Marsupial Madness: Saturday 4pm

I just wanted to make a comment on this thread about how disappointed I was by this. I have three issues.

My smallest complaint being that despite the panel supposedly was about marsupials in general, but besides a mention here or there, all I heard spoken about was kangaroos. Interest in other species was clear from attendance (I think I remember people saying that their fursonas were also possums, more than one thylacine, and of course personally a wombat.) There just didn't seem to be any preparation to think about other animals. If it was meant to be a kangaroo discussion I would have preferred that it just be called a ~kangaroo get together~ or something.

Secondly, it was just flat out disorganized. Why even bother? Maybe I missed something but I don't think I did. We sat around and talked about kangaroos for like 20 minutes and then a photo of the group was suggested. Why? What was that about? What investment did most of us have to each other in that 20 minutes to warrant a photo? There was no cohesiveness. It was like they didn't even try.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I know that it seems like a lot of furries think making sexual jokes are ~lyke rly funneh guyz srsly~ it's not only immature but entirely inappropriate unless you advertise beforehand that these things might be brought up, no matter how briefly. I found it really tasteless and uncomfortable.

I seem to remember someone attending that was in a thylacine costume (I didn't catch her name) that came with her mother. My issue is that 1. she was in a suit so we had no idea whether she was a minor or not, yet there were all sorts of lewd jokes being tossed around by the leaders of the "panel" and 2. she brought her *MOTHER* with her -- is that really the sort of impression we want to make on parents who are willing to come with their children to a furry con?

Needless to say, I ducked out with my partner as soon as everyone got up to go get a photo taken. I just couldn't handle that sort of embarrassed feeling you get for other people anymore.

I guess I'll throw my two cents in then.

When one thinks of marsupials, one tends to think of kangaroos. Yes---it's not fair, but it is the way it is. The fact that it was headed by a couple of kangaroos just adds to that unfairness factor.

I will agree completely with you about the inappropriate dialogue. I sat right in front of that girl and her mother. And though I didn't turn around, I think I know what the expression on her face was every time sex was directly or indirectly mentioned. A disclaimer would have been nice, I agree, but sometimes things do slip out.

However, the panel had no reason to be organized, beyond a few general topics for discussion. Fuzzyroo admitted, more than once, that he fully intended to waste an hour of our time. I personally liked that hour wasted, but I see where you're coming from.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I know that it seems like a lot of furries think making sexual jokes are ~lyke rly funneh guyz srsly~ it's not only immature but entirely inappropriate unless you advertise beforehand that these things might be brought up, no matter how briefly. I found it really tasteless and uncomfortable.

They are also extremely unwelcome in Anthrocon programming. Please email ceo(at)anthrocon.org. I would like to know exactly what was said and by whom.

Marsupial Madness is a panel that was a great re-start of a past-AC-hosted panel and returned again this year for a second-consecutive panel for AC2010. This year something was evidently said in the course of the panel, I honestly wish I could remember in specific, though I have a couple ideas on what might've crossed the line. The con especially the fandom panels strive to be at "worst" PG 13 and something crossed that line. As a responsible member of the fandom, a long time attendee and staff member of Anthrocon, and also the panel host I'd also like to apologize. I was made aware by the mother of the minor that "we needed to be aware of minors" though she didnt' specify what exactly what was said. She told me this as we were walking from the photo-shoot time-waster and back to conclude the last 10 or 15 minutes of the panel. I'll also be accountable and if anyone wants to email me directly in addition to Kage; I do feel a responsibility for being the host of said panel, please send it cc: and share your thoughts

Wombat, I'm sorry to you that you felt the course of conversation was Kangaroo heavy. I know we had other species represented within the marsupial circles. I did try to open the panel to the general audience to share thoughts and ideas and experiences. Aside from the fact in the program book it followed what we described, an intent for a meet and greet and wasting an hour of your (con) time, yes we would also like to strive to waste it within the focus of enjoying and directing the course of conversation around the awesomeness of all things marsupial. I would enjoy extending an invitation to you next year to be a third host to help direct the conversations if you would be agreeable. This will perhaps help solve your frustrations that things were left out so you can take a little pride in making improvements for next year.

Kagemushi, Our esteemed CEO/Chair, I want to extend an apology to you as well. Some challenges/complaints of the panel above that can be improved for next time aside, I am also concerned about "who said what" that crossed the line. I'll start by saying I surely hope it didnt come from me as a panel host. I'll email you privately on what I "think it might have been" and I assure you I made my best efforts to apologize to the mother of the minor in fursuit that appeared during our panel. The remainder after that incident was very positively taken. The last thing I think fuzzy, myself intended or the rest of us within the fandom during the con as it relates to the track of marsupials is to have a bad vibe and a potential black mark on what should be a positive fun experience for con attendees. I'll work with you to resolve that singular issue in hopes that one-off incident is and will be simply that, a one-time incident that will not repeat in future panel appearances at Anthrocon.

I'll end it on a positive. The idea for the panel photo-shoot was much like what fuzzy also mentioned in his comment. We had a bit of an opportunity in time-wasting to capture a moment of Anthrocon, with as many marsupials and marsupial enthusiasts, and even a few panel refugees from the husky fandom track. Whereas a lot of the fandom track and random group photos were about 98 percent fursuit only our thought was to be inclusive for everyone attending our panel, not just the ones to show in suit. I would be willing to bet we were potentially the ONLY panel to attempt to do so and capture and help preserve that moment of the con.

fuzzyroo, Danruk,

I do appreciate you guys apologizing and I realize that nothing that went on during the panel was mean-spirited or intended to be inappropriate/unwelcoming. That doesn't mean it wasn't, however, but I do think that acknowledging it and taking responsibility (and wanting to do something to set that right) is mature.

Most of all I hope the mother of that girl wasn't too put off by what was said and that the girl herself was not upset by it. I'm glad she was apologized to, but still frustrated that there was a need for an apology to be given. Like most people in the fandom I'm acutely aware of the fact that a lot of people think this entire thing is some sort of sexual deviance, and simply speaking as someone who has absolutely no interest in it in any sexual light at all, I hate for anything to pop up to give it that kind of impression at all to newcomers or people on the fence about us.

But I do think that it's good that you guys want to improve the panel, whether these issues were present or not. If not for the sexual jokes I would have probably stayed, to be honest. If I can make one suggestion, I think that as panel hosts, being aware that some people attending may be too shy or reserved to bring things up, I think helping individuals feel more encouraged to talk about their interests by asking direct questions (you're a ______? that's different! why did you choose that?) would be good. I know I have anxiety about speaking out in groups, but I would love to have discussions about marsupials of all different kinds on all different subjects. I'm personally studying Australian literature and in the preliminary stages of writing a paper about the representations of native Australian wildlife in literature, and I would have loved to bring that up and see if anyone had any ideas about fun things to read that might help me out with that project. :] I just really never felt as though there was a point in the conversation where I could have chimed in with that.

Talking about the challenges of making marsupial fursuits of all different kinds would have been interesting, as many marsupials have traits that are challenging to fit to the human body (and have it not look like crap.) The diversity of marsupials in the room would have also made for interesting conversation about what drew us to marsupials in general, as well as the individual marsupial species we chose. There are also tonnes of conservation issues at play when you talk about marsupials, so bringing that up as well as being prepared with some resources that people may be able to look into if they are interested in aiding native Australian wildlife would have been great. Also, outside of kangaroos and wallabies (and of course opossums), it's hard for most of us to see our favorite marsupials (even in zoos!) in North America. Since traveling to Australia is expensive, it would be fun to come prepared, also, with maybe a helpful list of where certain marsupials can be seen in zoos. (For example, did you know there are only three zoos in North America that have wombats AT ALL? The closest ones to Pittsburgh are outside of Chicago and in Toronto!)

What artists in the fandom are particularly good at drawing (insert marsupial here), isn't it funny how people don't realize that only female marsupials have pouches, who in the fandom writes about marsupials regularly, draws marsupials regularly, blah blah blah. Ursula Vernon has her comic (Digger) about a wombat. There must be a whole bunch of stuff about possums, in and out of the fandom. Isn't there something about a thylacine, too? I can't remember. These would all be fun little things to mention.

Etc, etc. These are just some ideas and some stuff that was more in line with what I thought would be more likely to be the topic of conversation in a panel about marsupials. While I do think that open discussion is a really good way to help people get to know each other, steering the conversation is also the job of the panel leaders, and it helps prevent reiterating tired topics. Coming educated about what sort of animals the attendees may be likely to want to talk about would probably be helpful, also, as I know that despite my interests in Australia and Australian wildlife, I still haven't scratched the surface as far as knowledge about marsupials. Knowing what a "dunnart" or a "potoroo" is if someone pops up some year and says that's their fursona would probably make someone really happy.

If you guys ever did want to get together and talk about fun things to do on the subject of marsupials, I would really enjoy discussing it. Let me know and thanks for responding/being willing to listen to concerns. And thanks to Kage for being so on top of everything that goes on at Anthrocon.