Dogpatch Press

Fluff Pieces Every Week

Category: Mainstream

September 16, 2014

VNV Nation, Skinny Puppy, industrial music and furries: an inexplicable multi-nerd connection

by Patch O'Furr

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UPDATE: VNV dropped out of the tour and got replaced by Frontline.

One of these things is not like the others… But I want to share, OK? If you make a Venn diagram of the way nerdy interests overlap, it will be plaid.  Furries are nerdy.  Many nerds love cool music. Some furries like industrial music.

Industrial music is aggressive, exciting and ominous, with futuristic themes of dystopia and urban decay. As art, you might call it the cold, metal shadow to the light side of nature, animals and furry things. It’s a big contrast to the sunny electronic pop that furry con-goers may expect. (Does music have anything to do with animals, anyways? Well, heavy metal gets associated with Wolves…)

Pictured: Ronan Harris from VNV Nation, giving no fucks with furry friends outside a 2013 show at Slim’s in San Francisco.

Smash Wolf reported:

All the furries from last night’s VNV show pose for a moment with Ronan Harris. After he got a change of clothes and got off the bus, he dodged past a LONG line of waiting fans just to seek us out. Seems pretty surreal when the star of the show seeks you, the fan, out. Turns out his wife still has pictures of us in costume from the last tour. Thanks, Agnieszka!

VNV Nation is on tour again with 3 more top bands, and some furry music fans are excited! Tickets are here for the December 19 show in San Francisco.

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August 31, 2014

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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August 16, 2014

Is this the year furries gain respect?

by Patch O'Furr

Furry wrestler pic courtesy of JCs Fluffytail

Furry wrestler pic courtesy of JCs Fluffytail

Pro wrestling is fake! Anyone with “good taste” sneers at it, right? But if wrestling is fake fighting, they do real falling. That’s tough performance. As Roger Ebert said, the sport isn’t real, but the activity is.

“The Wrestler”, 2008 movie directed by Darren Aronofsky, impressed me more than 99% of movies I’ve ever seen. It earned about as much love from pro movie critics. It impressed me by showing the humanity of a despised “bad taste” subject. It wiped sneers off faces and put a headlock on your heart. (Ha.)

Low culture

I love furries the same way. Wrestling doesn’t get much respect, and neither do they. But some “Low culture” thrives when it’s disregarded by the mainstream. Freedom comes with insulation from notice. Wikipedia names: “escapist fiction, kitsch, slapstick, camp, toilet humor, yellow journalism, pornography, and exploitation films”. Comics used to be considered trash. Add wrestling, and Furry.

I’d love to see furries treated as worthy characters for a movie that’s even remotely as well done as The Wrestler. Is this the year it’s starting to happen? Are furries getting more respect… at least as a niche demographic for movies?

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August 10, 2014

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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August 7, 2014

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:

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August 7, 2014

I love Finsterworld. This tragicomic movie with a fursuiter is a treat for smart watchers.

by Patch O'Furr

Finsterworld_poster_225
A DELICATE REQUEST:

A stranger approached the Furry community to get this movie review. He was a journalist for a European film festival, seeking our perspective. When he said “fursuit fetish”, he was greeted with dislike for media exploiting our thing.

But I found the question respectful, without cherry-picking responders. I sent a response that I might be a good match, because I organize fur meets in San Francisco (where fetish gets more tolerance than most places)- plus I work on movies professionally. This is my thing!

It can hurt to lump together all of the dreaded media (hiss!) as exploiters. “Furries are hiding stuff- it must be bad.” Journalism is important, and the difference between Euro movies and Hollywood is like the difference between types of journalism. This journalist made the kind of approach that any storyteller would take to learn about a subject. FINSTERWORLD approaches it’s audience sincerely, too.

IN THIS MOVIE:

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July 29, 2014

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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July 18, 2014

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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– 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.”

bungee

– 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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July 6, 2014

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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July 2, 2014

Making a successful Furry float for San Francisco Pride 2014

by Patch O'Furr

(Video from SFPride/Clear Channel. Unedited here at 2:36:00 – may be NSFW.)

Bay Area Furries brought the first Furry float to SF Pride since 2004 or so. I estimate 50 at the parade (with 20 or more fursuiters), plus 20 or more at attached Pride events we held. We carried out a long-time wish to be in the parade after two years of informal Pride meets.

Setting aside the reason for Pride, here’s stuff I learned about fursuiting – a request for help with contributing photos/videos – and a no-expectation hint that donations would be loved to cover costs (but really, the $1000 budget was a gift.) Read the rest of this entry »

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