Now that we’re in the open and accessible information age of the Internet, it should be known by almost everyone that there’s no simple formula any band can follow to achieve success. Furthermore, don’t listen to anyone who tells you that such a magic formula exists. However, for those who have attained super stardom, all can boast a proportional fan following to match. But the real success comes when you have the power to drive your fans absolutely wild.
Sure, fans of acts like Chris Brown and Britney Spears have large followings, but the fans those followings consists of pale in comparison to relationships like that of their Insane Clown Posse and their Juggalo fan base, both in costume and family mentality. “Whoop whoop!”
Whether it’s a quick “whoop whoop,” (whoop whoop means a simple hello in Juggalo jargon), the trademark black and white wicked clown Insane Clown Posse face paint, an appearance at the Gathering of the Juggalos or other meet-up, fans have many avenues at their disposal for identifying fellow Insane Clown Posse enthusiasts. But why are Insane Clown Posse fans so much more fiercely committed than fans of other acts? How large of a role did Insane Clown Posse play in making it unfold that way?
A Community of Juggalos
Many big time artists have forums on their websites that allow fans to converse amongst each other, ideally about said artist’s music. However, Insane Clown Posse has gone above and beyond this tradition by building a page on meetup.com. Whether it’s for a concert, party, or really nothing more than saying “whoop whoop” to other Insane Clown Posse followers in person, many Juggalos opt to use this tool to track meet ups, national fan clubs, and general events.
At Juggalo.meetup.com, you can even look at a map of existing Juggalo groups and find other interested people or groups in a zip code near you. As the map suggests, “whoop whoop” is even being said in other languages around the world!
What it Takes to be a Juggalo (Whoop Whoop!)
All artists have memorabilia and assorted customs that make their fans feel like they belong to that artist’s fan community. For Insane Clown Posse, that feeling is achieved through face paint, “whoop whoop” jargon and adoration for the band’s music. But while these are all attributes that will certainly help you fit in with the crowd at large, the most important criteria required to be a Juggalo isn’t one that can be verbally communicated like “whoop whoop” -- a family mentality. All Juggalos are proud, and nearly all identify so strongly with each other because they’ve all endured the same misunderstanding from mainstream society.
This frustration is palpable at large Juggalo conventions hosted by Insane Clown Posse like the Gathering of the Juggalos, and is quite possible the sentiment responsible for creating the strongest bond amongst ICP fans far and wide -- even stronger than saying “whoop whoop!”
Generally speaking, any artist who finds a soft spot that their fans have in common with one another and brings it to light will have more luck generating this lucrative bond.
Juggalo Community Website
While the Juggalo meet up website is great for organizing physical meet ups, juggalocommunity.com provides a forum for fans to communicate about Insane Clown Posse happenings online. There’s even a chat room making it possible for participants to say “whoop whoop” to any other Juggalo around the globe.
If you’re an artist looking to provide one more forum in which your fans can converse (ideally about your music), then chat rooms are a great idea if you possess the technical capabilities to build one, or to pay someone to build it for you. In the end, artists who find and exploit a common trait between their fans and give them as many channels as possible through which to converse – in this case, inventing “whoop whoop” slang -- will see deeper fan appreciation than those who don’t!
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Juggalo is the term that fans of the horror rap duo Insane Clown Posse identify themselves with. The Juggalo family today is a community thousands upon thousands strong who often speak in code, using the phrase “whoop whoop” to say hello. To learn more about Juggalos and their community at large, please visit the Insane Clown Posse website at http://insaneclownposse.com/
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