Fur & Loathing

4.5 (135)
TRUE CRIME
WEEKLY SERIES

It’s early December 2014, and at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Rosemont, Illinois, an unusual gathering is taking place. It’s the final night of Midwest Furfest, the world’s largest convention for a subculture known as Furries. The party is in full swing when, just after midnight, attendees suddenly find themselves struggling to breathe. Something terrible has happened: poisonous levels of chlorine gas are sweeping through the hotel corridors. Nineteen people are hospitalized and hundreds are evacuated into the freezing cold, many still wearing their colorful anthropomorphic animal costumes, or fursuits. Hazmat teams trace the gas to a stairwell, where they find the remains of a chemical bomb. This was an intentional attack. But almost a decade later, the identity of the perpetrator remains a mystery. In Fur and Loathing, investigative reporter Nicky Woolf takes on the unsolved case, working closely with Furries to find answers. It’s a journey that will bring him face-to-face with the challenges this vibrant, often misunderstood subculture faces – including the far-right extremists looking to wreck the community from within. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

TRAILER

Introducing Fur & Loathing

This is Fur and Loathing, coming soon from Brazen. It’s early December 2014, and at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Rosemont, Illinois, an unusual gathering is taking place. It’s the final night of Midwest Furfest, the world’s largest convention for a subculture known as Furries. The party is in full swing when, just after midnight, attendees suddenly find themselves struggling to breathe. Something terrible has happened: poisonous levels of chlorine gas are sweeping through the hotel corridors. Nineteen people are hospitalized and hundreds are evacuated into the freezing cold, many still wearing their colorful anthropomorphic animal costumes, or fursuits. Hazmat teams trace the gas to a stairwell, where they find the remains of a chemical bomb. This was an intentional attack. But almost a decade later, the identity of the perpetrator remains a mystery. In Fur & Loathing, investigative reporter Nicky Woolf takes on the unsolved case, working closely with Furries to find answers. It’s a journey that will bring him face-to-face with the challenges this vibrant, often misunderstood subculture faces – including the far-right extremists looking to wreck the community from within. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

S1

•

4 min

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3.9 (35)

DOCUMENTARY
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4.4 (34)

NATURE
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4.5 (284)

DOCUMENTARY
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SOCIETY & CULTURE
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4.8 (104)

DOCUMENTARY
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4.5 (228)

DOCUMENTARY
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4.6 (69)

DOCUMENTARY
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DOCUMENTARY
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BUSINESS
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DOCUMENTARY
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DOCUMENTARY
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5.0 (2)

DOCUMENTARY
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4.5 (67)

DOCUMENTARY
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4.3 (19)

SOCIETY & CULTURE
Go backstage with Prince at the Super Bowl, The Rolling Stones as they face off with the Pope in Cuba, and Michael Jackson as he escapes to Bangkok amid a media frenzy. In Night of Show, accomplished concert promoter Adam Wilkes joins music industry legends as they share behind-the-scenes stories about the pressures superstar artists faced when staging some of their biggest performances. Co-hosted by Adam and Tom Wright, a NYT bestselling author, Night of Show gives listeners a backstage pass to never-before-heard stories about the biggest names in pop and rock! For more, visit www.nightofshow.com Night of Show is a Project Brazen production. For more thrilling storytelling, search for the Brazen channel on Apple Podcasts or visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and showbiz, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Don’t stay in the dark. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, as well as ad-free listening and early access to new shows. For the latest from Brazen delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters at brazen.fm/newsletters. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

4.8 (16)

MUSIC

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4.5

out of 5

135 Ratings

Really well done

11/25/2024

olive and lexico

Pleasantly surprised. Surprised this didn’t get more traction. Excellent.
Could but focus could have been better

4d ago

Crispycrunchy88

I’ve had friends who were affected by the gas attack and were at the convention so hearing more about what happened is super interesting. I just wish they l talked more about the incompetence of the FBI and cops. That seems like something that would be a really interesting investigation.
Audio issues

Feb 17

L_inAustin

Great content. My only gripe is narrator audio is SO much louder than tapes or interviews that you misd a bunch of the content cause the balance is so off. I would have thought that could have been balanced better in editing. Maybe they will rerelease with some adjustments.
Had promise, but….

12/27/2024

JC111111PL

Ultimately, disappointing. The most interesting observation offered comes at the very tail end by Patch. THAT would be much more interesting to explore. Or explore WHY it was poorly investigated—yes, local police and FBI won’t answer contact requests, but the question could still be probed. So much more could have been done.
I luv furrys

07/30/2024

stopthehatee

I am a furry myself, and I found this podcast looking for a good more quite thing to listen to,and I found this. It’s a great podcast for people who like true crime stories, and or a furry😊🐺🦊it’s a very easy listen,🎧 I even fell asleep listening to it!🤣 I do agree it’s is horrible some one would EVER even think about doing something like a chlorine bomb attack.
Solving the crime would’ve been better

09/02/2024

TS3370

I started listening to this because it was recommended and advertised by another media company that produces excellent crime/ investigative journalism podcasts in general. I thought this podcast was well done to start with however, I’m sick of listening to podcast and investing time in 6 to 8 to 10 or more episodes and there’s no resolution at the end where the perpetrator isn’t officially found. This would’ve been much better have they actually been able to prove who the suspect wise. Too many podcasts where it is left open to interpretation and for the listener to figure out, this would be one of those. Disappointed in the end…
Wow the podcast I didn’t know I needed

07/14/2024

gabywebster

I got to the end and all I wanted was more. Astounding that I’d never heard of this attack before and I live in the DC area
who and why

07/26/2024

Todd's kids

Y'all need help, AND GOSH DANGGIT YALL NEED IT FAST
Extremely Disappointing

07/18/2024

KuschtyRye

After listening to the excellent “The Sound” (Havana Syndrome podcast) which I gladly gave 5 stars to, I was really looking forward to this podcast. Unfortunately, it was everything that The Sound was not…light on content, detail and the whole thing just seemed half baked and not fully realized. Honestly, it felt lazy. Not recommended.
Brilliant

07/12/2024

FrequentlyFlying

Such an enticing, nuanced and often jaw-dropping show. Strong recommend.