Furry: A Lifestyle Or A Fetish

[lupestripe]

I think the furry fandom blurs the distinction between fetish and lifestyle. I guess the two aren't mutually exclusive but some consider furry as being purely a fetish whereas others consider it a lifestyle. If you consider other fandoms - anime, Star Wars, cosplay etc - is the difference between sexuality and lifestyle so clearly marked there? I am not so sure.

So ultimately, what is furry for you - a fetish or a lifestyle? Or perhaps it's a little from both. When something is spiritual, is there a real distinction between lifestyle and sex anyway?

Comments

[draco751.livejournal.com]

Wow, I actually just was speaking of this very subject with a friend yesterday, and a couple years ago. I think its different for everyone though, for me, its a lifestyle, I base a lot of what I do in life around it. For example I plan my work plans, and other personal things around cons, there for I am putting some life things (not critical of course) based around conventions. I don't think its a "fetish" for me, the fandom that is. Simply because I think fetishes are more like "kinks" to get people off in a sense. The fandom is more like a group I (sometimes) associate with because we all have a general similar interest, art, fursuiting, rp'ing with animal characters. Not everything about the fandom is in sexual manner, so the term fetish just doesn't seem to fit too well. Unless there are things such as non-sexual fetishes, which I'm sure there are.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I definitely think it's different for everyone and people take different things out of it. I put work plans around cons too - just like I put work around visiting furries if I can. Furries dominate my life in many respects - I travelled to SE Asia and met furs out there - this is one of the best things about the Fandom imo. On that level, for me, it's predominantly a group of people with whom I share a common interest.

Can certain aspects of the Fandom be classed as a fetish? I would say probably yes. And other fetishes feed into the fandom too.

[draco751.livejournal.com]

Right on! :D

And ya, the traveling aspect is really awesome, especially going to foreign countries and seeing the fandom exist everywhere as well.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

The travelling is good - I think it highlights the homogonising power of the Internet and globalisation to some extents but it also shows the power the Internet has to connect people from disperate cultures and countries. In the sense of tolerance, that can only be a good thing.