I just wanted to share something I’ve been realizing about the Furry Fandom and my relationship to it, something I feel isn’t talked about enough.
I feel that furry fandom culture often promotes and celebrates excessive materialism, consumption, and acquiring possessions. Furry social media is filled with dealer’s den hauls and pretend-decrying-but-actually-celebrating overspending. And of course, what’s often promoted as the ultimate goal in the fandom is getting a fursuit, which usually costs thousands of dollars. What’s more, even once you have one, I see many furry influencers promote having more than one!
All of this is, I feel, contrary to both my personal values and to Christ’s teachings; don’t store up treasures on Earth but in Heaven, serve God and not Mammon, etc. However, I have felt myself being swept along with the fandom culture’s materialistic ways as I have immersed myself more and more in the fandom in the past couple of years, and especially as I have begun attending conventions, and I have found myself craving the rush of more and more purchases and coveting a fursuit even though I’ve always been perfectly happy without one. My prayer is that by realizing this now, I can begin moving in a direction more aligned with what I believe and what Christ desires for me and the world. I thought I’d share this, ask for your prayers for me, and also ask if anyone else has experienced this.
I do want to add, I do not at all condemn anyone who wants to buy lots of furry things and/or one or more fursuits. Also, I’m certainly not saying I never want to buy any furry thing ever again. But, I do feel these things are excessively promoted in our fandom, creating a kind of “Keeping Up with the Joneses” effect that may cause many furries to want these things for the wrong reasons, and I desire in my own life to be free from social pressures to consume.
I’ve heard of these packrat tendencies and it just isn’t Furries who do this. I, personally, never felt as though I were being manipulated into buying the latest, greatest Furry thing.
I’ve never felt pressured into getting a fursuit. I do have one that I bought from Amazon for $100 that’s served me for ten years now. I do admit to commissioning a fursuit that did cost four figures, but because it’s what I want to do, not because I was led to believe it’s a requirement.
I really don’t know how to advise you since this has not been my experience.
Thank you for sharing Constellation!
I think it’s a good callout. In the furry fandom - and almost any hobby - there can be a “keep up with the Jones” dynamic as you mentioned. I’m an avid runner and in running circles people are always chasing after the latest gear - shoes, socks, shirts, shorts - anything to boost performance by just a few seconds, often to the tune of 100s or even thousands of dollars. A friend of mine did triathlons and experienced much of the same thing.
I think it’s good that you’re aware of this pressure and actively pushing back. A good follow-up exercise would be what would it look like to obtain furry things while staying true to your values? Perhaps set a convention budget? Give to charity in proportion to what you spend on merchandise? It may look different for each person and it’s definitely worth discussing with someone you trust for accountability.
Another thought I had was the parable of the shrewd/dishonest manager (Luke 16). I’m hesitant to go here since its one of Jesus’s most vexing parables and I won’t claim to be the best biblical scholar. Whatever it truly means, one take-away for me is the exhortation to invest material wealth in friendships (v.9). I don’t mean buying friends in a superficial way - but using money to purchase gifts and shared experiences that deepen relationship. I wonder if some of the money spent in the pursuit of furry things can be directed in this manner?
Lastly, as you pray for alignment with Christ’s values, I hope that you (within thoughtful and wise parameters) give yourself permission to cherish the things that bring you joy - even if they are material. If that happens to be cool furry t-shirt or an art piece or even a fursuit, let it be so. I think God is ok with - maybe even happy - when we delight in good things.
Take care!
I completely agree, I think it’s perfectly okay to buy something that brings you joy if you can really afford it. When I get a full-time job, I intend to get some art commissions. I just wish to be free of social pressures to buy things to look cool, especially fursuits. If I ever get a fursuit, it needs to be something I’ve carefully considered and truly believe will complete me in some way, not just something to get as a status symbol.