Wild at Heart

In my five year, 120+ article tenure as a Society writer, i've delved into all sorts of weighty topics, from the potentially cataclysmic future of AI, to Fermi's paradox and the likelihood of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. I've explored cultural norms and various aspects of the human condition, from hypocrisy to heroism. I've attempted to decode the multitasking myth and delved into the chaos of the teenage brain, squaring parental dismay with neurological realities of the Darwinian imperative, and marvelled at our technological ascendence from ape to apex..... I've also been hungover or creatively stifled on more than one occasion, hence such instant classics as SAY CHEESE 2: ELECTRIC BUGALOO, and David Cameron's face photoshopped to look even more like a leg of ham.

My creative nadirs generally result in the equivalent of deathscrolling YouTube FAIL compilations at 2am on a school night; data-mined lists of weird jobs, historical oddballs and crucially, drunk animals. If lacking inspiration or attempting to short-cut audience interest, always look to the animal kingdom to dig you out of a hole. (Many animals LOVE digging holes after all...)
Even "proper" rags like The Guardian do it... kind of. At a time when legacy media are barely staying afloat and the manufactured outrage of culture wars draws far more attention than stuffy old current events, even the prestige papers are not above a bit of clickbait - and so I stumbled upon (or rather algorithmic intervention led me to...) the story of a Japanese man known as Toco who spent in excess of £10,000 on an ultra realistic (we'll let you be the judge) canine costume to actualise his dream of transforming into a long-haired collie. Manufactured in 40 days by Zeppet, a company renowned for their TV and film costume work, the tailor-made suit has heads turning and cameras clicking when Toco makes rare public appearances, whilst his 245,000 followers have garnered him million of views on TikTok.
On this occasion, the Guardian seems to have taken a rather neutral stance, presenting the story in photos, rather than the coded language of approval or condemnation, but there's a fiery intersection of this type of story in play at present, as identity politics appear at the forefront of (or hidden within) so much of our public discourse. What might be considered fluff (fur??) pieces such as this are frequently weaponized to insidious effect, spreading misinformation, manufacturing outrage and entrenching social polarization. The trans debate, already volatile and likely to get you cancelled should you “get it wrong” - the only fella I'm confidently calling “Lassie” is Toco – has been further muddied by bad-faith falsehoods. In recent years, Americans, typically right of the divide, have continuously regurgitated the myth that schools are installing litter trays for students who identify as cats. Playing right into the hands of the “anti-woke” movement, especially given its repetition and amplification by some 20 Republican officials and politicians, the bizarre claim, repudiated by every school concerned, is a dog whistle for transphobes and those aghast at the perceived agenda of LGBTQ+ groups. Throughout history, likening certain groups to animals has allowed their ill treatment and subjugation to proliferate more easily. The GOP's manufactured hysteria at this alleged special treatment of fringe students is a coded assault on changing identity politics, as it pertains to groups more genuinely deserving of a place at the table.
For clarity (both my own and the reader's) I'll attempt to dispel some reductive misconceptions about our beast-affined brethren.... whilst giving the mag an excuse to print attention-grabbing pictures of some proper weirdos.
Ultimately, according to a decade's worth of research, “furries” are a generally harmless, niche and widely misunderstood section of society. Whilst furries might like to dress as wolves, lions or dragons (not generally furry but allow it...), it's rare they want special treatment beyond not getting beaten up or harassed. They do not think they are anything other than human. Essentially, they are just lifelong “fans” - of animals and their depiction in media, from Bugs Bunny to Pokemon, Peter Rabbit to Zootopia. Though their fandom relates back to typically youth-oriented content, so does that of Star Wars and Harry Potter fans and we don't pass judgement on those GIGANTIC NERDS. Despite common media characterizations and public assumptions, research shows the vast majority of furries are not fetishists, getting their sexual thrills whilst dressed as Sonic. Their community, though predominantly young white male, college educated, science, fantasy and computer-literate (so far, so geek....) is also characterized by its inclusivity, its high queer and trans quotient indicative of its welcoming, non judgemental principles and opposition to the types of derision and bullying a high percentage of furries experienced in childhood.

Therians are a whole other kettle of cats. Therians often have dysphoria so acute that despite them functioning “normally” within certain frameworks of society, they feel they are an animal spirit trapped in a human body. Usually starting with an “off” feeling in childhood, most therians get a sense of their animal identity, or “theriotype” as they mature, some even experiencing the equivalent of phantom limb syndrome, manoeuvring through spaces to avoid catching their imagined ears or tails. Whilst research is yet to substantiate these phenomena scientifically, it speaks strongly of an atypical neurology or a response to childhood trauma. Spiritualists might consider this in terms of the reincarnation of a misplaced soul. Where Ricky Gervais noted the claims of reincarnationists who generally claim to be historically significant figures in past lives (never scullery maids, prostitutes or street urchins) Therians typically align with powerful, charismatic, predator species – wolves and large cats, not sardines or tapeworms. The intersection of psychology and anthropology is evident, with Jaguar therians more common in their native South America and foxes in the folkloric-ally foxy Japan.

A 2019 study of a demographically broad 112 therians found a higher than average incidence of autism alongside systemic struggles with relationships and social skills, though it's unclear if this is due to cognitive factors, or the elephant (bear/monkey/lion...) in the room that is existing as a therian in the human world. Ultimately, the therian life is frequently one of profound dysphoria, disappointment and estrangement, so despite the impulse to mock, exacerbated by dog-whistle media and knee-jerk assumptions, a little empathy for our faux-furry friends would undoubtedly go a long way....

That Lassie joke was on point though!