As I watched the video, my life flashed before my eyes (because my laughter brought me to the verge of death.) After my laughter subsided, I thought about what I had just witnessed: a bunch of old (looking) men being killed in horrific and bloody ways - How can something like that be so funny to me? Jackass is so popular today because it always takes its stunts to the extreme. Jackass has always been pushing the envelope: the first time I saw a man covered in feces and the first penis I ever saw in a movie theater were both during Jackass films (I have yet to see another man covered in shit, but Brüno has since shown me the latter.) I think this particular bit is funny because it pushes the violence of Jackass to the extreme, and in doing so parodies the concept of the show itself. It also doesn't try to mask its obvious visual fallacies, which shows that the intent was to explore the concept of the parody, rather than the execution.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sons of Jackass
As I was channel surfing last night, I tuned to Comedy Central at the perfect time: on the screen before me were the words "coming summer 2063." As an amateur futurist, the words intrigued me, so I kept watching. Not long after, I realized that I was watching a bonus featurette with the cast of Jackass dressed as 80-year-olds. I've always been a fan of Jackass, especially the scenes in which Johnny Knoxville disguises himself as an aging retiree, so I kept watching. Classmates: Watch video now.
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I wrote in my last Discussion Board post about Jackass and how it perfectly correlates towards people putting themselves in insanely dangerous and risky situations all for a good luagh. Obviously this video was edited but some of the grotesque scenes do jump right out at you (Preston's head rolling under the truck, for starters). The truth is that these 'Jackasses have landed on a goldmine that basically they have monopolized. If we see other idiots doing immature and dangerous stunts we immediately write them off as amateurs and swiftly cast them at an inferior level from our beloved Jackass cast. The Jackass gang have created such a strong following and continue to adapt to the market at an economical standpoint (Jackass 3D, for example) for long prospered success. This formula would not make me surprised to see, that if in fact in 2063 Steve-O was performing some of these same stunts.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Charles, Jackass has found a goldmine because people love to see these stupid stunts. But, to be honest, these guys aren't even that professional either. If I was doing the same things they were doing, I'd get hurt in the same way. It's just how Steve-O vomits every time and the creative ways they are able to torture their bodies that are hilarious.
ReplyDeleteI love that trailer. Check out Remi Gaillard, he is basically the toned down french version of Jackass. Some his antics are still pretty destructive, like kicking soccer balls at bike riders:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFsHPFhtEYQ
Good stuff.
Jackass is a pivotal show in American television because it is limitless in its potential for stupidity and self-inflicted violence. The cast is fearless and innovative. These guys tolerate an extreme amount of self inflicted pain. These stupid ideas rarely work and they become injured, just like anyone else who would attempt the stunts at home. The Jackass cast doesn't worry about actually hurting themselves to a point where it could cripple them for life or even cause an injury that could eventually lead to their death. This fearless quality makes their stunts limitless. The fact that they're raking in so much money begs the question: Which of those stunts would you do if you were getting paid as much as the Jackass guys?
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