The Furry Forums
Furry Chat => Rants and Advice => Topic started by: Count of Cutesy on September 18, 2013, 09:45:51 PM
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Down at this other furry forum I go to, people SWEAR that furfag is a compliment or a greeting, but frankly it will always be an offensive term to me. And besides that, they don't even use the term in friendly sentences. They use the term in incredibly rude, stereotyping, OFFENSIVE sentences and then act like they're joking about it.
...But what I want to know is what your guys opinion on the term is.
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By pure definition I'd say it means no more than "gay furry". Although I do class it indeed as a fairly offensive word due to the way it's often used and thus its profane nature.
I would really not class it as how you explain they use it. It is for me an offensively intended word at core.
Just thought I point this out, fag means a a cigarette. Faggot means pile of sticks.
Actually I believe faggot (also) means cigarette end, as in the end you discard when finished smoking.
Additionally it's also, in fact, a traditional dish in the UK.
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I've honestly never been bothered by the term. Not many people have called me it (in fact, maybe two people have?) so I don't have much to go on, but as I'm not gay and apparently only "half-furry" to some people, even then it wouldn't bother me to be called it x3
If I was around someone who was offended by it, and people were calling them it, I would probably defend them, but only to the degree of "They don't like that, use something else" as opposed to defending the whole fandom from the phrase.
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Just thought I point this out, fag means a a cigarette. Faggot means pile of sticks.
This post reminds me of that scene from the Clerks cartoon.
British Guy: Pack of fags.
Randal: You're a fag!
British Guy: It's a cigarette, mate.
Randal: I'm not your mate, fag!
*Starts fight*
Dante: It wasn't until later when we found out what fag really meant.
Randal: You're a fag!
Dante: No, a fag's a cigarette.
Randal: You're a cigarette!
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To add to my previous post; Modern culture has turned many previously "good" words into something completely different and more offensive.
How many words to describe people with dark skin or immigrants and generally people of certain nationalities wouldn't get you called racist if you say them? Yet were perfectly normal words before?
Here in Sweden, we have a confectionery called "Chokladboll" (literally chocolate ball) which in fact was originally called "Negro ball" (in Swedish of course). This was however changed in the early 2000's at some point because of how said N-word has become so discriminative (it was less so in Swedish than it ever has in English afaik). There's many elderly people here in Sweden who refer to these chocolate balls as their original name.
I'm also fairly sure the word "retard" at some point was purely a medical term and not something of vulgar or discriminative nature. I know for a fact that the Swedish word "retardation" (same literal meaning as English) is in fact the Swedish word for deceleration, the opposite of acceleration. In another form it becomes "retarderad" (literally retarded) but in fact is also a synonym to the word for being retrogressive.
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I see furfag as a term used both in an offensive way and/or just to identify furries. Some think of it as an insult, and others proudly hold that term. It's sorta similar to Nic's situation (except a bit more intolerant). I don't mind being called "furfag" that much, but if someone call one of my friends a furfag trying to insult him, I will eat his soul. People who bully or hate on others for being fans of anything DESERVE to have their souls eaten.
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FurFag was originally used in an offensive way to, obviously, refer to furries as homosexuals. As homosexuality is supposed to be insulting in some internet communities calling all furries homosexuals would be considered insulting. The problem is, a lot of furs actually DO tend to be homosexuals, so now that times have changed and homosexual hate is seen as a tad more taboo around the internet, a lot of gay furries call themselves fur fag to be funny and ironic. Calling each other furfag in jest is, I consider, more a "HATERS GONNA HATE" kind of approach, essentially showing that they don't care about haters and what not.
I'm personally indifferent to it
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Just thought I point this out, fag means a a cigarette. Faggot means pile of sticks.
And the reason both of those terms are considered offensive is because homosexuals were round up and BURNED TO DEATH until about a century ago. Now they're stoned and hanged instead in places like the Middle East.
Calling someone either of those terms directly implies that they're homosexuals and should be killed...Just thought I point this out. Don't think that calling someone that crap is OK by giving it's literary definition.
As for Furfag, well I've definitely been called worse. I'd prefer to embrace it rather than mope about it. Furfag4Lyfe.
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I never was planning on calling anyone like that. Even with its literal definition. As a matter of fact, I've never even called some anything close to the word faggot.
I also just realized I forgot to put my opinion in my last post . Which I deleted because I felt as if I said something wrong that was bound to get me on someones bad side and make them shoot me if they could. Anywho, my opinion is that I wouldn't care, at first, but after I give it some thought, I wouldn't exactly appreciate being called a homosexual what so ever. So I would say no to the word Furfag...
I have a feeling someone is going to call more a hypocrite after what I just said.
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In all seriousness, guys. There is absolutely no proof that most furries are gay. I don't know where this stereotype came from or how it came to light, but like a lot of stereotypes it is generally untrue.
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I don't actually use the term but I don't take offence to it either.
Using fag as a prefix isn't always meant to be a negative, 4chan users use it quite frequently without the intention of making fun.
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In all seriousness, guys. There is absolutely no proof that most furries are gay. I don't know where this stereotype came from or how it came to light, but like a lot of stereotypes it is generally untrue.
Well, when you say "absolutely no proof", I'd disagree. There is some proof that most furries are gay OR bisexual and that generally a minority are heterosexual. (I want to point out that this isn't PROVING it with 99.999% certainty, but merely provides evidence for it which could be considered as some "proof", of course the only way to prove it was the assess every single furry in the world and that would take a whole lot of time).
Anyway, A while back I made a furry statistics thread found here (http://www.thefurryforum.com/forums/index.php?topic=19463.msg846627#msg846627), which took from 6 different sources (all linked in the thread). Each source generally agreed that most of the furry fandom are bisexuals, with the second most being heterosexuals and the third most being homosexuals.
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Biased sites prove nothing. Sorry.
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Well then it's impossible to prove anything because everything is bias xD (Strictly speaking)
Ah well XD
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Depends on the context if I'm honest. If it's said in jest, then it doesn't phase me. If it's meant to be offensive then I'll obviously take offence to it.
And from my experience; I've found that the majority of furries are either bi or gay.
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Depends on the context if I'm honest. If it's said in jest, then it doesn't phase me. If it's meant to be offensive then I'll obviously take offence to it.
And from my experience; I've found that the majority of furries are either bi or gay.
I've actually had a different experience - I've seen quite a few bi furs but honestly the amount of straight content I've seen on, for example, furaffinity does exceed the amount of gay content I've seen by a HUGE amount (that's both clean and adult). Over a period of about a year or two I've been checking the 20 most recently uploaded images and I see more straight or female (non-lesbian) art than gay such.
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The reason it seems like there are more bi/gay furries out there is because they make a point to let everyone know they're bi/gay >>
To be honest I know more furs that accept the term "Furfag" as just a silly way to proclaim that they're a lover of furs/furries/things of furry nature, than gay/bi furs that take offense to the term :x
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The reason it seems like there are more bi/gay furries out there is because they make a point to let everyone know they're bi/gay >>
To be honest I know more furs that accept the term "Furfag" as just a silly way to proclaim that they're a lover of furs/furries/things of furry nature, than gay/bi furs that take offense to the term :x
Seriously, the way the people at this one forum I go to act, they do NOT use the term playfully at all. They use it offensively, even though they SWEAR they don't and that no furry finds it offensive anymore. I've been a furry for about 7 years, and I STILL find it offensive.
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I take is as a general insult, TBH i don't really like it being a stereotype.
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I used to get called a furfag because I really liked this anthropomorphic character from drawn to life.
I said I loved him but I say I love a lot of things
I still hate the term furfag ...
I hate it so much :$
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Did I mention the people at this "Furry" forum aren't even real furries. They spend most of their time spouting off about how awful furries are and how stereotypes are 100% true, and they basically treat anything that has anthro characters in it as rubbish, basically just because they star anthro characters, but will automatically like anything where anthros are BAD GUYS when the goodguys are humans.
I'd really love to say which forum I'm talking about.
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Please don't make this into a thread for bashing people you're upset with.
Words only mean what we want them to mean. It's people who make them harmful. Avoid people who seek to harm you, be it physically or emotionally, and you'll be much happier because of it.
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Well, I do not get particularly mad, it's just really ignorant. I find its good to inform, but if they don't change their opinion, then, It's not worth fighting over.
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Well, I do not get particularly mad, it's just really ignorant. I find its good to inform, but if they don't change their opinion, then, It's not worth fighting over.
Well they anger me to the point where frankly I just plain don't care.
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I dunno how I feel about the term...I don't call other people furfag, but I often refer to myself as "the school's token furfag" in a sort of self destruct humor kind of way.
Having said that, there have been 4 intstances where I have started a fight because someone referred to one of my friends as a furfag.
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I don't really take any offense to the term.
On one hand, my friends and I use quite jestingly, as a kind of irony towards the views of outsiders.
On the other hand, if I were to every hear someone use it in a derogatory sense, if anything, it would pose to me their pure ignorance.
And that's just not intimidating at all. XD
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Yeah, it's good and bad. Anoni has a good view; indifference. If it truly is a universal derogatory term to all furries, then it's bandwagon and contextual. If it really means homosexual furry fan, then it's incriminating and therefore should be ignored.
In my personal opinion, I just see it a another name. I'm straight and get called gay for being furry, so?
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I couldn't care less what people call me. If that's what they think of me for a harmless lifestyle, whatever. I know it's harmless and I am confident in myself, I needn't allow their uneducated words bring me down, as that is what they want. It's too bad they can't see past their noses, but giving them attention is lets them know you are hurt by it.
Of course, I have had a friend **censor** around and call me and a few friends **censor**. Afterward, he proceeded to share some of his food with one of my fellow furries, as he was good friends with him. No reason to be offended, as that is not at all what he thinks of us. Just not his thing, all cool.
My point rests here. Getting all worked up over it is kind of pointless, as sometimes they only say it as a friendly jeer, and other times they do it to make you worked up. Same goes with any slur. Doesn't mean everybody should run around the streets shouting it at the top of their lungs, but we should be less apt to be offended by every bit of hate we get.
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Honestly, I don't think ANY real self respecting furry would enjoy being called such an offensive term, and I'm baffled to see that you guys don't find it offensive. Frankly, it's inhuman.
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Honestly, I'd say any self respecting furry should be able to get on without taking a *word* so harshly to the point of calling it inhuman. There are worse crimes a person can commit to another.
It's better to take the "insult" (if it's even used in such a manner by whoever is saying it) with a grain of salt and just laugh at them, than to act like the mere mention or thought of the word is a poison to everything furry and must be abolished. Seriously, I've heard furries use the word "human" in a worse meaning than "furfag" by most other people.
I'm a furfag, therefore I am.
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Seriously people who insult others clearly haven't found any peace in their own lives
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I don't care what people say, I just don't let ir apply to me
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Honestly, I'd say any self respecting furry should be able to get on without taking a *word* so harshly to the point of calling it inhuman. There are worse crimes a person can commit to another.
It's better to take the "insult" (if it's even used in such a manner by whoever is saying it) with a grain of salt and just laugh at them, than to act like the mere mention or thought of the word is a poison to everything furry and must be abolished. Seriously, I've heard furries use the word "human" in a worse meaning than "furfag" by most other people.
I'm a furfag, therefore I am.
In all seriousness, no one should ever be rewarded for being a jerk.
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I'd like to be pointed out where I say jerks should be rewarded?
You're obviously someone who is very strongly opinionated on everything wrong and bad and bullies and etc, but coming on here and QQ'ing about every little thing, taking peoples own opinions and essentially saying they're wrong for thinking them, and not keeping an open mind yourself, really has no basis for discussion.
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Yeah I didn't get that either... Nic didn't really commend that person.
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I'd like to be pointed out where I say jerks should be rewarded?
You're obviously someone who is very strongly opinionated on everything wrong and bad and bullies and etc, but coming on here and QQ'ing about every little thing, taking peoples own opinions and essentially saying they're wrong for thinking them, and not keeping an open mind yourself, really has no basis for discussion.
By laughing at them, you basically are rewarding them, because you did nothing to punish them for being jerks.
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If you're laughing at them it can also mean their attempt to annoy you/anger you failed, and you laugh at their failure?
If I laugh at someone for tripping and eating dirt, I'm not rewarding them for a trip well done :I
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Now listen here... I'm usually the first one to go all out offensive on somebody who taunts me or is being a jerk. But just laughing them off doesn't automatically grant them a win. Honestly the best kind of revenge you can get on somebody who envies you is to just laugh at them and show them you are living an awesome life.
What would you have done? Slap them silly? Nuh uh. Nic was right: you have no basis for discussion.
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Now listen here... I'm usually the first one to go all out offensive on somebody who taunts me or is being a jerk. But just laughing them off doesn't automatically grant them a win. Honestly the best kind of revenge you can get on somebody who envies you is to just laugh at them and show them you are living an awesome life.
What would you have done? Slap them silly? Nuh uh. Nic was right: you have no basis for discussion.
I would have done SOMETHING. Just laughing at them does nothing to show them the error of their ways. That's how society got so weak is that we were taught to ignore and laugh at our problems instead of standing up for ourselves and actually doing something about them.
Also, I actually do have a basis for discussion. I just hate it when people tell me to "ignore" or "laugh at" bullies and jerks instead of actually doing something about them. Because by laughing and ignoring them, they will NEVER stop. It's just a lie we're told to keep the bullied weak and the bullies strong.
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There's nothing wrong with laughing off people who take their insults and themselves waaaaay to seriously.
It's hard to cope with I'm sure, but that's why you probably get a lot of people laughing at you, you know?
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Well laughing as well has a condescending aspect to it too. Cutesy, it could be very possible that laughing at a troll or a someone who calls you a furfag would be much more annoying to them then simply yelling at them and being angry. I mean, most of the time they're looking at an angry reaction, if you just laugh at them and go "wow, haha XD" and then leave it at that, it can be taken to be quite condescending and shows the person he's being ignored, which can indeed be quite insulting and punishing. I know if I was trying to get back and someone and all they did was laugh at me, I'd be pretty annoyed.
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I am NOT laughing at something that makes me angry. If I don't actually yell or scold them, then they get away with being jerks with nothing done about it. Of coarse seeing them banned from a site would be good too.
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I'm just going to throw my opinion out here.
I honestly agree with Cutesy, I would not laugh at another person's creulity. However, I would not scorn them directly, either. The fact is weather or not you laugh or yell at them you are giving them attention, and they feed off of attention. I prefer to not even look at the person, and scorn. Because being ignored is so much worse than being hated.
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I'm just going to throw my opinion out here.
I honestly agree with Cutesy, I would not laugh at another person's creulity. However, I would not scorn them directly, either. The fact is weather or not you laugh or yell at them you are giving them attention, and they feed off of attention. I prefer to not even look at the person, and scorn. Because being ignored is so much worse than being hated.
Ugh, then they get away with their BS! How is letting them get away with being a jerk going to teach them anything? Cause it's not about seeking a reaction, it's about being big and just outright unlikeable.
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Of coarse seeing them banned from a site would be good too.
I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you just want people to feel bad, not really to have them taught lessons.
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Of coarse seeing them banned from a site would be good too.
I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you just want people to feel bad, not really to have them taught lessons.
That's untrue.
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because you did nothing to punish them for being jerks.
Naw it's true.
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because you did nothing to punish them for being jerks.
Naw it's true.
No it's not. You're just seeing that way for no good reason.
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I believe this topic was titled "What is your *opinion*..."
MY opinion is, and I shall not be bashed for this, that sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me. All people have their own views, and forcing them to agree with yours is unethical in most all accounts. There is a time to tell people about the amazing world of furries, and a time to just leave them be. Them bashing is not a time to try to convert anyone to any view, or ridicule them for wording. You can't win all wars, so some are better just not being fought.
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I believe this topic was titled "What is your *opinion*..."
MY opinion is, and I shall not be bashed for this, that sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me. All people have their own views, and forcing them to agree with yours is unethical in most all accounts. There is a time to tell people about the amazing world of furries, and a time to just leave them be. Them bashing is not a time to try to convert anyone to any view, or ridicule them for wording. You can't win all wars, so some are better just not being fought.
If you really think that ignoring people is the best route, then you're too weak to do anything about the problem.
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My man, you need to take a breather. it's just opinions, no heart feelings, nothing personal T_T
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You guys are probably wondering why I take such, dare I say it, "animosity" toward being told to ignore bullies. Because I've tried that many times before, and have been met with the same fate: Bullying continues to get worse and worse for me, I begin to feel more and more miserable, and NOTHING is done about it: EVER. But, every time I yell at them, and scold them for it, THAT is when they stopped for then. Ignoring them doesn't teach them a lesson, it just empowered them for me. It made them feel more and more entitled to do what they wanted until something was finally done about it.
And that, in a nutshell, is why I strongly dislike the "ignore" theory.
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Ok, calling people weak because they ignore problems makes yourself weak because you don't have enough strength to ignore them, and also petty because you're, well, calling people weak.
What's stronger, sitting here QQ'ing about everyone bad person and every other persons ways to deal with them, or being able to ignore the bad people and not let it get to you?
It's getting to the point where you're being more insulting in this thread, than "furfag" has.
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Ok I'm locking this thread for these reasons.
1. It's gone off topic, no longer about the word furfag and all about trolls and bullying
2. People are being personally attacked it seems.
3. The thread in general has just completely spiraled out of control.