Jackass Star Admits Show Hurt Children
It is no secret that Jackass has been highly controversial since debuting on MTV, and now a star from the franchise has confirmed the negative effect the show had on children.
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Jackass is arguably the most subjective form of entertainment. While droves of fans have flocked to theaters to see these grown men hurt themselves beyond belief, some have taken things a bit too far and attempted to copy everyone’s stunts to some degree in the film. The resulting issue with doing so has led to plenty of children being hurt. At least, that is what a star from the franchise has said about the early days of the show. That star is Steve-O. According to the long-standing Jackass star, “I think in the beginning of Jackass we were genuinely worth vilifying because back then they didn’t have YouTube or video on the internet and we were legitimately a bad influence.”
It’s hard to argue that the men from Jackass are bad influences, and even more, because most of what younger generations watched was on MTV back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That is when Jackass was first blossoming into what would turn into a huge franchise. Steve-O added, “When Jackass came out, little kids were showing up in hospitals all over the country and maybe the world because they saw us doing this crazy shit and they wanted to do it themselves. So, little kids everywhere got video cameras and started f****** themselves up and showing up in hospitals and getting really hurt.” That is likely true considering the newest film features new members who did just that. They all speak in the film about idolizing the Jackass crew, only to see their dreams accomplished by joining the crew.
The idea behind Steve-O’s quote is that there is plenty more to be entertained with these days, that focusing on Jackass isn’t what is currently happening. Well, Jackass Forever has been wildly successful, though the demographic is likely those kids that hurt themselves 20 years ago. The newer generation of children might be a bit too aware of their own livelihoods to want to throw themselves through a burning table, or some such crazy stunt. That is the hope, at least. Anything that is as controversial as Jackass has been, is going to be looked at as a bad influence. But to be honest, another huge part that is missing from Steve-O’s comments is being a fan of the franchise and watching Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man, and everyone else hurt themselves instead of wanting to do it yourself. That’s the beauty of this franchise.
Think of watching Jackass in terms of watching sports. Most of us don’t have the physical prowess to become professional football players, but we can watch other people do it and enjoy the athleticism. The same can be said for watching Jackass. Most of us might not be crazy enough to want to attempt the stunts that the guys in the franchise have been involved in. If you have seen the new film, you know that Ehren McGhehey was locked in a room with a bear. There is no way we would allow that to happen.
Although Jackass might have been looked at as a bad influence in the early years of its creation, those sentiments are not felt these days. As previously mentioned, fans who have been following the franchise since the beginning are assuredly too old to want to engage in the stunts, they may have tried 20 years ago. At least, we hope no one is trying to hurt themselves for entertainment. Please, leave it to the professionals.
