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American Juggalo (dir. Sean Dunne)

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I'm surprised at how objective the doc seems to be. I like that a lot more than the "lets just show the craziest people" videos that have been made before. Well done.
 
Holy shit at the blonde at the end. Seriously gorgeous. Aside from that observation...

Interesting. The claim is made that it's not about the drugs -- I think it's A LOT about the drugs.

Not sure how I feel about the little kids there.
 
This was like if Idiocracy was a documentary.

Also, @ 16:25, just after the fat guy in the green shirt struggling to walk up the 1 inch incline, we see a pregnant Rocky Dennis.
 
This pretty much sums it up:

RZ43Y.png
 
Honestly, watching this made me think of Vonnegut's writing about artificial family units and our need for families, even if the relationship is completely superficial.

Should have been a longer, deeper documentary, following a couple of different groups from their "real" lives into the Juggalo get together and out again.
 
MuseManMike said:
Holy shit at the blonde at the end. Seriously gorgeous. Aside from that observation...

Interesting. The claim is made that it's not about the drugs -- I think it's A LOT about the drugs.

Not sure how I feel about the little kids there.
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Which blonde? The one where she's standing with another topless blonde covered in paint?
I think my brain died a little watching this.
 
Lordy

The amount of STD's and body odor at that place must be horrendous. That said, I don't mind people, or retards, having a good time. But I know these fucks just litter and leave, so they do not get my seal of approval. So fuck em.
 
maomaoIYP said:
Which blonde? The one where she's standing with another topless blonde covered in paint?
I think my brain died a little watching this.
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That's the one. I wouldn't be surprised if she was the hottest person at the festival.
 
You don't need to be burned.. these ninjas represent an understanding that is sorely lacking in society today.. there are underlying feelings that lead us to certain people/places, and sometimes it's best to build upon that rather than destroy it with stagnation.
 
Wasn't there a recent thread about how some dude defended a group of juggalos and they tried to follow him home or something? Family my ass, they just want free food.
 
wenis said:
They're a sub-culture that deserves to be looked at a bit more closely. When people look back on the 2000-2010/2011 culture 20-30 years from now, the Juggalo movement will be noted. This movie is going to provide a lot knowledge about why they are and what they stand for. Just like the Punk movement had "The Decline of Western Civilization" that influenced decades of kids who managed to see it (because it still hasn't gotten a proper home video release). This documentary may end up just as important.
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I agree 100%. As someone studying leisure and sub-cultures, Juggalos are fascinating people. I know it easy to dismiss and mock them, but I do see parallels to many sub-cultures that exist on the margins of society.
 
I liked it a lot, but it reminded me of 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot'. None of this is new - at all. The Juggalo phenomenon has many, many antecedents - there's nothing anthropologically significant about it other than the complete and total squalor. And even that is reminiscent of Woodstock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhRCVm-1r2k

Check that out. It's just a series of clips from 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot'. The full film goes for 15 minutes or so, and is really sweet and funny. It was shot outside a Judas Priest show in 1986, and many of the people in the film are very, very similar to the Juggalos in the OP's documentary.
 
oh yeah, definitely check out Heavy Metal Parking Lot if you haven't seen it.. it set the standard for this kind of shit..

i mean these days anyone with a DSLR can make a presentable documentary-ish exhibition. makes me wish i had a camera.. the stories are out there
 
Optimus Lime said:
I liked it a lot, but it reminded me of 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot'. None of this is new - at all. The Juggalo phenomenon has many, many antecedents - there's nothing anthropologically significant about it other than the complete and total squalor. And even that is reminiscent of Woodstock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhRCVm-1r2k

Check that out. It's just a series of clips from 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot'. The full film goes for 15 minutes or so, and is really sweet and funny. It was shot outside a Judas Priest show in 1986, and many of the people in the film are very, very similar to the Juggalos in the OP's documentary.
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I disagree. None of the people in Heavy Metal Parking Lot are much different than anyone out tailgating at major events. Juggalos seem to derive a sense of identity and community from their gatherings that goes beyond tailgating.

People went to the Judas Priest show to see the band. Juggalos go to the Gathering to see each other.
 
outunderthestars said:
I disagree. None of the people in Heavy Metal Parking Lot are much different than anyone out tailgating at major events. Juggalos seem to derive a sense of identity and community from their gatherings that goes beyond tailgating.

People went to the Judas Priest show to see the band. Juggalos go to the Gathering to see each other.
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I think you're romanticizing them somewhat. Fans of heavy metal see their behaviour as having a very active, communal social component. Fans of bands like Judas Priest or Iron Maiden very much construct their identities out of the iconography associated with the band, and out of the sense of community that fandom creates. The Juggalos really are no different.
 
Jesus Christ. This may well have been the best thing I've ever seen.
 
I felt bad for humanity seeing these people. It's like a gathering of savages in a post-apocalyptic world. Really, I don't have any sympathy for juggalos.
 
I've said this before and I'll say it again: ICP are fucking business geniuses. For every fan they lose (I've had multiple friends go through the Juggalo phase), they gain a new one, maybe two. They will always be paid. As much hate as they get, I would LOVE to pick their brain on how they maintain this level of dedication from their fan base. Other artists would KILL for this shit.

CaptainCamerica said:
I am having a really difficult time determining if this film is supposed to be a joke or if the director is a juggalo
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How about it's doing what a real documentary is supposed to do: let you make up your own mind. Let the people in the culture explain the culture and show all aspects of the culture without taking a side.
 
Alfarif said:
I've said this before and I'll say it again: ICP are fucking business geniuses. For every fan they lose (I've had multiple friends go through the Juggalo phase), they gain a new one, maybe two. They will always be paid. As much hate as they get, I would LOVE to pick their brain on how they maintain this level of dedication from their fan base. Other artists would KILL for this shit.
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Other artists already have the same deal. Look at Lady Gaga, for instance.

ICP just decided to tap into those who're deemed "untouchables" and "heathens" by the rest of society.

Alfarif said:
How about it's doing what a real documentary is supposed to do: let you make up your own mind. Let the people in the culture explain the culture and show all aspects of the culture without taking a side.
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The opening montage really puts a negative, almost voyeuristic slant on things. Selective editing doesn't help either. I'm already biased as seeing them as a really depressing display of humanity, but the editing and music selection really only hammered that home for me. Even if I didn't go in with that baseline bias, I still think I'd come out feeling sorry for the Juggalos and their (unborn) children.

In the end, your stance probably won't change after watching this film. You're either with them and for them because you're already (or about to become) a Juggalo, or you're against them because you learn (more) of their personal sadness/depravity/whatnot.

I know Juggalos in real life. They're very nice people. But I still can't help but look upon them with some weird inner sense of sadness; mostly because they spend so much money buying merchandise to feel like they're a part of something they couldn't have within the confines of societal norms. I feel bad for society, in a way too, because some of us are so judgemental that we can't accept them.
 
This guy who is the same age as me went through a Juggalo phase in high school and he still gets shit for that to this day by everyone else who knew him from school.

I shall send him a link to this documentary along with a snarky comment.
 
This is how the gangs from games like Fallout and RAGE start.

In our post apocalyptic future we'll have a Juggalo tribe. :(
 
soultron said:
Other artists already have the same deal. Look at Lady Gaga, for instance.

ICP just decided to tap into those who're deemed "untouchables" and "heathens" by the rest of society.
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There are other artists who have the same deal, yes, but, as is the case with Gaga, they're huge. I'm talking smaller "under the mainstream radar" artists.

Also, there is a chick near the end of the documentary that I know. Didn't know she was in this. I played WoW with her and her boyfriend for the longest time. Craziness.
 
zephervack said:
Is that guy getting high on helium at 10:00, my godness.
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Whippets. It's not helium. I believe it's actually the propellant used in aerosol cans, IIRC. You turn the can upside down to get pure propellant, right?
 
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