Yote>> WEARING A FUR SUIT CAN BE SEXUALLY AROUSING. HALF OF THE SEXUAL APPEAL FOR
A FUR SUIT ISN'T FOR JUST, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IN A COSTUME. IT'S FOR THE
FUR SUIT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HAVING SEX WITH SOMEBODY WHO
IS--HE'S ALL FURRY. HE'S GOT, YOU KNOW, THIS FURRY SORT OF HEAD, YOU
KNOW, BIG EARS AND A MUZZLE AND STUFF. THAT'S WHAT HALF OF THE APPEAL IS.
FOR ME, FURRY HASN'T HELD ROMANCE. IT'S HELD SEX.
Ken>> FURRY IS VERY COMPLICATED. IT'S SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT TO EVERY PERSON. I WAS INVOLVED BEFORE THERE EVEN WAS FURRY. BACK IN 1979, I STARTED HANGING OUT WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY EVOLVE INTO THE FURRY FANDOM.
Cas Kiyote>> WELL, A PLUSHY IS A STUFFED ANIMAL.
Jimmy>> I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT GOES ON IN THE HEADS OF THE PLUSHIES. MAYBE
IT'S JUST THE COMPANIONSHIP OF SOMETHING FUZZY. I--UM, I DON'T KNOW.
IN GENERAL TERMS, A FUR SUIT IS A FURRY COSTUME. IT'S A WAY THAT FURRIES CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THEIR FURRY CHARACTERS AND THEIR ALTER EGOS.
Cas Kiyote>> A LOT OF THE MAINSTREAM HAS GOTTEN THE IDEA THAT FURRY EQUALS BESTIALITY.
Llere>> AND I'M FAIRLY SURE, AT LEAST IN THIS CASE, THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
Silfur>> WHEN I--WHEN I COME TO CONVENTIONS, I'M HERE REALLY TO MEET PEOPLE AND TO BE SOCIAL AND TO HUG AND SCRATCH AND BOUNCE AROUND AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.
Leo 9>> THEY COME HERE; THEY CAN HAVE FUN, YOU KNOW. THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY'S LOOKING AT THEM SIDEWAYS, STARING AT THEM ODDLY AND MAKING THEM MAYBE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE FUR SUIT.
Ken>> PART OF THE FURRY, I REALLY THINK, IS THE SEXUAL ATTRACTION. AND ANYONE WHO SAYS THAT FURRY IS NOT A SEXUAL-BASED FANDOM IS REALLY KIND OF FOOLING THEMSELF.
Yote>> IN REAL LIFE, PEOPLE KNOW ME AS MIKE SANO. I JUST MOVED OUT OF L.A. AND UP AND INTO EUREKA. I'M GOING TO COLLEGE THERE AT HUMBOLDT STATE, AND I'M LIVING IN THE DORMS NOW. MY FURRY NAME IS YOTE. Y-O-T-E. IT'S SHORT FOR COYOTE. I'VE KNOWN ABOUT FURRY FOR, LIKE, SIX OR SEVEN YEARS. BUT I'VE BEEN FURRY MY ENTIRE LIFE. FOR ME, FURRINESS--IT'S JUST KIND OF, LIKE, BEING IN TOUCH WITH, LIKE, AN ANIMAL. LIKE, I THINK EVERYONE HAS SORT OF AN ANIMAL IN THEM. THEY HAVE ATTRIBUTES OF A CERTAIN ANIMAL INSIDE THEM. EVERYONE DOES, WHETHER THEY KNOW IT OR NOT. SO I GO BY COYOTE. I FEEL THAT IT'D PROBABLY BE A BETTER EXTENSION OF WHO I AM TO LOOK LIKE ONE. IT'S BEING MYSELF, AND PART OF MYSELF JUST LOOKS DIFFERENT-- SORT OF AN INSIDE-OUTSIDE SORT OF THING. MOST FURS, WHEN THEY THINK OF THEIR EARLIEST MEMORIES OF BEING FURRY, THE THINGS THAT FIRST ATTRACTED THEM WOULD BE SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS AND DISNEY. FOR ME, IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS, I THINK, SINCE I FOUND THE INTERNET AND GOT ONLINE. THE INTERNET MAKES FURRY POSSIBLE. WITHOUT THEM, THERE WOULD BE NO REAL FURRY FANDOM. BECAUSE IT'S AN EASY WAY TO ORGANIZE PEOPLE, TO GATHER PEOPLE FROM OUT OF STATE, TO BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER, 'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT--AS ALL THE SLOGANS AND STUFF SAY, "IT MAKES THE WORLD SMALLER."
Marilyn (Yote's mom)>> I THINK MY SON IS A FURRY, UM...WHATEVER THAT MAY MEAN. UH, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ACCEPT MY SON AS ANYTHING ELSE THAN MY SON. UH, HE CLAIMS TO BE A FURRY. AND I DON'T FULLY COMPREHEND OR UNDERSTAND WHAT HE MEANS WHEN A SAYS HE'S "A FURRY."
Yote>> MY MOM AND I--WE DON'T TALK AS MUCH, WHICH IS GOOD AND BAD, I GUESS. SHE HAS--SHE REALLY HAS TO REALIZE NOW MORE THAN EVER THAT I AM MY OWN PERSON. AND I WILL DO WHAT I WANT TO DO.
Marilyn>> WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT FURRY? IT'S--[sighs]--KIND OF A METAPHOR FOR HIS FEELING OF BEING DIFFERENT. THE ONLY WAY MY MIND IS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THIS WHOLE THING IS LIKE A HOBBY. AND HE CLAIMS IT IS FAR MORE THAN THAT, THAT IT IS PART OF HIS IDENTITY.
Yote>> HIS NAME IS JURASSIC. HE'S GOT A LOT OF FUR SUITS, SO WE HAD A LOT OF FUN TRYING THEM ON. AND WHILE I WAS IN IT, MY FRIEND GOT A LITTLE BIT--A LITTLE BIT YIFFY AND GOT A LITTLE BIT UP, AND I GOT AROUSED, BUT I DIDN'T CLIMAX OR ANYTHING. HE DID, THOUGH, I'M SURE, 'CAUSE HE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE BOISTEROUS IN HIS MOVEMENTS AGAINST ME.
WE ARE GOING UP TO SAN LUIS OBISPO AND MORRO BAY TO VISIT ONE OF MY FRIENDS. I MET HIM FIRST THROUGH I.R.C. ON THE INTERNET. HE DOES HAVE A LARGE FUR SUIT COLLECTION.
Marilyn>> I AM SURE THAT IT IS A-- IT'S A FURRY'S DREAM COME TRUE TO GET A JOB AS A MASCOT AND WORK AT DISNEYLAND, ALTHOUGH I AM SURE THAT AT DISNEY, THEY PROBABLY ARE TAKING GREAT CARE TO SCREEN THEIR APPLICANTS.
Yote>> HIS NAME IS JURASSIC.
HE'S GOT A LOT OF FUR SUITS,
SO WE HAD A LOT OF FUN TRYING
THEM ON.
AND WHILE I WAS IN IT, MY FRIEND
GOT A LITTLE BIT--A LITTLE BIT
YIFFY AND GOT A LITTLE BIT UP,
AND I GOT AROUSED, BUT I DIDN'T
CLIMAX OR ANYTHING.
HE DID, THOUGH, I'M SURE,
'CAUSE HE WAS A LITTLE BIT
MORE BOISTEROUS IN HIS MOVEMENTS
AGAINST ME--VERY AROUSING,
VERY EROTIC,
SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW.
I'D NEVER TRIED IT OUT.
Marilyn>> IS THERE ANYTHING IN HIS LIFE THAT MAY--THAT'S--THAT MAY HAVE MADE HIM EXPLORE THESE INTERESTS. THAT'S REALLY A VERY FRIGHTENING QUESTION FOR ME AS A PARENT, BECAUSE I AM CEASELESSLY AND ENDLESSLY QUESTIONING, "WHAT HAVE I DONE? WHAT HAVE I DONE? HOW MUCH POWER DID I HAVE OVER ALL OF THIS? WHAT ROLE HAVE I PLAYED IN THE WAY MY CHILDREN HAVE TURNED OUT?"
Yote>> FURRY SEXUALITY IS JUST LIKE NORMAL HUMAN SEXUALITY, BUT INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT A SPREADSHEET FROM PLAYBOY OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN ON A BED WITH BIG BREASTS AND WHATEVER, YOU'RE LOOKING A PICTURE ON YOUR COMPUTER OF A VIXEN ON A BED WITH BIG BREASTS INSTEAD. I'VE NOTICED IT SEEMS TO BE THE SAME TREND, THE SAME IDEAS THAT NORMAL--LIKE, NORMAL PEOPLE--MUNDANES HAVE. BUT THEY'RE JUST FURRYIZED.
Giza>> LIKE A LOT OF FURRIES,
ACTUALLY, I KIND OF GREW UP
THINKING I WAS STRAIGHT,
AND THEN I KIND OF STARTED
REALIZING ONCE I GOT EXPOSURE
THROUGH THE FURRY FANDOM,
YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF OPENED UP
MY MIND TO IT.
Tyger Cowboy>> WELL, SEXUALITY PLAYS SUCH A LARGE PART IN IDENTITY. FOR MANY OF US, OUR SEXUALITY DEFINES WHO WE ARE.
Yote>> I HAVE FINALLY A FUR SUIT.
I'M JUST GETTING STARTED
IN ALL OF IT.
IT'S KIND OF NEW TO ME.
AND SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT
DIFFICULT TO GET STARTED.
YEAH, I MEAN, CUDDLING'S GOOD
IN A FUR SUIT.
I JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW,
RUB MY CHEST, YOU KNOW, JUST
SORT OF SCRATCH AT MY CHEST
AND STUFF.
IT FEELS GOOD.
I DON'T THINK NORMAL MUNDANES
REALLY GET THE IDEA OF WHAT IT
FEELS LIKE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW,
LIKE--SCRATCH BEHIND YOUR EARS
OR SCRATCH, LIKE, A CHEST
WHEN YOU HAVE FUR THERE.
EVEN IF IT'S NOT REALLY
YOUR FUR, IT'S STILL--
IT FEELS LIKE IT COULD BE,
AND IT FEELS GOOD.
I MEAN, I'LL ADMIT THAT SOME--
THAT SOME FUR SUITS CAN BE
SEXUALLY AROUSING.
WEARING A FUR SUIT CAN BE
SEXUALLY AROUSING IN THE PROPER
SITUATION.
IT'S LIKE EMERGING FROM A COCOON
OR SOMETHING, I GUESS.
I DON'T KNOW.
THE TYPICAL WAY THAT MOST PEOPLE
WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE
DOING IS--BECAUSE YOU HAVE
AN ACTUAL FUR SUIT,
YOU'D WONDER, "HOW DO YOU
HAVE SEX IN A FUR SUIT?"
MOST PEOPLE WOULD GO ABOUT BY
PUTTING STRATEGICALLY PLACED
HOLES IN VARIOUS PLACES
ON THE SUIT.
THESE CAN INVOLVE JUST ABOUT
ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF.
BUT THE MOST COMMON PLACE WOULD
BE SOMEWHERE IN THE CROTCH
AND SOMEWHERE PROBABLY
NEAR THE ASS FOR MOST FURS.
SOME FURS I'VE EVEN SEEN,
YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF HAVING
JUST THE HOLE, THEY ACTUALLY
BUILD, LIKE, A FURRY SHEATH
IN THE FUR SUIT.
YOU KNOW, THEY JUST GO ABOUT
HAVING SEX AS ANYONE ELSE WOULD,
BUT THEY'RE WEARING A FUR SUIT.
Yote (speaking to his mom)>>IT'S NOT JUST A THING.
IT'S NOT A HOBBY.
IT'S HOW YOU VIEW LIFE.
YOU DON'T VIEW IT AS, LIKE,
HUMAN ANYMORE.
YOU VIEW IT FROM A DIFFERENT
STANDPOINT.
AND YES, THERE IS SEX TO IT.
BUT I'M 18.
Marilyn>> MM-HMM.
Yote>> IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR ME.
Marilyn>> UH-HUH.
Yote>> I'M 18.
Marilyn>> UH-HUH.
Yote>> SO YOU CAN CHILL WITH THAT. TO DEAL WITH THAT.
Marilyn>> OKAY, SO TELL ME, WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR YOUR FUTURE? HOW DOES IT INCORPORATE YOUR FURRINESS? HOW WILL YOU DO THAT? WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?
Yote>> IT'S THE SAME--
Marilyn>> OKAY, LET'S PRETEND-- LET'S PRETEND THAT THIS IS THE SAME DAY OF THE WEEK TEN YEARS FROM NOW. WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE?
Yote>> VIRTUALLY THE SAME THINGS PROBABLY. I DON'T KNOW.
Marilyn>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "VIRTUALLY THE SAME THINGS"? YOU'RE GOING TO BE SITTING IN FRONT OF THE VIDEO--
Yote>> WORK, WORK, WORK.
Marilyn>> WHAT IS YOUR WORK GOING TO BE, MICHAEL? WHAT DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS DOING, MICHAEL? WHAT DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS DOING?
Yote>> I DON'T KNOW.
Marilyn>> DO YOU SEE YOURSELF SERVING UP HAMBURGERS AT McDONALD'S?
Yote>> I HAVE TO GO OUT AND DO THINGS AND FIND OUT WHAT I LIKE. I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING. ALL I'VE DONE IS SCHOOL ALL MY LIFE, MOM. HOW CAN I TELL YOU WHAT I LIKE RIGHT NOW?
Marilyn>> [sighs]
Yote>> MY MOM WAS VERY AFRAID OF THE CONVENTION. SHE WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, "NOT ONLY ARE THESE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO HIM ONLINE AND SEDUCING HIM ONLINE, BUT NOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN REAL LIFE. SO ALL THESE PEOPLE HE'S TALKED TO ONLINE ARE GOING TO BE THERE IN THIS CONVENTION TRYING TO GET INTO HIS PANTS." I SPENT THE NIGHT IN THEIR ROOM, AND...IT WAS GREAT. AND I WAS IN A FUR SUIT WHILE HE WASN'T. AND HE WE HAD SEX. IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SITTING THERE, AND IT JUST KIND OF HAPPENED.
I GO TO CONVENTIONS BECAUSE-- MAINLY BECAUSE I LIKE THE FUR SUIT, AND IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND FUR SUIT. MIDWEST FURFEST WAS MY FIRST CONVENTION, AND I WASN'T EXPECTING IT TO BE ANY DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING ELSE. I MEAN, I WAS EXPECTING TO KIND OF GET THERE AND BE ALONE MOST OF THE TIME AND NOT REALLY KNOW ANYONE.
Shadow Walker>> I'VE BEEN RUNNING AROUND IN FURRY WEREWOLF, WEREWOLF, AND SIMILAR COSTUMES NOW PROBABLY SINCE-- FOR ABOUT TWO DECADES. I JUST NEEDED TO BE AWAY FROM PEOPLE, AND I SPENT A WEEKEND IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES. THAT BASICALLY GOT ME STARTED. I--I'M NOT COMFORTABLE TELLING MY COWORKERS [laughing] WHAT I NEEDED TO TAKE FRIDAY OFF IN ORDER TO DO, IN ORDER TO DRIVE DOWN HERE. BUT I WILL REMEMBER WHAT I DID. I WILL REMEMBER THE FUN I'VE HAD. I WILL REMEMBER THE PLAYING AROUND BACKSTAGE WITH SOMEBODY THAT WAS A--A 6 1/2 FOOT TALL BLACK TIGER WHO DID A VILLAGE PERSON DANCE ROUTINE. [howling] HOW WAS THAT?
Plush-she>> I THINK THE CONS ARE A PLACE
WHERE YOU CAN RELEASE,
LET YOURSELF GO, AND YOUR FURRY
SIDE COME OUT, YOU KNOW?
I MEAN, NOT EVERYBODY'S DRESSED
IN FUR.
SOME PEOPLE JUST LIKE THE ART.
SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST HERE,
YOU KNOW, TO LOOK AROUND.
IT'S A LOT OF FUN.
Cas Kiyote>> THE CONS GIVE ME A PLACE TO BASICALLY BE WHO I AM WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT WHO'S WATCHING, WHO'S GOING TO GO, LIKE, "EWW." I'M STILL BASICALLY IN THE CLOSET, BUT IT--IT'S GIVEN ME A MUCH BETTER SELF-CONFIDENCE. I'VE ACTUALLY INTRODUCED QUITE A FEW PEOPLE TO THE FANDOM BECAUSE OF IT.
Stacy>> WELL, WE'RE DATING.
Ken>> WE'RE GOOD FRIENDS.
Stacy>> YEAH. THREE? FOUR MONTHS?
Ken>> FOUR MONTHS, I THINK.
Stacy>> WELL, ACTUALLY, I'D KNOWN ABOUT FURRY BEFORE HE CALLED. I JUST REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A VERY CLEAR CONCEPT OF WHAT IT WAS. I'M NEW TO THIS, AND I ACTUALLY CAME BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THIS WAS ABOUT.
Cas Kiyote>> ABOUT THE ONLY REALLY BIG FURRY WORD IS "YIFF", WHICH HAS, LIKE, 40 DIFFERENT MEANINGS. 'CAUSE IT'S, LIKE, THE FOX-- THE SOUND THE FOX MAKES, OR JUST A HAPPY SOUND. OR ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, IT'S BASICALLY SEX. OR YIFFY WOULD BE, LIKE, AROUSED.
Clementine>>"FURVERT"
IS A VERY UNPLEASANT
TERM, KIND OF LIKE PERVERT
WITH FUR.
Cas Kiyote>>"SPOOGE ART" IS THE STUFF THAT'S NOT, LIKE, CHEESECAKE PINUP, BUT VERY, VERY EXPLICIT AND ADULT.
Anabelle>>"PET" USUALLY REFERS TO, UH-- THE PET TAKES THE SUBSERVIENT ROLE. OFTENTIMES THEY'RE SEEN WALKING ABOUT WITH A DOG COLLAR AND LEASH AROUND THEM, BEING LED AROUND BY THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHER.
Yote>> VITAPUP IS A YOUNG GUY. HE HAS A FUR SUIT, AND IT'S A DALMATIAN FUR SUIT, AND IT'S REALLY CUTE. AND WE JUST KIND OF HUNG OUT TOGETHER. FOR SOME REASON, LIKE, THE WAY THAT HE MOVES THE HEAD AND STUFF, IT JUST LOOKS REALLY GREAT. AND IT ENDS UP JUST BEING REALLY CUTE AND REALLY WONDERFUL. AND IT'S JUST, LIKE, CUDDLY AND SOFT. THE BEST EXPERIENCE WITH SOMEONE--I SPENT THE NIGHT IN THEIR ROOM, AND IT WAS GREAT. AND I WAS IN A FUR SUIT WHILE HE WASN'T, AND WE HAD SEX. IT WAS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SITTING THERE, AND IT JUST KIND OF HAPPENED. AND IT WAS JUST REALLY NICE ON BOTH PARTS. [stammering] I THINK WE BOTH HAD A GOOD TIME. I SHOULD HOPE WE BOTH HAD A GOOD TIME. I KNOW I DID. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO BACK. I HAVE TO SEE MY PARENTS NOW.
(Off screen)>> READY? MINNESOTA, HERE WE COME.
Yote>> THIS WAS A GREAT CON. I HAD A GREAT TIME. IT WAS, LIKE, A LOT OF FUN. YOU DON'T WANT TO G-- YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO BACK. I THINK IT'S 'CAUSE I MET-- I MEAN, I MET A GOOD FRIEND, SOMEONE WHO I HADN'T REALLY KNOWN BEFORE, ANOTHER FUR SUITER MY OWN AGE. SO YEAH, BUT-- AND I GUESS I ALSO HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO GOING HOME AND SEEING MY WHOLE FAMILY AND, LIKE, DEALING WITH FAMILY ISSUES AND ALL THAT STUFF, SO IT MAKES LEAVING EVEN HARDER.
I WILL DEFINITELY BE FURRY FOR THE NEXT AT LEAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS, PROBABLY MORE THAN THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG. MY MOM'S NEVER BEEN HAPPY WITH ME BEING FURRY. NOW SHE'S MORE COMFORTABLE THAN SHE WAS. AT LEAST-- AT LEAST SHE HIDES IT BETTER.
Marilyn>> OH, GOD.
HERE WE GO.
I'M SORRY.
I CANNOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
I CANNOT TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.
I'M SORRY.
I--YOU KNOW, IT'S--IT'S CUTE.
IT--IT'S CUTE.
YES, IT'S CUTE, BUT I CAN'T
TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
IT BOTHERS ME THAT THIS IS
SO IMPORTANT TO HIM AND THINGS
THAT I DEEM IMPORTANT ARE NOT.
AND SO, YEAH, THAT BOTHERS ME.
THIS IS NOT WHAT A PARENT
WANTS FOR THEIR KID.
WHAT KIND OF ACHIEVEMENT
IS THAT?
PUTTING ON A FUR SUIT
IS NOT AN ACHIEVEMENT.
IS THERE ANY PART OF THIS
CHARACTER IN MY SON?
[laughing]
WELL, THERE'S JUST SOMETHING--
YOU KNOW, THE GLEAM IN THAT EYE.
[laughing]
I AM SORRY, SWEETIE.
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