Insane Clown Posse: Stealth Evangelical Christians (bonus: Juggalo Buffet Hut)

A one-two punch for you Boing Boing readers in the juggalo department. First, a faux video ad for Buffet Hut, which perfectly mimics the production style of actual, official “Gathering of the Juggalos” informercials we’ve blogged here before.
(Thanks, Cheap Little Films, via Submitterator).

When you’re done with the free Faygo refills there, read this Guardian UK interview with Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, which proclaims bluntly what’s been tossed around online for some time: the duo say they are Evangelical Christians, and kept their faith in the closet for two decades.

They indulged in violent/shock/sexually explicit lyrics on the earlier records to attract a devoted cult of fans, the story goes— then dropped The God Shizz on ’em with “Miracles” and more recent material.

The Guardian interview is funny and disturbing, whatever the truth is—just like the band. As an aside: The interview takes place in Milwaukee. I love how the London-based writer feels compelled to hammer into our heads that ICP is violent by reminding us in the very first graf that Jeffrey Dahmer is from Milwaukee. Eye-roll. I bet he was getting ready for his flight to Wisconsin and Wikipedia’d that, and was like, “Aha! Got ’em!”

Hey, bub. Know who else is from Milwaukee? Laverne and Shirley. Also, Fonzie.

Anyway, it’s a fun piece. For me, the news here is not that ICP are evangelicals seeking to convert fans to Christ. It’s that despite all the frontin’, they’re emo souls: comment trolls and bad reviews on Livejournal get under their greasepainted skin:

“I get anxiety and shit a lot,” [Shaggy] says. “And reading that stuff people write about us… It hurts.”

“Least talented band in the world,” Violent J says. “No talent. When I hear that I think, ‘Damn. Are we that different from people?'”

He looks as if he means it – as if he sometimes feels hopelessly stuck being him.

It’s just a terrible twist of fate for Insane Clown Posse that theirs is a form of creative expression that millions of people find ridiculous. But then suddenly, palpably, Violent J pulls himself out of his introspection. They’re about to go on stage and he doesn’t want to be maudlin. He wants to be on the offensive. He shoots me a defiant look and says, “You know Miracles? Let me tell you, if Alanis Morissette had done that fucking song everyone would have called it fucking genius.”

So next time a Juggalo tosses a bowling ball into your windshield and yells “faggot” at you, then blesses you in the name of Christ—before you scream back at him, remember that he is a sensitive person with deep feelings.

Insane Clown Posse: And God created controversy

(Thanks, Matt Stone, and Mark Dery, and everyone else who sent this in)