From NewsOK:
EL RENO — The ex-convict accused of strangling his girlfriend and her four children is a fan of Insane Clown Posse, a rap/hip-hop duo known for profane lyrics about murder fantasies, necrophilia and violent acts.
They perform in concert as “wicked clowns,†wearing black and white clown makeup.
A line in one song, “Murda Cloak,†goes “I’m killing today to take this feeling away.â€
The lyrics of another song, “Sleep Walker,†include the lines “Choke ’em. Kill ’em. And sleep right through the night.â€
Josh Durcho, 25, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder in the deaths in El Reno. He listed ICP — short for Insane Clown Posse — as his only musical interest on the Web site MySpace.
On one arm he has tattooed the words “Wicked Clown’o.â€
One criminology expert said violent lyrics can influence troubled young people who absorb themselves in the music.
“Would violent lyrics in and of itself push someone to violence? No,†said Kathleen Heide, a criminology professor at the University of South Florida and author of “Why Kids Kill Parents.â€
“But if they … were angry … alienated … depressed … doing alcohol and drugs … have difficulty with feelings and they’re not successful with life, that absorption in negative themes … can provide the impetus,†she said.
Durcho was unemployed and has been in prison for marijuana.
Still sounds like the getting high all day was the driving factor, although the Juggalos do seem to make the crime pages these days. I’m always torn on the idea of judging people by what they listen to, mainly because as an Alice Cooper/Black Sabbath/Dio kind of guy I know what it’s like to have people claim I’m more likely to commit crimes because of my aesthetic tastes, but on the other hand I’ve been fairly open about the fact I’m not a Christian and my taste in music, movies and literature may be a product of my alternative religious views now but certainly were also at the heart of my beginning to question mainstream religion in the first place. Art, and the kind of art we feel speaks to us, is inextricably intertwined with our spiritual, emotional and moral selves.
In other words, it is disingenuous at best to claim you can’t judge a person by the art they like because art plays a role in our perception and interpretation of reality and isn’t just a product of it. But, at the same time I will say it’s unfair to claim the Juggalos are more violent than Skinheads, Gangstas or many other subcultures, including we old school metal heads. And we definitely can’t make the argument that Juggalos are more violent than the typical youth in England. But to the people attacked with battle axes or who had their kids terrified by clown painted kidnappers that’s a hollow argument.
Trench Reynolds nutshells it in this way:
Now do I think that ICP made him annihilate an entire family? No. However I do think that violent sociopaths like Durcho are drawn to the Juggalo lifestyle.
That’s true, just as some satanists like Sabbath. The question becomes, are Juggalos more violent than youth culture in general, or simply more flamboyant? In a frankly stunning recent essay Theodore Dalrymple wrote about the prophetic quality of The Clockwork Orange, both the movie and the original novel, which he claims rightly predicted what youth culture in England would actually become. Here in the states we have the same violent, misogynist nihilism in our youth that the English do. The Juggalo image and Insane Clown Posse reflect that truth, but they also perpetuate some of the nihilism, especially in the Juggalo disdain for the rest of us.
That disdain, for society and its standards, is the real problem.
Awesome post.
Thanks.
Here’s another degenerate whom would likely refer anyone who gives illegal drugs to be used, even if it’s a violent felon or an illegal immigrant criminal working for Mexican drug cartels. Lew Rockwell believes drug dealers are “marijuana businessmen”:
http://mah29001.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/lew-rockwell-describes-drug-dealer-as-a-marijuana-businessman/
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/024900.html
That likely goes for the same as pot, cocaine and other harmful illegal drugs as well.
Now, I will be as forth coming as possible. I am a Juggalo, and have been since the Riddle Box Era. I own one t-shirt, but have many tattoos which are Juggalo/Psychopathic Records based.
Our disdain for the societal standards in which you speak is founded less in the music, and more in the life’s each and every Juggalo comes from. American society is ironic in that it professes a freedom to be an individual, yet ostracizes those of us brave enough to look, act, and be different then the masses of America.
We are drawn to a musical art form that speaks of absent fathers, judgmental peers, and the hypocrisy of organized faith. I haven’t done the proper research, but I’ll bet my charm that 95% of true Juggalo’s are products of a life that treated us like this.
Violent lyrics are only part of the draw of the Insane Clown Posse. Family is what any true Juggalo will state as reason of being. The Wraith: Shangri-La “Juggalo Homies” and “We Belong” tell more of the story to being a Juggalo then do to violent lyrics. Listen to the Wraith: Sampler album, in the first song (Untitled). You want a picture of a Juggalo, that’s your song. Highly recommended.
In short, we do not disdain society, only thous within that society who judge. We paint our faces because it is a release. We have bad apples. Every family does. Every other Juggalo within our community will be the first to say that these people are not, and most likely, never were real Juggalos.
Thank you for your time,
Whizperz Juggalo
Whizperz put it right.
Choose to listen or not, that’s always been your choice.
Much Love Whizperz, I couldn’t have thought of a better way to put it than what you said.
WOOP WOOP!!! JUGGALO Keep it wicked. hoe probably deserved it kinda not really.
That’s funny. There’s nothing funnier than dead children right RJ?
Have fun in Hell.
I would like to know who gave you permission to use my picture on whatever this page is……??
well well, what we have here is a case of moronic in humane behavior. just because someone listens to certain music, and paints there face doesn’t mean we are going to run out and choke people out. listening to music is a form of release and expressionism. so lets be all quick to judge juggalos ona few fucking losers. John Gotti listened to Sinatra, does that make it his fault that he killed people??? yah didn’t think so. I am only 17 and Iunderstand the concept of right and wrong. so how bout you ignorant fucks find something else to bitch about like I don’t know the economy, maybe something with a purpose.
Clown love to all you ninjas and ninjettes, and to those who judge fuck you
You didn’t read the post did you? Also, you know that “humane” means treating someone kindly and fairly? But I guess you meant inhumane which is actually one word. Sue your English teacher.
But I guess you missed the sentence when I said getting high all day was the driving factor in this crime not the music. That’s OK; I don’t blame you, just your horrible teachers who never taught you basic reading comprehension.
Seriously people. As in all forum posts that have Juggalo in them, you will attract them. They will be quick to JUDGE you, something they are so adamantly against. I have seen some where they ALL threatend to kill the people that dislike the music they WORSHIP. There hasn’t been a group of fanboys like this ever. After Violent Jay and Shaggy are ripped off from Kevin Smith, Silent Bob and Jay…….
Mr. Taylor, you can’t reason with them. I took that there were A LOT of factors, not to mention possible pyschological problems. It just the guy found comfort in ICP’s “music.”
Willaim, seriously ? How can you state something absurd for a whole group of people, you don’t know each person individually, therefore those are false acusations. Its easy to reason with people when u expand your mind and see ther view point. But as is noticable you aren’t educated enough to do that.