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Ideas on Anti-Social Behaviour at Furry Events
Anti-social behaviour caused problems at three different furry events in recent times. These incidences are rare, and there is nothing to suggest that they are becoming less rare. However the fact that three issues occurred coincidentally has led to many of us wonder about furry culture.
Ultimately, each person has personal responsibility for their actions. Beyond that, furries in general hold a collective responsibility for behaviour and self-policing. And finally, organizers are able to influence the culture of a group event.
So how can organizers of large furry gatherings create a culture that reduces the chance of a problem?
To briefly recap the recent problems at furry gatherings:
- Oklacon, which was held in a public campground, was cancelled after congoers had sex in public the night before the 2014 opening ceremony. This brought a long-simmering cultural conflict between Oklacon and park managers to a head, and the application for Oklacon 2015 was rejected.
- A few problems at Rainfurrest 2015 (which I attended) led to the organizers publishing an open letter to attendees, stating that behavioural problem was putting the con at risk. The Seattle Airport Hilton subsequently cancelled their contract with Rainfurrest.
- A lewd act during a 2015 Londonfurs meet was witnessed by barstaff. The Londonfurs organizers issued an open letter stating that this had harmed the relationship with the venue. Part of the venue was closed to the furs for a few months, although it has since reopened.
The ideas I’m presenting here are based on the Nudge philosophy described by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein (link to book). To “nudge” is to present information in such a way that doesn’t place any rules or restrictions on behaviour, but does influence behaviour. The US and UK governments both have “nudge units” that have helped improve the effectiveness of government services, and such techniques are commonly used by private industry as a way of maximizing profits.
An example of a government “nudge”: posters of eyes in areas of high crime have been shown to significantly reduce illegal behaviour. Here’s a picture of eyes in a bike theft hotspot in Newcastle, UK:
This poster reduced bike theft by over 60% in a two-year trial.
For a furry convention or gathering, a successful nudge should be inexpensive or free to the organizers, in terms of both cost and time. It should reduce the risk of anti-social behaviour, but without actually applying any new boundaries. In Nudge parlance, this is “libertarian paternalism”.
That’s not to say that there shouldn’t be boundaries on behaviour. Boundaries, for the most part, already exist as part of the gathering’s rules, and they are enforced by punitive measures.
It’s usually easy for an organization to enforce behaviour using punishment. It’s a simple enough equation: if you do this, we will do that. It’s always necessary to some extent, but it can have negative consequences, familiar to anyone who has helped organize an event. Creating and enforcing rules creates a natural “elite” group, which can quickly escalate into an us-vs-them situation.
Any resentment towards the elite organizing group from the attendees can feed conflict and anti-social behaviour. This can reinforce the status of the organizers as an unwanted authority group, at least among some attendees. So while hard boundaries and enforcement are sometimes necessary, they should be minimized.
The ideas presented here follow that spirit. They are based on successful “nudges” applied elsewhere, and neither place a significant extra load on organizers, nor introduce new punishments.
1. Identify and target high-risk groups
Where possible, organizers should identify and target high-risk groups. This should be done in a way that doesn’t obviously single out high-risk groups, for example by sharing a message that is only of interest to some people. The 6-2-1 message, reinforcing good personal hygiene and health during the con, is a good example of a successful nudge that targets at-risk groups.
The organizers should test their assumptions with data where possible. For example, in a large convention where organizers may be worried about room damage: what rooms are at higher risk of damage? The cheaper rooms or the larger party rooms? Furries who are resident for the whole con or just one night? What about rooms that leave a “do not disturb” sign out for the entire con? Organizers can work with the hotel to identify high-risk groups and target messages accordingly.
2. Take advantage of human social behaviour
The behaviour of people is influenced by those around them. This can be used to reduce high-risk behaviour. For example, if furs who don’t allow housekeeping into their room are at greater risk of room damage, organizers should reinforce the normality of having your room cleaned by spreading a message like “86% of attendees allow housekeeping to clean rooms each night”.
3. Observation is a moderating influence
Overt observation of activity significantly reduces anti-social behaviour. Organizers can make people feel observed by taking photos as part of the registration process (perhaps only targeting high-risk groups). Security should take photos of poor behaviour in preference to creating conflict, wherever possible.
If specific high-risk individuals have been identified, organizers can point this out with minimum conflict by slipping a note under the door of their room. By writing their real (non-furry) name on the note, it will reduce the feeling of anonymity that can come along in a large gathering.
Organizers can expect some controversy in reaction to these measures. Furries are a group that resents observation, on personal liberty grounds. In response, organizers should be clear that covert observation already exists, as part of the registration process and in the hotel in general. All they are doing is making observation more overt.
4. Reward good behaviour at risky times
Security personnel can be armed with small bags of jellybeans, and hand these out to well-behaved but at-risk congoers. This might be drunk people in the bar, pot smokers (where legal), or room parties. This creates a reciprocal social environment: the giving of small gifts have been shown to increase positive community behaviour.
5. Make attendees feel like part of a team
Organizers should minimize use of us-vs-them language, especially in text. Some conventions ask attendees to sign official-looking “no ghosting” contracts at registration. These may do more harm than good, in that they provide positive reinforcement to people who will already play by the rules, and increase the sense of outsiderhood among potential offenders. So called “chastity contracts”, designed to reduce sexual behaviour among teenagers, are similarly flawed.
Social media plays an important role. The con “live” Twitter feed should be manned around the clock, with each tweeter introducing themselves by name. They should directly acknowledge any rumours or incidents, as honestly as possible.
This will help create a feeling of fellowship between attendees and organizers. If people feel like they are part of a team that is working towards a common goal, they are less likely to be disruptive.
6. Make the venue feel like part of a team
This is not a nudge, but a worthwhile step. Dogpatch Press recently ran a piece looking at how large conventions manage anti-social behaviour, highlighting the value of showing the hotel that the organizers take behavioural problems seriously. For the hotel managers, perception is reality – showing them that you are “on their side” will help maintain a good relationship.
Many conventions will, of course, already be applying these nudges in one form or another. Others may have learned from experience that some don’t work, or come at too high a cost. Anyone with experience is encouraged to comment below.
This article has come about, in part, following an in-depth discussion with the chair of a very large convention. He wanted to note that, while the recent problems are outliers, outliers occur at every convention.
The reaction of organizers to problems are a part of the puzzle. As a start, cons should avoid giving problematic people any limelight (positive or negative), and the organizers should learn from inevitable negative experiences.
There are a lot of large furry conventions and gatherings. The recent small spate of problems don’t indicate that furry behaviour is getting worse. But organizers can learn from them, and help create better furry environments.
Paper Chibiterasu by Starbuxx
Every once in a while, a joke comes along that is taken way too far...but some of us want to go even further to see what happens. Everyone, I present to you: THE YIFFMOBILE: FULL RELEASE PACKAGE for Euro Truck Sim 2! [LINK IN COMMENTS]
Adorable art by Orum~
Group of carpet sharks
Doing these as commission for $10/£6.55 each!
2016 is exploding with ‘furry’ movies like Zootopia – what will come with all the hype?
2016 is exploding with ‘furry’ movies like Zootopia – what will come with all the hype?
“Mature” stuff isn’t built in to a fandom for talking animal art, but it sure makes everyone hot under the collar – whether they love it, or just giggle about how weird it is. Keep that in mind for the below topics: The Latest Hype – The Weird Factor – Why Marketers Care – “Furry Chic” – and Making Buzz With PR Control.
THE LATEST HYPE – AND FOUR REASONS WHY FURRIES CAN’T WAIT FOR ZOOTOPIA.Hot discussion. Coinciding with release of the movie’s trailer #3, an article about Zootopia and furry porn got showered with comments at Cartoon Brew. (Reporting like that is why it’s one of the most read animation blogs). It asks:
“To what extent are Zootopia’s filmmakers aware that they are stoking an adult community of fans?… It would appear that they are intentionally attempting to attract an older crowd with mature and titillating content.”
Aggressive marketing is mentioned in this short article. (That goes both ways – watch for an upcoming article about highly anticipated Zootopia furmeets.)
Exceptional anthropomorphism. Storytelling appeal is what’s really making fans like me pant with anticipation. See Zootopia Guide: How Disney’s New Film Builds a Different Kind of World –
“We’ve really never seen animals in the modern world, where humans never existed.”
Provocative art. Reddit furries discuss eye popping animation in the trailers-
- “There’s no denying that they know who they’re marketing to.”
- “Big, beefy, sparkly tigers. They know what they’re doing with stuff like these, and nobody’s gonna tell me otherwise.”
- “And people still claim they’re not marketing to us. ha. ha. ha.”
Those are great reasons for why this movie is making everyone stand to attention. Does it add up to a capital-F “Furry” movie? (With all this hype, we don’t even know if it’s GOOD yet! The marketing is as interesting as the movie so far.)
Intentionally marketing with furries could be very strategic. It could be “winking” at us behind plausible deniability, making an asset and risk at the same time. That’s been a showbiz game since bare ankles were naughty, but there’s something new here too. The 1940’s Golden Age of animation didn’t have alternative fandom like we do now.
It’s hard to tell how much anyone is really teasing us. Maybe people are just seeing what they want to see. But Disney directors have been fur con guests since the 1990’s, and marketers are well aware of what goes on. It sure would be interesting to get such attention. Let’s look at reasons why this may be happening.
THE WEIRD FACTOR – FURRIES TURN HEADS.
One day in San Francisco, I was taking a train in my fursuit as a fabulous sparkly Husky. I was on the way to my favorite thing – a furmeet at a street fair. There would be hours of high-paws and literal tail-shaking to the music.
“Look, a plushie!” shouted a girl waiting for the train with her friends. “We don’t judge you!” yelled one of the guys. They were all smiles to see me in full regalia. It was the opposite of blending in, and I flaunted it a little. It wasn’t a big deal if they got the meaning wrong.
In public, besides making a spectacle, there’s a certain outsized reputation that turns heads. People giggle and ask questions. If you’re not a member of this group, some things can be hard to get. That makes imaginations run wild. People fill in the blanks with rumors and sensational media influence.
But furmeets are just harmless socializing and creativity. Weird feelings from outsiders are defused by the friendly reality. It makes weirdness fun. It’s in headlines about cons: Furries are “Silicon Valley’s last, best hope at weird” and “modeling eccentricity for a staid tech culture.”
Cons are on a fertile border between Furry and Normal. Their grassroots spirit makes them naturally bloom with growth outside of commercialism. It makes bystanders turn their heads. But marketers might smell money.
Many people deny that companies care about this niche group, because it doesn’t make an audience of real size. My counterpoint is that subculture is tiny, but buzz is mighty. It’s not how many tickets you buy, it’s how many heads you turn.
If marketers want a little piece of that action, it could work like my experience at the train station. And it’s a good time to get on this hype train.
WHY MARKETERS CARE.
Marketers always want to know what’s going to be a trend, and how to get in at the roots. The potential attracts them like plants to the sun.
Reddit: “According to the google search trends, the term “furry” has never had so many searches before.”
Here’s where this leads. Mainstream advertising: “More and more, Furries are being hinted at in marketing media!” Some of it is even Furry-led. Cons in Pittsburgh, PA and San Jose, CA are getting city support to spread attention:
I'm at the airport and I see this. Wtf are you ppl!? pic.twitter.com/IapcZMDdiO
— Arokh74 (@Arokh74) December 23, 2015Attention comes in different forms. I’d say that Buzz naturally spreads from person to person. Marketing is the effort to intentionally cultivate it, and it brings a reinforcing effect of Hype (or backlash). I think cultivation crosses a line, and I suspect that’s happening here. (Call it a gut feeling from running the most active Furry News blog… and I have, er, a few connections.) Recognition will have lag time, but speculation is high now.
“FURRY CHIC” IN 2016.
We might be in a special era. Call it the Fursplosion of 2016, or the Year of Furry. It was a minor blog topic last year: “Marvel Looking To Capture The Furry Market?“ and now it’s bigger – Disney Prepares to Cash In on the Furry Demographic with “Zootopia”.
On the day of writing this article (1/23/16), a furry-made documentary (‘Fursonas’) got unprecedented recognition. It screened at the Slamdance film festival (“one of the most significant Film festivals in the world”) and instantly sold to a distributor. Here’s their press release. Look for it on Netflix.
We're so thrilled that the 1st screened film on our 1st day of #slamdance2016 acquired distribution!! @FursonasDoc https://t.co/VvlXQHEvKM
— Slamdance (@Slamdance) January 23, 2016Film critics love eras in movies that say something about society. “Furry Chic” is my way of harkening back (tastefully or not) to 1970’s “Porno Chic”. Those movies had unprecedented mainstream success, coinciding with social revolution and gutsy exploitation for topics that Hollywood wouldn’t touch. That era even made Furry roots with the first X-rated animated movie, Fritz The Cat. It makes it funny when John Lasseter says Zootopia has “Disney’s first ‘nude scene.’”
Furry is already it’s own thing. This is about mainstream notice that could bring more stuff we like.
Stigma can be risky for marketers. See: “How Esurance Lost Its Mascot to the Internet” and Kellogg’s deals with sexy tweeting at Tony the Tiger. Hints and winks help them to stay coy. But after that comes bold recognition. See CollegeHumor making raunchy in your face “fursploitation” parodies – and Casper Mattress making a gentle mention without explaining. It tells me that people in high places now know that they don’t have to define us to get recognition.
@DogpatchPress We don’t sleep and tell.
— Casper (@Casper) August 3, 2015That’s not even a hidden wink. See what I mean about their approach?
MAKING BUZZ WITH P.R. CONTROL.
Zootopia might arguably be the most “furry” thing a movie studio has made in decades. You might even suspect they’re not shy with flirting at the mature side (“what do you call a three humped camel? Pregnant.”)
Of course kid’s animated movies have been full of winks for a long time. It’s smart to keep parents entertained with jokes that go over kid’s heads. They’re experts at that.
I got quoted in the news: “patch_ofurr writes ‘don’t ever think a giant corporation doesn’t know EXACTLY what they’re doing…'”
I believe there are clues about them coyly tailoring social outreach for “no direct Furry engagement” while enjoying fan attention. It’s probably in their rulebook. You can get the feeling from what they don’t and WON’T say.
@SeiRruf Looks like he removed his tweet.. Luckily, this is the internet. It's preserved in this screenshot. :) pic.twitter.com/B3f6bD0Xw9
— ✎ S e i R r u f (@SeiRruf) November 10, 2015Reddit comments (two from others, and two from me:)
The “Community engagement representative” probably told him to pull it because it could be misleading. It doesn’t have to be for negative reasons, their PR department may simply not want the message to be “we made this for the furries!”. Employee interaction with the community tends to be pretty heavily regulated when it comes to media.
This. PR control for big projects like this is MASSIVE. There’s a reason most companies have a Community Manager to act as their pointman. It’s very easy for an employee to unknowingly say something they weren’t supposed to, or imply something that isn’t true. One needs only look at extremely public companies like Riot Games to see where an employee post can be blown out of proportion rather quickly.
If they’re pulling messages at furries, that says something about awareness as much as if they were reaching out to them. See here.
No other movie has needed to explain what “anthropomorphic” means. Putting the word in the trailer is like putting “furry” on a giant neon sign… They probably had a board meeting just about using that word. You might call it a subcultural signifier, like shared slang words, because it has special power even though it’s a dictionary word. Furries love being recognized by each other. Notice from Disney might make them feel extra special. If they’re winking, it’s working.
Whatever this all means, it’s shaping up to make great movie fun with big budget gloss, everything fans love, and likely spawning a new generation of furries. At the same time, I believe that companies will always keep some distance and avoid stuff like sponsoring cons. That could let fandom keep freedom that’s beyond safe and corporate, and let everyone treat mature stuff as no big deal – after all, we’re not hurting anyone. That would be the best of both worlds. Even if it makes disapproval here and there, those who enjoy it will end up with big silly grins all over their faces.