# A Shift in Fursuiting?



## Art Vulpine (Oct 31, 2013)

Hello all. 

This was something brought up at a con about a shift in fursuiting etiquette. The person bringing up this said that two years ago fursuiters barely spoke while in character and never took off their heads in a public space, resolving to remove their entire suit in a Headless Lounge before going out to the con space. Now, as this person said, fursuiters are talking and removing their heads during panels and even the con space in general. Personally, I'm not sure if there is a change but I did see these things happen more frequently. 

So what are your thoughts on this? Is there a change in the way people fursuit?


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## Deleted member 82554 (Oct 31, 2013)

I don't really know if I am qualified enough to answer this, but I'll give it a shot.

Well, from what I understand about fursuiting it's more than just about art, but the ability to engulf and act out one's character, and this is where the headless lounge comes in, so one can break character and cool down and whatnot. 

Now to me, when someone is fursuiting out in con space and you break character in any way, shape or form - then to me that is basically putting a gun to the back of your characters head and pulling the trigger, or as many would say, "don't break the magic," because it kills your character, because you know, and any rational adult knows that, yes - there is a person in that suit, but, in the eyes of children - they don't truly know that, and that's where the magic comes in.

I also heard that when fursuiting out in con space - if your mouth moves - you are allowed to talk.

Personally, I think the whole breaking character bit should be left for the headless lounge.


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## Nataku (Oct 31, 2013)

I don't have enough (read: any) experience with furry cons, so I can't say by my own observations if this is becoming more common or not.
However, I do have to wonder, from a paremedic's point of view, if this isn't a move towards fursuiters being more conscientious of the fact that those suits get really hot and taking breaks is a good thing. Sure the 'magic' is great and all, and I love that about fursuits, but when it comes right down to it, if you are getting seriously overheated and need to cool down, the head needs to come off now, not in ten or twenty minutes in the headless lounge (or longer? I wonder how long it could take some fursuiters to get to a headless lounge from across a con with lots of people constantly wanting them to stop for pictures). I personally will always rank personal safety of the individuals inside these fursuits above the image they create by being in full-suit. There's no magic to be had when a fursuiter drops dead in costume from a heat stroke.

The talking bit? I find speech a good thing if you need to convey important information to someone about something. Like 'hey I need to drink something.' or 'I'm really getting tired, time to take a break.' What if you were having an asthma attack in suit? How do you pantomime that? 
Aside from that? Well I suppose that's really up to an individual, I don't really think I care one way or another. I don't see why a fursuiter shouldn't be able to hold a conversation with someone. Aren't they also at a con to have fun? If they're having fun talking, then power to them, its not hurting anyone. Besides, what if the character has a moving jaw? What's the fun in having one if the character never says anything? I think its good those characters speak, regardless of what style they may speak in.


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## Troj (Oct 31, 2013)

I generally aspire to remain in character and keep my head on, but I'm definitely more lax at furry gatherings, and I take cues from those around me.

At furry gatherings, I will often remove my head to navigate obstacles, talk to people who are speaking to me, and push through crowds (because my head is MASSIVE).

I also try to refrain from removing my head around children--though, I might try to sneak a breath if they aren't looking. 

But, my most essential rule is, "Safety First," so I won't hesitate to remove my head--as discreetly as possible, natch--if I'm in danger of overheating, or if I'm crossing dangerous terrain. When a friend became dangerously overheated during one of our recent outings, I noticed that I was removing my head much more than I normally would, because she'd made me much more conscious of the danger of heatstroke.


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## DarrylWolf (Oct 31, 2013)

Practical reasons: the more people standing in a crowded space, the hotter it gets and you're already hot from wearing a fursuit so you might want to take it off. Also, fursuit heads muffle whatever you are trying to say. Sorry if we eschew someone else's artistic standard for the sake of practicality when answering questions.


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## Nashida (Oct 31, 2013)

All right *raises a guilty paw* I have "broken the magic" a couple of times this past weekend at FurFright. But I do have a few valid reasons:

1) I have a moving jaw, so I talk. However, I only did this around other fursuiters or con-goers who were actually talking to me since, well, we were talking. When I did bucket brigade or was around children I didn't talk. I mimed or made barking/whining noises.

2) I am pre-diabetic/hypoglycemic. My handler knows my warning signs for when my blood sugar gets low (I get quiet, move slowly, head down, hands and fingers shake) and if I start dropping that means I need to raise my sugars and pronto. If I have a choice between breaking character and going into shock, you bet I'm going to take the head off to eat something and cool down/stop shaking.

3) Some panels would get so crowded a few of us would take our heads off to stay cool. When I did JD Puppy's Thriller panels, he told us not to wear fursuits for safety's sake. Plus sometimes it's hard to hear in that head.

4) Dealer's Dungeon - I guess I could have changed out of suit before shopping around in there, but I found it easier - and a few other included - to take the head off and cradle it in our arms while shopping at tables so we could see the wares better. I was also fortunate that our headless lounge was right next to the dealer's dungeon, so I could slip out of there and go rest/ have water and then go back out to play.

So there are my reasons for it. Sorry if I ruined anything, you can cut a corner off my furry member card if you need to.


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## captainbrant (Oct 31, 2013)

.


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## Bladespark (Oct 31, 2013)

There was a HUGE drama storm about this very topic four or five years ago, it's a subject that comes up now and again.

Personally although I try to avoid taking off my head in front of anybody, if I get overheated I'm going to do it, and I think that trying to shame people for "ruining the magic" is kind of awful.  It's great that some people are so dedicated that they'll flirt with heat stroke rather than potentially offend a child, but that's their choice, they shouldn't look down on others who don't.  We're not professional mascots, we're doing this to have fun.  If it stops being fun, then what's the point of doing it?


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## Art Vulpine (Nov 1, 2013)

Nashida said:


> All right *raises a guilty paw* I have "broken the magic" a couple of times this past weekend at FurFright. But I do have a few valid reasons:
> 
> 1) I have a moving jaw, so I talk. However, I only did this around other fursuiters or con-goers who were actually talking to me since, well, we were talking. When I did bucket brigade or was around children I didn't talk. I mimed or made barking/whining noises.
> 
> ...



Don't worry. I'm not accusing people of "breaking the magic" especially if necessary due to health issues like overheating. Just seeing if this is a trend that is forming. 

I was at FurFright as well and in reality I only saw fursuiters without heads at the panels and rarely so in the rest of the con space. As for talking, I don't mind this personally as I think it adds to the character, especially if you can alter your voice like a voice actor/ actress.


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## Deo (Nov 1, 2013)

I have a moving jaw on all my fursuits, I never shut up out of suit, and the characters are 'aspects of myself, so why would they be silent? As for de-heading I will not in public, only in a fursuit lounge, bathroom, or my room. But that's mostly because I look like a hideous sweaty monster after fursuiting for some time. I always plan breaks though, and since the jaws open and close widely it's easy for me to drink lots of fluids.


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## dinosaurdammit (Nov 1, 2013)

i will desuit in public- I dont care, living in arizona is tough as shit when suiting so if i get hot i desuit. Not going to take the time to find a closed area to do so.


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## Nashida (Nov 2, 2013)

Inari85 said:


> Don't worry. I'm not accusing people of "breaking the magic" especially if necessary due to health issues like overheating. Just seeing if this is a trend that is forming.
> 
> I was at FurFright as well and in reality I only saw fursuiters without heads at the panels and rarely so in the rest of the con space. As for talking, I don't mind this personally as I think it adds to the character, especially if you can alter your voice like a voice actor/ actress.



Ah, then no worries then.

For the most part, at least of the suiters I saw, they took their heads off for the same reasons. Even more of them talked, regardless of moving jaws or not. For most of them, perhaps that is part of their character (I was told my voice on its own was perfect for Nisha, so I kept it). 

I still wouldn't take my head off in public. At bowling meets I dash into the bathroom if I need to behead myself. Otherwise for drinks, I get a long straw or the jaw open up just wide enough I can shove a bottle in there and drink.


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## Batty Krueger (Nov 3, 2013)

I see it this way, I'm not a fucking mascot, I'm not a character at Disneyland performing for children.
I hate people that say "breaking the magic", I want to beat them with a chair.  Kindly fuck off, I'm hot.


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## powderhound (Nov 3, 2013)

Nataku said:


> from a paremedic's point of view



If your unsure about the spelling you can always check the patch on your shoulder, that's why it's there. 

I think there's a massive change in the culture in general. Things are more social, people more interconnected and more casual than ever before. As the fandom gets bigger, more main stream and less wierd people give less f*ck$ about keeping their participation in the fandom private. Also not everyone in suit acts as "a character." Of all public places to go headless a con space feels the most natural.


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