Dogpatch Press

Fluff Pieces Every Week

Category: Current events

Facebook’s “real name” controversy, Drag queens, and furries

by Patch O'Furr

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Facebook closed my account. There’s a wave of furry victims of this ill-planned policy. Did it happen to you too?

Behind the fursona, there’s deeper issues, like the way internet trolls enjoy gay-bashing and compromising safety for participants of certain live club events. These names are positive statements. Forcing you not to use yours is a negative statement.

When I organized a “hug-in” coinciding with a protest threat from Westboro Baptist Church (of “God Hates Fags” infamy), it was meant to be a positive thing of it’s own… but also to answer them with positivity.  (They didn’t show- all we did was hug.)  Facebook’s policy jeopardizes people’s safety to speak that way.

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A slightly naughty Furry News Dump (9-17-14)

by Patch O'Furr

Here’s links, headlines and little bites of news to make your tail wag.  Tips are always welcome.

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In the Media…

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What Is a Furry? Beyond the Masks at Furry Migration 2014.

A refreshingly positive article in the Minneapolis Citypages has a three minute video. It has heavy focus on fursuiters, but quotes literary-furries too.

Symbicort’s cartoon wolves.
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A :60 commercial spot for the pharma company was made to air nationally, using drawn 2D animation to beautiful effect you don’t see enough these days. (I’m interested to know what agency/studio made it… it looks like illustrator/animator Barry Bruner helped pitch it.

Road Raging Russian Beaten By Furries.

(Really, it’s non-furry mascots – but it makes a good headline.)

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Why I Fursuit – a Burning Man story from Vignette Hyena

by Patch O'Furr

Vignette has a great post from Burning Man:

I wear my suit because I like being a pretend hyena sometimes, and a little dust in my fur isn’t going to stop me from doing it.

The video makes it’s own statement. It’s from Death Guild Thunderdome at Burning Man, where Furry burners also have a long established presence.

The news is full of fursuiters and animation: Furry news dump (8-31-14)

by Patch O'Furr

Here’s some news curated from a Furry view.  Enjoy a big sloppy bowl of news bites, scoops, and Snausage links.  Tips welcome- I’d love to post yours!

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Media attention is very active recently…

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– Fursuiter in San Francisco magazine. 

This feature page about bronies has local furry “Quinnton Fox” in pony suit.

– Bronies in San Francisco’s The Bold Italic.  

A photo project documents Bronies, and what being one means.

– Wall Street Journal’s furry Photo of the Day.

A police officer halts traffic as delegates arrive to Eurofurence in Berlin.

– Meetup.com’s Furry group made the cover of San Diego Reader.

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Flock of furries in photo book – News of the week (8-21-14)

by Patch O'Furr

In this week’s news and links:
Anthrocon in photo book. Fursuiters in show for Gay Life TV, and French movie “Babysitting”. New con announcements.
And more… Tips welcome- I’d love to post yours!
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Courtesy Arthur Drooker / Coolhunting.com

Courtesy Arthur Drooker / Coolhunting.com

– Photography: “Conventional Wisdom” at Anthrocon

Flocks, pods of whales, conventions of humans… Arthur Drooker seeks unusual human behavior for his photo book. Design and documentary publisher, Coolhunting, posted his report from Anthrocon in July. Here’s the kind of conventions he’s covered, linked on his website : Furries, Santas, Clowns, Reenactors, Bronies, Ventriloquists, Taxidermists, and Lincolns. At a talk in May (at 1:38:00) Drooker described sensitivity of the Clown community to their images in pop culture (like in slasher movies.) Sound familiar?

– Meet the Furries of Rocky Mountain FurCon 2014

The Denver Westword was “the first magazine or newspaper worldwide to employ a medical marijuana critic.” Their staff emerged from the haze to get a slideshow of this con’s fursuiters.

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– French movie: “Babysitting” puts fursuiters on big screens

Commenting on my article about furries gaining respect in movies, Vector tells us:  Fursuiters are in party scenes of the movie “Babysitting”, a comedy that was popular in France, with good reviews and prizes.  It’s released on DVD this week in France. Here’s fursuiter photos from the movie premiere.

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Fursuiting movie confirmed for oscar nomination – SF Furry Film Fest news

by Patch O'Furr

FINSTERWORLD crossed my radar several days ago. (See my enthusiastic review to learn about fursuiting in the movie.) Their official news confirms it as German nominee for best foreign film at the Oscars.

This is making me excited to propose a Furry Film Festival! MORE COMMENTS WANTED.

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An Oscar for fursuiting? Finsterworld may be Germany’s movie entry

by Patch O'Furr

It’s been a great year for furry success. One of us hung out with President Obama at the White House. Now, the movie Finsterworld has been getting all kinds of praise at international film festivals. My movie review can tell you more about Furries in the movie- I highly recommend it. Here’s what the Zurich Film Fest just tweeted about it:

Furry news of the week: Pseudo-furries past and future (7-28-14)

by Patch O'Furr

It’s the regular feature of news bites, scoops, and Snausage links. Tips welcome- I’d love to post yours!
Only minor stories got my attention this week, so I threw in a few topic starters.
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– Technology’s Rainbow Connection – Silicon Valley’s Embrace of the Gay and Lesbian Community
The NY Times article relates to a general conflict about keeping subculture “weird” vs. inviting mainstream attention. (For example- A sex educator has trouble understanding why people wear costumes to gay pride parades, especially Furries.) Thanks for the shout out, Tristan!

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Furry news of the week: fursuiters in flight (7-18-14)

by Patch O'Furr

San Francisco’s Frolic Party news, Jagermeister’s ads, Fursuiters in flight, Music videos, MONGRELS are guests for Fur Con, and MUCH more…
News bites, scoops, and Snausage links- a regular feature. Tips welcome- I’d love to post yours!
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PetRBRT

– Furries Frolic In San Francisco: Queerty news.

The influential monthly Furry club night, Frolic, has a story on Queerty. (It’s hosted at a historic gay bar, due to their friendliness to subculture.) Next week, July 25, Frolic hosts it’s popular 4th annual special outdoor event for 100-200 attendees, Furries In the Wild.

– Jagermeister’s ads.

The drink named after “master of hunters” got many views for their anthropomorphic ads. Their marketing team has included “one of the organizers for Eurofurence.”

– Fursuit Bungee Jumping in Germany.

Share: “Keenora and a bunch of Euro furs all went bungee jumping, and their pictures were on the news.”

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– Sakurafox Suiting Suggestions 7: Flying and TSA inspection of fursuits

The 7th entry in Sakura Fox’s super helpful series, goes in-depth for anyone who flies with this special cargo. (My less-than-perfect solution of an action packer with bungee cords had problems on this month’s trip to Anthrocon. They changed rules so no bungee cords are allowed, leaving me with a flight to catch and just a roll of cheap tape to protect it. Yikes!)

– Furries in music videos this week.

Weird Al’s “Tacky” has ears and rainbow tail on background actors at 1:40.

In San Francisco, indie rapper MC Crumbsnatcher made the fourth music video in a grossout-humor themed series full of furry performers. (I acted in Husky suit with another actor dressed in a toilet suit- I drank from the bowl and got whacked with a newspaper.) Video production came from a furry-run studio, and DJ Neonbunny of Frolic.

In Toronto, a cast of 90% local fursuiters shot a music video for indie musician Megan Lane. Behind the Scenes: “In the music video, people from the furry community stand in as stunning visual representation for underdogs.” (Shared by Potoroo, music fur and Torfur list mod.)

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Furry news of the week: Pittsburgh’s official “Anthrocon Day” (7-5-14)

by Patch O'Furr

ANTHROCON’s official holiday, world record, FBI investigation – Wolfgem and Beastcub recover from tragedy – New con: Pac Anthro Weekend – More

Here’s the regular feature of Furry news bites, scoops, and Snausage links. Tips welcome- I’d love to post yours!
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– July 5th officially declared “Anthrocon Day” by Pittsburgh’s Mayor!

– WTAE reports: Furries return to Pittsburgh for Anthrocon
Pittsburgh TV on the world’s largest annual Furry convention that brings around 6000 people and $7 million to the city.

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