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"The Rob Tinsler Show"
Air date: 081397
Copyright 1997 TinslerTown productions.  A subsidiary of
Geechvision. All rights reserved. No portion of this transcript may be
reproduced without express written consent of the aforementioned.

SHOW TEASE- ROB TINSLER: Have you ever thought about what
it is like to be someone else? How about something else? Well, today
you'll meet people who call themselves "furries," and find out why
many are so wild about being wild! Come on back!

SHOW OPEN: THE ROB TINSLER SHOW
SUBTITLE: "I'M A FURRY"

RT:  Now, when we were kids, most of us used to play games of
make believe where we'd pretend we were all sorts of things from
President to fireman to astronauts. Many of us may have imagined we
were animals. Tigers, elephants, even the family dog. Well, there is a
growing culture of people mostly from the Internet who never seem to
have lost that imagination. Some even live their lives as close to the
animal within as they can. Let's meet Alexander Roy who goes by the
name of  "Roycat." Roycat says he's been furry since the age of five,
but didn't realize he wasn't alone until he found the Internet. So
Roycat, just what exactly do you do to be furry?

RC:  Nothing really. I don't know a particular thing I did to have
these feelings inside of me. However, the closeness I feel to a feline is
very real and has been for years. There are plenty of definitions and
types of furs and why we call ourselves furry. Many do it for fun or a
hobby.  Many play themselves as furry characters. I'm a bit more
involved.

RT:   How so?

RC:  Well, as opposed to playing a cat character, my feline side is
very real to me and goes beyond roleplaying .

RT:   Do you actually want to be a cat?

RC:  Actually, an anthropomorphic Calico would be the best way to
describe me. Technically furry is defined as anthropomorphic beings,
or any animal with human traits. In simplest form, Daffy Duck, Bugs
Bunny or Mickey Mouse are all furs. They walk upright, have human
thoughts and feelings, yet still have an animalistic appearance and
traits.

RT:  To call yourself a "fur" then, that would mean you want to
keep your hands and feet, but be covered in fur?

RC:  You don't have to desire to look like or morph into a furry
body to be a fur. Anyone who likes Bugs Bunny could be called a fur.
However, I feel that to really call yourself furry, there has to be some
desire to seek out and admire the more non-commercial furry work,or
maybe you'd like to role play a furry character of your own design.
Furs like the commercial stuff, but we like the furry community's
works a lot more, because it tends to be closer to what we're all about.
You need a certain level of imagination and openness before I'd say
you've started to be furry.

RT:  Hell, I'll bet we all liked Bugs Bunny growing up, I mean who
didn't like them? (TO AUDIENCE) We all liked Bugs right?
(AUDIENCE CHEERS) So maybe we're all furs at heart.

RC:  Big difference however, if you were presented with a piece of
non commercial furry art, could you admire it and maybe even create
it's own world and it's own personality? We all know Bugs likes
carrots or Daffy is nuts, but look at a picture you haven't seen and
create a world in which that being may live, you might be a fur!
Taking that same picture and wondering what you'd do if that was
you, or even imagining yourself interacting with other furs in that
form, those things make you furry. There are many other reasons, but
the root is appreciation of the anthropomorphic form.

RT:  How many people would you say call themselves furry?

RC:  Well, one of the largest gatherings of furs is called conFurence
and it takes place in California. Last year over 1100 attended and it's
guessed that's about a fifth of the furry population. The beauty of the
furry world is most find out about it through the Internet, and as
computers get cheaper, more people find us. A lot of my new fiends
have only known Internet furries for less than six months.

RT:  Is it mostly college students, or what is the age range of
furries?

RC:  Youngest I've seen is 12, oldest is 52. Most fall between 16-30.

RT:  How did the furry world begin?

RC:  I'm not too sure, the actual fandom probably started in the late
seventies when furry comics of adult nature started springing up.
Adult animal cartoons had a small number of fans and as underground
comics grew, through crossovers with sci-fi fandoms, the fan base
started to grow. I do know that the comics used to be called "funny
animals" and that's probably how the name furry got applied.

RT:  Why would anyone want to be furry? I mean, pretending
you're an animal when you are younger is one thing, but to be 56
years old and saying you're a furry,  isn't that a bit immature?

RC:  We all thought that about ourselves until we find others who
feel the same way. I personally have felt very alone with my feelings
for many years because I feared public opinion. With the furry world,
I'm not alone. What others see as immature, we see as natural. It's
good fun for most, and quite a liberator for others. It was for me.

RT:  So you'd say, since finding the furry world on the Internet,
your life has changed for the better?

RC:  Most of my friends say the furry world changed them
drastically. It changed their attitudes on who and what they are and
the life they were living. For instance, I personally felt very alone and
depressed all the time. When I found this furry world, that all stopped.
My impressions on who I was as a person seemed to change. Your
sensitivity to those around you is enhanced. The deeper a fur I
became, the less "typically human" I was.

RT:  Do you become an activist for environmental causes?

RC:  Well, we certainly care more for the environment and what
happens to it, but we don't change that much. You might think we all
become vegetarians or something. Well, since many furs are natural
predators and wouldn't think of denying themselves meat, that's
untrue. As far as being "fur" activists, sure we don't like the wearing
of real fur, unless you grew it on yourself that is. (AUDIENCE
LAUGHS) I think the view we share is that we're all here on this
planet trying to survive. For the most part we don't think humans are
superior beings, nor are animals equals. It's the food chain. Real
anthropomorphs would actually be a step above humanity because the
wisdom of both worlds could combine.

RT:  I've also heard there are several other interests lumped into the
furry world and some are less innocent than just liking cartoon
animals.

RC:  Plenty of splintered groups are associated with furry, and most
would be deemed quite sick by the general populace. However, to the
furry community, there is a level of tolerance for such diversity, but
that is debatable. Furry doesn't automatically mean you accept
everything by anyone who uses the monniker "I'm Furry".

RT:  Tolerance for such things at beastiality?

RC:  That depends on your definition. Truth is, those furs who find
animals attractive are completely different from that image of a farmer
in his field "doing" a sheep. It's called Zoophilia, and it has nothing to
do with "getting off" so to speak.It involves many more feelings than a
"quickie" would garner. Many furs will argue this has nothing to do
with furry, and it may not. However, accepting someone and knowing
they're not here to "recruit you", that's what makes furs different, but
we're not perfect. Zoos get a good deal of trouble in the furry
community too.

RT:  There is a lot of sex going on in the furry community both on
line and off?

RC:  Well, the trouble is, some get the wrong idea that furry is all
about sex. It's not even in the same ballpark. However, because we're
a tight knit community sharing something common that most of us
must keep hidden or have kept hidden most our life, it makes it easy to
fall in love, mate or just have fun together.

RT: Well, thanks Roycat, when we come back, we'll meet another
aspect of the furry world, Jasper Fox, who wears a fox costume they
call a "fursuit." Come on back!

SHOW BUMPER
COMMERCIAL BREAK
SHOW BUMPER: IN THE FUZZ-A FURRY WORLD
(Audience is laughing, seated on stage is a man in a large fox
costume)

RT:  Okay, this is Jasper Fox, who builds costumes that furries call
"fursuits." First question Jasper, aren't you hot in that thing?

JF:  Sure I'm hot, but I'm used to it. I don't mind it at all after so
many years of wearing fursuits.

RT:  How long does it take you to build something like that?

JF:  This took a month. It's a lot of triall and error making all the
fur fit right and the mouth move properly.

RT:  Now, you built that "fursuit"  mainly because you wanted to
look more like a fox?

JF:  Actually, this fursuit was made for more commercial purposes,
renting myself out to parties and the like. That's why it appears more
toony. I do have one at home that is very close in appearance to a real
fox, but this one is my favorite..of the fursuits I've built.

RT:  So you appear at children's parties and store promotions?

JF:  If I can get paid to wear a fursuit, I'll do it. Not just a fox
either, I also have a bear, a dog and a lion costume.

RT:  Would you say that to a furry, the suffrage of being hot and
sweaty in one of those things is good, because you're portraying an
animal you feel close to?

JF:  Well, to the furs who like fursuiting in general, just getting to
wear one and show off is fun, no matter what animal it is. Some get
jobs at Disney or Chuck E. Cheese just to wear a fursuit. These things
aren't cheap, and the chance to wear any type of fursuit is a good
thing. It's not always because you want to be closer to the animal
within. The appeal is, you're an actor, you can be completely silly and
at the end of the day, you take off the fursuit and nobody knows it was
you.

(AUDIENCE MEMBER QUESTION)
AM:  Don't you think it's strange that you're getting into a costume
when you're NOT getting paid for it? I mean, other than Halloween,
why bother?

JF:  There is a certain amount of "rush" that goes along with being
in a non character costume just for fun. To have so many staring and
wondering about you, all of them trying to guess what your points is,
that's a blast. All you're doing is having fun. It's surprising how many
people get uptight when a giant fox is following behind them in a
mall.

RT:  What about children though? You gotta attract a lot of kids.
What if you were just some kind of wacko getting his jollies from
hugging kids?

JF:  Plain and simple, if I'm not being paid to be around kids, I try
to avoid them. They can be very hazardous to a fursuiter's health.
Yes, you'll get the pawshake or the hug, but I don't think you'll find a
furry fursuiter who wants that kind of enjoyment from wearing a
fursuit. The attention yes, the attention of kids specifically? No.

RT:   So most of the people wearing costumes at amusement parks
like Disney, would you say they are all furry?

JF:  Probably not. So many that love fursuits in a work situation,
are just actors doing something they enjoy.  Furs are most likely to
build their own suits, admire other fursuiters and thier work, and wear
non-character fursuits to malls and such. Then again, there are
probably many who enjoy it as much as a furry but can't admit it.
That's the case with most that find there is such a thing as a furry
community. Simple disbelief that there are others who really enjoy this
stuff too.

RT:  All right, thanks Jasper Fox, I believe you're gonna take some
pictures with our audience members during the break?

JF:  Sure! Hug a fox!

RT:  ...and when we come back, another aspect of furry, a real life
werewolf! Stay with us!


(JasperFox jumps from his seat and hugs members of the audience
while the camera pans out)
COMMERCIAL BREAK
SHOW BUMPER: WEREWOLVES, NOT JUST FOR FULL
MOONS ANYMORE?


RT:  Okay, we're joined by Alex Garrison who goes by the name of
Leaderwolf and he is a werewolf, but not like most of us have seen in
the movies.

AG:  The "Hollywood werewolf" as we call it is actually quite
horrid compared to what most who call themselves "were" see
themselves as. To me, I merely desire the ability to shift my shape into
that of a four legged timber wolf. Most people automatically
stereotype wolves as bad because of what they have seen in the
movies. It is unlikely that a wolf would attack a human unprovoked.
Most wolves would try to avoid humans. The scent of humanity is
somewhat repulsive.

RT:  So the werewolf you call yourself isn't a man eating monster?

AG:  No. My reasons for desiring such a thing have been ingrained
in my head for many years, but I've never wanted to be a wolf to hunt
humans, or to hunt at all for that matter

RT:  So what would make someone throw away their humanity to
be an animal, be it wolf or fox or lion or whatever?

AG:  Simply too many reasons. Some believe their childhood had
something to do with it, being unaccepted by piers and that sort of
thing. Some believe in animal totems, or they have an animal spirit
within that guides them through life. Some don't actually want to
shape shift like I do, they just like the strong animal ties inside of
them. In general, if you have a animal inside who influences you in
some or many ways, that can be "wereish."

RT:  What is the difference between a furry and a "were"?

AG:  Another very debated thin line. Most "weres" prefer to have
less human attributes, if you saw a werefox in the wild, he'd look no
different than a regular fox other than some traces of human
intelligence if he lets you see them. A furry "were" however, wants to
retain the upright posture, dexterity of hands, speech, while also
gaining the best of that animal. The fur, the tail, the muzzle, and some
of the traits and instincts.

RT:  So all people who call themselves "were" may not be furry at
all?

AG:  Nope. To a good deal of "weres", being furry is silly or stupid,
being an animal means being as un-human as possible. A lot of them
simply "hate being human." I call myself a "werefurry." While I'd
prefer to be a four legged wolf, there are so many fun things about
being furry that I don't shun them. I welcome them. Since I'm so very
much a wolf inside, yet appear human and was raised human, by
definition, I'm furry. A wolf with human traits. Unfortunately, it's a
lot of traits.

RT:  You really believe you're not human?

AG:  I accept that I was raised a human, look like a human, and act,
at least around others, like a human. Sometimes I even think like a
human, but I don't feel that who I am inside is much of a human. The
more chances I get to express my wolf inside, the better. That's why I
like the furry community so much. I can be who I am, yet still look
and function in a human world. It wouldn't be cool to go around on
all fours, unless you're ten months old of course.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

(AUDIENCE MEMBER)
AM:  Did you tell your friends or co-workers about this? I mean,
you're dressed very nicely, I'd never guess you had such feelings.
What do you do?

AG:  I'm a computer systems analyst for a large local company. I
have told most everyone and they have mixed reactions. Most of my
friends knew me well before I told them, so it wasn't anything
unusual. Most "weres" aren't out to make noise. We're interested in
the species of animal we have within, and might contribute to the
conservation of the animal, but that's all. We're people you know who
just have a deeper consciousness about themself and the world around.
We have allowed ourselves to be guided by the wisdom of the animals
more than what we're told by humanity. For the most part, it makes
you have a broader perspective on life.

(AUDIENCE MEMBER)
AM:  Why waste so much time wanting something you'll never
have?

AG:  I don't feel like I'm wasting time. I don't hold much hope for
genetic or medical breakthroughs from modern science, but anything
can happen. To me, it's just how I live.

(AUDIENCE MEMBER)
AM: When did you first realize you had the wolf inside and how did
you deal with it?

AG:  I was 12 when I saw American Werewolf In London and the
transformation aspect intrigued me. Losing one's body against one's
control. However, I have liked wolves since I was eight and I really
started thinking about wolves after that movie. How could they be
portrayed as such fierce creatures? The big bad wolf? Were wolves
that bad? As I read everything I could find, I slowly started to realize I
was a wolf. My personality shaped in that direction. Dealing with it
was simply drawing inside myself. When I finally met another "were"
after getting on the internet, that's when I finally released the wolf that
had lurked within me for so long. I wasn't alone, and I wasn't crazy.

(AUDIENCE MEMBER)
AM: Can you howl like a wolf for us?
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS AND CHEERS)

AG:  No, not in public like this.

RT:  Aww, come on do it!

AG:  No, because howling at all, even in front of furs, doesn't sound
or look right. It's a private thing. Showing off isn't what it's all about.

RT:  ..but you howl in private- or on full moons?

AG:  Full moons are another stereotype. Granted it does affect
people and yes, I feel a little different on a full moon, but I don't just
howl only on a full moon night.

RT:  Aw, come on! Give us one howl!

(AUDIENCE CHEERS)

AG:  Nope, won't do it.

(AUDIENCE "AWWWWWWS")

RT: Thanks Alex. When we come back we'll meet Beth Hardin, a
psychiatrist that's been listening back stage. She'll try and analyze our
three panelists and we'll see what they say when we come back



-9/18/97 by Ricochet.  Please do not distribute or link to this page.