“Workaholics” fans remember the episode in which Adam, Ders and Blake become entangled with the Juggalos, or devotees of the rap and hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse. Members of the Juggalos are, stereotypically, drug-addled low-income followers of the band famous for their yearly gathering — or as the New York Daily News called it, “weeklong bacchanal” — called the Gathering of the Juggalos. The Gathering is notorious for Juggalos engaging in “blatant drug use and general bad behavior.”
That particular episode of “Workaholics” ends happily enough: A female Juggalo, played by the delightful Rebel Wilson, convinces Adam to care less about how others see him, and a nice Juggalo family charms Ders.
However, in reality, Juggalos are classified by the authorities as a gang.
The Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union joined Insane Clown Posse and four fans to announce a lawsuit against the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice yesterday to protest what they perceive as the unfair labeling of a group of music fans.
The New York Times stated, “The seeds of this lawsuit were sown in 2011, when the F.B.I.’s National Gang Intelligence Center published a report that described Juggalos as ‘a loosely organized hybrid gang’ whose members were ‘expanding into many U.S. communities.’”
The New York Daily News article included links to other stories detailing various acts of crime that Juggalos has been held responsible for, including a testimony from former reality star Tila Tequila claiming Insane Clown Posse fans tried to kill her at a concert.
According to the New York Daily News, “‘It’s time for the FBI to come to its senses and recognize that Juggalos are not a gang but a worldwide family united by the love of music,’ said one member of the rap duo, Joseph Bruce, aka Violent J, in a statement released by the Michigan American Civil Liberties Union, which joined the suit.”
We’re skeptical of Insane Clown Posse proponents who claim the Juggalo community is a “family” united purely by a “love of music.” It’s not as if the songs promote peace or positive change. Its 2009 hit “Miracles” contains the often-quoted (and often-mocked) lyric, “F****** magnets, how do they work?”
So is Insane Clown Posse genuinely concerned for the well-being of its fans? Probably not.
The lawsuit smacks of an attempt to stir publicity for an irrelevant fringe group.
Photos of the duo in their signature black-and-white clown facepaint looking noticeably out-of-place in an official ACLU press conference accompanied the online story.
In full Insane Clown Posse gear, including oversized jerseys and chains, the two men stared pensively at the ACLU representative speaking for them.
“This is what revolution looks like!!” commented one online reader.
A version of this editorial ran on page 6 on 1/9/2014 under the headline "F*** civil liberties, how do they work? Rap group sues FBI"
