Originally published at: ICP's Violent J will be voting for Harris - Boing Boing
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Magnets may still be a puzzle, but he knows how liberal democracy works.
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He may be an insane clown, but like another insane clown he’s not crazy enough to vote for Donald Trump. Even crazy clowns have limits.
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I suspect that on average one could have more fun with a Juggalo than a MAGAt. There’s no science behind it, but from what I’ve seen it feels right.
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In my experience (and this is based mostly on a close family member who was very into ICP decades ago, not full facepaint but clothes/concerts/faygo obsession certainly), the whole Juggalo/Jugalette community is all about radical inclusivity. They want the freedom to be themselves, and the same for others. So this segment wasn’t too surprising from that perspective.
I’m not sure how best to close the gap though for people who think “both sides are just as bad” while missing that one side is opposed to everything they stand for, and the other mostly aligns. That’s not a Juggalo exclusive problem though!
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Yeah, honestly, I wouldn’t trust the average Juggalo to do my taxes, but I would trust them to jump in and stop a marginalized person from getting beat up.
And I think their Great Milenko album is pretty damn good. Especially Piggie Pie.
I mean, that one person is absolutely right that the Democratic party establishment doesn’t really give a shit about them as lower class. But in a world where one of two people are going to be president, and one person is vowing to be absolutely villainous, you might make an effort, even if it is a small one, to stop it.
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I know it’s meant to be “comedy”, but the first two-thirds of this of this video reminds me of why I gave up on The Daily Show years ago. It’s just mean-spirited and counter-productive. Why not have a conversation with the Juggalos in the beginning and explain to them the difference between Harris and Trump? And/or explain to them how their very votes (being in Ohio) could make a giant difference in the future of the country?
Sure, they’re “funny” looking (clown-pun unintended), but I thought being progressive was about being inclusive and helpful. This whole piece was just lazy “look at these weirdos” nonsense. 
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You summed up why I couldn’t watch Jordan Klepper cover events for supporters of 45 or the GOP. He was openly mocking the attendees more than he was interviewing them, and I didn’t think it was funny. Other interviewers would ask pointed questions to get some attendees to recognize their own hypocrisy or ignorance of issues they claimed to care about without the mockery.
I would draw the line at this point, though. We’ve got too many media outlets functioning as misinformation and disinformation machines now. The Daily Show airs on Comedy Central, which is owned by Paramount. I wouldn’t call that a progressive outlet anyway.
There’s plenty of information about candidates to be found from reputable sources that aren’t partisan or entertainment-focused. If at this point someone doesn’t know the difference between the two candidates, it’s because they don’t care to find out. Both campaigns / parties (as well as high-profile supporters in the public and private sector) have been doing enough outreach to get their message across. If they need TDS to help them decide, I’d prefer they listen to Lewis Black.
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Both of y’all said something I needed to hear.
All the smug laughing at the yokels just reinforces our own self-satisfaction, making it easier to ignore the real damages of our policies, and makes it easier to ignore the actual atrocity of what’s being proposed and normalized. Yes, they are clowns, but don’t let that fool you: they’ll still get all of us killed.
The “weird” phenomenon was impactful and different because it wasn’t excusing it as a source of entertainment, but recognizing the surreal horror of what these people advocate for.
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I don’t recall him saying he would vote for Harris or even vote at all. He said he agreed with her and the democrats platform but did not say he’d be voting.
I’ve talked before about how these “man in the street” interview segments are mainly done for entertainment value, with a lot of nutpicking and little real intent to educate or inform. That holds true for whoever’s conducting them, whether it’s a late-night comedy show or a regular news outlet. Getting an interviewee or viewer to change their mind or admit their hypocrisy has never been a goal of these efforts.
A large part of the reason the segments don’t work so well at the moment in the context of politics is due to society having reached a point where a lot of right-wing Americans take genuine open pride in their ignorance and lack of rationality.
There used to be a time when the majority of viewers watching a segment like this could be expected to react by thinking “wow, I’m glad I’m not that idiot!” or by feeling shame for seeing themselves in the interviewee. Now a distressingly large number of viewers proudly identify with them, and those numbers also translate into a realistic chance of imposing their idiocy on all of us.
Mockery can be an effective tool against fascist followers and assorted bigots and misogynists, but only when they feel shame or are trying to hide their views from maintstream society.
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Well no shit. He’s quite supportive of the furry community
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