Post 6 Neko – Jorus Xi
by Pixeleen Mistral on 15/06/07 at 10:40 pm
[Our post 6 Neko series continue with a lithe and lively tom cat of a kitty - Jorus Xi. As always, the best avatar portraits in the metaverse come to us courtesy of Marilyn Murphy - photographer, visionary, and publisher of Players, SL’s in-world erotica magazine. Enjoy! -- the Editrix]
A lot of people, mainly guys ask me almost every day, “Why are you a neko?” or my personal favorite “Neko’s are a bit … femme don’t you think?”. Well boys and girls… let me tell you. It is all about style, mix in a touch of sensuality, and honestly… I think most of us guys have masculinity to spare. Another common assumption is that dressing nice + cat ears + cat tail = Gay, or metrosexual… nothing could be further from the truth.
When I first donned the neko ears and tail it was about three months before the gridwide “NEKO SPLOSION” that appeared overnight, ironically I think it happened around the same time another SL publication posted an article basically saying “Kitties get more pussy” or somesuch.. go figure… guys if your AV is a pro wrestler build and you slapped a tail and ears on to be trendy… you aren’t really a Neko, your probably just trying to capitalize on a fad. Kinda like folks that own a furry AV but aren’t furries.
It is something that is a bit tough to explain, and the “its femme vs it is not femme” argument can be seen several ways. Cat’s are very sensual, a trait usually passed on to the fairer sex when it comes to “ownership” of that trait as well as lithe, a cat seduces, coerces, cuddles… all things usually attributed to the feminine. On the other hand… a cat is a hunter, a stalker, a predator… items usually attributed to the more masculine of the sexes.
Initially… it was a bit of a challenge to myself to be honest, I wanted to make a neko AV that not only fit the mold of what is expected of a part human part feline character, but also cracked and broke it in several places as well, I know it sounds a bit silly, but I wanted to prove that not only could I be cute and cuddly, but I could also pull off being masculine at the same time. In a SL full of guys who discovered the “Muscle” and “Coin Pouch” slider in the appearance tab it would allow me to stand apart as both strong and yet at the same time sensual. A lot of folks both male and female often don’t understand… you can be both.
In addition…. Neko guys.. they know where all the good clothing is, I rarely see what I consider to be a “True” neko guy dressed anything but immaculately. Ironically there are many large areas full of mens clothing with one of the taglines in their search being “Neko” …. go figure. While I won’t say these stores “Cater” to that particular demographic of SL (A few of them do such as Gritty Kitty and some others), you certainly see a lot of the “Cat People” wearing their brands. FYI guys… if you see a neko wearing something nice and you want it… look up “The Block”. Odds are it is sold there.
Now that I’ve spent an hour talking about my look, I should probably drag myself from kicking and screaming in front of the mirror while preening and use this small spot of publicity to say what it is in SL I do (Aside from look good *thwap* OW!…I think my ego just backlashed on itself). I’m currently a manager at Phreak-Radio (http://www.phreak-radio.com or http://listen.phreak-radio.com for the stream) where I manage entire stacks of recaltracient DJ’s into doing what I want them to do (Play good music). I have been doing it for about 5 months now and let me tell you, DJing, especially when DJing a scheduled show where I’m not just an adjunct to a raffleball and a contest board at some club has to be one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in SL. Since we’re a “Radio Station” and not a club I often get to mix with folks I would never have met DJing anywhere else. Live musicians have played for us, we get independant artists sending us their work all the time to be played on air, and we have also been known to do the occasional side project, one of the most fun being commentating the races down at the Motorati sim. Added to this Phreak Isle is the main distribution of the babbler product (A free scripted object that uses google languages to on the fly translations in SL) means I have gotten to talk music with people all around the globe! Needless to say… music is a bit of a passion…
In fact.. that reminds me of a funny *GACK hissssss*
/me claws at the podium as he is quickly dragged away from it with a very large hooked stick
Anonymous
Jun 15th, 2007
Fag.
Mrrrrrreow Nekoneko
Jun 15th, 2007
That PENIS looks rather small.
GAY
Jun 15th, 2007
gay
Artemis Fate
Jun 15th, 2007
Nice article.
Although it should be noted, according to Wikipedia “In Japanese gay slang, neko is equivalent to femme, i.e the more feminine member of a lesbian relationship, as well as the equivalent to bottom, or passive partner in a male homosexual relationship (especially in terms of anal sex).”
I do like that there are cat-boys now, back before it became a fad, there were like 2 cat-boys, and 10-20 cat-girls
Tenshi Vielle
Jun 15th, 2007
O_o Are we picking up Post Sixx people from the Second Citizen forum now?
Kahni Poitier
Jun 16th, 2007
Lots and lots of them are.
What’s your point?
Rosa
Jun 16th, 2007
Love the tattoos! It’s very rare to see guys look proportionate, well dressed, creative, and masculine.
Great choice for the Post 6 Guys. ^_^
Brent Recreant
Jun 16th, 2007
I think the other publication said that Neko’s are pussies, not that they get more.
Jonas Pierterson
Jun 16th, 2007
Good look Jorus. My female av is a neko at times, human others, and even a wolf on occasion now. I can understand the comment about people who own furry avs but aren’t furries, more than ever now. On this name, I’m normally a nightmare – a demonic flaming horse – but consider myself a furry even if others don’t. Keep up the strength against those who call you femme, Jorus, I understand that too.
Macphisto Angelus
Jun 16th, 2007
Congrats Jorus!!
I skipped the pics and went straight to the comments to congratulate ya. I am sure you understand.
Siobhan OFlynn
Jun 16th, 2007
Nice bewbs, Jorus! I swear, I didn’t even notice *ahem* anything else.
Congrats on a great layout!
marilyn murphy
Jun 16th, 2007
ahem. post sixx is an equal opportunity column.
frankly i grow tired of people categorizing the column as all one thing or another. it’s not all furries or big busted babes or barbies or nekos or second citizens, or goths.
it represents avatars in second life and the typists behind them.
if only a robot avatar, and i dont want a part timer, ( a real robot avatar that is a robot full time), would contact me.
post sixx has never had one and its high time.
Jorus Xi
Jun 16th, 2007
heheh Artemis you trust everything wikipedia tells you?
Jenna Normandy
Jun 16th, 2007
Wow! meOW!!! HOT HOT HOT!
Sally R
Jun 16th, 2007
What a yummy looking kitteh.
<3
Artemis Fate
Jun 17th, 2007
“heheh Artemis you trust everything wikipedia tells you?
”
Wikipedia tells me i’m a special unique snowflake!
General Cronon
Jun 17th, 2007
Artemis Fate, you just call him gay because your marriage is unhappy. Artemis you hate Hip Hop culture anyway, I remember when I first met you all because dressed a certain way you said “you think because you dress that way, that you are a thug?” Kinda weird, I think Hilter passed the hate to you lol! You can spamm my in world ims, but i dont ccare
Freddy
Jun 18th, 2007
I don’t get the neko thing. What’s the difference between this and a furry?
marilyn murphy
Jun 18th, 2007
hey!! just a darn minute here! Wikipedia told me i’m a special unique snowflake too!!
curse you Wikipedia and your two timing ways!
darkfoxx
Jun 18th, 2007
“I don’t get the neko thing. What’s the difference between this and a furry?”
Simple: there is little to no difference between neko and furry.
Neko is what the Japanese call a human-animal mix (and in particular, cat-human mix), and furry is what the western kids call it.
Either way, it’s anthropomorphic: putting human looks or characteristics on something not human.
(note that this can also be the brave little toaster: not human doesn’t have to mean animal.)
Anthropommorphic animal is a bit long to say, so we shortened and ‘cute-ified’ it a little.
And because most people like the fuzzy animals, mammals, furry is what the term became. of course there’s ‘scalies’ as well, for those who like reptiles better and have a reptile AV, but it still falls under the blanket term furry.
Of course, those who adore catgirls and absolutely loathe furries, will disagree and say neko is totally unlike furry in each and every aspect: and they have a point when they say that with Neko the mix has more human then animal in it. But that’s merely an issue of not wanting to be associated with furries for whatever silly reasons people might have for disliking us.
There is however a seperate term for those cases where the animal part in the mix is substantially larger then the human part, and this is called “Kemono” if I’m correct.
So one could say that if the mix is closer to human, it’s neko, if it’s got more of the animal traits it’s furry or kemono. it’s a huge grey area really that on the whole, is pretty unimportant ^.^
To Jonas: If you consider yourself a furry, you are one, very simple ^.^ There’s not a set of rules you have to comply to to be a furry, other then if you consider yourself one or not. If you ask 100 furries what furry is or what it is about, you’ll get 110 different answers.
Anyone telling you otherwise is wrong or simply misinformed.
Artemis Fate
Jun 18th, 2007
“Of course, those who adore catgirls and absolutely loathe furries, will disagree and say neko is totally unlike furry in each and every aspect: and they have a point when they say that with Neko the mix has more human then animal in it. But that’s merely an issue of not wanting to be associated with furries for whatever silly reasons people might have for disliking us.”
Visually, nekos and furries can be similar, nekos are human with animal qualities and furries are animals with human qualities. However speaking of community and achetypes, nekos and furries are completely different. Furries have carved out their own little niche community with defined standards, conventions, profiles, and fetishes, whereas Nekos have almost no community and what little they have is more based around anime if anything, nekos tend to have no defined types, and people who are nekos range all over the place, there is very little sense of neko community really.
Basically, saying nekos and furries have little to no difference is like saying baseball and cricket have little to no difference, they may look a like, but they act completely different.
“Artemis Fate, you just call him gay because your marriage is unhappy. Artemis you hate Hip Hop culture anyway, I remember when I first met you all because dressed a certain way you said “you think because you dress that way, that you are a thug?” Kinda weird, I think Hilter passed the hate to you lol! You can spamm my in world ims, but i dont ccare”
Wha? Where’d that come from?
Kittie Carnell
May 18th, 2008
Well done for showing that straight guys can be Neko too, The majority of catboys in sl are gay or bi so it would be nice to see some more Toms for us girls
I agree with you saying that having a furry AV does not make you furry, as having a tail does not make you Neko. I have been Neko for almost 2 years in sl and I am never seen without a tail and ears. I feel they are part of my sl charactor which reflects my rl personality (yep, mad cat lady) so I do find “part time” Neko’s and furs annoying .. but it is the point of sl to be able to be who you want and when so nothing against them.
Regardless about what the meanings of Neko are in rl, (Neko simply means cat in Japanese)it has established itself as a community in sl.. especially now in 2008, I think its improving all the time.
I also don’t agree that furries and Neko’s are the same.. they are two entirely different communities. I love furries and have a cat furry AV myself but I have also been picked on in a furry bar for being Neko. I believe most furries would not consider me to be one of them, they are very proud of what they are. Neko’s are not Anthropomorphites. They are non-human creatures with human attributes. Neko’s are predominantly human with cat attributes, and cat only. You can say this is pretty unimportant but for some people being part of a community is important and just like in rl it can be offensive to be called what you’re not.
Natasha Stepanov
May 19th, 2008
“Neko’s are predominantly human with cat attributes, and cat only.”
I been a little confused about this, different people told me different things. I concider myself neko as well, but not as in part cat-human, but a fox-human.
So if my avatar doesnt fall under the Neko term, what the heck am I? :0
Kitsune seems to me another possibility, but I dont have multiple tails nor am I any sort of magic user (following Japanese culture Kitsunes are magical foxes that can shapeshift and make themselves look complete human as well as part human…)
I dunno what I am, not that it matters a whole lot, but it’s nice to have an answer when people ask about the tail and ears :3
DF
May 19th, 2008
“Neko’s are not Anthropomorphites. They are non-human creatures with human attributes.”
One means exactly the other.
Anthropomorphic: attribution of human characteristics to nonhumans: the attribution of a human form, human characteristics, or human behavior to nonhuman things, e.g. deities in mythology and animals in children’s stories
(MSN Encarta online dictionary)
an·thro·po·mor·phic Late Latin anthropomorphus of human form, from Greek anthrōpomorphos, from
1 : described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes 2 : ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman things
— an·thro·po·mor·phi·cal·ly Listen to the pronunciation of anthropomorphically \-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
(Merriam Webster Online)
But all that’s just dictionary babble… One’s furry if one considers him or herself furry, that’s what matters, not what furry precicely is or isnt. Opinions differ about that too much anyway, and there’s more myth then fact about furries going around to give a sound definition of what furry really is.