Furries In Bizarre Magazine

[lupestripe]

As I mentioned last month, there was going to be a feature in this month's Bizarre Magazine concerning furries, based on the experience of a journalist at a recent LondonFur Meet.

Well, the edition has just been published and I have just read it. I must say it is the most balanced and well-written journalistic piece I have ever read regarding the Fandom. A big congrats to all those who were involved - either in explaining the Fandom to the magazine or having their picture taken - as it rights many of the wrongs written previously about Furry.

The journalist - the appropriately named Alix Fox - admtis from the start that she wanted to write an unbiased piece about the Fandom and although sex is mentioned, it is highlighted as being only a minority aspect of the community. In fact, she wanted it to be so unbiased that she actually made inquiries into ordering a Fursuit for herself so she could turn up to the meet appropriately attired.

Instead, she focuses on the links to computers and the Internet, as well as the creative side of the Fandom. She accepts that we have been much maligned but this is only because previous documentaries have focused on the extreme and sensationalist angles of the community.

She admits that she was impressed with the warmth of the community and couldn't speak highly enough of us. Her closing paragraph emphasises the warmth that she feels about us:

"Furries strike me as a highly creative and artistic bunch, and it's a shame that so many misguided people seem to want to dock their tails and neuter their harmless fun. They may be breaking away from the herd but having seen things from the inside, I'm inclined to say that the world might be a chirpier place if a few more sheep dared to dress in wolves' clothing."

Bizarre has always been my favourite magazine (it's the only one I buy religiously) and I always expected a positive article out of them but the way it was written and how it was colourfully presented, with many pictures of fursuits, is a credit not only to the magazine but also the Fandom too.

I have only read the article online, I haven't yet managed to acquire a hard copy of it. As soon as I do I may comment further but at the moment I am seriously thinking of writing a letter to Bizarre to congratulate them for the article. Y'see sometimes the Media don't stab you in the back - perhaps we should be a little more responsive to them in the future...

Comments

[balto-mike.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I will have to read or get somebody to scan that sometime.

I wish we hadn't been so critical ourselves, but I guess it was just the fact that nobody actually warned people in advance, but sometimes that can be helpful since people just act more naturally.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

The difference between this and the E4 thing is that Bizarre is a magazine that specifically caters to such subcultures. If you buy/look at the magazine you are going to be into the same stuff so there is less of a social stigma because if people you don't want to see you actually see you then the question that must be asked is why are they looking in the magazine in the first place?

E4 is a national TV channel meanwhile and as such, anyone can just stumble upon it one evening. This means there is far greater likelihood for your boss/colleagues/family members etc will see you and that could make life difficult.

As we discussed before, I personally think people should be consulted before the media descend but if you have to sign forms and waivers granting your permission for your photo to be used, then that shouldn't be an issue either.

The article is scanned in the furrymedia group of LJ if you fancy reading it :)

Interesting

[http://users.livejournal.com/_draken_/]

Interesting, you don't happen to have a link to the online one, I've had a quick nose around their website but turned nothing up.

Re: Interesting

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

It can be found in the furrymedia group of LJ. It's a very good read, I was very impressed. The magazine is actually released tomorrow (I don't know why London got it a few days early, it shouldn't have been released then) so the website should be updated very soon.

[spargue.livejournal.com]

A reporter wanted to interview me about furry, the response I got from the community was You fucking retard, don't you dare say anything or we'll linch you.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

When did that happen hun? And who was the reporter/What was it for? I think as long as you don't inculpate anyone else, you should be free to do and say what you like, surely?

[rugbywolf.livejournal.com]

It is a very, very good article, she manages to make it interesting without being sensationalist, which is rare for any form of media. Alyx herself is absolutely great as well, I got talking to her at the meet she came to and she a brilliant person, as well as a talented writer. My verdict on this one: bloody excellent!

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

It seems to be the general consensus. The people at Bizarre are liberal and the thing is, the sensational angle has been done. There is more mileage in actually painting another side of the Fandom now. It's great she was a great person and that you got to speak to her. Do you know if she is going to be coming back to future LF meets at all?

[(Anonymous)]

"I got a welcome warmer than a sunua with 100s of toasters in it"

Well thats bullocks right there. When I turned up for a meet, no arse hole came and gave me a welcome at all. The secound meet, same thing.

I guess if you havnt got a fursuit or artist skills, then no one wants to know you.

Everyone has to be an "elite"

[shep-shepherd.livejournal.com]

That's a bit sad. When I went to my first LF meet in 2004, I knew nobody in the UK furry fandom, didn't have a fursuit and had no artistic skills (still don't), yet I was readily and warmly welcomed by the attendees.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

That's what I've experienced too. I must admit that the LF group is far harder to break into than the Northern crowd but I have always been accepted at any Meet I have gone to :)

[shep-shepherd.livejournal.com]

I simply turned up as myself, which seemed to be the right thing to do :)

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I was mega nervous at my first furmeet so I went down the route of making a pillock of myself for the first ten minutes because that way, the only way is up afterwards. So I talked about some sexual fetish stuff and strangely I was accepted...

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

It depends where you are and who you socialise with. I can't say too much for the LF crowd but the Northern meets are generally very open and accepting of all. I agree that for some people there is a social hierarchy when it comes to fursuiting or art but is that just an appreciation of talent? In my experience, people have been made very welcome at meets. Come to the Newcastle meet in June (eighth) and see :)

[schnee.livejournal.com]

I have only read the article online

Link?

Anyhow, sounds like a good article indeed - certainly nice for a change. :)

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

It's in the furrymedia group and also on toribelliachi's personal LJ. As I say, I am really impressed with how it was written and the positive write-up that they have given us (although considering this is a magazine that caters to such subcultures, I wasn't expecting us to get pilloried).

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Mmmm. *reads* Yeah, not a bad article, although I'm not terribly happy about the ragging on therians. It's not bad, but it's not the best I've ever read, either, not by far.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

There are issues with it (there's a hell of a lot of puns for one) but in the main it is still a very positive article. I guess it depends on what your own interests are though as the ragging on therians was probably used to enhance the status of furry in the sense of comparison. I don't necessarily agree with this form of journalism.

Still, in English at least, it's the best I have read to date.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*noddles* This one from 1999 is probably the best I've read so far. :) It's also pretty much the first I've read (back then, in the day c.c), though, so I may be biased...

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Undoubtedly it's a good article although it is rather basic. I guess in 1999 when the Internet was still a relatively new (and certainly slow) beast, that was to be expected. It is written with a fairness and balance that is so often overlooked, particularly at a time when the media were looking to sensationalise the Fandom if they were covering it at all.

Many good points are raised, particularly the spirituality regarding furriness but this is something that Bizarre were never really going to cover. Bizarre is hardly a deep or philosophical magazine - it celebrates openness and diversity (which is where the Fandom fits in) but this article would be far too high-brow for Bizarre (and indeed, sadly, most modern media in the Western World).

Having said that, by attributing furries to the animals we inspire to be is a good journalistic tool and one that rings true for the majority of us. Regarding the openness of the Fandom, that is also true but like any group of people, generalisations can only take you so far. Some of the furs I have met have been rather closed-minded about a lot of things.

Equally I have always found the line between spirituality and sexuality hard to distinguish - I don't know where one ends and the other begins - so to say that the Fandom is not a sexual one I think is not strictly true. Sex is a deeply spiritual and primeval act and one that, being in tune to our animal sides, would surely come to the fore? It's an interesting dilemma - perhaps I should take it to furrythinkers or somewhere lols.

Despite this, I am sure the Fandom has evolved in ten years and therefore to use statements about today's Fandom and attribute them back to 1999 would be harsh. The article itself is a fairly written, balanced and interesting piece and I see why you like it.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Yeah. :)

This is very good news to hear...

[mefurry.livejournal.com]

"HOORAY!!!"
--Me/Henty ("Semper Furry!")

Re: This is very good news to hear...

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

It's a good read, what do you think?

Re: This is very good news to hear...

[mefurry.livejournal.com]

Regards the poor reception one commenter mentioned, I am a bit surprised at that. When I went to my first "fur house" party I was not the center of attention of course, but but never totally ignored. Furries are "people" too. Takes all kinds I guess.
--Me/Henry

Re: This is very good news to hear...

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

As you say, everyone is different and to say a furry is x y z is like saying that all doctors or all teachers are of a certain type. From my own experience, I was openly accepted from the start and I know many others have been too. For this I am deeply grateful but I am sure that others have had less positive experiences from their first furmeets than I have.