Furries,
a subculture that embraces anthropomorphics as a lifestyle, are
a gentle and often misunderstood bunch. Media coverage, like the
article “Pleasures of the Fur” by George Gurley in the
March 2001 issue of Vanity Fair and the “Plushies
and Furries” segment on MTV’s Sex2k, tends to portray
furries as people with serious fetishes for dressing in mascot outfits
or treating stuffed animals as sex objects. For most furries, the
lifestyle isn’t like that. I had a chance to interview Steve,
who refers to himself as “Simba Lion,” and Erin, who
refers to himself as “Wolfie,” both Ann Arbor residents.
These two gentleman, both soft spoken and friendly, gave me an insider’s
look into their lifestyles, bearing their pelts to the world.
Ann
Arbor Paper: How do you define a “furry”?
Simba
Lion: Someone who has a particular fondness for anthropomorphics,
be it just a fan of ‘furry’ comics and artwork, or someone
who thrusts themselves into the furry lifestyle.
A2P:
How do you define anthropomorphics?
Wolfie:
In the furry sense, it’s an animal-human hybrid. Think Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles.
A2P:
Is there an “average” furry?
Wolfie:
The demographics are quite similar to Trekkies. There is a high
geek level, a lot of techno-savvy people involved. Many furs’
first introduction to the fandom is through on-line MUCKs or MOOs,
such as Furry Muck, the graphic FurCadia, or even through sites
that try to poke fun at the fandom, such as Something Awful, or
Portal of Evil. Most of the fans are in the 18-35 range, predominately
male.
A2P:
Do furries follow a set sexual orientation?
Wolfie:
You mean, other than “is it breathing”? Just kidding.
Gathering from personal experience, there are heavy homosexual overtones
to the fandom. I honestly can’t say why that is the case.
My guess would be that since much of the interaction between furs
is online, it gives people the opportunity to play things as whatever
gender they choose. The affections that people develop online often
spill over into real life, where the feelings that they’ve
shared online make gender unimportant.
A2P:
What aspects of the furry lifestyle attracted you?
Wolfie: For me, it’s more of a hobby, I guess. I like “fursuiting”
or costuming. I used to work in a haunted house, and playing the
werewolf was great fun. I went all out on that suit, wearing it
every Halloween for five years until it wore out. I love the feeling
of being something else, and finding others that enjoyed the same
things meant that I didn’t have to wait for Halloween to enjoy
myself.
A2P:
Are there drawbacks to your lifestyle?
Simba
Lion: Generally, no. I meet a great deal of fascinating
people, and I almost always have plans on the weekend as a result
of it. I’ve heard of folks losing their jobs because their
bosses find out they’re one of the ‘freaks.’ But
I’ve never seen that first hand.
Wolfie:
Some people make jokes about it, implying that furs are prancing
homosexuals that have sex with their pets, or that they dress up
as animals and have “furpiles.” Most of that is from
what’s sensationalized in the mass media or the now-infamous
C.S.I. episode [“Fur and Loathing,” episode 406]. Aside
from that, it’s not like I’m refused entry into a restaurant
for it.
A2P:
How do you meet other furries?
Simba
Lion: Well I’m a unique case—I started the ‘MIFUR’
email list, a list specifically for Michigan furries to meet each
other. Lists like this exist all over the country. There are regular
gatherings (sometimes called furmeets) where folks will get together
and have dinner, or go bowling, or whatever.
A2P:
What are conventions like?
Wolfie:
Conventions are generally a lot more friendly than your average
sci-fi con. You don’t usually see a Dr. Who fan walking up
and hugging a red-shirt ensign, but you will see a badger hug a
rabbit at a fur con. Aside from that, they’re like any other
theme convention, people in costume, furry-themed movies and discussion
panels.
A2P:
Do you ever get questioned about your choices as a furry?
Simba
Lion: Sometimes. I don’t make it a topic of discussion
generally. I worked at one job where someone’s only knowledge
of the furry fandom came from an MTV sex show, and I did my best
to answer his questions and repair the damage caused by the sensationalist
media exposure. The biggest question folks have ever asked me is
why I do it, and I don’t have an answer for that. Some people
will say it makes them more aware of their inner self, or gives
them the confidence they need in social situations, or whatever,
but that’s not me. I just dig anthropomorphics.
Wolfie:
Not usually, but my “furriness” isn’t as obvious
as that. About the most outward things that would identify me as
furry would be my meager collection of wolf-themed t-shirts.
A2P:
At what age did you find out about the groups and truly start identifying
yourself as a furry?
Simba
Lion: About 15. When I was 14 I was using America Online
chatrooms to role play, and in 1994 The Lion King came out in theaters.
I really fell in love with the movie and began role playing a ‘Simba’
character (though not directly based on the movie’s “Simba”).
After a while I met other folks who would role play animal characters
in the same chat room, and they introduced me to Furry Muck, which
is basically a text-based role play environment specifically for
furries.
Wolfie:
Around about 1995 to 1996 at 21, when I was hanging around the NUBS
(North University Building) Computer labs at U of M. I think I was
searching up something on werewolves, and I found a site called
“Bender’s Werewolves in Suburbia.” It was an art
archive devoted to, of course, werewolves, but as well as other
half-human creatures. I was soon browsing the Velan Central and
Avatar FTP archives, and it kinda took off from there.
I
would say that my furry identity is just an extension of what’s
normally just me. Kinda like “I was punk before it was mainstream.”
Before I found that there was a whole lot of people that like the
same things that I do, I was just a guy who liked werewolves and
other kinds of anthropomorphic animals enough to be “weird.”
Now, I’m a furry. A2P
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