Interesting in this context is completely divorced from morally good/bad. Could be any group from any area at any time in history. I’ll start with a few, followers of the cult of pythagoras, contemporary black Hebrew Israelites, antiracist skinheads and the Amish (neo-luddites in general). Don’t be racist or a prick to other people discussing.
I’ve known a handful of juggalos. I can’t claim that the ones I’ve met are necessarily representative of them as a whole.
But I will say that overall the ones I’ve met have been really solid people. Not the brightest bulbs out there, but also very aware of that fact.
I think the best way to think of them is they’re the weird kids you went to school with who weren’t smart enough to be nerds. They’re a pretty welcoming and friendly group as long as you give them some basic respect, and they really look out for each other. There have been two occasions where one has literally offered the shirt off his back.
Some of them definitely have some drug issues, but the ones I’ve met are mostly just regular stoners in clown makeup, most of them haven’t even been big drinkers.
Juggalos get a bad rap, but I think it’s mostly a handful of loud assholes making all the rest of them look bad, I’ve never had a bad interaction with one and I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
One of my former best mates is a juggalo, and let me tell you, if you e got a problem they’re absolutely the guys you want at your back. Every single one I’ve ever met has been a stand up sort.
I’d back this up entirely, I know none of them well, but I’ve met a bunch and none that I’ve met land outside your characterization.
In fact the awareness, like you said, of being both permanently “off the beaten path”, but not usefully so and basically involuntarily - that’s such a common thread, and yep I’ve seen those folks be super generous, too.
Idk I’m ready to start treating juggalos almost as a protected class of some kind lmao, juggalo hate seems to come exclusively in the “I’ve never really met one but they seem gross” variety.
Maybe a fun way to think about it - give me a choice between dinner with any random juggalo vs dinner with any random American voter, if I really think about it, rolling those dice, I’m picking the rando juggalo every time…
So I sorta see this with subcultures that get negative attention. Back when being gay was looked at as bad generally in society every gay man I met (so uncloseted) was generaly very nice and like you describe with juggalos. As it became more accepted more and more where willing to come out of the closet and now I would not say the typical gay man I meet (I say man because I have not met a whole lot of gay women) is just typical of anyone. Most nice enough, some jerks. I have seen that in furry interactions now a days. Generally nice if you accept them as they are.
Interesting observation! To rephrase, sounds like you’re saying that for a persecuted subculture, the vocally “out” members behave almost like polite ambassadors for the rest of the group lol
Kinda. My theory is its kinda a combination of people who are out have to be strong and kind while jerks just won’t come out till its safe. I by no means am saying people who come out later are jerks just that as a percentage they will be larger than earlier on.