Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > Transhuman Space

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-08-2013, 07:37 AM   #1
vicky_molokh
GURPS FAQ Keeper
 
vicky_molokh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
Default Why Felicia Bioroids? : A memetic study from ancient times to 2100

Greetings, all!

Today our topic will be the Felicia. This bioroid is typically attributed to the whims of an eccentric millionaire in the Middle East. However, the 'eccentric' meme seems to be rather . . . dubious. The Felicia meme is ancient, even though it changed many names over the course of centuries. In the mid- to late-1900s, it expressed itself in such versions as the various Nekomimi, or the more Western Thundercats' Cheetara, or Batman's Catwoman. Or SPANC. But wait! The line stretches on and on. It can in fact be traced to at least 2500 BCE. Yes, the first known catgirl deity is named Bastet.

So, the question really shouldn't be 'Why did the eccentric millionaire ask for such a bioroid model?', but rather 'Why is this meme so popular, so long-lived?'.

So, anyone?
Thanks in advance!

Edit: I thought it's obvious that this post isn't a serious study. Guess the joke fell flat.
__________________
Vicky 'Molokh', GURPS FAQ and uFAQ Keeper

Last edited by vicky_molokh; 07-26-2015 at 02:46 AM.
vicky_molokh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2013, 08:09 AM   #2
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Why Felicia Bioroids? : A memetic study from ancient times to 2100

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
Today our topic will be the Felicia. This bioroid is typically attributed to the whims of an eccentric millionaire in the Middle East. However, the 'eccentric' meme seems to be rather . . . dubious. The Felicia meme is ancient, even though it changed many names over the course of centuries. In the mid- to late-1900s, it expressed itself in such versions as the various Nekomimi, or the more Western Thundercats' Cheetara, or Batman's Catwoman. Or SPANC. But wait! The line stretches on and on. It can in fact be traced to at least 2500 BCE. Yes, the first known catgirl deity is named Bastet.

So, the question really shouldn't be 'Why did the eccentric millionaire ask for such a bioroid model?', but rather 'Why is this meme so popular, so long-lived?'.
That's too big a conclusion from the available evidence. You've got one ancient catgirl deity. Can you point to one in Mesopotamia, or India, or China, or Mesoamerica? Was there a pagan Greek, Roman, Scandinavian, or Celtic example? Or are there any catgirls in the Matter of Britain or the Matter of France, or in Camões, Spenser, Milton, Dante, or other modern epic poets? I'd be willing to bet that you can find one isolated case of nearly anything, given a survey of the entire world's civilizations and mythologies.

Bill Stoddard
whswhs is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2013, 04:05 PM   #3
jeff_wilson
Computer Scientist
 
jeff_wilson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
Default Re: Why Felicia Bioroids? : A memetic study from ancient times to 2100

I think the cleft lip birth defect is suggestive enough.
__________________
.
Reposed playtest leader.

The Campaigns of William Stoddard
jeff_wilson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2013, 05:05 PM   #4
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Why Felicia Bioroids? : A memetic study from ancient times to 2100

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff_wilson View Post
I think the cleft lip birth defect is suggestive enough.
It doesn't imply cat, though. The traditional English name for it is "harelip," after all.

Bill Stoddard
whswhs is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2013, 07:05 PM   #5
jeff_wilson
Computer Scientist
 
jeff_wilson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
Default Re: Why Felicia Bioroids? : A memetic study from ancient times to 2100

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
It doesn't imply cat, though. The traditional English name for it is "harelip," after all.
I don't subscribe to the strong Sapir-Worf hypothesis. It's still a person with an split-lipped animal feature, and cats are just as familiar as hares. And for that matter, lagomorphs seem to be just about as popular as catgirls.
__________________
.
Reposed playtest leader.

The Campaigns of William Stoddard
jeff_wilson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2013, 07:21 PM   #6
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Why Felicia Bioroids? : A memetic study from ancient times to 2100

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff_wilson View Post
I don't subscribe to the strong Sapir-Worf hypothesis. It's still a person with an split-lipped animal feature, and cats are just as familiar as hares. And for that matter, lagomorphs seem to be just about as popular as catgirls.
It calls the premise of the thread into question, though.

Bill Stoddard
whswhs is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2013, 07:49 PM   #7
jeff_wilson
Computer Scientist
 
jeff_wilson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
Default Re: Why Felicia Bioroids? : A memetic study from ancient times to 2100

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
It calls the premise of the thread into question, though.
Presumably, birth defects and anthropomorphization were as much a part of the lives of ancient peoples as ours. It's not as if catgirls are the only animal people that have proven popular over the ages.
__________________
.
Reposed playtest leader.

The Campaigns of William Stoddard
jeff_wilson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2013, 09:30 PM   #8
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Why Felicia Bioroids? : A memetic study from ancient times to 2100

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff_wilson View Post
Presumably, birth defects and anthropomorphization were as much a part of the lives of ancient peoples as ours. It's not as if catgirls are the only animal people that have proven popular over the ages.
The thread is about catgirls. What I'm questioning is (a) the idea that catgirls are the only example of animal people and (b) the idea that catgirls are pervasive in human culture. Your argument supports my questioning (a).

Bill Stoddard
whswhs is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2013, 10:24 PM   #9
Keiko
Banned
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Default Re: Why Felicia Bioroids? : A memetic study from ancient times to 2100

If the "Furry" subculture exists in 2100 I have no doubt there would be many types of "animal" people to be found (bioroids, cosmetically altered people, etc)
Keiko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2013, 01:26 AM   #10
David Johnston2
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Why Felicia Bioroids? : A memetic study from ancient times to 2100

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
Greetings, all!

Today our topic will be the Felicia. This bioroid is typically attributed to the whims of an eccentric millionaire in the Middle East. However, the 'eccentric' meme seems to be rather . . . dubious. The Felicia meme is ancient, even though it changed many names over the course of centuries. In the mid- to late-1900s, it expressed itself in such versions as the various Nekomimi, or the more Western Thundercats' Cheetara, or Batman's Catwoman. Or SPANC. But wait! The line stretches on and on. It can in fact be traced to at least 2500 BCE. Yes, the first known catgirl deity is named Bastet.

So, the question really shouldn't be 'Why did the eccentric millionaire ask for such a bioroid model?', but rather 'Why is this meme so popular, so long-lived?'.

So, anyone?
Thanks in advance!
There is of course rather a long hiatus between Bast and the 20th century when animal-inspired aliens, including cat people came along. Cats are graceful, as flexible as a contortionist, and not nearly so smelly and dirty as a typical furry animal. In short they have qualities which, men generally find sexually attractive in a human woman. Thus once you have a set of anthropomorphs, cat anthropomorphs head the list of female anthropomorphs who readily present themselves as being attractive to men.
David Johnston2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
catgirl, catgirls, felicia, feliciæ

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:01 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.