Hrmph!

[altivo]

I just got, out of the blue, an apparent spam e-mail containing a "casting call" for some sort of furry television thing. Since this doesn't particularly excite or interest me, and especially since it's television, I would normally just toss it. But I wondered where they got my e-mail so I read it. They claim to be making some sort of "documentary" about furry fandom. Except it's clear that they have no real grasp of the scope or basis of the fandom. They think being "furry" means 1) you wear a fursuit, 2) you think you are an animal trapped in a human body, and 3) you must "look like you are between the ages of 18 and 28." Now just how representative of the furry fandom or "community" can that possibly be? Talk about experimenter bias that shapes the outcome of the study! They don't want to talk to or interview anyone who doesn't meet those criteria? This is pretty offensive, actually. We really shouldn't allow the word "furry" to be defined by these people any more than we let CSI or Vanity Fair define it.

In other news, it's raining. We had just about gotten rid of most of the mosquitoes too, darn it. Weaving proceeds apace, I'm more than halfway through the third of ten squares. Tomorrow and Thursday taken off from work to allow me to work on that.

Comments

[baphnedia]

Were I in your shoes, I'd reply anyhow. So many folks think that the furry community is made up of socially-rejected young adults. It could be the first time where a non-wacko furry represents the fandom. Otherwise, it looks like they're looking for the wackos... which means they're probably barking up the wrong tree.

[altivo]

I can't be bothered. They aren't going to listen to me anyway, their minds are obviously made up.

[moonhare]

Maybe they just want the "angry young furs" :o) Back in the day... when on yiffnet there was a 'call' for furry art, for self-images. I was happy to show the person my then current drawing of moonhare, but it wasn't mainstream enough to warrant anymore than "ah, interesting...". *snicker* perhaps it needed more testosterone and less warmth.

I wonder how they were able to find your email. I maintain four or more accounts and could understand if that letter came to my tigress one (it's a wide-open page) but not others.

[altivo]

My e-mail is readily findable, but matching it to furry stuff is less easy unless you have inside access to data that should be private, like membership/account data for FurAffinity or something like that.

[hrrunka]

Oh dear. I'm sure they'll find some victims to put into their "documentary", and I expact at least a few of them will look back on it with regret...

[baphnedia]

Now that we know how they find the 'crazies'... does this mean that they're making a "mockumentary?"

[altivo]

I hope they find a mock turtle who snaps their heads off then.

[avon_deer]

I helped a Leeds art student with his study on furries once, but I make it my policy to never talk to media.

[altivo]

Yes, anything that lets them edit your comments or take bits out of context can be very bad.

[songcoyote]

Fascinating! I'd be curious to see the e-mail if you still have it, and perhaps even sent them a well-thought-out response, even though it will likely do little good.

Incidentally, how are you doing today? I got your e-mail but have been wrapped up in my own drama for the past couple of weeks - fortunately good drama, but stressful nonetheless.

Oh, and also incidentally, I finally signed up on Dreamwidth :) Hi!

Light and laughter,
SongCoyote

[altivo]

Welcome to Dreamwidth. Glad to have you here.

Here's the entire text of the e-mail:

Do you dress up in a fur suit and have an animal persona (fursona)? Do you meet with other furries online or in person? Do you sometimes feel that you’re really an animal stuck in a human body? How does being furry affect your personal and romantic relationships? Do you wish everyone would finally understand what being furry is really about?

Whether your friends and family know about your fursona or not, here is your opportunity to show what the furry lifestyle really is.



If you appear to be between the ages of 18 and 28 and want to be part of this exciting opportunity, email us at jamiecastsreality@gmail.com Please be sure to include your name, location, phone number, a recent photo of yourself and one in your fursona. Tell us your story.





About the company:



Asylum Entertainment is among the most respected production companies in unscripted reality television and is an emerging force in the world of scripted drama. Known for creative diversity, Asylum has produced multiple high profile projects ranging from The Kennedys mini-series, which received ten Emmy nominations to the long-running hit reality series The Locator to the award winning ’30 for 30’ ESPN documentary series. In addition to having produced hundreds of hours of television, Asylum has built multiple highly successful business units in support of the core production entity. Asylum Entertainment has won two Peabody Awards and has received twenty three Emmy nominations.

------------

I guess I'm supposed to be so impressed that I'm just chafing at the bit to get onto television. Well, Jamiewhoeveryouare, I'm not impressed at all and not only am I not interested, but I don't trust you and will not give you any kind of reply.

[songcoyote]

Fascinating... it does come across as having nothing but pre-conceived notions as opposed to looking for any sort of reality. I can imagine anyone who does respond but doesn't fit into their narrow view being ignored at best, and at worst invited in and then made to look like a fool by professional fools.

Yeah, we'll be giving that a miss, even if I did look like I was under 30, which I don't and amn't. Thanks for forwarding it, though.

In other news, life is pretty darned good. I'll tell more when I respond to your e-mail :)

Light and laughter,
SongCoyote

[calydor]

@gmail.com

What's with all the blinking red lights and howling sirens all of a sudden?

[altivo]

Nah. I don't think this one has anything to do with Google. It's much more likely to have come from some way of getting addresses out of FA or another poorly designed furry site. Or even one of those sites that willingly sold or gave away addresses without permission. I've made it a (perhaps questionable) habit of signing up on furry sites in order to keep someone else from taking my name and impersonating me. Not that I'm that well known, but it's irritating if that happens. Blotch, for instance, has a real irritating impersonator on Facebook.

[calydor]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear enough.

ANY company trying to look serious NEEDS to have their own domain emails - anyone can create a GMail account and name it whatever they want.

[altivo]

Depends on who they're trying to hornswoggle, actually. I suspect that this particular "company" is just a bunch of kids, college students, or SA goons out for a lark. Like so many e-mail scammers, they know that their desired victims will be so excited by the fake prospect being offered that they will never even notice that the e-mail address is hotmail, yahoo, or gmail.

Don't you just love those phishing messages that claim to be from the IRS, Federal Express, or some other big organization and yet use yahoo or gmail addresses? And they wouldn't bother sending those if there weren't suckers who fall for it all the time.