Furries (CBC radio program)

Furries was an episode of the CBC Radio One series Subcultures that first aired on July 27, 2006. The episode synopsis was: The people who play at being walking, talking animals are looking for respect. What’s so wrong about dressing up like a wolf and taking a stroll down Main Street? Meet the Furries this Thursday on Subcultures with Hal Niedzviecki.

The episode included interviews with Cnipur, Loopy (not named aloud), D'Otter, and both Lady Serpent and Amran Foxcat.

Quotes
Hal: Fandom can become a way of life, as with a lot of Star Trek fans. For furries, living the fandom is their lifestyle choice.

Hal: (Observing parts of a fursuit) You love being Luchy. Cnipur: Yeah, I love being Luchy, 'cause people... Some people love Luchy, some people love to, y'know, hug it, or feel the fur, or rub your stomach. Obviously whoever you are, a caress here or there feels nice.

Cnipur: Obviously at the age of 21 I'm not vying for my parent's approval. My mom doesn't understand. She asks me, "What do you get out of this? Why do you enjoy it?" But then again, you can ask her, "Why do you watch television? What do you get out of it?" It's entertainment. It's my hobby, it's what I like, it's having fun.

Cnipur: You know what, the media has portrayed it as a giant sex thing. The media has portrayed it as a cult. The media has portrayed it as a group of loners or losers, whatever, and for a very miniscule, very small group of people, it is what they've reported. Unfortunately that picture is painted to everyone else. It's like, watching The Sopranos and thinking every Italian is connected to the Mafia.

Loopy: When I'm with ordinary people, what do they do? They want to go out and drink, they talk about cars, they talk about guns, they talk about politics - I'm bored. With furries, I can talk about video games, whatever, they don't have this set idea of what is cool or not. Some people said to me, "What do you do at your parties?" and I said, "Well, we watch movies, and we play games, and we sketch and everything..." and they said, "You're so dull," and I said, "That's not dull! That's hilarious fun!"

D'Otter: (reading a story that he's writing for two friends online) "Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there was a tavern that stood beside the road just outside a deep, dark forest. It was said for many a mile around that what kept the tavern going - aside from the road that led through the forest - was the tavern-keeper's daughter. Her name was Kesh, and if her blood was not pure, she had the best of every beast whose blood flowed through her veins. Her arms and legs were strong, and her long tufted lion tail waved proudly behind her. Her breasts and belly were round and full and shapely ... "

Hal: (closing statement) Society puts a lot of pressure on us to be successful, to be popular. And it seems that more and more of us end up feeling left out, at school, at work, even in our own families. Furries provide one another with friendship, with community. The accept each other for who they are - or who they imagine themselves to be.