NeuroTypical Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 In today's episode of "I never expected to see this on lds.net", I bring you a web comic written by a furry. If you don't know, furries are the folks who, like, see themselves as having animal souls, dress up in fursuits at furry gatherings, have 'fursonas', and basically worry the crap out of their parents who don't have a clue what's happening with their child. I don't have a clue why they're like that either, and I don't know any personally. But I did encounter the webcomic "Furry Experience" It's SFW, although it does deal with mature themes and church is looked at with a critical eye. The general plot is Catherine (Cat), born and raised LDS, is away from home for the first time - off to college in Utah valley, with two non-LDS roommates. It's basically a story about girls going to college and encountering things that challenge their beliefs. The comic started in 2009, and the characters have grown in depth and maturity across the years. It's not a Mormon webcomic, but LDS themes keep popping up. Like this one, where the roommates all listen to the General Conference announcement changing the rules for missionary ages and lengths of service. And once you get past the fact that everyone in the comic is some sort of anthropomorphic animal thing, it's actually quite enjoyable, the characters are quite endearing, sometimes it's quite tender and touching. And the themes tend to be mature. Cat encountering porn for the first time, Ronnie's tragic backstory on why she hates church, first loves and disappointments, coming to grips with what you believe and why. If you enjoy character development, exploring backstory and depths, having the feels, then you may enjoy this. Anyway, the current subject is "Learning Mormoneese with Ronnie". She's gone through a couple years worth of resolving her issues with all things mormon, and is pretty ok with us these days. She helps translate our speak into plain English that nonmormons can understand. They try to update the thing twice a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pam Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 I'm sorry but that whole thing is just extremely strange to me. Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted November 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 Oh, me too. Honestly. I don't have the faintest clue why these people are the way they are. But, after reading this whole thing through from start to finish, I'm reasonably certain the human who produces this webcomic is a child of God just like the rest of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordorbund Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 Oh, me too. Honestly. I don't have the faintest clue why these people are the way they are. But, after reading this whole thing through from start to finish, I'm reasonably certain the human who produces this webcomic is a child of God just like the rest of us. A child of God, undoubtedly. Maybe this one? NeuroTypical and Sunday21 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 I'm reasonably certain the human who produces this webcomic is a child of God just like the rest of us. Should I go there?...no?...yes...maybe.... So was Hitler. ....ah man! I went there. Shame on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted November 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) Well, ok - so you went there. But I'm wondering why you'd do so. What are you thinking about these kids that would make you lump them with the hitler end of things? My general response to furries: Edited November 10, 2015 by NeuroTypical mordorbund and pam 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LiterateParakeet Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 I don't think TFP was comparing the kids to Hitler. It was more to the point of we can say "he's a child of God" about any human...it doesn't really tell us much. Anyway that's how I took it. I'm glad you shared this. I never heard of this phenomenon. It's very interesting. Interesting that we (LDS) turned up in the comic too.So is this related to that Bromie thing? Someone posted a picture of a bromie booth at a fair awhile back and that's what comes to mind when you described the furries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) Well, ok - so you went there. But I'm wondering why you'd do so. What are you thinking about these kids that would make you lump them with the hitler end of things? Note: I did not read the comics and made no comparison of the author to anyone. The point was, quite simply, that being a child of God, in and of itself, doesn't mean much. You had made the comment that having read through them you had determined they were a child of God. I'm basically saying: So what? How does that convince me that there is value here? Edited November 10, 2015 by The Folk Prophet David13 and NeuroTypical 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 A child of God, undoubtedly. Maybe this one? You are so delightfully weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crypto Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 apparently I need the learn mormonese, and I'm a mormon... NeuroTypical 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted November 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) I'm basically saying: So what? How does that convince me that there is value here? Got it - thanks for the clarification. I don't suppose it would. The only thing I can say about whether you'd find value or not, is this: If you enjoy character development, exploring backstory and depths, having the feels, then you may enjoy this. This is admittedly an eclectically strange thread about a loose LDS connection to a bizarre group of people. It is insight into how some pretty odd people (both LDS and non) see us. That isn't everyone's cup of tea. I love learning about stuff and people like this though. Edited November 10, 2015 by NeuroTypical Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) If you enjoy character development, exploring backstory and depths, having the feels, then you may enjoy this. I believe the Godmakers had those characteristics as a production as well. Man! I went there again! Sheesh. I am on one today. Every time I make that little banana dude dance I imagine this annoying little "doom dappa doom pa doom dappa doom doom" sort of rhythmic beat behind it, which I believe is quite important in conveying the depth of my cheek. It's too bad it doesn't come with the sound I have in my head. Edited November 10, 2015 by The Folk Prophet NeuroTypical 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted November 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 My wife was extended an interesting calling by our bishop. You won't find it in any handbook. She was given the calling to sit out in the foyer during Sunday School and Relief Society, and interact with the fringe elements of our ward. The 17 yr old counting the days until her parents can't make her come to church. The kids who refuse to go to class, or manage to escape. The folks who come rarely, and duck out after Sacrament, who may stay and chat about their problems if they catch a nonjudgmental ear. The folks who refuse to accept a calling or meet with the bishop, yet haven't quit coming (yet). We've got teens on drugs, sexually active teens, teens with mental issues, teens who cut, teens in gangs. My wife once bought cigarettes for one of them who was trying to wean himself off crystal meth. She drove him, on a Sunday, to a 7-11 and bought him a pack, and her a carton. Every day he was off meth and checked in with her, she gave him a pack. When he hit 30 days, she bought him a monogrammed lighter. These days, his liver isn't failing him any more. No more trips to the ER. He actually got married and had a kid. Since we're being cheeky, I picture TFP in this calling, standing there in his suit, talking to these people about the wages of sin, talking about the blessings of righteousness and obedience. And then wondering why he never sees them again. Or maybe he doesn't wonder, since he never saw any value there in the first place. After all, "being a child of God, in and of itself, doesn't mean much." Right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 So is this related to that Bromie thing? Someone posted a picture of a bromie booth at a fair awhile back and that's what comes to mind when you described the furries. Being neither, I am not in an insider position to explicate. But to me, Bronies seem like nice, normal guys who happen to be entranced by a sweet cartoon TV show designed for little girls but written so as to be accessible to a much wider audience. If you think liitle girls are adorable, it is not hard to understand why you might find the things they like adorable to some extent, too. Furries...um...look, no offense to anyone, but that's more than a little weird. "I wish I had a fluffy tail and fox ears, so I'll pretend." Sort of like LARPing taken to a bizzarely unhealthy extreme. I'm sure I'm being way over-the-top in my Furries assessment. But in a perhaps caricatured manner, that's the difference I see. pam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 Since we're being cheeky, I picture TFP in this calling, standing there in his suit, talking to these people about the wages of sin, talking about the blessings of righteousness and obedience. And then wondering why he never sees them again. Or maybe he doesn't wonder, since he never saw any value there in the first place. After all, "being a child of God, in and of itself, doesn't mean much." Right? Well there's cheeky and then there's just unkind. Connie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted November 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 I suppose I've had some of my wife rub off on me, and learned how to see things from the other guy's eyes. Even if I can't fathom what's going on in their brain that makes them want to have fur, I can see the dismissiveness and thinly veiled mockery of folks talking about them. I didn't mean any unkindness, TFP. I sure the heck can't do what my wife does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 I suppose I've had some of my wife rub off on me, and learned how to see things from the other guy's eyes. Even if I can't fathom what's going on in their brain that makes them want to have fur, I can see the dismissiveness and thinly veiled mockery of folks talking about them. You seem to think my dismissive is related to the "Furry" thing. It is not. My concern comes much, much more from the "church is looked at with a critical eye" idea. The Furry thing is a bit weird, sure. But I could buy into it if the story were truly meaningful and faith promoting. Being written by a child of God and "having the feels" doesn't persuade. NeuroTypical 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted November 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 Well, 6 years into the web comic, and not only is the Mormon one still mormon, but she actually got Ronnie to try church again. Meaningful stories? Yes. Faith promoting? Not particularly. I'm not enthralled by it because its faith promoting, but because furries can be mormons too. Sorry I was unkind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 Sorry I was unkind. *hand wave* Forgive and forget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David13 Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 Thanks for the offer on the web link.I'll pass. No thanks for me.I'm out.dc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 I think you did it a disservice by going into detail about furries. It is a webcomic. All its characters are animals with human behaviors, and personalities (or human that look like animals) While that might sound a bit weird imagine a comic full of Garfields, Snoopys, Heathcliffs, Maradukes, etc. It also appears to be a standing on your own for the first time comic in theme, based in Utah so members of the church (and the church) are prevalent While that is not going to be of interest to everyone. You don't need to know or understand anything about spirit-animals, or dressing in animal costumes or really anything of furry subculture to be able to understand the comic. You just have to accept the general premise of the comic which isn't really all the strange for a webcomic. NeuroTypical 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LiterateParakeet Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 I agree we don't need to understand all that for a comic. But I never heard of Furries so for me it was interesting to learn about this subculture within our culture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmarch Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 (edited) I'm sorry but that whole thing is just extremely strange to me.it's a facet of fantasy/sci-fi..... the sort that creates superheroes, star trek, rpgs, things like that. the part of the mind that wishes for something different, usually something "better" in and generally unattainable or unavailable. with the full range of people that have a slight interest all the way up to where someone needs to seriously go to a headshrink (and that's saying it mildly). Edited November 11, 2015 by Blackmarch NeuroTypical 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmarch Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 and the artwork looks pretty good for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted November 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 with the full range of people that have a slight interest all the way up to where someone needs to seriously go to a headshrink (and that's saying it mildly). I have yet to hear about the furry who only has a "slight interest" in such things. This makes more sense to me: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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