The Call to Action

by Charla Trotman

Okay... So by now, we all know I can complain. But I've always been a fan of the "Fix It or Shut Up" philosophy. Below is a small proposal as to how.

Furry Fandom is an embarrassment: There's no getting around that. But that doesn't mean it's beyond repair.

There was a time when the designation "Furry" didn't double for zoophile, plushophile, psychopath or naturist. It used to be fun, and people used to know *exactly* where you stood when you referred to yourself as a furry. But these days, people HATE being called as much. They cringe at the thought of being lumped together with the platoons of perverts who have decided to set up base camp under the guise of furrydom. A lot of cool people have dropped out of furriness altogether, rather than be associated with or pressured by these nutballs. (I STILL miss Abe Groter. Agony, agony...) I wrote this page as a response to the massive influx of support for the Furry Manifesto; Maybe there's hope for us after all. :) Furriness needs fixing, and I think I may have an idea.

It's not enough to distance ourselves from the previously mentioned drooling maniacs.

Even if , by some miracle, the masses rose up and managed to expel every last wacko from the fanbase, the name "furry" has taken on connotations it will likely never shake. Common sense decrees a secession is in order. A subset needs forming; a group of furry-types who want to make their interest known, without being associated with the twitching crack babies and their crazed notions. I did a little brainstorming, and came up with this.

BURNED FUR.

The name has a double meaning. Non-psycho furs can be called "Burned," because anyone with a firm grasp on reality would clearly feel slighted by the screamingly deviant direction the fandom has taken. Another way of looking at it is the example made of furs who have spoken up against fandom perversion and been "burned at the stake" for it. Eric Blumrich is the best example. There are others, of course. Once the Manifesto is posted to alt.lifestyle.furry, I'll probably end up being one of them.

Burned Furs would be defined as furs who aren't insane.

Simple enough. It you've ever lusted after a German Shepherd, own a harem of Care Bears, or consider yourself a reincarnated unicorn, you don't qualify. Burned Furs are furries who are tired of being associated with lunatics, and should make sure they're heard.

Being a Burned Fur would be easy, I imagine; simply replace any mention of "furry" in your vocabulary with "Burned furry." If people ask what the hell you're talking about, explain.

"Hi, I'm Squee Rat! I'm a burned furry, and I run the Circus Sideshow."

See? Doesn't hurt. And if this concept works, everyone immediately identifies you with the saner faction of furrydom. "BFs" could say as much on their web pages, MUCK descriptions, convention badges... Hell, it could be a sub-subculture. :) Nifty, huh? urnCon might be a year or two away. Ya never know.