Discrimination, The Truth About Second Life Most Hated Community – Samuel Roberts Reporting

In the real world we deal with things everyday that make us come face to face with hate itself, whether you’re a woman in the workplace and you are discriminated against or a African American being pulled over for no justifiable reason by the police simple because of the color of your skin, racism, agism, sexism, ableism and basic ignorant prejudice is all around us in many places in the world we live in. 

Often this is even increased on platforms like video games that give the player base a sense of anonymity which in turn allows the ugliest parts of person to be revealed once the promise of consequences is removed. The question is, “Is it the same in Second Life?” have we reached the utopian ideal in this virtual world where we all live and get along in harmony, no. No. a giant big, colossal No. 

I Spoke to many people this week about the things that they have faced in second life for being black, for being a woman, for being disabled, for being young or old but the one community that stood to me the most was the furry community, the stories I heard were just hurtful and appalling, music venues not allowing them to even come and enjoy music, sims not allowing access to anyone with a tail or non-human face. I found corners of SL where Fury’s would gather and they seemed like “safe spaces” spaces in the grid where they could be free to be themselves, it hurt my heart to hear the stories around them being removed form places for just being who they are and to be honest I met some of the nicest people I’ve met in my 10 years in SL in this community.

I even bought myself a tail, initially it was to blend in for my attempt to infiltrate the community but over time I grew to love my tail, I would get compliments on it from the other Furry’s around me and I’ve honestly never felt so welcome by a community in second life. To be honest with you I was overwhelmed when a multitude of Furry’s started to explain their stories, banned for being furry, hunted, shot at, targeted directly by groups of trolls who would go out and find Furry’s to make fun of. One story stood out to me and gave me an unsettling feeling, it is as follows. A certain Group/Sim which shall remain nameless would literally target specific furry groups and hunt them as a kind of warped sport, they would RP as is if they were looking for Furry’s to kill. Another story that comes to mind is a man who has a love for motorcycles and tried to start a MC in second life only to realize that the entire MC community for the most part shoots at any furry on site and regards them as less than human, he has been rejected from any MC meet ups and is considered a pest in the eyes of some of second life’s largest MC’s. Even a personal story to end on, as an SL musician, some of my furry fans have been not allowed to come to certain venues to hear me play.

I hope this article brings awareness that not only agism, sexism and racism exist in second life in places like “The Boardroom” where if you are black you will be called the N word 100 times in the space of 20 mins or whether because you’re a trans woman you will be told you look manly and laughed at many public places around second life, Discrimination exists in Second Life and no more than that of the Furry Community.

I want to give a shout out to a lovely creature by the name of Keith who was warm, genuine, and welcoming to a human on the search for answers. Change comes when those with passion can no longer hold their tongue my friend 😊

I want to leave you with this closing remark from the wonderful Raven, it grants us a glimmer of hope and reminds us the light is always stronger than the dark. 

Raven Corvinus: “As someone who has operated a furry sim since 2016 it is my opinion that the harassment and gatekeeping has gotten better since then. I cannot remember the last time I had a hate group show up (yes there are hate groups still active on SL but that is expected. It’s the internet after all) However the furry community remains hurt over the earlier years and get fearful when a person that is not a part of the community shows up to furry sims. Even if they mean well and have done nothing, almost everyone has a freeze response and gets quiet. Work is needed on both sides to come together and not discriminate against one another. I don’t think there is a long-term solution. Some folks just have a lot of hate in their heart and don’t care to hurt others. It’s those that give majority a bad name. For all my time in SL, I have more memories of fun and feeling safe than I have feeling unwelcome and actively hated. I feel like if we focus on what is good it easily trumps the bad. It’s my belief that if you feel you don’t belong somewhere, then make a place where you do~ Much love to you all.

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AVIE POLL: Sexy or Unsexy Trends in Second Life

Every culture has something unique to contribute to the world. We experience many trends which mold our own ideas and perceptions. Since Second Life mirrors the real world, we collectively co-exist freely sharing our various cultures, fashion trends, music, languages, and more. The SL Enquirer set out to poll avies across the grid about some of the things trending in Second Life right now.  Names have been changed.

The KFC Trend

Apparently, It doesn’t seem to be for chicken anymore.  We are not here to avie body shame, let us put that out there at the start but with that being said, Some avies want to know what the appeal is looking like a plucked chicken and calling it sexy. Do men and or women actually like this mesh body style or is it similar to one's own real-life body shape? 

This trend seems to be the most popular request to poll. It got its name because of the resemblance to a KFC chicken thigh, breasts, and drumstick. A body shape is wide and curvy then tapers down into a skinny chicken leg. Realistically, one's waist would not be that snatched in with the amount of fat deposit on the hip, thigh, and breast areas. Spongebob’s body shape would be a better example if avies are trying to “keep it real”.

Avie Poll

What do you think of avies that model themselves in SL as they are in RL? Do you think that is the true way to go or did they design your avatar for the complete opposite?

Ryan: “I love me some greasy a** chicken but damn how does chicken smell like bacon after a spin on the dancefloor?”

Bob: “Yes, we’re not here to avie shame, but that doesn’t have to mean you have to stretch out like the Stay Puft Marshmallow man either.  Don’t you have enough on your plate?

Sally: DAMN I want KFC chicken now !!!!

David: Hey some guys like it. I remember when I was first starting out in second life. My slacks were so tight I could barely walk and this nice woman approached me and offered to help. We’ve been together ever since and I love every curve! Don’t hate.

Karen: “I’m calling the police.”

Big ol’ Sloppy Boob Jobs with extra animated physics

Ann Hawkins Turner is the woman who currently holds the Guinness world records for the biggest breasts but she is in some serious competition for a title in Second Life! Since the beginning of self-body modifications, many avies especially those in the stripper and escort careers have really loaded up the breast prims. Sometimes to the point, wearing simple shirts makes their body style look like a sloppy stack of pancakes, and the added exaggerated physics for realism only adds to the secondhand embarrassment of those around them. This phenomenon has many SL residents scratching their heads. Here’s what they had to say when asking if it was sexy.

Steven: “I’m into boobs and don’t really mind a set that is a little on the larger size, but I have the draw somewhere”

Salvatore: “Maybe extreme motorboating is a sport?”

Karen: “It’s just ridiculous! I’m calling the cops!”

Mani: “I don’t think it’s sexy personally but some men seem to love it”

Louis: “Natural is better but big or small love me some t*tties!”

The Itty Bitty Mini Committee

Ok ladies, ever hear of leaving a little to the imagination? Since the beginning of Second Life, many of the club-going women seem to be in a highly competitive sport of seeing who can wear the shortest mini skirt in the club. If you are part of the mini-trend, before spending all your pole money on new outfits, here’s what some guys had to say about this never-ending trend.

Avie Poll: Is it sexy?

Conner: ”Ain’t nothing wrong with a little cheek showing.”

Lucy: “Women should be able to wear whatever she wants, people need to mind their own business omg”

Paul: “If we are keeping it real. Way too many women in SL seem to think that the shorter the skirt the more attention they will get. I see them everywhere,  can't catch a break! No. It is not sexy or cute. It just looks like a woman with low self-esteem.”

Jessica: “I think it is perfectly fine, but if they are going to wear those so short they need to make sure they wipe correctly and not leave any cling ons” Don’t even get me started when there are a bunch of them dancing in a club on a hot day!”

Darrin: “Why do I get the mental smell of a fish market?”

Karen: “That’s it I’m calling the cops! It is violating my rights!”

Larry: ”It is like seeing the whole cow before they cut your piece of Filet  Mignon. Not appetizing”

George: “It reminds me of being at a gentlemen's club AFTER the lights are turned on…*shudders*”

Wilted Fern and Tumble Weed Hair

Mesh is a beautiful thing. Why not upgrade? Since mesh has become a thing, more avies are stepping it up in the upgrade department but like a well-kept yard, Second Life still has some overgrown weeds that are sprinkled across the grid landscape. Sometimes the lack of lindens prevents many from moving to mesh but it doesn’t mean your hair has to suffer. The nice thing about upgrading is, not only does it make you feel better when getting a makeover, but it also adds to the virtual world environment.

Avie Poll: How do you know if you have a weed garden on your head and how can it be fixed?

Karen:  “Stop acting broke”. That hair is highly offensive and could cause emotional distress in my pomeranian who has to see that and relive the day he was snatched from the teet. I’m calling the cops!”

Pamela: “When your weave is so nappy you need a perm, it might be time to buy some new hair. Just saying…”

Sally: Girl!!! Please do us a favor and upgrade yourself and not look homeless. Time to spend those lindens!” 

Janine: “Krispy Kreme wants their secret hair gel back.Looks like your mother banged a furry is not the look you should be going for. Too lazy to just hit up the freebie galaxy to find better quality hair.”

Gary: “I’m bald so I don’t have this issue but in my professional opinion as a random guy being polled. I plead with all of you who suffer from chronic bedhead in SL. My only suggestion is to detach the wig and live your best bald life. It’s free and the ladies love it! Ladies, If you are going the bald route, I suggest at  the very least tape a bow to your head or something.”

Chester Mustaches,  The Lumberjack Beard

With all the hard work mesh head creators put into the features of a hot and sexy male avatar (well some), why would they cover up all that goodness with a thick overgrowth of facial hair including crumb catchers and handlebar mustaches? We have to admit some of the stashes are a bit uncle-touchy- creepy. And let's not even mention the Ramen Noodle perms and brillo pad combos.

Avie Poll: Is it sexy?

Sara: “From a lady's perspective it gets in the way. Not to mention the delicate areas. It might be time to shave.”

Glitterbomb: “If the top ain’t manscaped, I can only imagine the forest below!”

Bianca: “Manscaping isn’t only for the chest and berries. It is a must for the face as well. My only advice would be to clean the razor before moving from one piece of real estate to another.”

Beverly: “Oh nooooo. This isn’t sexy at all. The whole caveman meets Vegas-style is soooo not cool anymore. People are over the Geico caveman insurance commercials. These men can go get entangled in someone else's overgrown yard. Not mine! I keep my garden trimmed.”

Jonathan: “I once met a guy with very long, spiky red hair and a tiny red goatee...he looked a lot like Beaker from The Muppets.  Think before you drink, folks.”

Karen: “All I wanted to do was explore SL and I am being forced to see men in untamed facial hair everywhere. I can't take it anymore. I’m calling the cops because it is a fire hazard!”

The almighty strip club platform heels

Did you know there are over 200,000 reported high heel-related injuries a year in the U.S between 2001-2020? What is up with the towering platform heels? Please use caution dancing, standing, running, walking, or skipping in the sand or anywhere else for that matter. Thank goodness the reports are low in SL, the only damage done is wasting the Lindens. The groove may be in the heart but not everywhere in Second Life.

Avie Poll: Is this Sexy?

Kevin: “Why? Just why?”

Sally: “Too much lindens yes but at least I don’t have to go to the hospital after a fall like I would in real life.” 

Barry: “I don’t know how to feel about platform pumps after the incident in a strip club when one of the ladies stomped on my jewels while giving me a lapdance.”

Gale: “I recall a time when I could do runway in platform feels. Now, the guys are winning the catwalk. Yes it’s sexy!”

Susan: “I am not trying to be a “Karen” but really I think it's degrading women and making them an image of being weak, we feminst are strong damn it and no matter if we can’t walk, we have the right to do as we please because we are Women hear us Roar”

Greg: “The buck stops with pregnant chicks in pumps on the dancefloor.  That’s not sexy.”

Karen: “Don’t be telling me what to wear! I’m calling the cops because you are violating my freedom!”

Furries with Boob Jobs and bikinis

It’s bad enough SL has a vermin problem and they want to add huge breast implants and bikinis to the mix. Unless furries are trying to keep up the milk supply for their huge litters, there really isn’t a reason for it.  Aside from that, putting clothes on animals is frowned upon by the more serious animal lover communities.

Avie Poll: Are furries with breast implants and bikinis sexy?

Bruce: “I can’t even look at my pet rabbit the same anymore after catching a couple of furries yiffing in the bushes behind my club”

Sally: “right-click and derender because who really wants to see that maybe in a porn film … not me.”

Tommy: “OK, I admit I always wanted to see the Little Mermaid nude when I was younger, but not anymore…”

Jared: “Shouldn’t furries have like 3 sets of teets? The whole trend is inaccurate and confusing! Maybe if I was a furry I might be into it but I wouldn't want to compete with a pack”

David: “Well it is really hard to say, I mean if the boobs are good, sure, but come on if they are saggy, then no, make them perky damn it, Perky boobs for all!”

Karen: “I don’t know why we are talking about this, a person’s boobies are their own business you are violating them making them the focus of your article, that is rude and I am calling the police!”

We have come to the conclusion there are no right or wrong answers with Trends. They come and go. Sometimes for years and then return and the younger generations think they came up with the idea. Trends become trends because at least someone is into it and others follow.  No matter how silly they are to you, someone thinks it's sexy. Next time you see these trends around Second Life, you could either act like a Karen and cry about it or mind your own business, not everyone thinks your style is cute.

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FURZONA II – FRACTURED – A MARVEL IN HIGH-TECH: BYJOSH (THOMAS1 BELLIC)

I recently attended the Grand Opening of the hottest, most creative, and arguably the absolute finest club to be found anywhere on the grid in the past 16 years! Furzona – Fractured.  The first impression you get when you land at the arrival area for Furzona 2020, is one of space.  The sightlines extend off into the distance.  As you look out over the expanse, your eyes are drawn to the DJ platform at the far end of the massive dance floor.  Almost three stories tall from floor to ceiling with balconies and comfortable lounge areas, interspersed with expansive gaming areas. This sim is the result of a true team effort, using a software development approach, with Game as the designer, and Aki Norin as the builder, bringing the dream to (second)Life.

And then there are the people.  The electronic energy of the room is magnified by the bodies of the dancers, Club staff, and other onlookers. While the bulk of the group is on the dance floor itself, others wander around the club grounds, exploring this monument to Imagination, descending the grand staircase, admiring the artwork, or exploring the many kiosks that line the entry area with items found nowhere else on the entire grid.

It was there, tucked away in the corner of the room, I found Game Wylder, one of the true Visionaries behind Furzona.  

JOSH BELLIC (JB): Hi there, Game.  What an amazing new place you have here.  In what ways is Furzona II different from its predecessor?  What makes this place truly unique among sims?

GAME WYLDER (GW): The difference between V1 (our anniversary build) and V2 (Fracture), is mostly our expansion. We wanted to expand the entire venue, expanding upon not only the physical form, but also the concept of the club. We wanted to re-incorporate EVERY aspect of the original build in the new one. We didn't just want to build it bigger, but Better. We wanted to take the six months of research and development into a massive overhaul of the entire experience.

JB:  Fracture is obviously much larger than the original Furzona. In fact, with few exceptions, it is probably larger than most every club out there today.  What is the capacity of Club Fracture?

GW:  Since we used to share the sim with other parcels, it used to be under 100 patrons, but now, we can go as high as 110. We've fit up to 90 people in the previous club, but it felt claustrophobic. Now, we can stuff 100 people in here with it still feeling spacious.

JB:  Are Mesh builds really that much better? What advantage does a “Full Mesh Build” have over a Prim- build?

GW:  Prims are good, but when making complex structures, Mesh is the way to go. We can make way more dynamic builds when we do it straight from Blender. The biggest advantage is the optimization when the club is empty, a moderate machine should be able to run up to 90 FPS. We wanted to make sure Furzona can run on almost any machine.

JB:  This is the first I have heard of Furzona II.  How long has Fracture been in development?

GW: It's been in development for about 2 months, we've kept it a very close secret between managers. We wanted to take our time on this project. The last build felt somewhat rushed, whereas this one feels extremely flushed out and optimized.

JB:  I see signs around the place that talk about “Red versus Blue”?  What is that concept as it applies to your club here?

GW: Furzona has always been a Red and Blue themed club. So, we like to play on the Red vs Blue theme, that is prevalent in most games like Halo.

JB:  You have an area on the upper level called the Wall of Gratitude.  What is that all about?

GW:  We recently started up a Patreon for any people who wish to support the club ( http://www.Patreon.com/clubfurzona.  We had a lot of people approach us, and ask us how they could donate, so we decided to setup a way for them to do it proper. The Wall of Gratitude is a wall designed for those who support us at the $5 tier.

JB:  Tell us about some of the events you plan for Fracture?

GW:  We will continue to do our weekly events.  Our next event after Fracture is the GYC pride event on the 26th.  GYC is one of the Adult Furry Clubs on the Grid, it stands for Gay Yiff Club lol. It's the #1 Furry club in SL. So, we wanted to work with GYC to do a LGBTQ+ Pride event, and we're hosting that next week. Outside of that, we are planning seasonal events, like a summer event, some video game themed events, and community events!

JB:  Are you already thinking about your next grand Project?  And what might that be?

GW:  One step at a time, we wanted to put all our focus on Fracture before thinking about the next big thing. Rest assured, now that Fracture is open, we have begun planning for our next big thing.

JB:  Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about Fracture? The floor is yours, Sir.

GW:  We wanted to thank all of our staff and patrons for supporting us through these past 6 months. We couldn't have made it without your support. Fracture is our gift to all of those who have supported us. We wanted to re-design the club to feel more like a home to all of you. So please, enjoy.

So, there you go, Folks.  If the clubs you are used to visiting have become kinda cold and stale, then you need to TP your pixeled buttocks on over to FURZONA FRACTURED for the HOTTEST tunes, the HOTTEST lightshows, and the HOTTEST  DJs on the grid!    See ya there!  Aloha!

Josh 

SURL:   http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Furzona/64/71/2013

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About Subcultures of SL-Becca Drascol Reporting...

There are so many cultures in Second Life. Like so many virtual worlds, the power to create is a strong part of the mix. It includes not only creating your avatar into something fantasy based, but also RP (role play) for most situations.  But why exactly do subcultures exist?  Is it the ability to be something we cannot in RL? Perhaps it’s for the creation of it all.  Or even to relive something via your avatar, which could be the case in becoming a child avatar or parent. 

Being a vampire in SL myself, I can honestly say it’s to be something that I have always loved the lore of. Stories, movies and characters with abilities we do not have in RL...immortality.  Bloodlines is one of the top subcultures in Second life. The Bloodlines web page shows us that approximately 133 thousand players are registered within this role play system. For most involved in Bloodlines it’s about family as well. The freedom to create a Vampire Clan, Lycan Horde, or Human Guild, allows players to recruit friends and have different social events within that group.

Mermaids...what lovely half human and half fish beings they are.  Who wouldn't want to immerse themselves into the fairytale of being such a mystical creature? And moreover a creature with the talent to live in the water or on land and yet be tied to a need for water leaves vulnerability.

Furries come in many a form.  Again another large subculture of SL. Simply put animal characters with human personalities.  Many a club and hangout is devoted to furries of SL. Some exclusive, others welcome any and all avies. 

Fairies beautiful sometimes winged but usually human in appearance have been in many a folktale and mythology. I personally have always loved fairies.  For me the draw to them was how they dress, their wings and just the pure almost innocent look of a fairy.

Tinies...well who can resist cuteness? Am I right? One avatar all rolled up into a very small package. Special made avies with the intent of being the smallest avatars around. One would assume the allure to being a tiny is the size and cuteness.

Finally Child Avies...love em or hate em they too are an intrigal part of our SL world.  Some relive the nostalgia of childhood via their child avie, while some others also choose to be a child vampire forever immortalized as a young soul, unable to die but forever within the innocent naivety that is childhood. Cute clothes and a pint sized you...the allure that is the beauty of all sweet and pure.  While moderate and adult sims have to have different rules per TOS on child avies there are many a child avatar and many places where it is more than acceptable to be a lil one.  Some also with the popularity of SL pregnancy have chosen to be the "child" of others within SL.  Another outlet to gain the bonds and closeness of family through role play.

Existence:

But the question here is why do these subcultures exist?  What draws people to them and why do they have such a following?  Thus far you have read my idea on why they're here within SL. And now I'll ask one person of each subculture why that subculture exists to them.

We'll start with Bloodlines which covers Vampires/Lycan/Human cultures all into one:

Becca Drascol: Why do you think the Bloodlines subculture exists in SL?

Noir8Sagato Resident: First time for rp but now it is for the creator a money maker.

Becca Drascol: Why does bloodlines exist for you personally?

Noir8Sagato Resident: Family and role-play.

Furries:

Becca Drascol: Why does the furry subculture exist in SL (in your opinion?)

ZeBooty Resident: Well Furries have always existed. And SL allows people to play as their

sonas fairly easily.

Becca Drascol: And why does it exist for you personally? Anything that makes it special for you?

ZeBooty Resident: Why it exists... That's hard to say. And I don't really know how to answer that.

For Mermaids, Fairies, and Tinies I got the opinion of an SL resident who has been a lil bit of everything:

Becca Drascol: Why does the mermaid culture exist in SL?

 Aurora Yardley: Mers...are for me truly free. They live in communities or solitary the groups that gather are like everyone else in SL. They have homes ...dance clubs (the dances are in 3 dimensions) and graceful.

Becca Drascol: Why do you feel the Fairy subculture exists?

Aurora Yardley: Ok ...there is a common link to fantasy creatures Mers...Fae. Petites and tinies ...they all are personal expressions of one's inner self and like human groups they like to gather and share ideas avie adaption tips.  An endless list they are open to each other and to the human public.

Aurora Yardley: The sims they all gather in generally are tailored to their needs. Mermaids and mermen go where there is water anywhere and mix with the normal humans over the entire scope of SL... Fairy folk  mix in well with fantasy sims  very well, they can be very cute, or devilishly naughty playing pranks. Again like with  any living thing they are unique and no two are alike.

Becca Drascol: Oh I'm sure there is a lot of creativity to each and for each person.

Aurora Yardley: For each genre it is an endless scope of variation. I collect skins and adapt them to roles I take on.

Finally we come to child avies:

Becca Drascol: Why does the child av subculture exist in SL?

BabyGirlVivi Resident: It is a way of life in which they choose to relive something they didn't get to live in real life, sometimes reliving what they couldn't in real life gives them closure and helps them battle through things easier in life reliving it in SL by being more of what they would've liked to live out more like than they may have RL.

Becca Drascol: Some people choose to adopt the role of being another avatars child in SL. Is this something you would do or have done?

BabyGirlVivi Resident: Yes I would love to do that. I have longed to find a family that would love to take in an avatar like mine. It isn't easy to come by, some may freak about it others really enjoy seeing avatars like myself. Another avatar that enjoys a child avatar understands the reasoning for us the way we are and are a great help to us if they take us in. The connection of being another avatar's child in SL is again reliving what we maybe didn't get to in RL, finally with another avatar's help we can feel at home, loved, cared about, and nourished with open arms and heart of the chosen avatar that wants the role of a child avatar in their SL lives. And at same time we can make fantasy for those that choose to do so, that they struggle to have RL.

To Sum it up:

Rather for fantasy or creativity we create the avatar we feel comfortable in and then we seek a place to belong and we find that place among some form of SL subculture. Be you Vamp, Lycan, Human, Furry, Mermaid, Tiny or Fairy, we all have found our place for our own reasons and our own escape into the world which we call our second lives.

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