In a bizarre interview on Monday, Fox News host Jesse Watters debated whether children should be allowed to attend a “furry” convention with a man dressed in a raccoon costume, the Daily Caller reported.
In late May, the organizers of Megaplex, an Orlando “furry” convention announced on Twitter that only attendees over the age of 18 will be permitted to attend due to the new Florida law. This prompted some blowback both in the media and among some convention attendees.
Introducing “furry” David Kanaszka, Watters asked him why “furries” would object to Florida barring children from a “sexual” event like the Megaplex convention.
Kanaszka argued that he dresses up for “fun” and said he wants to bring joy to other people’s lives. He claimed that the “furries” he knows are talented dancers and performers.
Watters then shifted to a video in which a “furry” is getting spanked, asking Kanaszka why there is spanking at their conventions. Kanaszka clarified that the spanking video was filmed at a restaurant nearby and not at the convention. He said spanking the patrons was a “Germanic tradition” at this restaurant.
Asked if he wanted children to be exposed to furries getting spanked, Kanaszka said that he thinks spanking should be for adults only. But he argued that “furry” conventions don’t involve spanking, instead, they are about “community and bringing people together.”
When Watters asked why he would object to children being barred from the convention, Kanaszka said “furry” conventions aren’t “inherently sexual.” He said the convention features panels on how to make costumes, variety shows, another other “kinds of stuff.” He insisted that the convention has “nothing to do” with sexuality.
Kanaszka said “furries” are easy to vilify because they are “misunderstood as a group,” prompting Watters to ask if Kanaszka blames himself for being misunderstood since he’s “the one dressed up as a raccoon.”
