Well, this topic certain blew up.
I might have to do more than one post, because there is a lot of people I’d like to respond to here, but fair enough, I guess it’s fair I should do an introductory post.
Since some people mentioned where they discovered fluffies, I’ll start with that first.
I have mentioned this a bunch of times now but I am from the MLP fandom, specifically the G4 MLP:FiM fandom, and for a good while now. So if we include Mixxermike and Fluffle Puff, I was technically aware of an element of fluffies since back in 2014. Thing was, at the time, I brushed it off as people jumping on the Mixxermike bandwagon, making their own fluffy pony OCs based off Fluffle Puff. Now, without going into too much detail, I knew Mixxermike, and I had a falling out with the guy. (He has his own history of drama). Since Fluffle Puff was considered a “fluffy pony” on derpibooru, I chose to filter out that content.
Then around about the end of 2019 to early 2020, I discovered this comic by Quickhorn. The story intrigued me not only because of how sad it was, but more I wanted to know what happened to Snowball next. Turns out, this was a one-shot by Quickhorn. But what I ended up discovering was much larger and, to put it mildly, shocked me. My initial reaction to most of the content I saw on fluffybooru and the fluffy fandom was one of odium, mainly at the extent and depravity of the abuse. Speaking as a person who has looked after mentally handicapped people, the elderly, and being a person who has had his own difficulties in life, too much of the content felt like knocing down a semi-sentient/semi-sapient being “because” its inadequate.
I would have turned my back on my discovery, and attempted to forgot what I had come across, had it not been for the story of one specific green foal. That story remains to be one of my favourites and inspiration, as it had a character I empathized with. It was from there that I discovered the greater genre of hugbox, and found that there were and still ARE artists who love and fluffies for the way are, flaws and all, and didn’t see them as stress relief or as something to mock.
So I took the time. I went to search out as much hugbox as I could, seeking out the lighter works of Carpdime, as well aas Waggytail, Gowdie and Coalheart. But then I came to realize that were was a deeper, much larger world to fluffies that extended all the way to 2012, and that the ties of the fluffy fandom to the then-blossoming MLP:FiM fandom were larger than I thought. It became an interesting subject of research, because fluffies was one of those things that was created as an AU, but then took on a life of its own.
It is true that I do identify myself as a hugboxer (a reason why I adopt the title and icon), but I do have an appreciation for wierdbox ideas, as well as neutralbox. I do see sadbox as very critical to hugbox, but I don’t go to the other end of enjoying sadbox purely as I feel that life isn’t all thorns just as much as isn’t all roses. I am known for my criticisms of abusex, but I believe that the fluffy community, and with it, the genre as whole should not see itself as niche content. See, and the thing about fluffies is that, in its attempt to try and distance itself from its MLP origins, the fluffy pony fandom has ended up creating content and designs that, if considered independent of MLP, are wholly original and unique unto itself.
And if this community could be kept going, there is a lot of potential in this genre. What do I mean by this? A common thought I had come across is that people saying “fluffies should be dark/abused, and that the lighter content can be obtained from something like MLP and so-on”. Here’s the thing - end of the day, MLP, Care Bears, Smurfs and what have you are all corporate products. The reason why they have a mandated canon is because the canon is ultimately designed by higher ups within a corporation. Any fan activity and fan participation you see in such a community is limited, and will not have a greater influence on the main or even hivecanon. But fluffies, as an original concept, is free of this. And I think there is a potential in that.
As bio-engineered organisms that are the product of corporate influence, fluffies remind me of the replicant of Blade Runner or, perhaps more fittingly, the movie Okja. And I think there’s a lot of potential in that. I think there is also a potential in the concept of fluffspeak alone, a reason why I wrote an entire story reflecting on fluffspeak as a unique language. I think there is a lot of potential in fluffies as a form of speculative fiction, and I think that, if taken further, it could lead to some really interesting and good content.
But I do feel that people need to be nicer to each other, or at least have some more decorum. The booru was lacking that, and I remain of the opinion that, over time, the booru’s over-emphasis on abuse as well as vitriol is what I saw the departure of its main creatives, and with it, its mods and eventually its admin.
And this where I see another important role for hugbox. Because to me, hugbox isn’t just about fluffies being cute and doing cute things. It isn’t just about how the lives of fluffies can fare better. To me, hugbox also looks into how fluffies can better benefit the lives of others, whether sits among themselves, or even their human companion race. Yes, a lot of canons have explored fluffies as a nuisance or a pest, but it doesn’t apply to everybody. It doesn’t have to be entirely that way.
Taking it further, I am of the conviction that hugbox is also a way of expressing appreciation and tribute for different creatives within a community. But that appreciation should not only extend to the art and talent of the creative, but also their fluffies. Because ultimately, we are a fluffy fandom, and the focus should be on fluffies. Some may disagree with me on this, but I do see a value to fluffies, even if they have no value within the world of their setting. I have a list of my favourite fluffies, and that is because some people have put in the effort to defining and developing their fluffy characters. I think that is needed, if we’re going to avoid losing talent, or losing focus.