"The Furry Elite"

[lupestripe]

At Eurofurence, I heard this phrase mentioned for the first time.

Does a furry elite exist or is it merely a perception?

Does it consist of furs who just happen to be good at what they do - be it performing, drawing or writing - and who are appreciated because of it?

Or is it just a term made up by some who are slightly envious of their current situation and who are desperate to be appreciated themselves?

Comments

[schnee.livejournal.com]

There is a difference between saying "much of it is crap" and "all of it is crap". Not that I'm even necessarily going to agree with the former, what with having read hardly anything on YiffStar (not to mention "crap" being in the eye/mind of the beholder, anyway), but I think it's an important difference, and disparaging an entire site, everyone who uses it and everything they produce *is* arrogant and elitist.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I think it's like anything else - some authors you will like to read and others you don't. I have never liked Tolkein or Charles Dickens yet I would never say they were crap, just not to my particular tastes.

I haven't read much of YiffStar but anything that is too porn orientated simply isn't my thing. However, I am sure there are good writers on there, I can just imagine it may be a case of filtering through the crap.

However, I would never disparage anyone who has gone out there and given it ago. If you write (or draw, or perform etc) you are putting yourself on the line to a point as you are naturally going to be judged. Fair play to all those who go out there and do it - that's the thing I respect above anything else.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Aye. Noone says you have to like everything (or anything, even), but there's a huge difference between saying "I don't like this writer's stuff" and "this writer is crap", or in fact "this person isn't even a writer to begin with".

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I completely agree - and indeed you might like some stuff from a certain writer but not other stuff. I tend to take each piece of work on its own merits, if I can. But I would still always encourage to get involved, particularly if they have their hearts set on it.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Aye, same for me.

Of course, there is such a thing as technical merit, and some people really do not exactly rank very high in that regard, but that's not a reason to disparage them, either. (And it's not like anyone was born with the ability to write brilliant prose, anyway...)