DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/MXSZ3

Furry as Folk Culture

Jay Dotson, University of South Florida

Abstract Introduction

The can be classified as an Although research on the furry fandom community centered around has accelerated over the last couple of years anthropomorphic creatures and zoomorphic due to interest from the fields of sociology, humans. The contemporary cultural psychology, and consumer studies, research movement of furries in the United States is situating the furry fandom as a cultural situated within the politics of technological movement in the West in its current socio- development and the re-thinking of folk political context has not been covered as culture. Research on furries has mostly heavily as questions of identity, general centered on the psychological and experience, and comparison to other demographic aspects of community .1 In this article, research done over members or has strongly emphasized the length of a year will be examined and empowerment through membership in the analyzed from an interdisciplinary community through costuming and identity perspective to see how the furry fandom formation. However, little academic compares to current cultural movements has been done on how mainstream such as postmodernism and neoliberalism. culture has informed socialization in the Postmodernism is a cultural movement or community and media perception of the set of movements that push beyond pre- identity of the community. By conducting defined or linear narratives of progress and in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and development (modernity) and often reject participant observation with community positivism, creating a space for members, I investigated how the community interpretation, the subjective, and critical both resists and reflects (or reproduces) larger cultural movements. In this article, I 1 Sharon E. Roberts, et al., “Clinical Interaction with will demonstrate how neoliberal and Anthropomorphic Phenomenon: Notes for Health postmodern cultural assemblages can be Professionals about Interacting with Clients Who found throughout the furry community. Possess This Unusual Identity,” Health & Social Work, 40, no. 2 (May 2015): e42-e50, doi: Research on the furry community, a mostly 10.1093/hsw/hlv020.; Courtney N. Plante, et al., online Western community founded on “‘More than Skin-Deep’: Biological Essentialism in openness and tolerance, reveals how people Response to a Distinctiveness Threat in a Stigmatized Community,” British Journal of Social across generations are engaging in hobbies Psychology, 54, no. 2 (2015) 359-370, Doi: and developing new identities within the 10.1111/bjso.12079; Michael John Healy and Michael B. Beverland, “Unleashing the Animal context of a continued accumulation of Within: Exploring Consumers’ Zoomorphic Identity capital in the Global North. Motives,” Journal Of Marketing Management, 29, no. 1-2 (2013): 225-248, doi: 10.1080/0267257X.2013.766233.

discourse.2 In the furry community, for the group in attaining success; we can example, an aesthetic that definitively dissect the idea of this economic and identifies a work as claimable by the political ideology and see whether it can community by the sheer view that it is apply to the experience of being in the furry “furry,” depends on who is defining the community. aesthetic. Zootopia (2016), an animated film by Disney, for example, has been identified Background within the community as noticeably fitting the aesthetic since it has animals behaving in The furry community, although it human-like ways. However, the film The generally does not fit neatly into an exact Secret Life of Pets (2016), another animated definition, has been characterized by film by Illumination, was identified by my researchers as the “collective name given to participants as either fitting that aesthetic or individuals who have a distinct interest in not, and a following debate ensued. The anthropomorphic animals,” and by some Secret Life of Pets and Zootopia have members of the community roughly the similar ideas - there are furry animals that same as liking artwork focused on human- are behaving in human-like ways - but the like animals or creatures.4 The origin of the context of both movies and what they meant furry community is difficult, if not as being identifiable as furry was what was impossible, to pin down: although some of the center of debate by community members my participants had the same answers I talked with. relating to the same kind of origin of furry, The current furry movement emerges out many answers varied on exact times and of this postmodern context as well as out of dates, and participants were generally unsure the hyper-accumulation of capital in the of the community’s origins. When talking Global North, also referred to as with unofficial furry historians who neoliberalism. Neoliberalism can be chronicle furry culture as a hobby, their own understood in the context of “the emergence answers differed among time periods and of more flexible modes of capital what marks the start of the conception of accumulation, and a new round of ‘time- furry. Participants traced different origins of space compression’ in the organization of the community including the beginning of capitalism.”3 In other words, neoliberalism Disney cartoons starring anthropomorphic involves the alienation of the means of animals, the start of the Internet, and the first production, living in a universe of consumer . Specific works were also brands, and emphasizing the individual over cited such as The Lion King in the 1990s and Robin Hood in the 1980s. Generally, it can 2 Frederic Jameson, “Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism,” in Media and Cultural Studies Key Works, (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1984), 4 Kathleen C. Gerbasi, et al., “Furries from A to Z 485. ( to Zoomorphism),” Society and 3 David Harvey, “The Argument,” in The Condition Animals, 16, (2008), 198, of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp- Cultural Change (Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1989), content/uploads/2016/04/gerbasi.pdf; Author’s vii. interviews, 2017. The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 4, No. 2, October 2020 94

be agreed that the conceptions of furry differ Regardless, results of the survey can offer in time periods, with a vague separation interesting insights to some of the between a prehistoric idea of furry that was perspectives of the community that have not celebrated in ancient polytheistic religions been considered before. and the contemporary conception of furry The various levels of social interaction that began in the 1960s with furry comics in the furry community demand a nuanced like . The current furry community approach to conducting qualitative methods. is not limited to the United States; it is a Individual and group interviews as well as community that spans continents regardless participant observation were administered of language barriers. Additionally, both online through Google Hangouts, interactions within the community can range Skype, and various social media sites, and from online interactions (such as websites or offline at conventions, meet-ups, and face- apps like Discord, Twitter, Amino, etc.) to to-face interactions. A series of semi- offline interactions (like conventions, meet- structured interviews were done with ups, and club meetings), with the level of individual participants and in groups, with socialization being roughly the same, if not the latter’s questions being more interpretive conducted differently. than individual questions. For example, individual questions were asked, “Have you Methods ever been to a convention? What is it like?” while groups were asked to “Talk about Within the year of research conducted, gender in the community.” This was used as various quantitative and qualitative methods a way to prompt discussion among the were utilized for data collection. For group, rather than just getting a single quantitative methods, two surveys were answer from each individual participant. published online, with the first being For the various conventions attended, I published on a popular messaging board, also asked and was mostly able to volunteer and the second being passed around a for the conventions, being able to attend specific subset of community within furry both as a convention-goer as well as a helper fandom. The survey included multiple in running the convention. When interacting questions on demographics and short and with communities for research, it is long answer questions on identity, important to practice reciprocity when stereotyping, community characteristics, etc. possible, or the practice of actively giving and garnered a total of more than 250 back to the community studied in research. responses in the first survey and more than Other than volunteering, the completed 150 responses in the second survey. Since thesis was also posted for free on the the survey was available exclusively in website Academia.edu, and some of the English, and the responses were generated demographic results from the survey were on a convenience sample basis rather than a made available to participants by being random sample, applicability of these results posted on the messaging board the original for the entire community is limited. survey was posted on.

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Other ethical issues that were tackled Promoting (and Being) Furry were issues of positionality, communication with participants, and anonymity. The majority of data collected and used Positionality is understood as the research to interpret ideas of neoliberal values and divulging their position in a study so readers postmodern aesthetic in the community were can understand how this position may affect from participant observation, textual the aspect, collection, and interpretation of analysis, and interviews. Data included data in a study.5 As someone who is a White observation of convention and community American, pansexual, non-binary person activities at both furry and non-furry with anxiety, I believe I had certain access conventions. Additionally, there were data (and restriction) to the community because from individual participants, group of my identity, and this must be considered conversations, and analyzing business cards with the interpretation of my results. In collected from the artist’s alley at a large addition, when contacting and and small convention. Individual interviews communicating with my participants, some and observation of convention and of them formally dropped out or did not community activities were used as the respond to my inquiries. Considering that primary source of analysis in relating values they did not explicitly tell me that they did within the community to values composed in not want me to not use our discussion, and neoliberalism. that their dropping out was due to external As discussed prior, neoliberalism can be factors rather than interpersonal conflict, I divided into several contexts: political and have elected to include their discussions in economic. For the economic dimension, this my data still. Lastly, maintaining anonymity can be seen in how capital is accumulated of participants was a major priority, as some more quickly than ever and more ways than members are not open about their identity in before.6 For the political dimension, it every social circle, so all names and some creates an environment encouraging dates of reference have been changed. individual decision and thought over group These methods yielded results that, movement. This idea of emphasizing the although they may not be definitively individual can also be defined as applicable to the entire furry community, individualism, a new concept that Guignon does offer some perspective on the believes is a new concept of self- experiences of some members. This is actualization that is based more on a especially true when we talk about commitment to finding our true selves by community members’ experiences in the self-reflecting on our own past experiences context of current cultural movements like than religious insight.7 For example, most neoliberalism and postmodernism. participants in in-depth interviews said that their experience in the community changed 5 Dongxiao Qin, “Positionality,” The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies, Wiley Online Library, 6 Harvey, vii. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781 7 Charles Guignon, On Being Authentic (London: 118663219.wbegss619. Routledge, 2004), 162-167. The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 4, No. 2, October 2020 96

their life for the better and gave them the characters referred to as “adoptables” and opportunity to be more of themselves. custom furry characters in the form of Fursuiting, or costuming in a suit based on a Telegram stickers, laminated badges, online furry character, is one of the many ways that profile pictures, and other pieces. In my own people express more of their “true selves” in experience, my first art of my , Jay the community. Emily Satinsky and Denise the Black Bombay Cat, was done as a gift Green outline this in their research on from a friend; my first actual commission identity exploration in the community was done almost a year later and done by a through fursuiting.8 One of my participants, cheaper and high-quality Tumblr artist. RikuMu, says that it feels “like I can Success of artists in commissions can actually [be] more extroverted through the heavily depend on who one knows in their community and …I can at least express social networks rather than their talent and myself a lot better and somewhat relax and prices, although a consistent narrative of be someone who I’d like to be.” artists being able to find success based on Additionally, the ability for those to choose their ability is presented alongside the their fursona (or furry persona), change it at admitted reality that success can be minimal will, and define what it means to them and for many, many artists. what qualities of it reflect them show how The success of artists depends on many this new adoption of self-determination in factors, but an important note to keep in recent decades has served to change the mind is that, unlike organizations for functions of art. business professionals or doctors, the Fursona art can not only be considered community of furry artists do not have a in relation to the political aspect of formal structure that they use to promote neoliberalism, as it also can be related to the artists. Instead, I observed that popular art economic dimension. The economic aspect websites like Fur Affinity, Tumblr, of neoliberalism, specifically the DeviantArt, etc. and streaming sites like commodification of ideas and intellectual Rabbit, among others, are used as places for property (especially art), can also be found artists to begin and organize their business. within the furry community. Some people Artists can also promote themselves offline will pay others to create art of their fursona. through meet-ups, club meetings, with These are broadly called commissions and informal networks, and at booths for small place a value on the conception of a fursona. to large conventions. The promotion of Commissions are highly popular within the artists for possible commissions (or general fandom, but representations of one’s fursona publicity) can be used as an example to can be done in other ways: making pre-made understand the dimensions of and custom , selling pre-made furry postmodernism. I looked specifically at how this kind of 8 Emily Satinsky and Denise Nicole Green, promotion was done by doing a systematic “Negotiating Identities in the Furry Fandom through sample of all the business cards from an Costuming,” Critical Studies in Men’s Fashion, 3, no. 2 (2016): 107-123, doi: 10.1386/csmf.3.2.107_1. artist’s alley of a large attendance

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convention and a vendor’s hall of a low balance between a practical appeal and an attendance furry convention. After aesthetic appeal. Although furry artists are collecting all available business cards that also branding themselves through creating were displayed at a certain time and day of their own business cards and networking the convention, I randomly picked five cards online for commissions through watermarks from each pile to analyze individually while such as those I observed through blog sites keeping in mind what may be considered a like Tumblr and art streaming, they are also modern aesthetic and a postmodern adjusting their prices in order to be aesthetic. A “modern” aesthetic would focus commissioned as in any other market.11 on practical appeals, in this case the Getting commissions is difficult no practical appeal would be clearly defining matter which medium is used, although it what an artist’s services are (see Figure 1a- may be relatively easier to get business at a b). Frederic Jameson defines postmodern as furry convention rather than at an anime a form of “aesthetic production integrated convention due to sheer size: , the into commodity production generally… an largest furry convention in the world, increasingly essential structural function and brought in more than 8,407 in 2018 position to aesthetic innovation and according to their official Twitter account, experimentation.”9 A postmodern aesthetic but Anime Expo, the largest anime appeal, then, focuses on the appeal to senses convention just in North America, brought rather than logic as a modern, practical in 110,000 this year.12 This discrepancy appeal would (see Figure 2a-b). could be a reason why some artists may I held a focus group with several furry want to advertise their services at smaller artists and showed them the cards and asked furry conventions rather than larger anime how they marketed themselves. They were conventions—“if [the convention size is too also fans of using social media to market big] people just pass over you,” Liz says. themselves as the postmodern business card Romani, one of the artists included in the had done, but when asked which one they focus group discussing business cards, also personally favored the most they chose the said that her sales were much better at the modern business card because, according to smaller anime conventions than the large Shark, “it definitely serves a purpose.” anime conventions by far. Profitability is not However, Liz agreed that the postmodern the main focus of the furry community; card was effective because “it’s very indeed, trying to define the main focus of minimal, it’s got all the information you the furry community around a sole activity need and it’s easy to just look at....”10

Clearly branding in the furry community, 11 Author’s interview, 9/2017. like any other community, must strike a 12 Anthrocon, Twitter post, 8 July 2018, 2:06 pm, https://twitter.com/anthrocon/status/10160660009184 01025?lang=en; Anime Expo, “Anime Expo 2018 9 Frederic Jameson, “Postmodernism, or the Cultural Continues to Thrill Fans as They Celebrate Japanese Logic of Late Capitalism,” in Media and Cultural Pop Culture,” Anime Expo, 10 July 2018, Studies Key Works (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1984), http://www.anime-expo.org/2018/07/10/anime-expo- 485. 2018-continues-thrill-fans-celebrate-japanese-pop- 10 Author’s focus group interview, 8/2017. culture/. The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 4, No. 2, October 2020 98

would be falling into the trap of trying to partner or friends were. There were multiple create boundaries for it. Instead, it is an times at meet-ups and other social events avenue some members have chosen to take that I found myself meeting people who said as a supplement to their current job or as they were more involved because of their their sole source of income. dating partner or friend group—I cannot say yet whether they remained active in the Discussion community if these relationships ended. There were also multiple times that I heard Furry art’s competitive commission stories of people that chose their fursona at market and networking-based system of new random or because a friend chose it for artists enabled the commodification and them. For example, one participant I spoke promoted individualism by one’s furry with recalled games where people could spin persona as a piece of art that can be a wheel to determine their fursona, rather displayed to others for identification. For than through intense or light introspection. example, it is widely known that in the Of course later on they could add individual fandom, you can be whatever species you details onto their design if they so choose, would like--although there is an inside joke but having an independently conceived and that everyone starts off as a fox or wolf, the designed fursona is not a rule one must truthfulness of this idea is rarely seen to be follow to be active with it in the furry true. Many participants I spoke with varied community. Although the furry community with their first fursonas, and while some did can be a place for individual identity have the same species, the design of the exploration, for some it is more a place for species varied widely enough that species leisure and socializing with others. seemed to be more as a background for Marketization of art in the furry socializing, while it seemed that the focus community is not an absolute observation was on a persona that one could look at and either; for fursona depictions, for example, call “unique.” The acceptability of members of the community are still able to uniqueness has its boundaries in every make their own art, receive it as gifts from community, of course, and the definition of friends, and make their own from free uniqueness tends to vary with who is using it outlines online. So, although marketization at the time, but the ultimate goal of is prevalent in the community, it cannot be representing yourself to face the community said that someone must be prepared to spend as an individual and not just as a species money in order to be involved in the group member can reflect the individualistic community and/or create a visual identity aspects of the community. that people generally adopt. Additionally, However, the idea that the furry some artists are interested in starting community is completed based around businesses to make a living off selling furry individualism is not always true. Some art, but that does not mean the center of the participants said that they were only community is around that motivation. involved in the community because their Experiences of marketing in the community

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can differ from person to person and group and ideology of fandoms like the furry to group, so neoliberal values of community. The furry community exhibits commodifying ideas do not completely some qualities of neoliberalism by encapsulate everyone’s experience. propagating individualism, commodifying So can we say that there is such a thing ideas, and decentered art markets. This can as a furry aesthetic? Furry can be related to be seen by their ideas that being in the postmodern ideas since its application and community is a personal experience, the aesthetic can differ from person to person, as idea of a furry persona or fursona can be exhibited through discussions of business purchased, and there is no set structure of cards promoting furry artists. Sometimes, hierarchy for how the community functions the aesthetic of cards collected were socially or financially. Of course, saying that designed to draw attention to the artist the furry community only involves these themselves rather than their services, and qualities would be giving a half-truth— leave the possible patron to consider for although the community is decentered, themselves what they wish to think of the people find community in the identity, and information given. Other times, however, the artists gift friends with art or offer free the cards took on more of a functional outlines for people to make their own feature by focusing on the services the artist fursonas. Thus, the community resists a provides. From my group interview with complete inception into neoliberal politics furry artists, I have found that if there was a and society by treasuring group identity and furry aesthetic, it would be defined by the exchanging or gifting art. combining of these aesthetic and functional The postmodern values of furry art and strategies to present a business persona that behavior are reflected in the debate over matches community needs and expresses the what constitutes a furry aesthetic. What artist’s individual style. Ultimately, blending characterizes something as “furry” varies both features tended to be the most effective from person to person, and generally no in marketing, since it both promoted one’s authority is stronger over another in the services and separated them from the rest of community. The subjective view one has of the competition. Whether community artists what art can be called “furry” is then will continue to advocate for a strategy of championed, although one can find using both practical and visual-centered discourse within the community that argues appeals in their business promotion is yet to that even though the view can be subjective, be known as the community grows movies like Zootopia are much more exponentially each year. targeted and made for the furry community than Secret Life of Pets, possibly due to Conclusion Zooptopia’s open marketing and the reputation of its animation studio, Disney, as Characteristics of recent movements like historically providing works that have neoliberalism and postmodernism can be become inspirations for style and expression viewed by looking in-depth at the behaviors within . Thus, debates over the

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aesthetic may not have a definite conclusion, broader movements in Western culture (or, but selective works are openly embraced and if one wants to, global cultures) can offer accepted as furry depending on their insight into how these broader movements context. function and affect those on the ground In addition to debates over the furry level. From what my research has suggested aesthetic, marketing oneself using both in the furry fandom, this effect has been modern and postmodern aesthetics was mixed, but noticeable. Members both discussed in-depth in reviews of business replicate and resist values and behaviors of cards taken from a large, anime-centered both neoliberal and postmodern movements, convention and a small, furry-centered revealing the complexity of human nature. convention. While the business card from the large convention sought to distinguish Bibliography itself from the competition by presenting an interesting and vague sense of the artist, Anime Expo. “Anime Expo 2018 Continues rather than explicitly discussing their to Thrill Fans as They Celebrate services, the business card from the small Japanese Pop Culture.” Anime Expo, 10 convention attempted to persuade patrons by July 2018. http://www.anime- presenting the various services it offered. expo.org/2018/07/10/anime-expo-2018- Postmodern art tends to focus more on the continues-thrill-fans-celebrate-japanese- aesthetic or feeling and expression of art pop-culture/. rather than its function like modern art does, Anthrocon. Twitter post. 8 July 2018, 2:06 according to Jameson.13 Blending both pm. together to promote one’s services was https://twitter.com/anthrocon/status/1016 generally agreed by one of my interview 066000918401025?lang=en. groups as the best approach for marketing. Gerbasi, Kathleen C., et al. “Furries from A Postmodern aesthetic is therefore present in to Z (Anthropomorphism to the community, but like neoliberalism, does Zoomorphism).” Society and Animals not entirely encapsulate the experience of 16, (2008): 197-222. being in the fandom. http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp- Research about the furry community has content/uploads/2016/04/gerbasi.pdf increased significantly over the years due to Guignon Charles, On Being Authentic, 162- the proliferation of the community, the 167, London: Routledge, 2004. visibility of the community, and community Habermas, Jürgen. “The Public Sphere: An projects like the International Encyclopedia Article.” In Media and Anthropomorphic Research Project. As we Cultural Studies Key Works, edited by move forward with better understanding M. G. Durham and D. M. Kellner,73-78. how consumption, youth culture, and art Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006. communities have changed in recent history, Harvey, David. “The Argument.” In The taking into account how they can relate to Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry

13 Jameson, 485. The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 4, No. 2, October 2020 101

into the Origins of Cultural Change, vii. Response to a Distinctiveness Threat in a Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1989. Stigmatized Fan Community.” British Healy, Michael John, and Michael B. Journal of Social Psychology 54, no. 2 Beverland. “Unleashing the Animal (2015): 359-370. Within: Exploring Consumers’ https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12079. Zoomorphic Identity Motives.” Journal Roberts, Sharon E., et al. “Clinical Of Marketing Management 29, no. 1-2 Interaction with Anthropomorphic (2013): 225-248. Phenomenon: Notes for Health https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2013. Professionals about Interacting with 766233. Clients Who Possess This Unusual Jameson, Frederic. “Postmodernism, or the Identity.” Health & Social Work 40, no. Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism.” In 2 (May 2015): e42-e50. Media and Cultural Studies Key Works, https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlv020. 482-519. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1984. Satinsky, Emily and Denise Nicole Green. Qin, Dongxiao. “Positionality.” The Wiley “Negotiating Identities in the Furry Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Fandom through Costuming.” Critical Sexuality Studies. Wiley Online Library. Studies in Men’s Fashion 3, no. 2 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/1 (2016): 107-123. 0.1002/9781118663219.wbegss619. https://doi.org/10.1386/csmf.3.2.107_1. Plante, Courtney N., et al. “‘More than Skin- Deep’: Biological Essentialism in

Figure 1a-b. As we can see, this card’s front and back are meant to catch the eye with a calming blue color, but also pop out in its white text that details the services that the business provides. This card could be considered modern rather than postmodern because unlike a postmodern aesthetic, the modern aesthetic emphasizes the functionality of the object that it is examined through: the card tells you its services and provides contact information.

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Figure 2a-b. The card’s focus on visuals rather than stating its services speaks to a devotion to aesthetic in marketing appeals, rather than a simple presentation of services. In fact, the card does not even explicitly outline the exact services the artist can render; it is suggested that the consumer can find out themselves if they want to pursue the artist as a patron by following their social media, and even dictate the services they receive if they so choose.

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