On Sunday, the Midwest FurFest — a convention of "furries" in suburban Chicago — had to seek refuge at a nearby dog show after a suspected chlorine gas attack made 19 attendees sick. Aside from that made-for-Christopher-Guest-movie scenario being hilarious, it was no laughing matter, and police have opened a criminal investigation.
That's the reason Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski was reading a headline about furries on Monday's show. She had apparently never heard of furries before:
If you're wondering what they told Mika, and why co-host Joe Scarborough is laughing uproariously during the segment, here's an excerpt of an Associated Press Q&A about furries:
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[FurFest] celebrates animals that are anthropomorphic, meaning they've been given human characteristics.... Furries say they are not involved in a sexual fetish, though they are often asked about it. They have said fetish wear such as leashes is not acceptable at conventions and pointed out that they don't want to engage in activities that might damage their elaborate and expensive outfits. [AP]
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