It’s that time of the week again, Metro Times Detroit has released their latest “Ask a Juggalo” column. This week’s column question is being answered by Vinnie Monastiere.

In this column, Vinnie answers the question: How does one officially become a Juggalo? and Is injury or death common at the Gathering of the Juggalos?

If you would like to send a question in to be answered, you can do so by emailing [email protected].

From Metro Times Detroit:

Q: How does one officially become a Juggalo?

A: There’s nothing official. You don’t get sworn in, you don’t have to buy a license. You don’t have to go to school for it, it’s not like it’s a degree. It’s not like a new color belt for your martial arts. It’s not a trophy. It’s not something that you can buy. Nothing like that. It just is what it is. You can be a fucking Juggalo and not even listen to ICP, or any artist on Psychopathic Records, you know? A Juggalo is flat out something that absolutely is just who you are. Just a state of mind. And there are all walks of Juggalos, but no point in time is there any kind of an activity or some kind of a ritual or anything like that. Now there’s many activities that, if you want to be a full-fledged, real over-the-top Juggalo or Juggalette, you could take it as far as you want. You can literally live, sleep, eat, and breathe it. You can follow them on every show and hit up mad amounts of dates and follow the tour bus like some weirdos have over the years, you name it. You can go to everything and never miss a Hallowicked, and make it to as many Gatherings as you can. I mean, it’s just like other followings, if you will, that have been around over the years, on an entertainment level. Of course, there’s the Dead Heads that traveled the entire fucking country, more currently Lady Gaga and her Little Monsters, you name it.

Q: Is injury or death common at the Gathering of the Juggalos?

A: No, not at all. As far as the latter, death, hell no. I mean there are absolutely thousands and thousands of people — Juggalos, Juggalettes, all kinds of carnies and famous people and professional wrestlers — like mad amounts of people come. Percentage-wise, no, it’s like asking somebody if a lot of people die at Cedar Point; the answer is no. It does happen, and it has happened, but nobody I know has ever died at the Gathering of the Juggalos, you know what I mean? Now as far as injuries, well, shit, what’s an injury? Yeah, of course, there are lots of people and you’re in rough terrain as far as it’s camping ground. It’s not like we’re at some state-of-the-art facilities, and you’ve gotta be careful. And injuries aren’t over the top but — it’s more on you. It’s not like the environment they provide you for is unsafe. I mean everything’s safe and it’s reasonable, but accidents happen. You’ve gotta be a big boy or a big girl to go to the gatherings.

Websites:

• Ask a Juggalo: How does one officially become a Juggalo?