I think it might've been good to try and put this in a wider context. There was clearly a marketing error in this case but I do wonder what it really says about the furry fandom and how we approach new ways of doing things. Or at least different approaches to doing things.
From what I have heard about the history of fursuiting, fursuits were originally designed and made by their wearers. Some were good and others were... not so good. Fursuiting itself has become a professional aspect of the fandom, with more furs buying custom suits than making their own. I remember Kage talking about how that changed certain aspects of conventions. Fursuit competitions changed as the people winning were not those who were making their own but those who could commission the better fursuit builders.
Zweitesich also makes me think of another fursuit controversy, the bullying of a girl for wearing a maskimals head. You even brought that situation up in a discussion of classism. The furry fandom seems to have a narrow window that it is currently willing to tolerate in the furry fandom. Too elitist and it's not tolerated, too mass-produced and its not tolerated.
Fursuiting is not a static activity. The way it is perceived and practiced in the fandom has changed and is changing. Just as there is pushback to furry itself gaining mainstream acceptance, it might be interesting to talk to various furs to see if there could be a similar pushback to fursuiting having a lower entry bar and becoming more mainstream in the fandom.
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~
I think it might've been good to try and put this in a wider context. There was clearly a marketing error in this case but I do wonder what it really says about the furry fandom and how we approach new ways of doing things. Or at least different approaches to doing things.
From what I have heard about the history of fursuiting, fursuits were originally designed and made by their wearers. Some were good and others were... not so good. Fursuiting itself has become a professional aspect of the fandom, with more furs buying custom suits than making their own. I remember Kage talking about how that changed certain aspects of conventions. Fursuit competitions changed as the people winning were not those who were making their own but those who could commission the better fursuit builders.
Zweitesich also makes me think of another fursuit controversy, the bullying of a girl for wearing a maskimals head. You even brought that situation up in a discussion of classism. The furry fandom seems to have a narrow window that it is currently willing to tolerate in the furry fandom. Too elitist and it's not tolerated, too mass-produced and its not tolerated.
Fursuiting is not a static activity. The way it is perceived and practiced in the fandom has changed and is changing. Just as there is pushback to furry itself gaining mainstream acceptance, it might be interesting to talk to various furs to see if there could be a similar pushback to fursuiting having a lower entry bar and becoming more mainstream in the fandom.
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~