DISCLAIMER: Because of the nature of this topic, the following article contains sexual themes.
So, as some of you know by now, I am a huge fan of Patricia Taxxon. She is easily my most favorite musical artist!! (…Well, aside from Supertramp, but then again that band has always meant a lot to me throughout my whole life.) Her tactile melodies and poetic lyrics have been like a balm to my soul in a myriad of ways.
Given how life changing her auditory works are to me, it begs the question; “Say, Reverie, how did you find out about her in the first place?”
If I remember correctly, I first discovered Patricia Taxxon thanks to her video essay ‘The Autistic Horror of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (season 1)’. And I must say, even from the very start, her works have really fascinated me! Not only did it use a type of analysis that connects to one’s own personal experiences instead of dissecting the piece and interpreting its meanings, but it also gave me a different, a lot more depressing perspective compared to my own special-ed experiences in an American school system. But I will say this, it did unlock some memories regarding Superflex because I completely forgot about that…that thing! And for a damn good reason too, because I had no idea that program was actually ableist this whole time!! As in, they portray symptoms of autism as enemies known as “The Unthinkables”. Like, no…whoever the hell made this crap, I’m not affected by the “Worry Wall” or “Mean Jean” or anyone like that, I’m just trying to get through this incredibly confusing and overwhelming world as best as I can!!
However…that is not gonna be the topic I am discussing here, no siree. As much as this video made me learn and appreciate a new flavor of analyzing media, it also triggers some pent-up frustrations and despairs I have regarding being autistic. Besides, it also uses incorrect otherkin terminology on top of that when Patty states she “kins the Yellow Guy” because of how much his role in the story (stories?) resonates with her…
Instead, this is focused on a video I watched much, much later.
There I was, sitting on my bed on an early fall morning. I was on my iPad like usual, looking through my favorite Tumblr blogs, when something caught my eye. This post by RayStarKitty mentions in its tags regarding how ‘Turning Red’ - one of my favorite movies of all time - focuses on the sensory aspects of transforming into an animal. So, naturally, I got extremely curious about what in the world they were even talking about. So, I booted up YouTube to check out this recent video for myself.
And that was when, like other blue moon instances before, my life was flipped upside down, back to front.
I’m just going to be blunt…’On The Ethics of Boinking Animal People’ might actually be my favorite video on YouTube. Like, of all time! A video essay tour de force!! It’s meticulously detailed in how it talks about the universal appeal of furry art and more!
I don’t think my soul was hit and seen in such a cathartic way watching a YouTube video since the 77th episode of BrawlFan1’s ‘What If They Were in Smash?’ series (if you know, you know). You could say that it changed my brain chemistry. There’s so much poetic irony in the fact that such a philosophical video states how furries aren’t philosophers and impacts me the way that it did, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Not only did it open my eyes to phenomenal music that would impact my life drastically, but it also explains my strange sense of self and how being a furry is not simply about being fascinated with animals with humanoid bodies, it’s…something else, something more.
So, in honor of the video being released a year ago, I have decided to explain why I adore it and find it to be so incredible! After all, ever since I first watched it (twice), I have understood it a lot more thoroughly thanks to consuming what’s essentially the whole meat and potatoes of this deep dive; that is, the media that it mentions as examples!
Now, this isn’t going to be an exact one-to-one retelling of the almost 43-minute video; but rather, I am going to talk about my own views on it and how it has affected me personally and emotionally. Taking a page out of the dog’s book, if you will. So, I highly recommend watching the actual essay itself before continuing this article.
Now, without further ado, let us begin!
Part 1 ~ The Spawn Point
Even at the very beginning, the video is able to grab the viewer’s attention like a hook just with its opening statement alone; how Lieutenant Data and catgirls can be connected to a myriad of things. That was simply enough for me to believe that I was going to get so much out of this experience, which made future rewatches all the more exciting knowing what’s to come.After all, what does an android from a famous sci-fi show (that I often associate with my father, mind you) have to do with a species of anime girl with feline features? How do robots, toons, animals and art of all kinds connect in a way I never thought possible? What even are the ethics of being romantically and/or sexually attracted to anthropomorphic animals, let alone nonhuman concepts as a whole?
Well, the only way to find out is to dive in and explore deeper…
Media-wise, ‘Alpha and Omega’ serves as a perfect introduction to the essay’s overall themes!
The character designs, for one thing, absolutely have that internet appeal to them, especially since the animated film was released in 2010. Yes, they look like actual wolves in terms of anatomy and portions but they have expressive eyes (which also reminds me of ‘Wolfwalkers’ now that I think about it), rather big hand paws and head fluff styled to look like hair. In a way, the designs make the characters look and feel more human compared to other cartoon wolf designs I know about that portray them as threatening creatures, beasts even!
But more importantly, it foreshadows crucial elements that will be mentioned later on, ones that are seeped into the film’s story! There are a lot of romantic and sexual elements included in there, most prominently with using the concept of howling as symbolism for sex, similar to how cartoon gags or epic anime effects in ‘Bait and Switch’ by Austen Crowder are actually sexual metaphors (and trust me, that’s not the only time I’m going to mention this book that I highly recommend). Even the Midnight Howl itself has a very sensual tone with couple wolves howling to one another in harmony as they dance on two legs and touch one another’s furry bodies. I can totally see why Patty would classify this as a “horny movie”!
Not only that, but - in a way - Garth and his story falling in love with Lily (who Patricia referred to as herself, which really confused me the first few watchthroughs) also provides a great deal of foreshadowing, even more than the concept of howling itself! I mean, I can totally understand why he is so incredibly attractive, what with his luscious red fur and how he is introduced by standing majestically behind the moon as the music swells! Yet there is a sense of hilarious irony to the fact that he is bad at howling (which is very true to life ‘cause let’s face it, that kind of stuff takes a lot of time and patience), which makes it all the more rewarding when Lily teaches Garth to be a better howler! I find it to be such an amazing trade since Garth teaches Lily how to hunt and when he notices her goth head fluff, he sweeps it away with his snout! Honestly, I would probably love it compared to the main plot if I ended up watching this entire film someday!
Yeah, I must confess, I haven’t seen ‘Alpha and Omega’ myself - ironic considering what I said beforehand about consuming media for this article, I know - but I have definitely heard of it, mostly thanks to Bobsheuax’s reviews on the weird direct-to-video sequels I remember watching a long time ago. And when I say weird, I mean extremely weird. Instead of more realistic stories set in the woods of Idaho, they tend to focus on technicolor dinosaurs and…artificial rental homes, I guess? Also, if I remember correctly, the stories focus more on the two leads’ pack of kids, which is odd. But hey, at least they have voice actors I recognize like Ben Diskin, so that’s a plus, right?
Now, I believe these first two parts of the essay are what I consider to be the exposition, the exposé even! Patricia is even eating an apple and drinking coffee in this section, which makes it feel like a strange, yet casual work conversation before the video’s ascent into an enlightenment of chaos!!
The main reason why this video exists in the first place is to explain why furry porn is morally okay, so the beginning serves as a way to ease viewers into the problem and solution this video provides. I mean, it’s sort of in the title, for stars sake!
When people don’t fully understand something, they might fill in the holes with their own assumptions; Because that’s what the brain does - painting various stories to help understand the world around them.
As such, those who end up crawling out of their comfort zone would bully furries - in this case, call them “zoophiles”. Yes, it disgusts me down to my core that they would even do such a thing without thinking about how their action have consequences, but yes, it also doesn’t surprise me all that much considering how much the community focuses on the titular animal people.
In fact, this name-calling has been going on for so long that there are various counter-arguments made as a line of defense, which is talked about in the video.
Like, some will just flat out deny the fact that the furry fandom is sexual in nature and the kinky ones are simply a portion of the community that can be easily ignored, which both confuses and annoys me. Kink has always been a huge part of the furry community ever since its inception and the idea of sex has been present since the dawn of time (need I mention stuff like the Kama Sutra)!! Stating such a thing is like stating that the Eiffel Tower doesn’t exist even though you’re clearly standing right in front of it!!
After all, what are creatures such as myself, ones who have horny desires shoved into their craniums? Chopped liver?! I’m a toon!! I yearn to make those around me happy and entertained! I want my free will to be somewhat restricted by artists and creators who love me. Yes, I am an adult and I have learned and accepted to be perfectly okay with having adult desires. Sure, toons don’t appear to have genitalia, but given how prevalent a certain infamous rule is on the internet, does that even matter? Who’s even gonna stop a furry toon like me to boink other furry toons?! The government?!
The second argument mentioned in the video is to abstract the appeal of furry porn; as in “Can’t you believe that there are people out there who are really into paws and tails and weird stuff like that?”
…I really don’t like this argument either, maybe not as much as the first one but I still find it to be pretty bad.
Patricia uses a wonderful, wonderful example as to why thanks to an excerpt in ‘Adastra’ where it explains how long and mobile Amicus the wolf’s tongue is. The passage was clearly written to titillate its adult furry audience into imagining what it would be like to kiss someone with a wolf head. Heck, just thinking about the idea makes me feel fuzzy inside! It sounds so romantic!!
But as you can already tell by now, I am indeed a furry! Even though I have been one throughout most of my life, I didn’t exactly accept the label until around 2020, which means that I have truly been a furry for about 4 years now. (And I am proud of it!)
And this essay made me realize that my interest in furries feels almost universal to me, it goes beyond aesthetics and sexuality or anything like that. It simply is, in a spiritual sense; as if I was destined to go on this pathway. I absolutely adore it when people are also animals and have often questioned why I liked art that primarily has humans in them. I absolutely love soft things such as fur and the idea of a friend or romantic partner having a fuzzy body that I can touch (with consent) makes me swoon. I have plenty of room for this which makes me Patricia’s ally because I literally agree with the appeal of furries!! It’s an essay that proves how furries are not the same as, let alone morally comparable to zoophilia! Nay, it doesn’t just prove, it soars!!
And the last line of this segment…Holy moly, does it reflect this;
“If society’s ills could only be articulated in good faith by those who couldn’t stand benefit from them changing then nothing would ever fucking change.”
And if most people don’t end up accepting any weirdness that deviates completely from the norm and be closed minded about not just furry porn, but maybe even porn in general, then most things will end up staying the same. They don’t talk about anything erotic because it’s private, but honestly…how private really is it when it’s on the internet?
Yeah, there really was no going back for me now that I have held onto the paw of truth, my brain chemistry was truly gonna change and I was gonna feel it. The only direction that we’re going is forward and upward, together!
Part 2 ~ The Terms of Decision
Out of all these sections, this is the one that I actually have some disagreements with. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t retract from the video’s overall greatness; I know why it’s here. It’s just that when the rest of the pieces of this delicious, delicious pie taste like gospel, a piece with a slightly different flavoring is enough to confuse my brain a little bit.But anyway, this third and final counterargument present in this essay has a lot more to talk about compared to the previous two, hence why it’s been given its own section. And that is the one and only Harkness Test!
Before this video, my past experience regarding the Harkness Test is unknown to me. There may have been a chance I might have seen it during my decade long explorations across the web, but it might have been brief, so I don’t exactly remember it.
However, compared to the previous two arguments, I can sort of understand its purpose as some kind of moral ruler to tell what’s okay and what’s not. But on the other paw, it’s absolutely hilarious seeing which characters ended up passing all three of the checkmarks! Like, if Scooby Doo can pass the Harkness Test with flying colors, then that means Courage the Cowardly Dog passes it as well, believe it or not!
Unfortunately, this is the part of the video that bothers me the most…As a fictionfolk individual, I get a bit uncomfortable when people talk about how “fictional characters aren’t real” or “fiction doesn’t affect reality” or anything along those lines. To me, the art people make affects everything, including the metaphysical. Yes, the wants and actions during the creative process have ramifications in this world, but at the same time art and its own actions have greatly affected the Universe itself just as much as a multitude of souls are affected and influenced by the importance of art. Some people might end up realizing that the soul of a fictional character is the same as their own, memories of that life being present in their mind. It’s an infinite cycle…
Not to mention that being an actual animal person in real life without the use of costumes isn’t possible, so people have to rely on the abstract; the depictions of animal people. And if it was real, I probably would have transitioned into a creature a long time ago…Depiction may or may not be endorsement, but depictions are still an action that can be influenced in some way and criticized in others.
Even so, compared to everything else here, the things that I disagree on can be easily ignored.
Aside from Schaffrillas Productions’ analysis on Kondo’s ‘Whisper of the Heart’, this video proves how extremely important and beautiful art can truly be; art provides messages to people in a way they can understand, like a communicative tool. It can make disturbing topics permissible, even wholesome and comforting, like how preschool shows talk about death or natural disasters or real life problems in a way that doesn’t alienate it’s target audience.
And with art that’s kinky, fetishtic and/or erotic in nature, it’s simply no different! Yes, it was designed with the intention to make people feel pleasure, but it should still be criticized because it isn’t just simply a vent or an indulgence…It’s art that someone made with their own hands and people should be allowed to express how they feel about it as such. After all, naked bodies are found in museums all around the world and most people don’t tend to overreact about that. Instead, they analyze the work, maybe even look at who made it and what its meaning is on those description cards near the piece. Maybe it’s best to treat all kinds of art like this, no matter how horny they are. See how it makes you feel, what you like or dislike about it, trying and interpreting it from your own perspective, things like that.
It really doesn’t matter if I fully don’t identify as a human! No matter what I do or what I make, I’m still an artist through and through!
That’s the thing about this essay that means so much to me; its words are simply so powerful that I sometimes can’t articulate the feelings it gives me into words, but here I am trying my best with it. But it makes me feel understood, seen in ways I didn’t consciously think was possible. They stick to my soul like colorful exquisite stickers or even tattoos. I could go on about all that, but we’re not done yet, so it’s best to save it for later.
And with that, people have gotten the idea regarding if it is morally okay to harbor sexual attraction towards furries. But now that all has been established, it begs the question…
Part 3 ~ What is a Furry, Anyways?
Before we get into what I believe to be the most important part of this essay, I think this is a good time as ever to talk about the more visual side of things. Throughout the video, Patricia appears in multiple locations throughout a house, first near some bookshelves then to a chair near a window then to a garage and finally to a bedroom. It gives everything a more cinematic flare and looks like all of the footage was made in more than just a day! That’s the power of editing, baby!! It’s a crucial part of the video making process that could either make or break a project’s overall presentation. And the editing here is incredibly clean, crisp even! Text in a readable Times New Roman-esque font appears in order to correct something or add information to an existing point, each clip (soundless or otherwise) and picture presents itself as evidence with meaning and doesn’t feel drawn out. It makes the overall package look very professional and adds to the rewatchability factor.But it doesn’t shy away from having that fun factor!! It isn’t afraid to be a bit silly with the myriads of quotable jokes and inclusion of memes throughout! Like, it made Autism Speaks funny to me!! How impressive is that?! Even the “Dogs have Brains” clips sprinkled throughout provide a fun and creative segway to each part! (Also, fun fact: I was originally going to have this article include my own personal poetic segways underneath each part title, but decided against it.)
Not only that, but I discovered how Patricia doesn’t use her dog avatar (like with her videos about Marble Blast, Bean and Nothingness and the aforementioned Don’t Hug I’m Scared), but rather appears on a camera with cute fluffy gray dog ears! It really makes it stand out among Taxxon’s YouTube catalog!!
But there happens to be another video on her channel that includes the dog avatar while also talking about furries at the same time…And that is none other than “Art, Furries, God”, a really good essay that predates this one! Those who have seen it before know that I grabbed the “something else, something more” quote from that. It talks about the balance of seriousness and silliness found in all kinds of art - using Ween’s ‘The Mollusk’, videos by JerryTerry (more specifically ‘The Boys Are Back In Town (to kill you)’ and its sequel) and the critically acclaimed Everything Everywhere All at Once as examples (and also talking about Adastra a lot more)! But more importantly, it casually provided the true definition of what a furry is; it’s about the symbolic, the sensory, the ever so slightly autistic!!
I saw in another article about this essay that having furry be defined by these principles alone was considered “gatekeeping”, but personally I don’t see it that way. I see it more like those Internet icebergs. On the surface, it’s the standard definition the normal zeitgeist knows about - Stuff like Zootopia or Pokemon and the fursuits and conventions. But it becomes much more interesting and detailed once you go deeper down; that’s where these attributes come into play.
After all, I thought for the longest time that the surface was all there is to it, but oh how naive I can be. To say that it felt like my third eye opened would be an understatement of the century…Sure, there are a lot of similarities and overlaps between furries and cartoon animal people, but this section is here to prove that they are distinctly not the same!!
So, let’s not discuss the holy trifecta of furry principles one by one, shall we?
The Symbolic
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The Sensory
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The Autistic
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