be good and bad

Good as it (may) create some positive articles for us but since we're already bunged in Bizarre mag and the 'and finally' sections of news, I seriously doubt it.

Bad as if its a really dodgy celeb, say amy winehouse, it'd cause huge problems...

"Foxy Winehouse caught drunk and yiffy in public"

Amy winehouse today changed her name to Foxy Winehouse and went on a drunken 'yiffing' rampage through london today dressed in nothing but a pair of baby blue fox ears and bright pink fox tail...

Okay probably wont happen...or will it?

[bluewoozle.livejournal.com]

Not to paraphrase, but your post is saying that you don't want the general populus to idolise furry because of a celebrity?

Food for thought would be the furs who idolise 'furry celebrities'; the fanboys and girls of artists, convention chairpersons, well known fursuitters, etc. Surely they're just as bad?

[shep-shepherd.livejournal.com]

The American comedienne Margaret Cho was seen at FC a couple of years ago :)

[silent-o.livejournal.com]

-cleans and assembles Barrett M82A1-



I think I've made my point.

[bucktowntiger.livejournal.com]

My plan is to one day be a famous mainstream rap artist who happens to be a furry... so I'm not sure I'm down with this post...

[metamorphosys.livejournal.com]

I have to say that I agree with you. The picture that you have painted is very scary indeed. Take care.

[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. :)