Juggalo

Fandom
Name(s):	Juggalo, Juggalo, Juggalette, Juggalo Family
Abbreviation(s):
Scope/Focus:	Insane Clown Posse, Psychopathic Records
Date(s):	1994-
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A Juggalo (plural Juggalos) is the term for the fandom of Detroit horrorcore rappers Insane Clown Posse, composed of members Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. The term was coined by Violent J during a concert in 1994. It is derived from the song "The Juggla" on their first Joker's Card, the 1992 album Carnival of Carnage.

Origin

According to mostly anecdotal evidence, while rapping "The Juggla" during a show in Warren, MI in 1994, Violent J reportedly added a now infamous ad-lib:

You can’t fuck with the Juggla! What about you, Juggalo? Are there any Juggalos in here?

Whether that phrasing is correct or not—the only source seems to be Kent Russell's book I Am Sorry To Think I Have Raised a Timid Son—it's certainly true that fans attached to the term, and it became not just a word to describe a fan of ICP, but a way of life. The "Juggalo Family" is now a complex subculture with various tenants, beliefs, and lifestyles.

Fandom

ICP Music

While references to Juggalos appear on most ICP albums (aside from their first album, released before the word was coined) Juggalos are not mentioned on the 2004 ICP album The Wraith: Hell's Pit. In "Seminar", a DVD included in some editions of the 2003 album The Wraith: Shangri-La, J explained, "I don't want to see any Juggalos in Hell's Pit."

Gathering of the Juggalos

The definitive social event for Juggalos is the annual Gathering of the Juggalos, a Woodstock-esque (or Whoopstock, in their own words) five-day concert featuring all the artists from Psychopathic Records, plus professional wrestling, games, contests, autograph sessions, seminars and more.

Gang Classification and Juggalo March

Juggalos are famous for wearing clown-style face-paint and drinking Faygo, a cheap Detroit-based brand of soda. They are also famous for being classified as a gang by the FBI, called a "loosely-organized hybrid gang" with "criminal Juggalo sub-sets." Juggalos are no strangers to controversy, and the classification has to do with violent acts carried out by those who happen to be Juggalos, or those who believe a Juggalo lifestyle is beyond the grotesque and macabre horrorcore aesthetic. However, many Juggalos refute this idea, as most are non-violent and there is no true organizational structure to being a Juggalo, like with any subculture. Most Juggalos maintain that to being a Juggalo is about being part of a family and a tribe.

On September 16, 2017, ICP and around 1500 Juggalos gathered on the National Mall in Washington DC for the Juggalo March to protest the Federal Bureau of Investigation classifying them as a gang. It outnumbered a pro-President Donald Trump rally held on the Mall at the same time, leading to a brief surge of Antifa Juggalo memes.

Terminology

Seventeen

Insane Clown Posse's first album, Carnival of Carnage, only sold 17 copies on its first day of release. This became a running gag in multiple ICP songs and lyrics, like "17 Dead" from the 1993 Beverly Kills 50187 EP, and "Ain't no telling how many clowns inside/Told you 17 but I lied" in "Wagon Wagon" from the 1994 album Ringmaster. The number 17 also appears in cover art, the number of songs on an album, posters and other media.

Fan Sites

Faygoluvers
JuggaloNews

Fan Works

Insane Clown Posse stories on AO3
Insane Clown Posse stories on FF.Net

Other Sources

TV Tropes
Wikipedia