I. INTRODUCTION TO SUBCULTURES: CONSUMPTION OF IDENTITY
Subcultures are, at their core, a way for people to differentiate themselves from the culture that they are surrounded by. These subcultures can take a variety of different forms, from the relatively innocuous to the highly deviant-- however, one thing that they all share is the drive to differentiate themselves from the larger society to which they belong. Commonly, the majority culture has been considered to be the culture that accepts widely-held norms and beliefs and consumes the related products, while subcultures have been seen by sociologists and businesspeople alike as members of groups that shirk these norms and avoid consuming to the same degree; however, members of subcultures can be consumers to an even greater extent than their mainstream counterparts if the product is the right one.
The subculture often has a presence in modern society that is tenuously tolerant of the mainstream society at best, and openly antagonistic at worst (Hebdige, 1995). In the United States of America, subcultures are often associated with music, clothing, or some other form of visual designation that separates these individuals from the mainstream culture. Interestingly, while many subcultures-- notably the gothic subculture, in American society, for instance-- revile the mainstream culture for its nature of consumption, many American subcultures are, in fact, defined by their consumption of certain fashions, music, trinkets, and so on.
Many sociologists and others who study culture seek to write about subcultures in the context of their parent culture. Fereday (n.d.) writes, “The definition of subculture relies on the definition of its parent culture the most basic structures in society are classes. From the definition of cultures, it follows that the most basic cultural structures will be class-based cultures. The definition of the subculture leads to the definition of the parent culture - subcultures being structures in existence within a specific class-based culture. The parent culture is then defined as that class-based structure which contains the sub-culture. The subculture exhibits distinctly different qualities to that of its parent culture while at the same time retaining some of the qualities of the parent culture” (Fereday, n.d.). By defining themselves as apart from the mainstream, subcultures define themselves in terms of the mainstream culture as well: thus, they inextricably link themselves to the mainstream culture, even if their general opinion on the mainstream culture is a negative one.
II. THE JUGGALO SUBCULTURE
Before discussing the implications for Consumer Theory on Juggalo subculture, it is first important to understand Juggalo subculture. “Juggalo” is a term that refers to any individual who follows the music and lifestyle choices that go along with Psychopathic Records and/or Insane Clown Posse (O, 2010). Psychopathic Records, a hip-hop record label formed by the members of the band Insane Clown Posse in 1991 as a result of the lack of success that the group was having in the traditional music market (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). Based out of Detroit, Michigan, Insane Clown Posse (sometimes called ICP) and Psychopathic Records have grown significantly since the inception of the record label in 1991, commanding a considerable worldwide following that call themselves “Juggalos” (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014).
As previously stated, one of the primary methods used by subcultures to set themselves apart from the mainstream is the use of clothing and other visual cues to members of the mainstream culture and to members of the subculture; Juggalos are no exception to this rule (Hebdige, 1995). When Juggalos gather en masse, they often participate in certain types of behavior that allow them to identify each other: commonly this behavior includes painting their faces in black and white to look like clowns (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). This face-painting behavior links back to the desire to be part of the “Dark Carnival” that their idolized band, Insane Clown Posse, commonly sings about in their songs (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014).
Insane Clown Posse is a band that is primarily based out of Detroit, Michigan, where Psychopathic Records is located. For this reason, Insane Clown Posse-- and thus, the Juggalo subculture-- is very popular with low-income adolescents and young adults, many of whom feel that they have been ignored or taken advantage of by mainstream culture (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). Although the primary reason for existence for the Juggalo subculture is the music of Insane Clown Posse and the various other groups that fall under the umbrella of Psychopathic Records, for Psychopathic Records, the biggest financial gain is the sale of merchandise to Juggalos at the various Juggalo concerts and gatherings that occur year-round (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). The “Hatchetman,” a silhouetted figure holding a cleaver, is a trademarked symbol of Insane Clown Posse. This symbol is one that Juggalos as a group use all over their personal belongings, and purchase large amounts of merchandise with this symbol present on it (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014).
There are a number of psychological reasons why individuals may become involved with the Juggalo subculture. There is a type of morbid darkness to the subculture that makes it appealing to many young people, in the same way that Gothic subculture became appealing and edgy (Fereday, n.d.). In addition, there is a breakdown of traditional gender roles-- everyone in Juggalo subculture is invited to be equally violent, with a focus on the idea of “family” and inclusion--giving Juggalo women the illusion of power that they may not have in their everyday lives. As Goulding and Saren et al. (2004) write about the gothic subculture: “This temporary destruction of existing gender structures may also be marked by reversals of ordinary behavior. For many, it is an escape from the pressure to conform in everyday life, largely as a result of prejudice or misconceptions, and is a welcome release Hence transgressing against one set of boundaries is ‘to call into question the inviolability of both, and of the social codes of sex- already demonstrably under attack-by which such boundaries were policed and maintained’ (Goulding and Saren et al., 2004).” Although the Juggalo subculture does not participate in the same type of gender bending that the gothic subculture does, it still provides both the women and the men within the culture with a type of power to act that they may lack in their personal lives. One way that the Juggalo subculture is set apart from the gothic subculture, however, is the nature of consumption within the culture; consumption is central to the Juggalo subculture, despite the fact that many-- or even most-- Juggalos come from lower to middle-lower class families (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014).
III. CONSUMPTION THEORY
Consumer culture theory is fulfilling the recurrent calls of consumer research’s thought leaders for a distinctive body of theoretical knowledge about consumption it strives to systematically link individual level meanings to different levels of cultural processes and structure and then to situate these relationships within historical and marketplace contexts. CCT research is fundamentally concerned with the cultural meanings, sociohistoric influences, and social dynamics that shape customer experiences and identities in the myriad messy contexts of everyday life Consumer culture theory research also highlights that the proverbial real world, for any given consumer, is neither unified, monolithic, nor transparently rational (Arnould and Thompson, 2005).
Consumer culture theory, when applied to the idea of the subculture, suggests that somehow the individual’s identity is tied up heavily in the niche subculture that they are a part of. In the case of the gothic subculture, for instance, members of the culture have a certain manner of dress and behavior, and this manner of dress and behavior obviously influences their purchasing choices insofar as clothing and media are concerned. The implication for members of subcultures, however, is that their purchasing decisions are very heavily constrained by their membership in the subculture.
Those who are part of a particular subculture may find themselves acting in ways that preclude certain purchases as well; someone active in the environmentalist movement, for instance, will not purchase a gas-guzzling car. Consumer culture theory suggests that as people’s identities and personal affiliations with groups change, their proclivity for certain actions, purchases, and so on will also change (Arnould and Thompson, 2005).
IV. CONSUMPTION THEORY AND THE JUGGALO SUBCULTURE
The Juggalo subculture is an extreme example of a subculture that has a culture of consumption. This is not to be confused with the idea of Consumption Culture Theory-- the Juggalo culture very heavily relies upon merchandising and branding for participation in the culture (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). Juggalos are required by their subculture to purchase merchandise that is sold by Psychopathic Records; without buying this merchandise and supporting the record label, Juggalos are often considered to be “fake” members of the Juggalo “family” (Dunne, Gatto et al., 2014). While this culture of consumption may be viewed in the light of a record label taking advantage of their followers, it has very interesting implications for the discussion of Consumer Culture Theory in terms of this particular subculture.
Because consumer culture theory states that there may be any number of reasons that a consumer chooses to purchase a particular item or items, it should be noted that the sociological reasons that Juggalos choose to purchase Psychopathic Records merchandise is very heavily related to their identity within the Juggalo group. The subculture’s jargon is very heavily rife with references to “family,” and many of the individuals who participate in the Juggalo subculture do not have great home lives(Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). These individuals are often drawn to the Juggalo subculture for the same reason other adolescents are drawn to gangs: this subculture offers them a sense of identity and belonging that they have difficulty finding in other locations, including within their own family (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). The music, festivals, and merchandise are merely an extension of the very human drive to belong; this is important when discussing the implications of Consumer Culture Theory on the Juggalo subculture (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014).
Psychopathic Records itself is a multi-million dollar business, doing approximately $10 million of business each year (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). The company has a number of subsidiaries, including Hatchet Gear, Psychopathic Video, and Psychopathic Sports; the sports subsidiary is responsible for the professional wrestling arm of Psychopathic Records (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). Hatchet Gear is responsible for the majority of the merchandising of the record label (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). To participate in Juggalo subculture, a Juggalo must appear the part; this means that the person must purchase merchandise and look the same as other Juggalos when they attend gatherings (Dunne and Gatto et al., 2014). As Dwyer (2013) writes, “But to a media scholar, what makes ICP most interesting to me is their fans. Juggalos and the culture they’ve created almost certainly represent the most active and vibrant fan community to spring up around a single musical act since the Deadheads Twenty years ago, a passionate, engaged and creative fanbase was not enough to get a band on the radio, or keep a show on television Insane Clown Posse fosters an atmosphere in which the Juggalos actively participate in the creation of the media experience” (Dwyer, 2013). Overall, there seems to be a collaboration between Psychopathic Records and its subsidiaries with the Juggalo culture; this collaboration is not equal, but it is two-sided.
There is, almost certainly, an element of exploitation in the marketing strategy of Psychopathic Records and its subsidiaries. This does not mean that all the marketing strategies of the group are exploitative, but the exploitative nature of certain practices are worth discussing in the context of Consumer Culture Theory. Notably, as previously stated, Juggalos are predominantly from lower-class families and backgrounds. Psychopathic Records targeted these individuals, and particularly struck towards their anger and feelings of repressed rage at the things they feel the world owes them (Dwyer, 2013). Dwyer (2013) suggests that Psychopathic Records and the hip-hop artists that they employ are so effective because the structural changes in American society and economy wrought great anger and rage within blue-collar families and individuals (Dwyer, 2013). Juggalo artists strike at this anger using homophobic, rage-filled, sexist, and violent lyrics, and use these feelings to bind together the Juggalo community in an attempt to make more sales and cement the insular nature of the group (Dwyer, 2013). Indeed, the FBI and some local law enforcement agencies have even begun to designate Juggalos as a gang rather than a subculture; the trademark Hatchetman and clown makeup is used by law enforcement personnel to determine whether or not these individuals pose a threat to the public (Dwyer, 2013). Although whether or not these individuals should constitute a gang is not within the scope of this discussion, it is worth noting that the merchandising that Psychopathic Records and the Insane Clown Posse have done is a large part of the reason that these individuals are recognizable enough for the FBI to consider a gang designation (Dwyer, 2013).
Consumer Culture Theory suggests that what and how people buy goods and services is tied directly into their concept of self and identity, and nowhere is this as apparent as with the Juggalo subculture (Arnould and Thompson, 2005. There is a very real drive to belong to the subculture, and as a result, individuals are willing to buy merchandise that may be overpriced or poorly made because of its association with the subculture (Arnould and Thompson, 2005). Please note that this is not an assertion about the quality of merchandise produced-- rather, it is a discussion about the psychological drive that individuals have to buy these products regardless of quality or price. Instead, they buy Hatchet Gear products not for the quality of the products, but for the credence and credibility that owning these products gives to their personal identity as “Juggalo” or “Jugglette.”
O (2010) includes a picture of a child’s casket in her article, in which the casket is adorned with the traditional Juggalo Hatchetman (O, 2010). Everyone at the funeral, likewise, is wearing merchandise sold by the group. Generally, a funeral is not an acceptable place to wear the goods sold by a violent hip hop group; however, to the Juggalo subculture, the sense of identity is so closely tied to the group that it seems logical and inevitable that these individuals would choose to express this identity at a funeral for a child (O, 2010).
V. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION
It is undeniable that the founders of Psychopathic Records and Insane Clown Posse have done an excellent job tapping into the culture of identity that their niche audience, the Juggalo subculture, sought from their music. Despite having a niche market of relatively down-on-their-luck individuals, the band and the record label still manage to make millions of dollars in sales each year, thanks primarily to the fact that the record label and the bands on that label have sought to tie Juggalo identity to the merchandising that they do (Arnould and Thompson, 2005). In addition to consumption for identity, Juggalos also participate in very ritualistic consumption-- not surprising in the least, because the subculture itself is very ritualistic. There are a number of special occasions-- including the infamous music festival, the Gathering of the Juggalos-- in which Juggalos participate in ritualistic consumption. Psychopathic Records and its subsidiaries are responsible for some exploitative business tactics when dealing with Juggalos, but overall, the group itself is driving forward the intense consumption-related concept of identity. Because the physical trappings of Juggalo subculture are so distinctive, people who participate in the subculture can feel as though they belong “more” or “better” with more elaborate consumption.
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