Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2025 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

‘United States of Insanity’: Insane Clown Posse wages legal fight to get their fans off FBI’s watchlist

Insane Clown Posse, the music group that wears black and white clown makeup, calls itself “ the world’s most hated band .” GQ magazine described them as “ the worst rappers of all time .”

  • rss
  • Share
By Madeleine Brand • Oct 25, 2021 • 15m Listen

Insane Clown Posse, the music group that wears black and white clown makeup, calls itself “the world’s most hated band.” GQ magazine described them as “the worst rappers of all time.”

Their fans, known as Juggalos, adore them and have created a subculture around their identity — with tattoos, black and white face paint, and a pilgrimage to an annual get-together called the Gathering of the Juggalos. Their fervor is so extreme that a decade ago, the FBI became alarmed and labeled the fans a gang threat. The band challenged that label in court.

This story is told in the new documentary called “The United States of Insanity.”

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Madeleine Brand

    Host, 'Press Play'

  • KCRW placeholder

    Sarah Sweeney

    Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

  • KCRW placeholder

    Angie Perrin

    Producer, Press Play

  • KCRW placeholder

    Michell Eloy

    Line Editor, Press Play

  • KCRW placeholder

    Tom Putnam

    co-director of “The United States of Insanity”

    CultureHand-Picked Music Entertainment
Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand