The cultural phenomenon of Jackass has touched the hearts of different types of people throughout the years. Skaters, teenage boys growing up in the early 2000s, gay Gen Z teenagers who began liking the franchise about 15 years too late, the list goes on and on. Though it’s loved by many, it also has its share of haters. Most viewers — even fans — would write the franchise off as being so mindlessly stupid to the point that it’s good entertainment, but I think it runs deeper than that. The men of Jackass know what message they’re conveying to their viewers — they just need to pay close enough attention to catch it.
Jackass provoked a young generation of boys and convinced them to attempt rebellious acts — everything from stunts and pranks to body mutilation. The ideas of masculinity being portrayed by Jackass almost mirrors the depiction of masculinity in Fight Club, which showed the creation of a cult caused by the desire to finally feel accepted by a group of men. Tyler Durden, the main character of the novel and film, claimed to have been redefining masculinity, which was a common goal of all the cult members since they had always felt rejected by masculinity. It can be assumed that Johnny Knoxville and the other creators of Jackass felt so inspired by the novel and film as they were able to create a near-perfect facsimile of a real, successful fight club that empowers men. The men perform stunts and other rebellious acts while being shamed by most of traditional society, meanwhile, their die-hard fans decide to catch on and join, despite the consequences of being in a society that doesn’t understand the complexities of Jackass and its fans. These rebellious acts, such as crashing rental cars and running from bulls, empower men and help them rise above the oppression that has held Jackass fans back since the early 2000s… and even in 2021, these men refuse to back down.
Throughout the storied franchise, the men of Jackass provide commentary on the human condition — and more specifically, the male condition. Their rebellious acts test the limits of mortality, while their pranks provide commentary on themes such as religion, the best example being Chris Pontius’ “Keep God out of California” bit in which he dresses up in a devil costume, is launched out of the ground in front of passerby and yells “Keep God out of California!” through the streets. This street prank blatantly expresses what the Jackass men think about religion and the ways it can suffocate society. Thus, Pontius is calling to “Keep God out of California” in order to “cleanse” their state of the societal restrictions that have been implemented by the iterations of modern religion. Commentary on the accessibility of the American dream is found early on in the franchise, when Knoxville goes around to various places of business while making a fool of himself, like having a fake erection when talking to salesmen and playing fart noises in a yoga class. In the business owners’ eyes, they see him as a fool, not willing to submit to the ways of capitalism, thus making him useless to them. Knoxville shows that the American dream is only accessible to those who are born already at the top, and men who show any signs of vulnerability or having a sense of humor are immediately belittled by the upper class.
In regards to the physical sense of masculinity, there is a heavy emphasis on the physiological components of gender stereotypes as well. The phallic references and explicit nudity portrayed in both the show and films suggest a sense of comfortability, which is a breath of fresh air from the often suffocating expectations that heterosexual men should remain decent at all times while in the company of other men — a subject that is very prevalent in modern masculinity amongst the “no homo” macho-types. The group shows their penises while surrounded by large groups of other men multiple times in the films. At first glance, this may just seem like a “sausage fest” scenario, where men are immature and thoughtless about their genitals. However, in Jackass, they place great emphasis on their penises and their importance in stunts — and have even saved stunts from falling flat by hitting each other in the penis, according to Knoxville. In Jackass 2, the late Ryan Dunn uses a hot iron to brand a penis onto Bam Margera’s buttcheeks which, upon closer observation, may symbolize the permanent damage that toxic masculinity has on men’s lives, especially as sexual beings.
With the impending Jackass 4 being filmed, I advise people to go back and rewatch the earlier installments of the franchise and to keep their eyes open for the themes of masculinity (both toxic and natural), religion, mortality, homoeroticism, and the destruction of the American dream. I look forward to seeing how these themes will display themselves in the next film, as the men are now older and the expectations of masculinity are being redefined in this never-before-seen political climate. Perhaps they can wear dresses with Harry Styles while giving each other COVID-19!
