Furvert: Part 1 in a series investigating dark sexual fetishes

Born out of the science fiction and fantasy fandom scene, the subculture of furry fandom is a thriving genre in the fetish world.

We’re not talking about ‘teddies’ here, those who fetishize stuffed animals like teddy bears. Nor are we referring to Furries who enjoy a non-sexual devotion to cartoon animals from comic books and animated television shows. Instead, we’re looking at Furverts, the label given to people who sexualize their cartoon characters.

The Furvert scene emerged in the 1980s, and Furvert activity primarily deals with creating or collecting illustrations of imaginary furry characters and/or role-playing games on online sites such as multi-user dungeons (MUDs) and other interactive fan sites.

The crucial feature of furry fandom is the anthropomorphic nature of the characters. That is, fictional animals with human traits such as walking on two legs, talking, and dressing. If we imagine an eroticized version of Little Red Riding Hood, where the wolf walks and talks in a human way, and then we go from vicarious to role-playing and sexual activity, we come very close to understanding the Furvert’s enjoyment.

Some furries despise adult material and activity, claiming it gives furry fandom a bad reputation. This is somewhat understandable given that much of Furverts’ enjoyment comes from material aimed at children.

However, that is misunderstanding the subculture. While many furry fans are adults who enjoy topics considered inappropriate for children, Furvert’s activity is not about pedophile behavior. To outsiders, the combination of childish imagery and sexuality can be disturbing, but Furverts have no interest in sex with children. These are childhood dreams and fantasies of “adults”.

In addition to engaging in cybersex, for serious Furverts there are summer furry camps and conventions, where people interact with other Furverts in roles, sometimes wearing homemade costumes known as fursuits. Interestingly, a very high percentage of the Furvert scene is made up of gay men. Some consider this to be the case because one of the original organizers of the convention was a gay man who promoted it to the broader gay community. But, there has long been an affinity between some gay men and Disney animated movies and characters. And it should also be noted that creative costuming and acting is more acceptable among men in the gay community than in the straight community.

Increasingly, Furverts are starting to explore BDSM scenarios and BDSM fantasies, particularly pony play, where the anthropomorphic nature of furry fandom is contradicted insofar as it is the human who takes on animal traits. However, the use of bondage and other sadomasochistic behavior in this more extreme fetish does not reflect the Furvert subculture in general. For the average Furvert, the sexualized cartoon character is enough, and despite the media focusing on the more extreme aspects of furry sexuality, the sheer amount of material reflecting this shows that not all Furverts engage in furry cybersex. or run through the hills in your favorite Disney. costume, regardless of the highly entertaining mental image it conjures up.