There aren’t many topics, (save for illegal ones) that can stir up as much distention and bad blood as the ol’ futanari vs. Dickgirl debate. In the last decade, I’ve seen artists and consumers alike rage quit chat rooms and commissioned pieces because of it. I myself have quietly left certain channels because of the owner’s tyrannical and often violent opinions on the genre, and what it can and can’t be called.
It’s quite understandable, since much of the debate often revolves around gender identity and political correctness. As with all things, however, we should approach the subject with equal respect, mutual dignity, and an open mind.
To pussy, or not to pussy, that is the question
Bite my head off and scorn me if you must, but here are the closest to dictionary, globally accepted definitions.
A futanari: is a person with both a penis and vagina. Some have testicles, some don’t. The word itself is Japanese, but it’s been highly fetishized, so it’s not generally used to describe real people.
A futanari can identify as whatever gender they’d like, though they are usually female.
A dickgirl: is just that, a girl with a dick. Dickgirls do not have vaginas and they may or may not have testicles. They are NOT strictly speaking, futanari, though many insist that the terms are interchangeable.
A dickgirl (like a futa) can likewise identity as whatever gender they’d like, though, again, most are usually presented as female.
Now, I am not here to argue which is which, these are just definitions: people can do whatever they want with them. In my own fiction, I have chosen to use the term ‘futanari’ in its truest, most original sense, while other genders receive a more fitting title, but other creators can go wild.
World war D
At the end of the day, both with and w/o pussy gals are extremely (I mean bonkers) popular in 3DX. We’ve covered the reasons why in other articles, but why in the heck is there so much crazy zealotry between the two genres?
Some people want to start a civil war over which terms we can use.
Some people are apathetic and say that it doesn’t matter what terms we use.
Some people don’t care and just want to fap.
No matter which party you fall into, It’s important to note what a futanari is not. One of the reasons some people get so offended by either term is because they are sometimes used to refer to transexuals or feminine males. In the context of fantasy and porn, futanari and dickgirls are entirely fictional. Never at any point was the term intended to be a slur, unlike other words that are often used to tag related genres.
Why is it so important to separate tags and genders? Because characters, like people in real life, need to be given the opportunity to identify themselves! It’s terribly base and ignorant to take every character with breasts and a penis and say “these are all futanari”. I’ve occasionally seen characters that were canonically transexual, yet most everyone assumed they were futa. I can absolutely see why someone would be offended by that: it comes across as dismissive and objectifying.
Genders matter for fictional characters just like they matter for real people, for more reasons than just sex. Original Characters have the uncanny ability to develop over time, as any long time owner knows, and we cannot simply force them all into one category.
How are we going to hurdle this ocean of opinions and quell the ever raging war? I present you with this manifesto:
1. communication
The cornerstone of every successful endeavor and the breaking point of every failed one. If you’re not sure what terms or identities people prefer, just ask! We can all save ourselves a lot of heartache and turmoil with some good old fashioned communication. Even if we don’t agree, we don’t have to kill each other over it and we may even make some unlikely friends.
2.Respect and understanding
We live in a precarious age where our words can be used against us if we’re not careful. Many people still seem to think that they can say whatever they want online without consequence, but the truth is that flippancy can still bite us in the ass. If you want proof, look at literally any political twitter…
Hell, some people just wanna stir up trouble for no good reason. These people are usually easy to spot and are best ignored.
What’s probably more common than attention seeking, faceless trolls, are everyday people who say something that’s misunderstood or misinterpreted. More often than not, I don’t think most people are deliberately going out of their way to offend others, since that kind of behavior won’t net you any positive popularity. Despite our best intentions, there are those who are itching for a fight and are just waiting for someone to say something they can get angry about.
Best course of action: keep smiling, be polite, stand your ground, and don’t instigate. This can all be summed up into one phrase: be respectful! Whether you love a certain genre of porn or would derive pleasure from the thought of it burning eternally, there’s nothing to be gained from starting a fight. Keep your opinions to yourself unless asked, and treat others the same way you wanna be treated.
3. Accept yourself
Often, I’ve seen people refer to one genre or another as something it isn’t, simply because they were uncomfortable with a certain tag. This is a personal issue that needs personal resolution: it’s not the world’s responsibility to make us comfortable. Who cares if something is tagged “straight” or “gay” or “anthro”; if you’re enjoying it, then just enjoy it. Tags do not define our sexuality, nobody can do that but us :).
I can only speak for myself, but I like girls, I like cumshots and I like the aesthetic of both dicks and pussies. For me, Futa and dickgirls are like a jackpot rolled into a magic lamp wrapped into an all you can eat sushi experience: it’s everything I want in porn all in the same place! If people want to assume upon my sexuality because of it, so be it, but in the long run, it doesn’t matter what they think.
4.Remember why we’re here!
We love 3DX, porn is great when it’s used responsibly, and we love to create and admire it. Whatever you’re into, you can always find a like minded community. Instead of focusing on what you don’t like, focus on what you love: this, in my humble opinion, is the first step on the path to happiness.
1 Comment