Juggalo

Juggalo or Juggalette (the latter being feminine) is a name given to fans of Insane Clown Posse or any other Psychopathic Records hip hop group. Juggalos have developed their own idioms, slang, and characteristics.

History
The term originated during a live performance by Insane Clown Posse. During the song "The Juggla", Joseph Bruce addressed the audience as Juggalos, and the positive response resulted in Bruce and Joseph Utsler using the word thereafter to refer to themselves and their friends, family, and fans, including other Psychopathic Records artists. Juggalos have compared themselves to a family. Common characteristics include drinking the inexpensive soft drink Faygo and wearing face paint. They view the lyrics of Psychopathic Records artists (which are often violent in nature) as a catharsis for aggression. Several well known figures have identified as Juggalos. These include professional wrestlers Kazushige Nosawa and Vampiro, and rappers Chuck D, Kung Fu Vampire, MURS, Coolio, and Vanilla Ice. According to Utsler, "[Juggalos come] from all walks of life -- from poverty, from rich, from all religions, all colors. [...] It doesn't matter if you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth, or a crack rock in your mouth."

The Gathering of the Juggalos
The Gathering of the Juggalos is an annual event for the Juggalo Family put on by Psychopathic Records first staged in July 2000. Described by Bruce as a "Juggalo Woodstock", the Gathering of the Juggalos spans four days, and includes concerts, wrestling, games, contests, autograph sessions, and seminars with artists. The 2000 Gathering featured Kottonmouth Kings, Project Born, and Vampiro, who both wrestled and performed. The second Gathering of the Juggalos was held from July 13–July 15, 2001 at the SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio. The event featured the same activities as the first Gathering of the Juggalos, as well as guests such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Tech N9ne, Vanilla Ice, and Three 6 Mafia.

After 2002, the Gathering became an outdoor event, and was held at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park for a number of years. Following the 2005 Gathering, Quarry Park owner Evan Kelley stated that the grounds would no longer host the event. Kelly has said: "Psychopathic Records broke some of the rules set down for the 2005 event, including blasting music all night long", and: "Drugs, alcohol, nudity, profanity and trash also became serious problems." The 2008 Gathering of the Juggalos was filmed by Psychopathic Video. The documentary, entitled A Family Underground, was released on May 12, 2009.

Public perception and media coverage
Authorities have classified Juggalos as a gang in Utah, Arizona, Monroe County, Pennsylvania and Modesto, California. Juggalos have denied any connection to gang activity.

There have been numerous incidents of fans committing violent acts, though there is no independent evidence linking music with violence or crime. Some students are prohibited from wearing Insane Clown Posse paraphernalia while at school. In Waterbury, Connecticut, several high school students were sent home for wearing Psychopathic Records clothing. The following week, they were given approval to continue wearing the clothing, stipulating that juggalos work to ease tensions with other students.

As the public face of the Juggalo subculture, Psychopathic Records and Insane Clown Posse have repeatedly denounced violence within the fandom. Many of the crimes, including murders, have also been noted by Alex Abiss (former CEO of Psychopathic Records) as being just crazy individuals finding an excuse for their actions.