World Exclusive - The Furry.

BalthazarB Barthelmess: Hello...
...looking delightful as usual
Fender Todd: Why thank you very much.
Fender Todd: You look a little bit different :) I like it.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Oh you really are too kind, I wasn't born with these devilishly good looks, it takes a lot of time and effort just to make myself presentable.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: For the photo shoot I'm thinking maybe 'Fender chillin' at the beach.'
Fender Todd: That would be fine with me, whatever you think will work for you.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I know somewhere with rude Italians, (manners that is) but it is a lovely location...
Fender Todd nodnods.
Fender Todd: Oh, I know a beach area without Italians ...
Fender Todd: Um, I think it's still there.
Fender Todd: Would you like to see it?
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Yes please! See what? Oh the beach! Yes.
Fender Todd: Ah, good.
Fender Todd: Maybe I should have worn a bikini :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Could be, but I think you look great like this.
Fender Todd smiles.
Fender Todd: All righty :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I did my first SL photo session yesterday...
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I'm a little slow...
BalthazarB Barthelmess: it's tricky...
BalthazarB Barthelmess: but I get my shot...
Fender Todd: That's perfectly all right, I more than understand.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Shouldn't take too long.
Fender Todd: I've been through 5 and 6 hour photoshoots for Playfoxx magazine, so I'm used to it.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ok would you like to pick a pose?
Fender Todd: I think so, I don't see why not.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ...it won't be too difficult, you just need to be devilishly, seductive... if you could perhaps show a touch more fur?
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Here would make a good contrast to your exquisite fur...
Fender Todd: This might not be exactly the right sort of setting for your pictures. *leads Balthazar away from the beach 'Love-Shack'*
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I think you may well be right!

BalthazarB Barthelmess: OK, I think we got some pretty good shots. If you are ready we could get the interview underway?

BalthazarB Barthelmess: Fender could you tell me a little about Furries and Nekos'?
Fender Todd: Hmm... well, strictly speaking, Nekos aren't Furries in the traditional sense.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: No, I guessed that.
Fender Todd: Nekos come from Japanese anime, "catgirls" and "catboys."
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Furries?
Fender Todd: I'm a furry... an anthropomorphic animal.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ok any reason for that? I kind of get the idea that Furries and Nekos are less obsessed with presenting themselves as younger or more beautiful than their SL counterparts? (did that make sense?)
Do you think my therapist could find something to get her teeth into here?
Fender Todd: Mmm, I'm not a neko so I wouldn't want to speak for them... most of the nekos that I know do seem more interested in being a "neko" than in trying to be the SL equivalent of their RL selves.
Fender Todd: If that makes any sense to you.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: It does indeed.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Can you tell me a little about Furries? What do you see as being the advantage of Furry over human? Other than you are all very cute.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Nice top bye the way
Fender Todd: Well, the one "advantage" of being a furry over being a human is that there is no reason to adhere to a human value system or human morals.
Fender Todd: And thank you :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Good answer.
Fender Todd: It's really no different for furries than for humans :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ok
Fender Todd: Can you guess why?
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Nope, can you tell me?
Fender Todd: Because furries are actually humans! But don't tell anyone I said so ;)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ok our secret!
BalthazarB Barthelmess: What's the most fun a cute Furry can have in SL? I realise this is subjective.
Fender Todd: Welllllll..... really well-done cybersex (or whatever term you like to use for it) is probably right near or at the top of the list ....
Fender Todd: I know a lot of furries who really enjoy non-sexual roleplay as well.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ok..
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ...so when you say rp you mean like setting up home...or stuff like games-playing?
Fender Todd: Yes, to both... most of the things associated with human roleplay, using "roleplay" in the generic sense.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ok, cool.
Fender Todd: A lot of furries like to put a "furry" slant on it but it amounts to the same thing.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: These questions aren't too dumb?
Fender Todd: Not to me.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Good!
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Your SL philosophy?
Fender Todd: My SL philosophy ... I suppose it's to enjoy the freedom of a virtual world and not to take it too seriously and risk hurting someone.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: That's good and nice to hear.
Fender Todd: I try to enable others to enjoy their second lives as much as I can.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I don't know if you have seen the blog but at the moment it seems a little dark and maybe mean
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I guess what I want to do is use irony and to show that things are not good and bad; that Balthy has more about him than pure wickedness. *smiles a slightly wicked smile*
Fender Todd: Oh I'm sure.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I hate to let real life interfere with SL but a RL girlfriend thinks that women are dictated to by fashion and whims that are mostly male, she was specifically referring to women being smooth where they were created furry in Gods' vision - is this an issue for furry couples?
Fender Todd: Furry couples--successful ones--don't try to use being furry as an excuse for behaving in a way that would offend or hurt their partners. At the end of the day they are still human beings with all the baggage that being human carries.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: So a bit of fur isn't, or shouldn't be a problem?
Fender Todd: My personal take on it is that being a furry is a hobby. There are people who consider it a lifestyle, and I wouldn't presume to tell them they are wrong, but there just aren't that many furries who take it so seriously.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Being a furry in SL must have it's advantages over furry in RL, i.e. a Fenac Fox can hit the beach and not worry about being overdressed or over-heating, and maybe you don't get so many funny looks when out shopping. Can you think of any disadvantages of being furry in SL or any other advantages.
Fender Todd: The biggest disadvantage of being a furry in SL is that a lot of people don't like furries. They have preconceptions about us that are usually incorrect, but which cause ill-will.
Fender Todd: On the other paw, there are also a lot of people who think furries are very cute and who really enjoy seeing them. When all you see in real life is other humans, seeing a furry in SL is something new and different.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I'm vegan; one of my devilishly ironic qualities! Furry Curry - Just Say No!
I like the idea of furry creatures being empowered, be it RL or SL it seems a whole lot easier here in SL; I have been considering for some time now the setting-up and arming of a Furry Militia.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Getting back to empowerment,
I kind of like the idea of furries giving it to humans am I just weird? lmao
Fender Todd: Well... there's no way actually to be a true furry in real life. Most furries can just barely manage it in SL, as well. No one is equipped to understand how a real animal "sees" the real world, we can only guess.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: 'tis true.
Fender Todd: As far as furries and humans being together--if you're weird, then there are an awful lot of people who share your weirdness.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ...so do furries and norms get it on together with regard to relationships or cyber?
Fender Todd: Oh, absolutely, all the time.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Cool!
BalthazarB Barthelmess: SL becomes more interesting and fun to me by the moment.
Fender Todd laughs softly.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Balthy trembles ever so slightly
Fender Todd arches an eyebrow.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Sorry!
BalthazarB Barthelmess: What peeves you most about SL?
Fender Todd: You mean besides technical issues?
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Yup! *rolls around on the floor lmao*
Fender Todd: Hmmmmm....
Fender Todd: I would have to say, the people who have little or no concept of etiquette or good manners. I don't mean just griefers, either.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I guess that's the same as RL?
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I was saying to someone recently; if you are an asshole in RL it's unlikely that you are cool in SL...
...if on the other hand you are ok with yourself out there then I guess you would be here too?
BalthazarB Barthelmess: unless you want to be an ass in here..
...paradox?
Fender Todd: My experience has been that any sort of virtual world is an uncertain measure of the "real" person.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: you want to go a little further with that it's a good point?
Fender Todd: I've met literally hundreds of people in real life that I had previously met online, especially furries at conventions. What I discovered was that people who were sweet and lovely online could be most unpleasant in person. I also found that many people who were total jerks online were really the kindest of individuals in real life.
Fender Todd: That's not to say that it applies to every single person, but that there -is- that element of uncertainty.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Wow! that completely blows my concept outta the water.
Fender Todd: Mind you, that's just my personal experience.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Experience is everything.
Fender Todd: Are you familiar with FurryMUCK?
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Nope.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Do tell..
Fender Todd: FurryMUCK (FM) is a text-based roleplaying world, Second Life without graphics. It's been around for many years.
Fender Todd: I played on FM for over 12 years as the same character--Fender. While roleplaying I met and fell-in with a character who was widely-regarded as vicious, rude, and insensitive.
Fender Todd: Our characters became roleplaying mates :) The comments that elicited were to be treasured--no one could understand why I would ever get together with someone like that.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: That is so cool thank you for sharing.
Fender Todd: It's important to distinguish between roleplaying and the real "you," though.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Of course.
Fender Todd: That was what I was going to say about the character on FM that I roleplayed with--he was incredibly nasty online, -as a character-, and one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet in real life.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I try not to be an evil bastid in RL but in SL I'm Old Nick; what can I do? I don't have 13 gorgeous disciples in RL either!
Fender Todd: The difficulty arises when people forget to separate the pretend from the real.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I write.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I find that helps.
Fender Todd: Helps to do what?
BalthazarB Barthelmess: To separate real from fantasy.
Fender Todd: You see, there is something called a "personal furry."
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Tell me about personal furry.
Fender Todd: A personal furry is a furry character that accurately reflects the real person playing the character, as opposed to a character that is very unlike the real person.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ok
BalthazarB Barthelmess: and you?
Fender Todd: "Fender" is a personal furry--I have been told by many people that Fender and his player are almost identical in personality, which I try to take in a positive way :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: can I maybe throw some random stuff at you?
Fender Todd: Go right ahead :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Fave books? George Orwell, Animal Farm?
Fender Todd: Actually I do like that book :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Music? Super Furry Animals?
Fender Todd: No.. I'm a classical music lover :)
Fender Todd: My favorite book of all time is "Dreadnought."
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Author?
Fender Todd: Robert K Massie.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Thank you.
Fender Todd: A wonderful writer.
BalthazarB Barthelmess: I will most definitely check it out
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Fave hangouts in SL?
Fender Todd: I have a few favorite hangouts in SL depending on my mood :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ok
BalthazarB Barthelmess: if you would like to suggest a couple I am linking in the blog.
Fender Todd: Well, my hangouts are dependent on the people, more than the theme, so take them with a grain of salt :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: ok, if you come up with anything that is worthy to you or deserving RL or SL gimme a shout, I will always try to link.
Fender Todd: I don't really have a favorite band--I like The Moody Blues and the New York Philharmonic :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Well Todd, I would like to finish by saying it's been an absolute pleasure talking with you. Take very good care and speak soon.
Fender Todd: Take care!
BalthazarB Barthelmess: oh.. and be good..if you can't be good be furry!
Fender Todd: Oh, always! :)
BalthazarB Barthelmess: Bye! =)
Fender Todd: Bye bye!