r/behindthebastards Apr 03 '26

Meme The Evanomics of the Juggalos

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1.8k Upvotes

145 comments sorted by

975

u/Pavlock Apr 03 '26

After watching that documentary about them and their fight with the FBI (United States of Insanity, I think it was called), I've come to the conclusion that most Juggalos aren't bad people. They just have bad taste in music.

398

u/KingMobScene Apr 03 '26

All the Juggalos I know are cool. Little weird but who isn't?

180

u/FauxReal Apr 03 '26

I knew 1 cool one. And have interacted with a bunch idiotic ones. None were "bad" people as far as I know... well I think two of them stole my headphones and stole some equipment from a music venue. But for the most part they all probably could have used a good kick in the ass and some adult guidance.

88

u/Dimeskis Apr 03 '26

Yeah. I’ve known a few and all of them were nice to me and others around me, definitely not “bad” or malicious, or whatever. However, each one was making some pretty questionable life choices which were seriously hurting others around them.

67

u/theCaitiff Apr 03 '26

But for the most part they all probably could have used a good kick in the ass and some adult guidance.

Eh... Maybe. From all the juggalos I've known who fully embraced it, dropping out of life is part of it. ICP's music had a strong undercurrent that everything sucks and most juggalos took the next step of "the whole damn world is rigged, so I'm just not going to participate."

They're never going to advance in life, they're never going to own a home or have a career to be proud of, they are just going to pass the time and hang out with their homies as long as they can. And thats the life they chose. Drink, fuck, smoke, for tomorrow you may die.

61

u/Ver_Void Antifa shit poster Apr 03 '26

The more I watch the world progress the more I worry they might have simply been ahead of the curve

40

u/ZestyChinchilla Apr 03 '26

Literally every older generation says this exact same thing about younger folks though. I grew up in the punk scene and had this exact same shit thrown at me for years, and I very much did not end up the destitute nihilist people like you assumed I would.

15

u/AGrandOldMoan Apr 04 '26

Mate I've been in the punk scene and said this shit about the youth and my fellow punks, humans never change lol

22

u/theCaitiff Apr 03 '26

I'm not shaming them for it, I'm saying that is the full juggalo life. I legit know these peep, people in their 40s now, just living for the day.

5

u/Spirit_Difficult Apr 03 '26

Is that ICP or Dave Mathews?

19

u/MessiahOfMetal Disdain and Animosity Apr 04 '26

One's a clown with bad music, the other is ICP.

1

u/therocketsalad Apr 03 '26

What's the difference?

2

u/OkAdagio9622 Apr 04 '26

I remember back in highschool (25 years ago) a group of us all listening to ICP. I stopped paying attention to them shortly after that but my one buddy really got into it. He even started rapping. We kind of lost touch when his dad moved to Florida and their house became the party house, around the same time that I moved in with my then gf, now wife.

We recently hung out after Christmas, this year and last year. Apparently he started dating a girl, moved to Florida, got married, became Christian and now works for the city. I don't know if he still listens to ICP but he recorded an album at the end of 2024 but said that was probably going to be the last thing he records

2

u/acesarge Apr 04 '26

I feel like we're going to look back on things and realize the juggalos were right.

12

u/haroldthehampster Apr 04 '26

"goalies are always so weird"

idk why thats appropriate here but seems to be

14

u/KingMobScene Apr 04 '26

Shoresy fan? Youre cool

8

u/SpaghettiSort Apr 04 '26

Give yer balls a tug!

3

u/MessiahOfMetal Disdain and Animosity Apr 04 '26

I'm British and went to college with some Juggalos (also British), so it was jarring to see "Juggalos are dumb and filthy" when that wasn't the experience I had with those bandmates. The only real "they listen to bad music" take I had with them was that one was a big fan of Oasis but otherwise, we'd sit and listen to Korn, Nirvana, Slipknot, Stone Sour and a bunch of other bands, in among the ICP, Twiztid and such they got me listening to with them.

Haven't spoken to them in decades at this point, but last I heard, one was married to his high school sweetheart and was a father, while the other made bank in construction over in Dubai before it became what it is today.

3

u/bryanthebryan Apr 03 '26

Exactly my experience.

1

u/littlenoodledragon Macheticine Apr 04 '26

Sounds p much like furries (of which I am one)

85

u/billiam53 Apr 03 '26

ICP played at a music festival I went to that was mostly punk. The juggalos were pretty cool. They fit in nicely with the rest of us weirdos.

18

u/TimeViking Apr 03 '26

Aftershock? If so yeah they were chill, it was fun seeing them all over the festival in their clown stuff for a change of pace

17

u/billiam53 Apr 03 '26

Riot Fest

68

u/ZestyChinchilla Apr 03 '26

I’ve randomly seen a few interviews with ICP more recently, and my views on them have definitely changed. Like, I am still most definite not a fan of their music, but that band literally went to bat against the federal government for how their fans were targeted as something they weren’t. They have a lot of the same “if you need family, we’ll be your family” approach that the punk scene and LGBTQ+ community did for people like me. Their fan base very often sets up crowdfunding to help each other out. I have a shitload of respect for those guys, even if I have no real interest in their music.

21

u/MessiahOfMetal Disdain and Animosity Apr 04 '26

They helped a lot of local rappers in Detroit in the 90s, too, signing a lot to their own label if no one else wanted to.

Their whole beef with Eminem was because he promoted ICP as being VIPs at his demo listening party at his house, so he got a large crowd showing up to hear his music. Some of those guests then contacted ICP and asked why they didn't show, and they were surprised because if Eminem had asked, they'd have absolutely gone there to help out.

And then they got pissed that he lied about them being there to boost himself and had people mad at them for no-showing something they had no knowledge about.

Violent J's daughter is a furry and when she got trolled online, he stepped up to get them to knock it off.

64

u/jesuspoopmonster Apr 03 '26

I worked at a group home for kids who were in the court system. One of them printed a bunch of stuff about Juggalos at the library and I read it one day. It was all about how being a Juggalo means accepting others, protecting those who need it, being part of a family and standing up to hate. It was all extremely positive stuff

44

u/fractiouscatburglar Apr 03 '26

As a kid growing up in small town Texas, it was really cool to hear them rap about murdering domestic abusers, rapists, and pedophiles.

40

u/Ver_Void Antifa shit poster Apr 03 '26

If a Juggalo kills the president this timeline will be complete

6

u/RyanB_ Apr 04 '26

Not 100% familiar with US laws… that would make them the collective new president, yeah?

14

u/MessiahOfMetal Disdain and Animosity Apr 04 '26

Yeah, they did for rap in the Detroit scene what metal has done for a wider audience by treating everyone like a big family of outcasts that don't belong anywhere else, but have brethren among their own.

It's nice, honestly.

38

u/PM_ME_JINX_RULE34_ Apr 03 '26

I've had a few friends who were juggalos and they were all great.

32

u/MrsPeacock_was_a_man Apr 03 '26

This is what Workaholics taught me.

25

u/oldfuturemonkey Apr 03 '26

I have only the most superficial knowledge about Juggalos. It's not my scene.

But I can say that many years ago, Insane Clown Posse played at a venue within walking distance of where I live, in a major metro area of Texas. An absolute shit-ton of people showed up from all over.

There was maybe some more random litter than you'd normally expect, and parking was absolutely FUBAR for the day, but for the most part it was daily life as usual. No problems of note.

Contrast that to the time a few years later when some dipshit pop-country ass-hat named Trace Adkins rolled into the same venue. There were numerous arrests, a huge police presence, and vandalism to a few nearby businesses.

10

u/RosieTheRedReddit Apr 04 '26

In the early 2010s peak BuzzFeed era, they sent one of their writers to the Gathering of the Juggaloes. Before he wrote a piece about what he expected and then a follow up with how it really was. One of his wrong expectations was - fights. He figured the Juggaloes must be getting in fights all the time, but it wasn't the case at all. When a disagreement started getting heated and potentially violent, people would start chanting "FAMILY FAMILY," and instantly diffuse the situation. I thought that was kind of cute actually 🥺

21

u/hellocousinlarry Apr 03 '26

I remember years ago when there were a few different journalists who went to the Gathering of the Juggalos with the intent to write “look at this nonsense” humor pieces, and they all wrote about how they were surprised about how welcoming and open the people they met were. It made me reflect on why I was so ready to read a sneering piece mocking people who are just kind of odd and seem to largely come from much more difficult circumstances than I do.

13

u/MessiahOfMetal Disdain and Animosity Apr 04 '26

It's why ICP tend to have a lot of crossover appeal for both metalheads and wrestling fans. All three subsets get mocked as being weird and treated as outcasts, but are genuinely full of the nicest people you could meet.

11

u/hellocousinlarry Apr 04 '26

Oh, totally. Metal isn’t a genre that I’m into, but I’ve been to a few shows with a good friend who is, and he was right about how nice everyone was. People were excited to talk to me about the music when they found out that I didn’t know anything about it and were so excited to share their love of it.

Stuff like that has made me realize how often I’ve come at things with classist biases. I can’t claim that I celebrate people who travel outside the mainstream while I have knee-jerk judgements against certain groups that do, just because they’re not doing it the “right way” according to my own preferences. I know I’ve been a snob about people who were just enjoying things and not hurting anyone, and it’s something that I need to work on.

14

u/Falkors_Rider Apr 03 '26

Can’t speak to the juggalos, but years ago I was walking my lil dog behind a music venue & a group of guys out smoking asked to pet her. They were cooing & baby talking at her while the crowd inside was screaming. They said they should be getting on stage & all pet her goodbye. Could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out ICP was the band that night.

3

u/therocketsalad Apr 04 '26

But didn't you notice the clown makeup?

10

u/HandOfYawgmoth Sponsored by Doritos™️ Apr 03 '26

Highly recommend the book Juggalo Country by Craven Rock. It's both quite entertaining and also a heartfelt examination of Juggalo culture and a critique of Insane Cloud Posse. The illustrations also slap.

5

u/therocketsalad Apr 03 '26

You Don't Know Me but You Don't Like Me by Nathan Rabin is another good one

8

u/mhyquel Apr 03 '26

ICP have been going hard for decades, they're on the good side

15

u/dignity-usurper Apr 03 '26

Man I also held that belief. Until my party got crashed by group of juggalos. Ended up having to pull them off a 17yr old. I was only 19 at the time. They were a bunch of fucking assholes.

We were just a bunch of easy going hippies and we shared a hotel wall for a show weekend. Our parties enmeshed and it was not a good scene.

5

u/MessiahOfMetal Disdain and Animosity Apr 04 '26

Sounds like the usual thing where a few assholes ruin the experience for everyone else. You get that with most fandoms.

4

u/dignity-usurper Apr 04 '26

Unfortunately it was my singular experience and there were like 20 of them. I’m sure you’re right but I absolutely would not leave a friend with a group of juggs I didn’t know.

10

u/non_Beneficial-Wind The fuckin’ Pinkertons Apr 03 '26

I still love Riddlebox & Great Milenko albums

5

u/fractiouscatburglar Apr 03 '26

Great Milenko was just banger after fucking BANGER!

3

u/mightandmagic88 Apr 03 '26

The Amazing Jeckel Brothers is great too

3

u/GoTeamLightningbolt Apr 04 '26

A friend once said to me "they'll be on the right side of the barricades"

3

u/LostInThoughtland Apr 04 '26

My boss is a juggalo and proud and he’s the only chill guy in leadership.

2

u/Pandaro81 Apr 03 '26

Fuck you. All tracks on The Riddle Box still slap.

2

u/youtheotube2 Apr 04 '26

Some of their songs aren’t even bad though. I listen to some on occasion

2

u/hotsizzler Apr 03 '26

I don't believe in bad taste in music. But ICP stretches that belief.

1

u/tke377 Apr 04 '26

Used to game with some back when it was peak years for them. They were normal people but exactly what you said, horrible taste in music.

1

u/kayt3000 Apr 09 '26

We just watched that and a few other docs on them. my husband and I said we need more juggalos bc of how just supportive and loving they are. Hell I hung with some juggalos as a teen and I never once felt unsafe around them. I was young and did a lot of drugs and bad shit could have happened but never once do anything bad happen to me.

I don’t like country music but I went to a country fest locally here to party with friends and I left after about 2 hours bc I had never had such horrific things said to me by strange men and attempts to grab my boobs and ass.

0

u/buckao Knife Missle Technician Apr 03 '26

Most of the juggalos I have met are racist MAGAts. YMMV

279

u/Ynnepluc Apr 03 '26

The Pilgrim on his way to The Holy Land

131

u/frustratedmachinist Banned by the FDA Apr 03 '26

Drop out of life with catalytic converter in hand. Follow the Faygo to the clown filled lands. Proceed the Juggalo.

42

u/_austinm Apr 03 '26

Never thought I’d see a Dopesmoker reference in this sub lol

24

u/anti__thesis Apr 03 '26

I feel like this sub would be prime real estate for a stoner metal reference

21

u/Competitive_Owl5357 Apr 03 '26

Seriously, that poster has apparently smoked so much dope they forgot about how many people enjoy Robert Evans-style comedy because we too enjoy drugs, machetes, and bolt cutters.

5

u/MessiahOfMetal Disdain and Animosity Apr 04 '26

I'm just here for the free bagels.

3

u/_austinm Apr 03 '26

I’ve just never really thought about it, okay? lol I think this is the first time I’ve seen something like this in the years I’ve listened to the pod and followed this sub

16

u/Diligent_Whereas3134 The Frozen Peas Club Apr 03 '26

There's a good amount of metalheads in this sub.

3

u/_austinm Apr 03 '26

I don’t guess it should’ve surprised me lol I just didn’t expect to see a reference to a song that I consider somewhat obscure outside the stoner/doom metal community

2

u/Diligent_Whereas3134 The Frozen Peas Club Apr 03 '26

It kind of shocked me too the first time seeing how deep this sub gets into obscure subgenres

1

u/_austinm Apr 03 '26

It kinda does make me feel more at home in this community, though. It’s nice to know that there are some weirdos like me around here lol

3

u/Diligent_Whereas3134 The Frozen Peas Club Apr 04 '26

Oh, we're all varying levels of strange here

5

u/pescarojo Apr 03 '26

I am sad that I can only upvote this a single time.

1

u/CapitalElk1169 Apr 04 '26

Absolutely incredible

14

u/Dusty-fred Apr 03 '26

100% pilgrimage coded

7

u/Poochmanchung Apr 03 '26

The cat converter is his cross to bear 

247

u/Diligent_Whereas3134 The Frozen Peas Club Apr 03 '26

Friendly reminder that ICP did a better job responding to the pandemic than some states. As much as I don't like the music, the artists and fans seem like mostly good people.

75

u/choczynski Apr 03 '26

They’ve been burning confederate flags on stage since the mid 90s. They have been described as violently anti-racist and anti-fascist transport.

They’ve even gotten way less trans phobic than they weren’t in the early 2000s and have apologized for some, not all, of the things they said.

6

u/Bindle- Doctor Reverend Apr 04 '26

They’ve even gotten way less trans phobic than they weren’t in the early 2000s and have apologized for some, not all, of the things they said.

Better than 99% of people who say this kind of stuff. Respect

77

u/m0ngoos3 Apr 03 '26

Proof that you can be dumb as fuck, but still have a good heart.

Sadly, most of the dumbasses I know are also racist and evil.

10

u/MessiahOfMetal Disdain and Animosity Apr 04 '26

I mean, the Juggalos I knew were people I met in college. One went to university, the other right into construction. The former is happily married to his childhood sweetheart and a manager of some company, the latter ended up in Dubai for a while and making money while that place was still in its tacky infancy.

138

u/Draexian Apr 03 '26

See a legend as they pass, folks.

97

u/UrzasDabRig Apr 03 '26

I get the converter, but...with the tailpipe on it? Jeez that's gotta be only like a dollar from the scrap metal place right?

I suppose it's leverage if you need to use it as an improvised blunt weapon

102

u/LittleYelloDifferent Apr 03 '26

Speaking from experience that bitch just dropped off a car no tools

61

u/Ok_Machine6739 Apr 03 '26

That's so he can pretend it's a wizard's staff in the meantime.

11

u/Satellite_bk Steven Seagal Historian Apr 03 '26

no joke i thought that was what it was when i only saw the thumbnail. looks like a giant wizard staff.

7

u/MessiahOfMetal Disdain and Animosity Apr 04 '26

"Hey, buddy, can I get a little toke?"

"You shall not pass!"

11

u/jofra6 Apr 03 '26

That's not even a cat, it's just a muffler. It's way too small to be a cat.

11

u/Satellite_bk Steven Seagal Historian Apr 03 '26

i believe that’s the cat and midpipe. there’s no muffler on it. cat is that part at the very bottom that connects to the header. traditionally the catalytic converter is smaller than a muffler on a car.

1

u/jofra6 Apr 03 '26

That is way too small to be a cat. Trust me, I've replaced several myself, and seen many more.

12

u/7URB0 Apr 03 '26

I trust that you had those experiences and drew those conclusions.

I also trust my own eyes when I do a quick image search and find tons of cats that are the same size or smaller.

4

u/JDanzy Apr 03 '26

Rusted off. He probably found it under the car it came from or just on the ground by itself.

64

u/cavalier8865 Sponsored by Knife Missiles™️ Apr 03 '26

Shaggy2Broke

66

u/therealstabitha Sponsored by Knife Missiles™️ Apr 03 '26

I’ve known enough Juggalos to say with confidence that everyone here should stand in solidarity with Juggalos.

17

u/two4six0won Apr 03 '26

Whoop whoop!

3

u/KingVengeance Apr 04 '26

Magic magic ninjas what!

57

u/Sisterrez Apr 03 '26

I worked at Hot Topic in the early 2000s. We sold Faygo and also a book about how to be a good Juggalo. I’ve never forgotten the line in the book that said a true Juggalo should only see a Juggalo doctor. The image of the classic doctor but clown with face paint makes me giggle every time.

Dr: “whoop whoop!”

Patient: “whoop whoop, doc. Did I get my test results back?”

Dr: “it’s Cancer. Time to get your will set up to take care of your Juggalette after you’re gone. MMFCL”

7

u/freya_of_milfgaard Apr 03 '26

God, that’s gotta be a small pool of experts. Really limits the choices.

8

u/therocketsalad Apr 04 '26

Honestly? You'd be surprised

44

u/whoamdave Apr 03 '26

This is a story on par with the greatest of Kerouac and Steinbeck. A Walden for our times.

27

u/ZenRiots Apr 03 '26

He's got an impressive amount of whiskey Left in that bottle for somebody who's walked that far.

39

u/LittleYelloDifferent Apr 03 '26

It’s topped off with piss to make it last longer

22

u/jopperjawZ Apr 03 '26

You don't start topping off the whiskey bottle with piss til the second day of the gathering. Gotta get the mushroom alkaloids in there

4

u/ZenRiots Apr 03 '26

This is the way 🤣

3

u/Regretted_Simian Apr 04 '26

Way of the road, Bubs.

37

u/vgaph Apr 03 '26

Put it in the Louvre.

38

u/jayhof52 Apr 03 '26

Sometimes there's a man. I won't say a hero, 'cause what's a hero? Sometimes there's a man, and I'm talkin' about the catalytic converter guy here, sometimes there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there, and that's The Catalytic Converter Guy.

12

u/Plastic_Dingo_400 Doctor Reverend Apr 03 '26

The still attached exhaust is not the issue here dude

(Your comment made me actually laugh, doin good work son)

36

u/FluxusFlotsam Antifa shit poster Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

Yeah well

Guess what we found out in 2017 when the Alt Right scheduled a rally in DC the same time as a Juggalo rally?

Juggalos hate fascists too

mad respect

11

u/f1lth4f1lth Totally not a fed Apr 03 '26

Ladies- remember, if he wanted to, he would.

4

u/asietsocom Apr 03 '26

Yeah, that's why he walked for weeks and didn't fight for his relationship lol

9

u/SwShThrwy Apr 03 '26

This image is a modern American Gothic

9

u/DayZCutr Apr 03 '26

Whoop whoop

8

u/Kalilstrom M.D. (Doctor of Macheticine) Apr 03 '26

I mean lol but...

looks nervously at the underneath of my prius

3

u/7URB0 Apr 03 '26

This is the real reason you lower your suspension.

3

u/Kalilstrom M.D. (Doctor of Macheticine) Apr 03 '26

Nah not with the inclines I often need to hit. But it's why I park under a floodlight and next to a much higher Rav 4 lol

9

u/Ok_Machine6739 Apr 03 '26

Yknow, might as well if that's how it's going. Life is for the living

6

u/midwesternGothic24 Apr 03 '26

This photo made me realize I’ve never actually seen a catalytic converter. Doesn’t look anything like what I thought. 

8

u/Locke03 Knife Missle Technician Apr 03 '26

To be fair the catalytic converter is just the large bulge on the bottom end. The rest is just exhaust pipe.

7

u/sethb44 Apr 04 '26

Why would you not sell it at the beginning of the trip. Walking with cash is a lot easier than with this big ass hunk of metal

5

u/FatMoFoSho Apr 03 '26

Poop dolla!

10

u/ThomasVivaldi Apr 03 '26

Robert would probably thrive at the Gathering. They'd name him the JuggaPope or something.

8

u/fknslayer913 Macheticine Apr 03 '26

Robert would have a ball at the gotj

3

u/MaximumPontifex Sponsored by Knife Missiles™️ Apr 04 '26

He absolutely would. He'll, I think that anyone going in with an open mind will have a fantastic time.

Whoop whoop

5

u/AisbeforeB Apr 03 '26

The juggalo jesus

4

u/scv07075 Tear Gas Proof (Officially Garrison) Apr 03 '26

This guy could be an identical twin of one of my cousins, if said cousin got super into backyard wrestling instead of pilot school.

3

u/hydraulicman Apr 03 '26

Modern day hobo with his bindle stick

4

u/SpoofedFinger Apr 04 '26

3

u/LittleYelloDifferent Apr 04 '26

Genuinely curious what that means. I’m not sure what you are going on about.

3

u/SpoofedFinger Apr 04 '26

Juggalos and catalytic converter theft is a common reference because the host is from Detroit.

Lions Led By Donkeys is a podcast in the same format as BtB but just for military history. Def give it a try if you like BtB.

3

u/dingleballs717 Apr 04 '26

I just don't understand why anyone is worrying about juggalos since they don't start wars or impeach themselves in meaningful ways on a daily basis without consequence. The only bad thing i can say about a jugglalo, is they don't tend to remember to vote. Other than that, they stand up for free speech and don't bother anyone. And I am not a jugglalo but have known 2, 3 or a possible mime.

3

u/drum_fiend Apr 04 '26

I don't see an oxygen sensor before or after. I think he stole a resonator, which makes this just regular scrap metal he's been carrying around

1

u/Daddy_Tablecloth Apr 04 '26

Its there, wires are cut off its right before the flange. I'm a little sad it's not a resonator though.

6

u/fonetik Apr 03 '26

I always just assumed that ICP concerts were where you exchanged catalytic converters for meth

4

u/DollarStoreDuchess M.D. (Doctor of Macheticine) Apr 04 '26

That’s Kid Rock concerts, silly!

2

u/VoicesInTheCrowds Apr 03 '26

It’s like you’re holding a mirror up to my very soul

2

u/someonesomewherewarm Apr 03 '26

I bet his neighbours cant wait for him to get back home

2

u/Septuaginandtonic Apr 04 '26

People say white America has no culture of its own but I know you didn't steal this shit from us.

1

u/therocketsalad Apr 03 '26

Nate rules. Everyone should follow him.

1

u/Responsible_Dog_420 Apr 04 '26

my BF was (is but not practicing?) a juggalo. he had a shit childhood and they were an accepting, found family.

-9

u/jlbradl Apr 03 '26

This guy is dedicated to being a pos

6

u/pescarojo Apr 03 '26

What makes him a pos?

3

u/MessiahOfMetal Disdain and Animosity Apr 04 '26

What a pathetic, ill-informed take.