Ask Dawn, Vern and the Gang; Stereotypes

 

Vernon: Sweet Sawgrass, there's a lot of 'em. The list is practically endless iffin' we're bein' honest.

Dawn: It's probably best to limit ourselves to the most relevant steryotypes, I.E., wolves, sheep, and the species of our close friends.

Vernon: Ah, well y'all should probably know by now that wolves er' seen as big dumb brutes that'er incapable of any kinda subtlety er' nuance. Like, we can't do anythin' gently er' quietly. Oh, and that we are beholden' to our feral urges...like howlin' and what not...

Gus: Which isn't entirely a lie in some cases...the howling I mean.

Vernon: ... I know...*Whines*

Dawn: *Pats Vernon's leg.* Aw Puppy...To be fair, he's pretty much stopped mating howling altogether since we adopted the pups.

Gus: Really now? What did you do Sheepdog? Why did it stop?

Vernon: Heck iffin' I know why, I tried so many other thangs to keep my mouth shut while bein' intimate, but nothin' ever worked. Now suddenly, It just went away in a blink. Like one day I'd pitch up a howlin' fit everytime I...err...climaxed, and the next I could be as silent as the night itself.

Dawn: I suspect it's his parental instincts kicking in. The fact that Alli, Edi, and Paige are in the house is a thought that's always in the back of his mind, and he doesn't want to emotionally scar them.

Vernon: That's a good theory. Best idea on the matter I've heard so far...

Dawn: Anyway. When it comes to sheep, we have a reputation for being weak, timid, and easy to sway into following anyone. Like all sheep can easily be sheparded or bellwethered with the same ease that a cult leader recruits members with. If I had to guess, I'd assume that concept is rooted in just how tightly knit some flocks used to be in ancient times. Of course, most mammals don't really consider that it was something my species did for survival for tens of thousands of years, not something we did because we were connived or tricked. 

Gus: How many everyday mammals do you think actually pay attention in history class...or school in general for that matter?

Vernon: Most just pay attention to the stuff they're interested in, and give just barely enough attention to their other classes to get by grades-wise. Iffin' I'm bein' honest...I was purty guilty of that myself.

Gus: And history is right up there with math in terms of subjects most mammals have little to no interest in. The only mammal I sort of know who's a history buff is that friend of Kodi's, the one from Roarope.

Vernon: Ah yeah, Dom. We met him at the book signin' here in the store remember?

Gus: Yeah, I remember. Still, he's the only mammal I can point to in my life that I know loves history.

Dawn: It really is a shame. Maybe if more mammals were interested in history, that phrase 'those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it' wouldn't ring true so often.

Gus: As for goats, were seen as stubborn. Maybe not as stubborn as donkeys and mules, but still pretty stubborn.

Vernon: Well that is true for you. *Chuckles*

Gus: *Laughs* Mellie would probably agree with you on that.

Val: Pfft, foxes have all of you guys beat. We actually have individual stereotypes based on our genders.

Vernon: Ah yeah, male foxes are shifty, sneaky con artists types always lookin' fer their next scam. Everyone knows that one.

Val: And vixens are femme female seductresses that will steal your heart and your wallet. 

Dawn: I don't know about that femme fatale seductress part...*Mumbles* Especially in your case.

Val: I heard that cotton head! You just wish you looked as good as the average vixen you frumpy little librarian!

Dawn: Oh stuff it miss 'I'm too good for everyone and everything, and I try to pretend I don't care what others think of me when I secretly care immensely about it!'

Vernon: Alright ladies, please settle down...we're gettin' off track here.

Val: She started it...

Vernon: I don't care who started it, just put an end to it, alright?

Dawn:...Fine...

Val: *Mumbles* Kodi thinks I'm a femme fatale.

Dawn: *Mumbles* Only he would...

Vernon: Enough, please!

Dawn: Okay, okay, so...back to the question. I'll try to list off some of the ones I remember about our closest friends and family. Let's see...for rabbits there's the whole 'breed like rabbits' stereotypes, essentially telegraphing that all rabbits are an easy lay. 

Vernon: They are also always associated with bein' real backcountry even though not every bunny was born and raised in the tri-burrows.

Dawn: Tigers like Vanna have the stereotype floating around them that they are intimidating...if you can call that a stereotype...

Gus: Which...I hate to say it, because Vanna is lovely, but...she is kind of intimidating.

Dawn: Before you get to know her sure! But she's as soft and harmless as a kitten!

Vernon: Ada's got that whole...female hyena's bein' pegged as real brutes...

Val: Being pegged is right...*Chuckles* Aren't they the ones with the...you know? *Dangles a single finger down to represent a suggestive male organ.* 'Gifted females?

Dawn: In ancient times, yes. But that's mostly not the case now.

Vernon: And Ada's reel self-conscious about that...so try not to bring it up iffin' y'all two ever meet.

Val: No promises.

Vernon: And I'm thinkin' that covers the friends and family. Iffin' y'all want anymore yer probably gonna have to ask fer specifics...er' remind us iffin' we fergot someone.

Dawn: That said, remember that most of these stereotypes are completely unfounded, and when meeting a new mammal of a different species you should always respectful and not invoke those shallow stereotypical images when dealing with them.

Vernon: And iffin' we....er'...just so happen to lean into them aspects from time to time...try to keep in mind it's a case of bein' the exception...not the rule.

Dawn: I'm sure they know that Puppy Love.

Vernon: I'm just tryin' to cover our bases Darlin', The gods know we've probably leaned into some of them traits a few times answerin' these things. If I didn't mention it, I figure it'd make us look pretty bad.

Dawn: Well no one does like a hypocrite...even if everyone is one. *Giggles*

(No drawn or animated asks this week. I'm trying to wrap up two chapters of The Family Vulpes at once, and I'm this close to concluding them. Sorry!)

Ask Vanna; Porn Star Dating.

 Vanna: Ugh...As much as I'm loathed to talk about such things, yes...Myra tried to push a couple of her co-stars on me while I still lived in San Furnando. Naturally, I always said no when I knew exactly where she was pulling prospective dates from. But when she started out she... liked to leave the 'they were one of my co-stars' part out of the pitch.

Zach: That musta been kinda embarassin'.

Vanna: Tell me about it. I was barely eighteen, I had never even been on a date during my entire time in high school.

Zach: That's ridiculous, I can't imagine anyone passin' up bein' with a fine feline like you my Kitten.

Vanna: *Blushes* Aww...Goofball, you're too sweet. But it's true. I was already pretty shy growing up, and I kind of...intimidated most guys.

Zach: Aww....

Vanna:  So naturally I felt kinda relieved and hopeful when my sister started trying to set me up. At the time, she hadn't shared with the family that she was acting in....adult features, so I had absolutely nothing to go on. 

Zach: How'd she manage to cover that up?

Vanna: She told us she was a personal trainer. *Scratches head awkwardly.* It was a fairly convincing act, I mean she'd come home ragged and tired looking, and she'd smell. Of course, at the time I wasn't very familiar with mating pheromones, so I just thought it was a weird mixture of BO and perfume. Unlike you and the other Hunters, I kinda had to grow into my police instincts to see through total bull stories like that one.

Zach: I don't think I woulda' been able to put that together at that age. I probably woulda' been too naive myself. I had girlfriends, but I only ever really got as far as kissin' back when I was in high school. But anyway, so...yer first date was with one of Myra's co-stars?

Vanna: Unfortunately yes. It was really disheartening too, because he seemed so nice...I mean he was nice. He was actually a real gentlmam'... right up until he decided to share his 'demo reel' with me.

Zach: Wait, on a date? Like in public?

Vanna: *Nods* Right in the middle of the coffee shop, with the sound muted. Up until that point he mentioned he acted, but I had no idea what he meant. I was so horrified, mortified really. I had to politely excuse myself and rush right out of the coffee shop because I just couldn't handle it. 

Zach: Aw Kitten, that sounds horrible...

Vanna: And I was so livid at Myra. Not only because I was pretty horrified to find out my sister was an adult actress, but I thought that she thought so little of me. It was like, 'oh my little sister just needs a good rut to break out of her shell.' I really hated her for a while after that. But after a while I realized her intentions were entirely well-meaning, if seriously off the mark.

Zach: Wait, did he say Myra was an adult actress too? How'd y'all find out.

Vanna: Ugh...*Shakes her head* Because Myra featured prominently on his demo reel.

Zach: Yeesh...that's...pretty bad, not gonna lie.

Vanna: Needless to say I saw way more of my sister than day than I ever wanted to.

Ask Gus; Dealing with Entitled Customers

 

Gus: I prefer to handle most of them myself. Not only because I'm the manager and the only one with the authority to enforce store bans. But also Val's preferred methods of dealing with problematic customers almost always have a good chance of getting me in legal hot water.

Val: Name one thing I've done to get rid of a customer that could get you sued.

Gus: Sweet Sawgrass do I even? Okay, how about the hot sauce squirt gun? The multi-sided dice launcher? Sweet Cerviden's Hooves, hitting them in the face with a spoiled whipped cream pie out of a mini trebuche? I have to applaud the inventiveness but still, what are you a clown?

Val: Oh come on, that's harmless!

Gus: Legally all of its assault, and could financially ruin me should any of those mammals take me to court.

Val: Well I could go back to just flirting with them and then when they take the bait I totally shut them down in the most loud and humiliating ways imaginable. But sticking to just that gets boring after a while, and I like to spice things up.

Gus: Look, I'm only asking that you stick to methods that don't involve any physical contact or interaction.

Val: Ah...So I guess I better table this whole 'thumbtack launcher' thing I was working on then?

(Gus glares at Val in disapproval.)

Gus: What do you think?

Ask the Zootopia Cops; Religious beliefs?

 Part 1:

WT: Ah, well that's easy in the case of the Egyiptians, as most of them are already animal hybrids. Anubis would still be a jackal and Hathor would still be a cow. You could even probably still keep the non-mammalian gods such as Toth the Ibis (My personal favorite) or Seth the crocodile as they are fictional and meant to represent attributes, activites and concepts. However, when it comes to the human gods, the best solution would probably be to roll their traits into the animal gods and remove them entirely, an example being combining Bastet and Isis, Osirus with Anubis, and so forth.

In the case of the roman pantheon, it's a bit tricky, as I haven't decided if the roman pantheon would even exist in my Animalia. The reason being is that the Pridelands Empire that expanded from South Afrikat to Southern Roarope was essentially my Rome stand-in. And the religion of the Pridelands was Simbology. I suppose I could ascribe them to the Greeks (Growlks? Still going to need to workshop that one.) In which case, if I did Zeus would by default be a lion (Leous?), Aphro'bitey' a vixen, A'paw'llo a leopard, Arams the ram, and so forth.

Part 2:

Judy: Like wolves, we actually pray to our own lunar god, Lepida. Although most rabbits who came over from Roarope latched on Bambism in order to better integrate into Roaropean society.

Nick: They worshipped Thumper I assume?

Judy: He was their patron saint. My family however has more of its roots tied to Asiatic rabbits over Roaropean ones, so we ended up sticking to the lesser-known rabbit-specific religion.

Nick: If I had to guess, I take it Lepida is some kind of fertility goddess? *Chuckles*

Judy: I really want to scold you for that one, but yes...she is...Fertility and harvest.

Nick: Like most preygan gods.

Judy: What about you Slick.

Finnick: I can answer for him. As long as I've known Nick, he's been an atheist. And I bet that hasn't changed. *Laughs*

Nick: Correctomundo buddy. I don't believe in any 'phantom sky daddy' that watches over us. If there was one, he's certainly doing a pretty poor job of stewarding us around.

Judy: What, you can't be serious? You really don't believe in anything?

Nick: I believe in things that have hard evidence. There's no hard evidence of any god figure, therefore there is no god. Scientific method Carrots.

Judy: So you don't believe that there's anything after we die? No heaven?

Nick: When I die, I expect to rot in the ground, and that's about it. Circle of life as those kooky Simbologists say.

Judy: T-that's really sad...I guess I'll just have to believe in an afterlife twice as hard for the both of us then. I don't want to end up in heaven without my mate.

Nick: *Laughs* If it makes you feel better Carrots then sure. Put in a good word for me with Lepida will you?

Judy: Of course, though I'll probably have to convince her to look over a lot of your more...questionable acts.

Nick: *Laughs* So what about you little 'Mam? I think you told me once but I can't remember.

Finnick: Egyiptian faith, but non-practicing. 

Nick: Unsurprising.

Finnick: My family is from Egyipt, it's what I grew up with 'Mam, what did you really expect?

Nick: No, I mean it makes sense. Lot of gods to deal with though.

Finnick: No more than Volkinism, Bambisim, or Simbology for that matter. And those guys seem to get along with it just fine. Besides, like I said I'm non-practicing. It's a passive belief. I don't go to any church or anything, but I'll occasionally pray. That's about it. 

Nick: Fair.

Judy: What about you Cheif?

Bogo: Well, I'm afraid I'll probably come off as a bit 'kooky' *Glares at Nick* for admitting this, but I'm a Simbologist.

Nick: Sttthhhh...Ooooh....Er....

Bogo: Like Officer Finnley, my family also originated from Afrikat, from the very heart of the Old Pridelands. When you live there, it's really the only belief system one can ascribe to lest you be ostracized and shunned. And though my family migrated to Zootopia two generations ago, we've more or less stuck to the religion we were groomed into.

Judy: Did you ever feel the need to explore any other belief systems, maybe a more Gnu or water buffalo-centric one?

Bogo: Not really. My family generally held the belief that 'if it isn't broken, do not fix it', and I grew up to share that sentiment.  Besides, like Officer Finnley, I'm more of a passive observer, not a devout one.

Nick: I guess that means Carrot's is the only one of us guaranteed a spot in heaven then.

Finnick: *Laughs* I'll see you in the underworld then Nicky boy.

Nick: You bring the champagne.

Finnick: No, you bring the champagne. You're the larger mammal here, and you'd probably have to smuggle it in...if you know what I mean. *Bobs his eyebrows suggestively.*

Nick: *Cringes* Ugh...Hey maybe we can get old Buffalo Butt here to sneak it in. He's got enough junk in his trunk to hide a whole picnic, complete with tables and settings in him.

Judy: Ugh...

Bogo: That's it. Wilde, Hopps, Finnley, Parking Duty, one week.

Judy: Nice one Nick!

Nick: Whoops....would it help if I say I'm sorry? Your butt looks great chief, honest.

Bogo: Two weeks.

Finnick: I didn't even do anything! And I don't even work at this precinct!

Bogo: I'll put a word in with your superior officer. Drome and me go way back after all....*Chortles*.

Ask Dawn, Vern and the Gang; The Backrooms?

 

Vernon: Oh yeah, I heard about that. Gus actually was the one to show it to us.

Gus: Yeah, I'm actually a pretty big fan of analogue horror and other weird ARG projects like that on Ewetube. I'm actually trying to figure out a way to create a BnB campaign centered around analogue horror, but I haven't worked a proper system for it yet.

Vernon: As fer what to do if we were stuck there...well, I mean first I'd hope we'd be stuck there together. Bein' alone sorta adds to the terror. But I think, monsters withstandin' I'd just be worried about a lotta other stuff.

Dawn: Yes, Vernon and I discussed this hypothetical and I think what ended up scaring us more was questions like. "What do we eat?" Or "What do we drink?"

Gus: Are there bathrooms in the backrooms?

Vernon: Probably, but considerin' that the back rooms is infinite and all, I wouldn't be too concerned about where I went to the bathroom, just embarrassed.

Gus: Where is the oxygen coming from? Will it run out?

Dawn: By the time you get around to the monsters and the mystery of it all, you're already worried about so many other factors, and things seem so dire you feel as though you should probably just surrender to the beast.

Vernon: I mean, considerin' there don't seem to be no rhyme or reason to how y'all get in and out of the back rooms, that's probably yer best bet, especially considerin' most of the time y'all end up dyin' when you finally get out.

Gus: Eh, I'd still go for it. You never know if you'll get a happy ending no matter how dire things seem. Then again, I could also end up stuck in there surviving for the rest of my life and becoming the hermit lord of the backrooms...Oh, I actually like that concept for a character, I'm going to jot that down real quick.

Vernon: Guess I know what to expect fer our next BnB session then. *Chuckles*

Happy Mother's Day; From AskTheBellHunters!

 

Happy Mother's Day to all the American families out there, as Europe has their Mother's Day a whole month earlier. Be sure to call your Mom and tell her how much she means to you, you never know how much time you have. 

-Wasty

Ask Val and Qali; What is dating a wolf like?

Surprise! I'm dipping my toes back into animation, albiet in a limited capacity. This is sort of a preview of what any animatic readings of the Rehabilitation of Dawn Bellwether would look like, so it's sort of a test case. Anyway, this ask was posed by Nick's mother, looking to find out what to expect when dating a wolf. Naturally however, her son Nick isn't hearing it. But I fear for him, it's already far too late to stop it now.

Hope you guys enjoy it!

Working on something special.

 I'll be done with it soon, just hold out a little longer :3.

-Wasty

Ask Dawn and Vern; Nobull Prize

 

Dawn: Oh, of course, there is a Nobull prize. I think it's been awarded since as far back as the turn of the century if I'm not mistaken, to mammals deemed to have conferred the greatest benefit to all mammalkind. Since then it's been awarded almost yearly to mammals working in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology, Medicine, Literature and Peace.

Vernon: Wow, y'all know a surprisin' amount the Nobull prize Honey Lamb.

Dawn: Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't skimming the Wikipawdia on my phone to help fill in the gaps. *Giggle*

Vernon: *Chuckles* Aren't you sneaky.

Dawn: It also says here that Alexander was the creator of dynamite and that he might have created the prize out of fear he'd be remembered as a 'merchant of death' because of it.

Vernon: *Chuckles* So it was a PR campaign then.

Dawn: Or Atonement. *Laughs* Still, one cannot deny the importance of the Nobull prize, and the good it's done for Animalia regarding the recognition of some truly great mammals. Albert Einswine, Marie Curine, Neils Boar, Ernest Lemmingway, those are just some of the ones I remember.

Vernon: Suuure you ain't still skimming the Wikipawdia?

Dawn: *Laughs* No I swear! I remember them from school!

Vernon: Alright, I believe ya Darlin'....but tell me, Y'all said they got a category for Peace? How's that work?

Dawn: Well...according to the Wikipawdia entry it is awarded to those who have quote 'done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congress.

Vernon: Right...I'll er...be honest Darlin', I don't really understand some of what ya'll just said. 

Dawn: Basically those who advocated for peace, civil rights, helped to prevent wars or deescalate conflicts.

Vernon: Oh...y'know, goin' by those standards...wouldn't someone like y'all qualify fer one of them under civil rights? I mean...that's sorta what our book is all about, and I mean...it's made a purty big cultural impact.

Dawn: *Chuckles* Puppy you flatter me, really. But a mammal like me wouldn't deserve to have such a prestigious honor bestowed upon them. Honestly, I think I've done more harm to the world than good, and even so, my recent accomplishments couldn't possibly compare to a mammal like the Dahli Llama or Martin Luthor King...I...I just wrote a book.

Vernon: I think y'all are sellin' yerself short Honey Lamb. Y'all might never compare to mammals like them, but I think y'all have put way more good into the world than y'all even realize.

Dawn: You are too sweet Puppy. But even if I was nominated, I couldn't accept it. It just wouldn't be right...

Vernon: Like heck ya'll wouldn't. I wouldn't stand fer it. If ya'll ever get nominated, y'all deserve it. And I'll accept it on yer behalf iffin' I gotta. And I'll hang it right over yer work desk, so that you'll see it every day until y'all finally accept you deserve it.

Dawn: *Giggles* Aww Puppy...

Ask Wasty; Sanctioned Heroes

 

WT: In the Bellhunterverse, powerds have always been a thing, which makes Animalian history even more of a violent and bloody mess than we're used to. With powered making up at least 20 percent of the population on average, that could mean a lot of mammals out there slinging god-like powers with no oversight or regulations to protect those without said powers, or the cities they live in. Naturally, something like that couldn't be allowed to go on without nations and cities like Zootopia enacting elaborate systems not only to train heroes but to register and keep track of powereds for the good of public safety. Largely these systems are overseen by other, veteran powereds, working in part with normal mammals in the government and positions of power.

Those heroes who are 'sanctioned', and there are varying degrees of sanctions, are those powereds who are legally allowed to operate as heroes and are required to be registered with the government, as well as the ZPD in the case of Nick and Judy. The government do know their identities, although with special legal limitations upheld by various companies, and various hero rights organizations to protect their personal privacy. Basically, there are several layers of legal murkiness in place to allow just enough about their identities to be known by the right people for legal and security purposes. If they go overboard with collateral damage or go, rogue, having baseline knowledge of their true identities will make it easier for them to stopped and or held accountable.

So to wrap this up with a summary. The public have no knowledge of Nick, Judy, Finnick, or Bogo's identity. And those that do know it have an extremely bare-bones version of it tailor-made for said heroes own protection.

As for the corrupt elements in each organization that would seek to hold our heroes under their thumb, they are somewhat caught in a catch twenty-two that would risk them playing their hands and revealing themselves should they try to abuse that privileged information. But some of said corrupt individuals may...have other plans in mind.