On Sunday, the 13th annual Gathering of the Juggalos wrapped up in Cave-In-Rock, Ill. It’s the annual music festival created by the rap duo Insane Clown Posse and their label, Psychopathic Records.
The big news to emerge from this year’s Gathering is the announcement that the band is standing up to the FBI, who last year classified ICP’s fans (known as “juggalos”) as a gang. While this seems like something you could make fun of, we suggest you don’t. It’s low-hanging fruit, and any joke that can be made about ICP already has.
Why do people make fun of them? Maybe it’s because ICP’s members, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, wear clown makeup. Maybe it’s because they’re not good rappers or they’re obsessed with an off-brand pop called Faygo. Maybe it’s because of their annual Gathering, with its collection of C- and D-list celebrities (and B- and C-list hepatitis). Whatever the reason, the ridicule has been going on for decades.
The band has been around since the late '80s, and has been mocked and dissed by many, including Eminem. But for some reason, it’s really picked up over the past three years. Since 2009, members of the comedy community and pretty much the entire internet have mined every nugget of comedy gold from ICP and their loyal juggalos. Here is a brief history of making fun of Insane Clown Posse. Let's go through it so we can move on with our lives!
It should be noted that most of these are NSFW.
July 2009: The Best Show on WFMU
Tom Scharpling, host of the New Jersey-based Best Show on WFMU, played an advertisement of the 10th annual Gathering of the Juggalos for his guest, comedian Paul F. Tompkins. For 25 minutes, the pair made fun of the lineup of guests while simultaneously being astonished by the poor planning of the event. They cover topics like why wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper is performing standup comedy, what a bad idea it is to offer helicopter rides to juggalos and the clumsy naming of “Violent J's Beach Boys BBQ Blowout Bash Blast.” By the end, the two of them are breathlessly laughing and vowing to attend. Hear the whole thing here (starting at 1:27:15).
August 2009: Paula Abdul Attends the Gathering of the Juggalos
Don’t be misled by the title; this is a work of fan fiction by Videogum blogger Gabe Delahaye. The short story details a disastrous trip in which the American Idol host ends up soiled and beaten in a wrestling ring.
September 2009 to present: Look at this F---ing Juggalo
This is a Tumblr blog, similar to “Look at this F---ing Hipster,” that began documenting sightings of ICP’s tattooed and face-painted fans. It has since become ground zero for mocking juggalo memes.
December 2009 to present: Saturday Night Live
The juggalos made their SNL debut (sorta) with the sketch “Under-Underground Records brings you its 10th Annual Kickspit Underground Rock Festival.” The sketch parodied the 2009 Gathering of the Juggalos commercial with a parade of obscure celebrities, including O.J. Simpson trial witness Mark Fuhrman, the Snapple lady and Turtle from Entourage. Followup sketches have advertised events like "The Crunkmas Karnival" and "Columbus Day Ass Blast." Unfortunately, these sketches aren’t available online to Canadians as they are on Hulu.
February 2010: "Juggalo News"
"Juggalo News" began as a sketch posted online by Scott Gairdner about an all-juggalo news network. It features face-painted anchors and pundits discussing political topics in a button-down yet completely foul-mouthed manner. The sketch returned on HBO’s Funny or Die series.
April 2010: “Miracles” and the magnets meme
When ICP released their video for “Miracles,” it was an instant hit on the internet. The green-screen clip was remarkable for how out of character it was. The duo’s normally violent lyrics were replaced with profound talk about the miracles that surround us all. The line that resonated most was Shaggy 2 Dope’s “F--king magnets, how do they work?” in which the rapper rejects scientific explanation. This line alone spawned its own meme, and the video was parodied on Saturday Night Live, with a song called “Magical Mysteries.”
August 2010: Tom Green’s juggalo video
Comedian and rapper Tom Green was invited to perform at the 2010 Gathering, and he brought a camera to document the events. Highlights of his eight-minute video include hanging out with fellow performers Tila Tequila and Gallagher, and Green turning down several offers of free narcotics.
September 2011: "American Juggalo"
After the 2011 Gathering, filmmaker Sean Dunne released his 23-minute documentary on the “mocked and misunderstood subculture of Juggalos.” While the film may not be intended as comedy or parody, it does feature earnest juggalos speaking in various levels of inebriation, plenty of nudity and a pregnant woman smoking a cigarette. It also has the quote, “We have alcohol and we have explosives. Let me show you how great we are.”
So don’t make fun of Insane Clown Posse or their fans anymore. It’s been done.
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