Skepticism

Comment o’ the Mothah-effin Week!

I’d like to congratulate the Skepchick commenters on a hilariously awesome job yesterday discussing the ins and outs of Insane Clown Posse’s video and song, Fuckin’ Magnets: How Do They Work and Other Deliberations Upon the Nature of the Physical World. If you don’t have the time to read through all of the more than 200 comments, I’ve plucked a few gems out for special recognition.

But first, three more ICP-related thoughts before I stop talking about them:

1. Did you know ICP is an evangelical (Christian?) group that tried to trick juggalos into believing in their god? It’s true! This past December, Violent J gave an interview in which he laid it out:

With “The Unveiling,” the 17th and final song on “The Wraith,” the group seemingly had closed the book on that saga, saying that the story had been about following God and the hope that the group’s fans (affectionately known as “juggalos” and “jugalettes”) would find God as well.

[Violent J:] “You have to interest them, gain their trust, talk to them and show you’re one of them. You’re a person from the street and speak of your experiences. Then at the end you can tell them God has helped me out like this and it might transfer over instead of just come straight out and just speak straight out of religion.”

If you don’t believe it, go read The Unveiling‘s lyrics and marvel. Also: equal rights for the juggalo religion petition [ED: I can’t believe I originally posted this without the link to that petition. Read it. Hilariously religious.]

2. Did you know that the juggalo who was raging in the comments made a sock puppet account to support his assertion that he isn’t pathetic? It’s true!

3. Did you know ICP was a plot device in a recent Aqua Teen Hunger Force? Here’s the video!

Okay. On to the COTW(s)!

As a reminder, you can nominate comments by logging in, clicking the arrow by the comment, and writing “COTW!” somewhere in your posted response.

From delphi_ote:

Did anyone else notice the irony that the only reason we can hear this asshole wondering how magnets work is that some scientists figured out how magnetism and electricity work? In the recording studio, the dumbass probably literally spoke these words to a magnet.

Scientists took “fucking magnets” and converted music “just there in the air” into something “15,000 juggalos together” can hear. Scientists mastering electromagnetism were responsible for every technology that preserved his comments and transmitted them across space and time directly into my ears. If anyone should be getting pissed at those fuckers, it’s me!

From Expatria:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

It’s inspiring that the Juggalos were able to come back after being hunted nearly to extinction on the old frontier.

That said, at least the Native Americans used EVERY PART of the Juggalo.

From biguglyjim:

Juggalo soldier, dreadlock gangsta
There was a juggalo soldier in the heart of America
Stolen from New Jersey, brought to Albequerque
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival

Man, I love Marley 2-Dope…

And finally, from mikerattlesnake, here’s something to inspire another 200+ comment thread of anger:

Ayn Rand is the ICP of books.

Rebecca Watson

Rebecca is a writer, speaker, YouTube personality, and unrepentant science nerd. In addition to founding and continuing to run Skepchick, she hosts Quiz-o-Tron, a monthly science-themed quiz show and podcast that pits comedians against nerds. There is an asteroid named in her honor. Twitter @rebeccawatson Mastodon mstdn.social/@rebeccawatson Instagram @actuallyrebeccawatson TikTok @actuallyrebeccawatson YouTube @rebeccawatson BlueSky @rebeccawatson.bsky.social

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55 Comments

  1. Yesterday when I woke up I had only a hazy notion of the ICP’s existence, and had never heard of a juggalo. Now, I think that they’re possibly the greatest source of blog-thread entertainment I’ve seen so far this year. Well done.

  2. Why is it not surprising to me that the topics that cause the biggest comment thread clusterfucks aren’t about religion, or politics, but instead, they are about Twilight and ICP?

  3. Imagine if ICP was in a Twilight movie! That would be the raddest! They’re already pale as all hell…

  4. At first I didn’t see what the problem was, thought they were actually saying nature is awesome, don’t need magic to explain it.

    But then I did a bit of research, and yes, indeed, they’re aptly called.

  5. What!?

    ICP is evangelical? WTF! Did I wake up in the Negaverse? What’s next? Skepchick is actually run by a bunch of old, crusty Catholic priests who saw the current scandal coming years ago and this is their way of attacking their higherups?

  6. Considering the source is it possible that ICP is really an elaborate Poe? I just have trouble taking them seriously in any way at all.

  7. Take back what I just posted. I didn’t follow the previous thread having caught the post with only about 6 comments when I read it. Their fans are so nuts I don’t care if they are Poe or not anymore since apparently some people take them seriously. Why anyone would escapes me however.

  8. Dear Juggalo Son,

    You are handsome, cool and special to me. Don’t listen to those mean Skepchicks. If they don’t have anything nice to say about your music, why would you want to be friends with them anyway?

    Why don’t you invite Voilent J and Shaggy over for a sleepover with pizza this weekend? No Skepchicks allowed. You’ll feel better.

    Love,
    Mom

  9. Man, I get busy at work and not follow a Skepchick thread, and look what I miss. If it wasn’t for the fact that I had heard of ICP before, I would have assumed it was a joke video.

    And now you reveal this is evangelical music?

    Surely we *are* in the end times.

  10. RE: Ayn Rand. Christ I dislike Ayn Rand.

    Point of interest: there’s a great podcast called Read it and Weep. They subject themselves to terrible books and movies for our entertainment.

    They just finished the first 1/4 of Atlas Shrugged. I’ve had the misfortune to read that book in its entirety, so listening to the podcast rips open some old wounds, but it still hilarious. Enjoy!

  11. @greenishblu: Was it you that recommended Read it and Weep back in the podcast recs AI? Because damn, I’m addicted to it now and I’m psyched to hear them rip Ayn Rand a new one.

    @Aaron: The lulz from this video are just never ending.

  12. I never knew that sending a petition to “human rights” would do any good.

    yes we may listen to music that talks of murder axes drugs and sex but that’s all that is music.

    This is all music is? I do think there should be more songs about axes, a woefully neglected subject in all the arts.

  13. Dear FSM, would you all stop this? I can’t get anything done when I’m lying on the floor, giggling madly and getting popcorn all over myself. The catz are very worried and it takes a lot to get them to notice anything other than their food bowls.

  14. “Once when you were down,
    you dressed like a clown,
    to overturn your frown,
    spin it all around,
    Didn’t you?

    People’d call,
    Say “Beware, y’all,
    You’re in the Dark Carnival”
    You thought they were all
    Kiddin’ you!

    You used to think it quaint,
    When everbody was wearin’ paint.
    Now you don’t make complaints,
    Now you don’t seem so faint
    About drinkin’ Faygo with your next meeeaalll.

    Oh, how does it feel?
    How does it feel?
    To make your friends groan
    To be deaf to tone,
    Like a Juggalo…. “

  15. @Rebecca Watson: I’m gonna get fucking fired. TWO DAYS I’ve been reading and replying, refreshing the page! Do you know how long it takes to scroll through 270 comments on an iPhone?!?!
    You know how Pharyngula has the never-ending thread? Uh, can we have one? And can it be all ICP, all the time?

  16. I’m curious… What’s the ethical considerations of a couple of evangelical Christians starting their own cult?

  17. @mikerattlesnake: Am I too new to nominate a COTW?

    Also, is it weird that I registered/delurked at Skepchick just to comment on the ICP issue? I posted an ill-timed comment on the original ICP thread (something about a death match between Objectivists and Juggalos), but realized I had missed this post. I second the motion for a never ending ICP thread.

  18. The more I learn about juggalos and the Double Down, the more I think scientists should band together and create a doomsday virus to wipe out homo sapiens sapiens. If the brains we’ve evolved are capable of producing ideas like these, maybe we should just push the reset button before we make contact with other life forms in the universe and contaminate them with this kind of stupidity. It might already be too late! We’ve been broadcasting it all over the universe for decades now. As I type this, some transcendent all-mind organism of pure crystal and energy might be watching an Axe body spray commercial!

    I propose we give nature a clean slate and a couple billion years to evolve a more worthy sentient species. Call it intergalactic manners.

  19. @delphi_ote: The double down doesn’t seem THAT bad, though. It’s far better for you than Whopper. It’s just a double-chicken sandwich sans bread. People eat double-cheeseburgers all the time. Which are probably worse for you.

  20. “I’m curious… What’s the ethical considerations of a couple of evangelical Christians starting their own cult?”

    Par the course really.

  21. As much as I like biguglyjim’s comment, I’d like to let you all know that ICP is banned from Albuquerque. See, a few years back, one of the members assaulted an audience member with a microphone, and they haven’t been welcome back since. Of course, we still have juggalos.

    Of course, we still have juggalos here.

  22. I know you all know this already but Skepchick readers rule! I’d like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the hours of fun and entertainment the ICP post has brought! To celebrate, I’m going to buy some big floppy shoes, a clown nose… and maybe a Dead Kennedys CD. :)

  23. Everytime I see the word “Juggalos” I keep hearing a certain song in my head…

    I’m just a Juggalo
    everywhere I go
    People think the worst about me…

    … anyone else hearing it?

  24. @Skulleigh: I keep hearing the theme song to “The Bugaloos”, a 70’s kid’s show by Sid and Marty Kroft. Sort of a combo between “The Monkees” and “H.R. Pufnstuf”. God, I miss the 70’s!

    It IS pronounced “jug-uh-looz”, right? At least it shall be forever in my mind.

  25. @SteveT: Dunno how it’s pronounced, I have never heard it spoken. In my head it’s jug-a-low-s.

    And thanks to HR Pufnstuf, I’ve never felt the need to do drugs. I can imagine from that show what it must be like!

  26. BUT YOU GUIS! They really aren’t violent! It’s all just an act!”

    If there isn’t some day a South Park where Cartman gets into ICP I will be the sad.

  27. I know when I go looking for gurus to follow for spiritual enlightenment, I rate them in three catagories: The amount of make-up, the amount of insane, and the amount of clowns in a ‘posse’. (Although to be technically correct, clowns move in gaggles, not posses. Homeys and/or cowboys and/or professors of Eighteenth century French Literature form posses. ) Unfortunately, my simple, yet flawed ranking system has led me down the wrong path.

    Cher <Insane Clown Posse <KISS <Fox and Friends.

    The story of noah

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