F*cking Magnets, How Do They Work?

About

Water, fire, air and dirt
Fucking magnets, how do they work?
And I don’t wanna talk to a scientist
Y’all motherfuckers lying, and getting me pissed.

- Insane Clown Posse, Miracles (2009)

“Fucking Magnets, How Do They Work? is a lyrical reference to the 2009 single Miracles by the Insane Clown Posse, an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The song describes the wonders of the universe and an appreciation for nature’s beauty, while angrily eschewing science. Among the most quotable lines can be heard at 1:52, “fucking magnets, how do they work,” which instantly became a popular catchphrase on the web.

Origin

The music video first debuted on YouTube on April 6th, 2010, and was met with immediate Internet acclaim, being quoted in popular forums and blogs, used on image macros, and eventually spoofed on Saturday Night Live.

Since its online debut in early April 2010, The video has received over 5 million views on YouTube, and is the 92nd most discussed music video of all time.

M/V Analysis

The music video for Miracles is most notable for its “effin’ terrible, nevertheless amazing” dynamic, with plenty of quotable phrases as “FUCKING MAGNETS, HOW DO THEY WORK?” (1:52) and “MAGIC EVERYWHERE IN THIS BITCH”, not to mention all of the things that happen in the video. He also mentions “fucking rainbows” which has become quite lulzworthy:

Then Shaggy says “and I don’t want to talk to a scientist, y’all mother fuckers lyin, and gettin me pissed.” This line implies a sense of frustration and paramount struggle in understanding basic scientific concepts, while maintaining a childlike sense of wonder over the forces of nature. He wants to know how magnets work, yet he is not willing to accept a scientific explanation.

Great Troll, or Greatest Troll?

The response to the video has been remarkably varied. In addition to standard responses to any music video, because of Shaggy 2 Dope’s above mentioned line, many have commented that the video might be a politically or religiously charged, right-leaning, anti-scientific diatribe hoping to sway the opinions of ICP’s notoriously loyal fans.

What is even more notable, however, is Violent J’s own response to the overwhelming popularity of the video, both with Juggalos and ICP detractors alike:

VIOLENT J I know this sounds crazy, but I’m being as honest as I can: We planned all this out. Our tour starts in May. And then we have our nuclear weapon, which is the movie “Big Money Rustlas.” That comes out in August. This is all happening so perfectly for us.

This raises the question of whether ICP constructed Miracles as the perfect execution of an internet-meme ready music video. Did they plan – and then succeed – in making a piece of media for the sole purpose of provoking a response from these many internets?

Spread

• Video is tweeted by comedian Aziz Ansari on April 7th.

• Many people comment on the ridiculous line at 1:52 “fucking magnets, how do they work?”

• Gets posted on wtf_inc.

• BoingBoing joins in on the fun.

• Cracked article on learning your motherfuckin’ science with ICP.

• Video gets uploaded on Funny or Die on April 19th, 2010.

• New York Times reported on the meme in an article titled Kidding the Clowns Online, but who will laugh last? on April 30th.

• Various image macros and combo posts of ICP ran rampant on 4chan:

Google Insights

Image Derivatives

Since the music video’s debut, dozens of image macros have sprung up in various message boards and has caused enough reaction to warrant exploitable image macros. For more image macros, check out our blog article Memes in 2010 / Effin’ Magnets.

2-Pane Comics

Cross-Meme Combos

Philosoraptor (*)	UK WWII Poster (*)	Joseph Ducreux (*)

Guide to Magnets

Parody Videos

• Saturday Night Live Parody:

• ICP Glade Plugin mashup:

• Juggalo News:

How Magnets Work

Amidst the peak of magnet-related discussions on YouTube and other hubsites, many users began providing straightforward, scientific answers to ICP’s question, including links to the single serving site http://www.howmagnetswork.com/ and a scientist’s rebuttal video published by the Escapist Magazine.

Science for Juggalos

On June 5th, 2010 Noisebridge organized a science fair outside of a San Francisco ICP concert. The group was threatened with violence by Posse members Corp, Dougie and Sugar Slam. They were named in a tweet by Violent J about running “scientist haters off”. More coverage of the event is available at Laughing Squid.