There seems to be a slight change in the trend of articles posted about the Insane Clown Posse and Juggalos.  Surprisingly, many of the articles that we’ve posted lately show the more positive side of the scene, and reiterate that we like the music for the camaraderie, and the escapism that it provides.

Last night, News-Press.com put up an article that interviewed a few Juggalos, some local police spokesmen, and concert promoters who continue to book shows despite the abundance of negative publicity Juggalos and ICP have received.  Check the full article out here:

Juggalos defend ICP / themselves @ News-Press.com

Or, I know some of you ninjas don’t like to click links for whatever reason. So here’s the full article text:

Jake Richmond is “down with the clowns.” But he mostly keeps that to himself these days.

As a teenager, the Port Charlotte man used to demonstrate his love for hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse by sporting “ICP” T-shirts and sometimes wearing “wicked clown” make-up just like his favorite rappers.

Now Richmond, 22, breaks out his ICP gear only on special occasions, such as Wednesday’s Insane Clown Posse concert at Harborside Event Center in downtown Fort Myers.

He’s not embarrassed about being an ICP fan (otherwise known as a “Juggalo”). He just got tired of the dirty looks and getting hassled by police officers.

“I don’t dress up anymore because of the stereotyping,” he said. “You’re always getting suspicious looks from the cops and everybody … I don’t want to be profiled.”

Insane Clown Posse’s fans haven’t been portrayed in the most flattering light in the media. The band’s image and lyrics have been parodied by Saturday Night Live and elsewhere. GQ magazine has called the rap duo “the worst rappers of all time.” And news broadcasts and newspapers frequently report when random ICP fans burglarize houses or get busted for drugs or even shoot someone.

That image got even worse in 2011 when the FBI issued a report classifying Juggalos as a “loosely organized hybrid gang.” That was based on smaller subsets of fans who commit crimes.

“That ruined it for everybody,” Richmond said.

The classification doesn’t show up on later FBI reports, but Insane Clown Posse and the American Civil Liberties Union still lost a lawsuit this summer against the FBI. They plan to appeal.

The matter even came up in a recent Fort Myers City Council meeting, when Councilman Tom Leonardo objected to Insane Clown Posse performing at Harborside. He worried about the clown makeup, the fake-blood-splattered clothing and the potential for violence at the city-run venue.

The matter was dropped, however, after other council members sided with ICP fans (and the potential dollars they’ll bring to downtown), and city attorney Grant Alley pointed out that the city can’t pick what acts are signed to perform in a public venue based on content.

Fort Myers fan David Condoluci said he was hardly surprised at Leonardo’s comments. Leonardo didn’t respond to a recent The News-Press request for comment. People are always putting down Condoluci’s favorite band.

Condoluci and other Southwest Florida fans say people just don’t understand Insane Clown Posse’s mixture of humor, tongue-in-cheek violence and a complicated lyrical mythology involving something called “The Dark Carnival.”

Condoluci, 35, calls it cartoon violence and not something to be taken seriously.

“It’s all for show,” he said. “You go to a haunted house. That’s what this is. It’s not really scary. There’s humor to it.”

Then there are the band’s theatrical live shows that include chainsaws, hatchets, people dressed up as monsters and lots of Faygo soda sprayed into the audience (the band’s signature).

“The show is just absolutely insane!” said Lehigh Acres fan Ian Jackson, 22, a graphic design student at FGCU.

ICP’s Violent J insists that most Juggalos are just regular people who happen to like their music with a darker, more outlandish feel. He can’t help it if some fans take the lyrics way too literally and commit crimes.

“I can show you Reba McEntire fans that are murderers and rapists and drunks, you know what I’m sayin’?” says Violent J, whose real name is Joseph Bruce. “When you’re dealing with the mass people, it’s easy to pick the rotten apples out of the bunch — any bunch.

“With anybody’s fans, there’s crazies, you know? Anybody who listens to Insane Clown Posse and takes it too far has obviously got real f—— problems to begin with, man.”

Fort Myers police seem to agree that most ICP fans are harmless. They aren’t planning any more patrols or police than usual for a big downtown concert, said spokesman Lt. Victor Medico. “At the end of the day, it’s just entertainment.”

Harborside interim general manager Matt Johnson didn’t respond to several requests for an interview. But concert promoter Ragen St. Peter said he’s not concerned about any potential violence. He’s staged similar theatrical concerts, including masked shock-rock metal band Mushroomhead, which performs at Wednesday’s ShockFest music festival with Insane Clown Posse.

St. Peter wouldn’t say how much security staff will be there Wednesday, but he added that it will be “adequate security for this event inside and out.”

Condoluci said he’s been to two or three Insane Clown Posse shows, and he’s never seen any violence or criminal activity, except for fans smoking joints. He’ll be at Harborside on Wednesday, by the way, and he’ll be wearing his clown paint and “Hatchetman” logo pendant, which features the silhouette of a man running with a hatchet.

“I am a Juggalo, and I am NOT a gang member,” he said. “I’ve never done drugs. I very rarely drink. I don’t commit crimes. And all the Juggalos I know, we don’t do that kind of stuff.”

Lehigh Acres fan Jackson said the aggressive music and violent lyrics are just another form of artistic expression. It’s a way to get out your aggression without actually doing something violent.

“It’s all fun,” he said. “It’s just a form of self-expression. It’s like a release.

“I really love the music. It’s so cartoony, and it’s so different … And what they’re saying, you don’t have to take them seriously. They’re clowns!”

Connect with this reporter: Charles Runnells (News-Press) (Facebook) @charlesrunnells (Twitter)

If You Go

• What: ShockFest featuring Insane Clown Posse and Mushroomhead

• When: 6 p.m. Wednesday. Insane Clown Posse is expected to go onstage at about 10 p.m.

• Where: Harborside Event Center, 1375 Monroe St., downtown Fort Myers

• Tickets: $25-35 (excluding applicable taxes and fees, prices subject to change)

• Info: 93X.fm or inklife.webconnex.com

Websites:

• ICP fans defend the band, themselves @ news-press.com