yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup which is also "furry as a brand" and "yourself as a brand" your fursona is not a representation of YOU it is a Marketable Character

I personally carry around an edgy-looking science fiction TF Ray-gun and shout “Fursona” and point it at my own head and fire it whenever I need to pull out my furry self.

Right, it all goes very hand in hand with cringe culture back in the day. If you were being authentic that was super cringe so of course it was bad to have a fursona, you could only have a character because no way you could be representing yourself.

I don’t think my possum would sell well in makeship or some shit.