MTV's Jackass: thumbs up, or thumbs down?

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Man, I love me some Jackass. It's totally low-brow, but it's right up my alley. It's exactly the kind of stuff I would have done in my twenties if video cameras had been as cheap as they are now. My favorite bits? Fun with shopping carts, followed closely by people getting smacked in the head.

Beth thinks I'm a jackass for watching it, but she gets all excited about what the surprise ingredient's going to be on Iron Chef, so her taste is clearly suspect. What do y'all think?

-- Chuck (chuck@deadpan.net), January 30, 2001

Answers

Oh, how I loathe Jackass, loathe it as much as I've ever hated anything in my life. It's idiotic and pointless. The one and only time I've watched it - I now leave the room if my husband stops on that channel - they had a bunch of people eating hard-boiled eggs until they barfed.

I deal with enough nastiness in my life; I don't need to see it on tv.

-- Robyn (robyn@hiwaay.net), January 30, 2001.


Actually, they kept eating the eggs after they barfed -- the point was to eat 50 eggs in an hour and, um, "purging" was encouraged to achieve the goal. (Nobody made it, btw.) It's a small point, but a telling one.

Uh... Probably too much info, huh?

-- Chuck (chuck@deadpan.net), January 30, 2001.


Some idiot kid doused himself with lighter fluid and had his buddies set him on fire after seeing the Human Barbeque stunt on Jackass. Now he's all crispy and Senator Joe Lieberman (Usurped Vice President, US) is calling for the show to be cancelled because of it.

I don't get it. Cancelling Jackass won't protect morons from themselves. Nothing will. When Knoxville did the Human Barbeque, much noise was made of the fact that he was wearing a "meat suit" over fireproof gel and fireproof clothing, he was NOT doused with lighter fluid, and he lay down on a grill over a bed of hot charcoal briquettes. I don't know why the kid decided bare flesh + lighter fluid + open flame = "I saw this on Jackass."

I think this is evolution in action. Barbequeing yourself might not be too bright, but if it weeds out the morons who do it sans flame- retardants...

-- Chuck (chuck@deadpan.net), February 08, 2001.


Well by accidental post. I had to fight a forest of those who seek to take the words from my mouth. Not a kind gesture. I Stand Firm. Interesting, those who have a vested, monetary. This isn't about gain, it is about Man/Woman Kind.

-- My Story (andI@sticking.com), June 25, 2001.

Um....okay I'm a chick and I watch jackass. And I watch it with my kids. I guess I use it like people use comedy clubs to teach defensive driving. I think most kids have enough common sense not to try jackass stunts on their own - but I like to show my kids good visual examples of bad behavior...I mean afterall the show is named "jackass." It's not like they called it "Role Models R Us" Anyway. I don't think its a guy/chick thing. I think its a twisted/well behaved sense of humor thing. K. Bye.

-- scout robinson (scoutrobinson@excite.com), July 02, 2001.


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