Ask Papabear: The First Advice Column for Furries!
  • Home
  • Letters
  • Write Me
  • Disclaimer
  • Good Furry Award
    • Nomination Form
    • Lifetime Achievement Award
    • 2023 Nominees
    • 2022 Winners and Nominees
    • 2021 Wiinners
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • Good Furry Theme Song
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Gifts
  • Testimonials
  • Fan Art
  • Resources
  • Ask Papabear
  • Home
  • Letters
  • Write Me
  • Disclaimer
  • Good Furry Award
    • Nomination Form
    • Lifetime Achievement Award
    • 2023 Nominees
    • 2022 Winners and Nominees
    • 2021 Wiinners
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • Good Furry Theme Song
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Gifts
  • Testimonials
  • Fan Art
  • Resources
  • Ask Papabear

Mascot Is Victim of Furry Derps

11/2/2012

6 Comments

 
Papabear,

I want to ask you something. Is this possible? Well I’m a furry. Being furryness leads me to Mascot Jobs. The problem is other furs don’t think I’m a fur. Again I like to dress in animal suits. Every time I put on animal suit I become that fursona. But why is some furries have issues about me? I never did any harms. Plus I don’t do sex. Been a fur since 1993. Only thing is I don’t own fursuits. But I do own suits. Its Mass Production. Am I furry or not? Please answer my letter. Thanks.

Brownee Bear

* * *

Dear Brownee,

There is an elitist crowd of furries out there who want to tell other people in the fandom what is and isn’t furry.  These people range from the misguided to the self-important to just plain bullies.

You have done nothing wrong. Indeed, you are doing everything right, having fun with mascotting and enjoying your furriness.

There is no “right” or “wrong” way to be a furry. That is like saying there is a right or wrong way to be a human being. Furries who have a problem with what you are doing are total derps. Part of what makes the furry fandom great is that there are really no limits to what you can do with it, therefore being a furry can easily be personalized to your specific tastes and needs. That is why, I feel, many people are drawn to it. It is because we face so many rules and imposed “norms” in human society that we wish to escape all the labels and demands by others to “fit in” to a predefined society.

We want to be ourselves.

Those furries who wish to impose new rules and definitions to the fandom and what furry is are reverting to the very thing we were trying to escape in the first place. To me, that is not in the furry spirit. It is in the mundane spirit, and they should be ashamed of themselves.

Do what you enjoy, Brownee. Go forth and be furry. And always remember to consider the source when you are being criticized.

Love,

Papabear

6 Comments
Eyon
11/2/2012 07:40:58 am

People shouldn't judge someone just because he does mascot jobs.. He probably doesn't have the money to get a suit. What the hell people.

Reply
Randolph (Excelsior!) Garrett
11/2/2012 01:19:48 pm

Dammit Brownee! Tell those idiots to f*** off and come over here and give me a big hug you lovable lug!! :-)

You are a furry!

Reply
Byron Bear link
11/3/2012 01:31:06 am

I started being a mascot in 1974 to make up for deficits in cash flow, I continued with a Radio Station for ten years, struck out on my own with a fursuit I had custom made for me and was able to stop my old job, making more money than my old jobs with my fursuit. I too did some of the commercial mascots and did my best to present that fursona. I've never much been embraced by furrys likely because I was furry before there were furs, way before usenet. By my 50's I had my own custom made fur suit that was created to my specifications. Few furrys endorsed me though I attracted furs to those events I attended, they felt more comfortable coming to an event I was in attendance of. My own thought, if you feel furry, you're furry, simple as that. If you enjoy fursuiting as much as myself, you're a fur. What other furs think doesn't count because of the diversity of folks, everyone has their own ideas but they do not have a right to insist you accept their standards. You are furry, simple as that. Those who think you are not, must be insecure in their furriness.

Reply
Kiba Snowpaw link
11/11/2012 09:10:23 am

i been a fur as long as you since 1993 since i was (7 years old)
how do you know you a furry you do when you say you are one it really up to you no one ells if you think you are a furry then you are
but there is some fur and fandoms out there that have ruels what there mean is a furry and i have heard it all and some of it is just bullshit anyway so it really up to you
what you are and how you play it out as long as you have fun doing it

Reply
Mascot
5/6/2013 02:06:56 am

I am actually the opposite, I am a Mascot and not a furry. You might wonder why I am posting on a furry site then, well I typed into google. "Mascot not furry" and this came up.
I have been doing Mascot work off an on for about 30 years. From Billy Bob the bear, Chucky Cheese, McGruff crime dog, Safety Pup, and a number of lesser known characters. . I have done tv commericals and Sporting events. I enjoy entertaining people, I like to make them smile and laugh. Because I am not a talented dancer or singer, the suits provide a way for me to do that. If I dance outside the suit I just look stupid, I dance with a big fat suit on and its hilarious. I get into character to preform but its like acting, I have done a dozen different Mascots and I don't have a personal identity with any of them.

As I said I have been doing Mascot work for 30 years but in the last few years all of a sudden I am getting asked if I am a furry. At first I didn't even know what that was, but then I started to see more and more on the internet and occasional things on tv. I understand Furries and Fandom but there reasons for putting on Fursuits and such are not why I like to be a Mascot. Too many people just want to lump everyone together. Any ways I thought I would post this as a different side of the same coin.

Reply
Papabear
5/6/2013 02:17:58 am

Hi! Thanks for posting your comments. As a fursuiter myself, I can wholeheartedly agree with what you have said here. I think most fursuiters suit up because they like to entertain and they love the reactions that kids and even adults give them. I have no singing or dancing talent either, but when I am in my Grubbs fursuit, I don't feel self-conscious. It is so much fun!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Go to Papabear's Facebook page

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Addiction
    Art And Literature
    Careers
    Coming Out Furry
    Crime And The Law
    Editorial
    Family Issues
    Friends Issues
    Furry Definition
    Furry Issues (other)
    Fursonas
    Fursuiting
    Health
    Illness And Death Issues
    LGBT And Gender Issues
    Loneliness Depression Anger
    Love And Relationships
    Money
    Odd And Ends
    Politics
    Religion And Spirituality
    Roommates
    School Life
    Self Improvement
    Sexuality And Sex
    Social Networking
    Work And The Workplace

    Picture
    Picture
    An excellent article on coming out LGBT to Christian parents.
    Picture
    My Rainbow Ark is a site for and about LGBT furries and religion and how they are not incompatible.

    Picture
    A note on comments: Comments on letters to Papabear are welcome, especially those that offer extra helpful advice and add something to the conversation that is of use to the letter writer and those reading this column. Also welcome are constructive criticisms and opposing views. What is NOT welcome are hateful, hurtful comments, flaming, and trolling. Such comments will be deleted from this site. Thank you.

Home

Letters

Write Me

Disclaimer

About

Copyright © 2012-2023