What is Furry?
It's an interest that is hard to describe due to its diversity,
but the most common definition is:
Furry Fans are people who have an extraordinary affinity for anthropomorphic animals. "Anthropomorphic" is an adjective derived from Latin and means "with human characteristics" (which can be both regarding the appearance and the behaviours), like acting/thinking like humans, wearing clothes, walking on two legs, talking, etc. Some popular furry characters are, for example, Disney's Robin Hood (fox), the characters from "Father of the Pride" or the characters of "Over the Hedge". Just as Star Trek fans often just call themselves "Trekkies", we simply call ourselves "Furries".
A lot of Furries feel like they have an inner animal, or that they are spiritually connected to animals. Many Furries express their love through creativity - like drawing (Furry Art), writing stories, creating songs, crafting and wearing Fursuits (though while the percentage of Furries wearing fursuits has certainly risen significantly in recent years, in total it is only about one tenth of the whole fandom), roleplaying, organizing conventions or meetings, and a lot more. A lot of Furries are also just consumers.
Remember, though:
. Not everyone who likes or draws animals is automatically a Furry.
. Not everyone wearing an animal costume is automatically a Furry.
Furry is not just liking animals, for many people it is a lifestyle, which is way more than a "hobby" and can be as varied as anything else.
but the most common definition is:
Furry Fans are people who have an extraordinary affinity for anthropomorphic animals. "Anthropomorphic" is an adjective derived from Latin and means "with human characteristics" (which can be both regarding the appearance and the behaviours), like acting/thinking like humans, wearing clothes, walking on two legs, talking, etc. Some popular furry characters are, for example, Disney's Robin Hood (fox), the characters from "Father of the Pride" or the characters of "Over the Hedge". Just as Star Trek fans often just call themselves "Trekkies", we simply call ourselves "Furries".
A lot of Furries feel like they have an inner animal, or that they are spiritually connected to animals. Many Furries express their love through creativity - like drawing (Furry Art), writing stories, creating songs, crafting and wearing Fursuits (though while the percentage of Furries wearing fursuits has certainly risen significantly in recent years, in total it is only about one tenth of the whole fandom), roleplaying, organizing conventions or meetings, and a lot more. A lot of Furries are also just consumers.
Remember, though:
. Not everyone who likes or draws animals is automatically a Furry.
. Not everyone wearing an animal costume is automatically a Furry.
Furry is not just liking animals, for many people it is a lifestyle, which is way more than a "hobby" and can be as varied as anything else.
Are you "Furry"?
Referring to the description above - Yes, I am.
It is a lifestyle for me, I did not "choose" it, it has just always been there. The label just came way later. It comes from deep within, it's what I like, and I very much cherish the creativity, the spirituality, the fun and so the happiness it brings for me. Life is just a lot brighter and more colorful that way.
It is a lifestyle for me, I did not "choose" it, it has just always been there. The label just came way later. It comes from deep within, it's what I like, and I very much cherish the creativity, the spirituality, the fun and so the happiness it brings for me. Life is just a lot brighter and more colorful that way.
What about the ponies?
In 2010, a new incarnation of Hasbro's toy line My Little Pony, unofficially known as the "Generation Four", launched, and along with it, a new television series called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Lauren Faust was selected as the creative developer and executive producer for the show based on her previous experience with other animated children's shows, such as The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Under Hasbro's guidance, Faust developed the show to appeal to the target demographic of young girls, but deliberately created characters and settings that challenged formerly stereotypical norms of "girly" images, adding adventure and humorous elements to keep parents interested as well as kids.
The series received widespread acclaim, from both television critics and parental groups. But, to everyone's surprise, it also found a large audience of adult fans in late 2010 and early 2011, slowly forming a subculture. These fans were drawn to the show's main characters, stories, animation style and sheer meme-potential. The fandom adopted the name bronies, a portmanteau of bro and pony. Though initially considered to propagate the humorous and ironic concept of adults enjoying a show intended for young girls, over time the fandom gradually showed deeper, genuine appreciation for the show far beyond this concept. Fans have created numerous fan works in writing, music, art, gaming and videos based on the show, have established websites and fan conventions for the show and have participated in charitable events around the show and those that create it.
The appreciation of the show by an older audience came as a surprise to Hasbro, Faust, and others involved with its development, but they embraced the older fans while also staying focused on the show's intended audience. Such reciprocity has included participation in fan conventions by the show's voice actors and producers, recognition of the brony fandom in official promotional material, and incorporating background characters popularized by the fans into in-jokes within the show. As a result of these efforts in part, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has become a major commercial success with the series becoming the highest rated original production in Hub Network's broadcast history.
The series received widespread acclaim, from both television critics and parental groups. But, to everyone's surprise, it also found a large audience of adult fans in late 2010 and early 2011, slowly forming a subculture. These fans were drawn to the show's main characters, stories, animation style and sheer meme-potential. The fandom adopted the name bronies, a portmanteau of bro and pony. Though initially considered to propagate the humorous and ironic concept of adults enjoying a show intended for young girls, over time the fandom gradually showed deeper, genuine appreciation for the show far beyond this concept. Fans have created numerous fan works in writing, music, art, gaming and videos based on the show, have established websites and fan conventions for the show and have participated in charitable events around the show and those that create it.
The appreciation of the show by an older audience came as a surprise to Hasbro, Faust, and others involved with its development, but they embraced the older fans while also staying focused on the show's intended audience. Such reciprocity has included participation in fan conventions by the show's voice actors and producers, recognition of the brony fandom in official promotional material, and incorporating background characters popularized by the fans into in-jokes within the show. As a result of these efforts in part, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has become a major commercial success with the series becoming the highest rated original production in Hub Network's broadcast history.
Are you a "Brony"?
If we apply the term to someone who is a fan of the My Little Pony franchise and the above mentioned Generation 4 in particular - Again, yes, I absolutely am.
While I have never had any personal interest in the My Little Pony franchise for personal reasons, I grew curious about it after the I noticed the internet being flooded with pony memes in early 2011. While I was initially only drawn to the show's fluid animation style that made me watch episode after episode, it didn't take long until I started getting to know the characters and their quirks, and before I knew it I found myself drawing and consuming pony media and engaging in fandom discussion on the regular. It wasn't until 2013 or 2014 however, that I started engaging with the fandom more and quickly started to realize how much diversity and creativity this fandom alone has been harboring.
This show has done so many good things for my life that I'm unable to recount them all, and I can confidently say that I wouldn't be the same person I am now without it and the many joys it brought me in my life. And even if the fandom may not always exist in the way that it has or does now, ponies will always hold a special place in my heart. That much is certain.
While I have never had any personal interest in the My Little Pony franchise for personal reasons, I grew curious about it after the I noticed the internet being flooded with pony memes in early 2011. While I was initially only drawn to the show's fluid animation style that made me watch episode after episode, it didn't take long until I started getting to know the characters and their quirks, and before I knew it I found myself drawing and consuming pony media and engaging in fandom discussion on the regular. It wasn't until 2013 or 2014 however, that I started engaging with the fandom more and quickly started to realize how much diversity and creativity this fandom alone has been harboring.
This show has done so many good things for my life that I'm unable to recount them all, and I can confidently say that I wouldn't be the same person I am now without it and the many joys it brought me in my life. And even if the fandom may not always exist in the way that it has or does now, ponies will always hold a special place in my heart. That much is certain.