Furry stereotype

As with many current cultures and subcultures, the furry fandom has been subject to intense stereotyping.

Stereotypes can arise from virtually any facet of a group or demographic, depend partly on trends within the demographic, and are usually formed from the experiences and biases of the viewer or their friends. Some furry stereotypes have more than a grain of truth to them; however, many others fail to hold up under closer scrutiny of furry fans and culture.

Mainstream generalization
Furry fandom's member demographics have traditionally intercrossed with other existing cultures and fandoms, such as science fiction, fantasy, anime, computing, and video gaming. As such, furry fans or furry artists are also often viewed (stereotyped) as fanboys, nerds and/or geeks at best, or a hairy, overweight (usually male), unwashed individual, living in his parents' basement while surfing for pornography on the Internet.

The particulars of the furry fandom 's culture may present what some furry outsiders would frequently consider strange, unusual, or bizarre take on the wider fantasy and funny animal genre. This has led to the stereotypes being thought up as sometimes more extreme than the typical fandom. For example, one list of some extra stereotypical points that have often been attached to furry fandom would paint most furries as:

Furry fandom

 * Is a fetish in general and/or a pathway to anthropomorphic paraphilias.
 * Is at best a subculture.
 * Is not an established culture like Anime or Science Fiction.
 * Is not, nor ever will be, a mainstream culture.

Appearance and sexual orientation

 * Overweight or underweight.
 * Very old (greymuzzles) or very young (furry twinks in the case of LGBT males).
 * Unhygienic/unwashed.
 * Usually homely or ugly.
 * Gay, bisexual, and/or transgender only (no heterosexual furs in the fandom).

Medical disorders

 * Mental disorders:
 * Often autistic, including people with Asperger syndrome.
 * Sexual and gender identity disorders (any/all LGBT furs).
 * Substance abuse (excessive intake of drugs/alcohol even by fandom standards).
 * Personality disorder (any/all therians or otherkins).
 * Intellectual or learning disabilities such as Down Syndrome.
 * AIDS (some furries or all LGBT furs.)

Sexual deviancy

 * Fursuit sex.
 * Pedophilia.
 * Plushophilia.
 * Zoophilia.

Social interaction

 * Fanboy/nerd/geek behavior.
 * Misanthropic.
 * Little or no social skills.
 * Egomaniacs.
 * Overtly sexual behavior.

Social contribution

 * Uneducated, still holding a low prestige job as they get older.
 * Educated, still holding a low prestige job as they get older.
 * Unemployed/unemployable.
 * Majority on disability or other types of welfare assistance (US).

Relationships

 * There is no furry on furry normal relationships (e.g. just for love).
 * There are no straight relationships in the fandom.
 * There are no married couples in the fandom.
 * Married furry couples are all childless due to problems/genetics.
 * Married furry couple's kids are all brats.

Female furries

 * No females present in the fandom.
 * No female artists present in the fandom.
 * All female furries are either fat and/or ugly.
 * All females are lesbians or transgender/non-binary.
 * All females are actually men pretending to be females (online).
 * All females furries are mentally ill.

Fursuiters

 * All fursuiters are male, even if the fursuit has a female appearance.
 * All fursuits are equipped with SPHs or SPAs.
 * All fursuits are always unwashed and/or are covered with encrusted human body fluids.
 * Fursuiters use the ample space in their suit to grope little kids at lower heights.
 * Fursuiters use their fursuit to lure children to molest them.

Artists

 * Unable to produce media to at the same skill level as non-furry artists.
 * All drawn artwork (traditional/digital) is traced.
 * All art media is of a pornographic nature only.
 * Cub non-sexual media as a gateway media to child porn.
 * No professional (non-furry) artists in the fandom.
 * If so, they will be blacklisted soon...
 * ...And/or will start to create pornographic material for money/attention/popularity.
 * Furry artists will take as many commissions as possible:
 * And always take forever to finish.
 * Will give any excuse for the holdup, including self-hospitalization, family death, etc.
 * they will then leave the fandom without delivering...
 * ...And then come back as a new artist under a new pseudonym, repeating the process.

Commissioners

 * All furry commissioners demand that artists create free art for them.
 * Or ask for incredible complex media for a ridiculous commission fee.
 * Impose impossible deadlines.
 * Ask for additional non-agreed upon content.
 * Demand more than the agreed-upon amount of redos.
 * Furry commissioners will receive the art, then have the payment rescinded via the e-payment service (e.g. Paypal), under different pretenses (fraud, job not delivered, job no as advertised).
 * Furry commissioners will take as many commissions as possible:
 * Then leave the fandom after receiving the art, without paying...
 * ...And then come back as a new furry fan under a new pseudonym, repeating the process.
 * Furry commissioners will often ask for donations for such ailments as self-hospitalization and/or family death, then use the donations to buy extra furry art.

Furry conventions

 * There has never been a well-planned convention.
 * There has never been an enjoyable convention.
 * Convention organisers only cater to babyfurs, lifestylers, pedophiles, plushophiles and zoophiles.
 * Participants go exclusively for the sex (particularly in room orgies, especially gay).
 * Participants go exclusively or bring illicit substances (drugs and/or alcohol for minors).
 * Participants spooge frequently on the premises, especially in elevators and hotel rooms.
 * The con staff are incompetent and/or power-hungry.
 * The con security are domineering and treat their jobs with too much seriousness (Mall Cop syndrome).

Furry convention events

 * Slave auctions (Confurence era).
 * Fans/artists were put up for bidding for sex only (normally gay).

Reasons for stereotyping
These common portrayals of the fandom are based on several factors, such as the apparent larger than average percentage of individuals in it who are gay, bi, lesbian, or transsexual — a point which itself is debated within the fandom. Of course, the image of a social furry fan who has mostly mainstream, unremarkable interests and hobbies is not as titillating to sensationalism seekers in the general public, or groups such as 4Chan.

Even when people who are furries happen to pursue erotic art, engage in activities like sexual plushophilia, or are lifestylers, many are really much more responsible for themselves and the impression they give of the fandom than those who dig for examples to support stereotypes might admit.

No matter how many fans there are who would fit the image of an unremarkable and less controversial Furry fan, there remain those who take part in less common activities, exhibit outrageous or unwise behavior, or provide a relatively rare fit with the most extreme stereotypes. These have, more often than not, been singled out and held up as symbolic of furry fandom.

Fandom Response
Fans who are frustrated by stereotyping often believe that this is all it takes to prove the stereotype to "outsiders". Other furries have asserted that this fear is responsible for "witch hunts" within the furry community, including attempts to repress or drive away people perceived as undesirable before they become noticed.

Another view put forth by other Furry fans and some persons outside the fandom is that the enterprise of collecting, advertising, or reinforcing stereotypes is often carried out by individuals who would also fit a number of parallel stereotypes about genre fans, Internet users, and geek culturists. This view has led some to dismiss the entire topic, especially when it relates to online activities, as geeks battling geeks in a war to one-up each other with negative propaganda.

Stereotypes within the fandom, by the fandom
There are also stereotypes within the furry fandom itself. Some of these are external stereotypes, circulated by furry fans who wish to distance themselves from the unpopular image of furries or hold them up for criticism (see Skunk, Horrifying Look at the Furries, and the Burned Furs).

Species stereotypes
Other stereotypes are specific to the internal culture of the fandom. Since the furry genre places emphasis on animal characteristics, certain popular stereotypes are based on the favored species association of a given individual, especially among fans who have a personal furry or roleplay frequently. The stereotypical attributes that a certain creature bestows on a person may or may not be based on the accurate behavior of the real animal. In the instance of creatures that are mythological, to begin with, their attributed behavior might be inspired more by fandom conventions than traditional mythologies and stories. It is common for new furries to examine themselves to see where they fit within the list of supposed behaviors, whether it be for fun or to help them find the ideal species for their Fursona.

Many furries circulate and use species stereotypes as lighthearted cliches, with rare intents of causing genuine offense to other furries for their choice of species.

Some examples of species-related stereotypes include, but are not limited to:


 * Dragons are pretentious, attempt to appear wise and cultured, and often follow a strange form of mysticism. More recently, they've been perceived as being "derpy". If female, they are fangirls of Anne McCaffrey's Pern.
 * Unicorns are aristocratic and prideful about their appearance.
 * Equines are "size queens", into bondage and pony play.
 * Male foxes are frequently gay or bi, overly sexualized and submissive, and are an overexposed choice of character.
 * Female foxes and vixens are usually male players, even more overly sexualized, and not bright.
 * Red Pandas Desperately try to seek attention, and choose a red panda as an "original" alternative to foxes, just to get attention.
 * Gryphons are obsessed fans of Mercedes Lackey fiction and can be capricious.
 * Rabbits are neurotic and paranoid, or are sexually promiscuous, and often enjoy being edible.
 * Wolves behave like alpha males, arrogant and expecting to be treated as leaders. Alternately, they are sometimes purported to act like big foxes.
 * Huskies are the most submissive.
 * Raccoons are seen as antisocial and bi-sexual. Some see raccoons as sneaky thieves who steal at every chance they get.
 * Cats are seen as clean and sometimes prissy, bordering on the noble class.
 * Squirrels are jittery and hyperactive.
 * Hyenas are seen as insane, loud, aggressive, overtly sexual.
 * Kangaroos are always foot fetishists who have pouches on both genders.
 * Rats are sneaky and dirty, and carriers of diseases.