The furry fandom gets a bad rap. But on this episode, we're digging beneath the stereotypes to uncover the truth about this misunderstood community. We'll chat with furry researcher Dr. Courtney Plante along with Riley Black, a science writer and a furry herself, to explore what the furry culture is really all about, from the artistry of fursuits to the appeal of fursonas. And yes, we'll go there—investigating whether being a furry is actually a fetish (spoiler alert: for most, it's not, but for the others, we'll explore why). So put your preconceptions aside and get ready to learn what makes the furry community so fascinating—and maybe even find yourself with an urge to join in the fun. Resources from Dr. Courtney Plante: FurScience: https://furscience.com/ Resources from Riley Black: Website: https://rileyblack.net/BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/restingdinoface.bsky.social See citations and a transcript here: https://www.tabooscience.show/041-furries/ Need music for a project? Use my Epidemic Sound referral link: https://share.epidemicsound.com/kbva2h Connect with the show:  Leave me a voice memo: https://podline.fm/tabooscience Newsletter: https://www.tabooscience.show/newsletter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabooscience  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscience  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/tabooscience  Website: https://www.tabooscience.show/  Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473