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Jackass (TV series)
Encyclopedia
jackass is an American reality series
, originally shown on MTV
from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring
stunt
s and pranks. The show served as a launchpad for the television and acting careers of Johnny Knoxville
, Bam Margera
, and Steve-O
.
Since 2002, three Jackass theatrical films have been produced and released by MTV corporate sibling Paramount Pictures
, continuing the franchise after its run on television. The show sparked several spin-offs including Viva La Bam
, Wildboyz
, Homewrecker
, Dr. Steve-O
and Blastazoid
.
, Dave Carnie
, Rick Kosick
and Chris Pontius
all worked for, and featured regular contributions from Johnny Knoxville
, Tyler Newton
and Dave England
, among others. The concept of Jackass dates back to 1999 when failing-actor-turned-writer Johnny Knoxville thought of the idea of testing different self-defence devices on himself as the basis for an article. He pitched the idea to a couple of magazines and was turned down until meeting with Jeff Tremaine of Big Brother. Tremaine hired him as a journalist and convinced Johnny to videotape this idea and other stunts for stories. The footage, which involved Knoxville being tasered
, maced
, and ultimately shot while wearing a bulletproof vest
, appeared in the second Big Brother skateboarding movie (which is also the title of the second Jackass theatrical film). Future Jackass castmember Wee-Man made an appearance in the videos, and Florida clown
Steve-O
would send in submissions to be part of the videos.
During this time, Bam Margera
released a movie entitled Landspeed:CKY, consisting of himself and his friends, which he dubbed the "CKY Crew
", in West Chester, Pennsylvania
, performing various skits and stunts. The Crew included the colorful cast of Ryan Dunn, Brandon Dicamillo
, and Raab Himself, as well as Margera's family April
, Phil
, Don Vito
, and Jess Margera
. Tremaine saw the tapes and drafted Margera and his crew into what would become the cast of Jackass. Later, the Jackass crew would recruit Steve-O in a Florida flea market
where he worked as a clown. To round out the cast, England brought in his friend Ehren McGhehey
, a fellow Oregon
resident and extreme stunt participator.
Tremaine drafted his friend, director Spike Jonze
, to get involved with the show, and together, he, Jonze, and Knoxville served as executive producers. The show idea was pitched, and the cast was initially given an offer by Saturday Night Live
to perform the stunts weekly for the show, though the offer was turned down. A bidding war eventually occurred between Comedy Central
and MTV, which MTV eventually won. It was then that Jackass was born.
s noting that the stunts performed were dangerous and should not be imitated, and that recordings of any stunts would not be aired on MTV. Such warnings not only appeared before and after each program and after each commercial break, but also in a "crawl" that ran along the bottom of the screen during some especially risky stunts, as well as showing their 'skull and crutches logo' at the bottom right of the screen to symbolize the stunt performed as risky. Nevertheless, the program has been blamed for a number of deaths and injuries involving teens and children recreating the stunts.
On January 29, 2001, U.S. Senator
Joseph Lieberman publicly condemned MTV and Jackass in connection with a dangerous stunt that led to a copycat incident in which a 13-year-old Connecticut teenager was left in critical condition with severe burns. Lieberman followed up with a February 7, 2001 letter to MTV's parent company Viacom
urging the company to take greater responsibility for its programming and do more to help parents protect their children. MTV responded to the criticism by canceling all airings of Jackass before 10:00 PM, but Lieberman's continual campaign against the show led to MTV refusing to air repeats of the later episodes, a move which angered the cast and production crew of the series who were furious with MTV's "caving into Lieberman's demands."
A man named Jack Ass sued MTV for $10 million, claiming the series was plagiarizing his name. Jack Ass, formerly known as Bob Craft, changed his name in 1997 to raise awareness for drunk driving, after his brother and friend were killed in a vehicle accident.
magazine, Knoxville announced the show would end after its third season aired. He also stated discontent with MTV and the censors, who, from the start of season two, increasingly gave notes regarding what the show could and could not depict. When the third season ended in 2002, MTV (which owns the rights to the name "Jackass") contemplated keeping the show going with a new cast (even running a teaser for the show's return during the 2002 VMA Awards Show
).
Because of problems with MTV's standards and practices department as well as the sudden departure of Margera and the CKY Crew halfway through season three, the Jackass crew did not attempt to create a finale to bring the show to a close. MTV released a DVD
boxed set in December 2005. It included the three Jackass DVD volumes (which were not composed of all three entire seasons, but highlights of each season), a bonus disc that included the crew's trip to Gumball 3000
, a "Where Are They Now" documentary, MTV Cribs
Jackass Edition, TV spots, and a 48-page book of photos and inside stories.
, The Dukes of Hazzard, Men in Black II
, The Ringer, A Dirty Shame
and Big Trouble.
Margera and the CKY crew
were given their own spin-off show Viva La Bam
, which follows Margera and his family, who are often made the victim of the clique's practical jokes. Bam and the crew also have Radio Bam
on Sirius radio. Margera has also been featured in Bam's Unholy Union
, following him and his fiance Missy in the run-up to their wedding, while Brandon DiCamillo and Rake Yohn featured in Blastazoid, a short-lived show about video games.
When Viva La Bam finished its run, Ryan Dunn, who was part of Bam's crew on Viva La Bam, was given his own show Homewrecker, in which he finds revenge for helpless victims of practical jokes by renovating the prankster's room according to the original incident. The show only lasted one season. On June 20, 2011, Dunn was killed in a car crash in Pennsylvania
.
Pontius and Steve-O were also given their own spin-off show Wildboyz
. Unlike Jackass and Viva La Bam, Wildboyz rejected the formula of practical jokes and instead features the two traveling the world in search of wild and exotic animals. Directed by Jackass director Jeff Tremaine, Wildboyz featured frequent guest appearances by fellow Jackasses Johnny Knoxville, Manny Puig, and Jason "Wee Man" Acuña.
to coincide with the official launch of Jackassworld.com. The special allowed the core members of Jackass to take over MTV and its studios for 24 hours, broadcasting new pranks and stunts, along with a tribute to stunt man Evel Knievel
shot days before.
. The cast made it clear that the film was their "farewell" to the fans of the show, and with the franchise taking the movie format, the cast and crew were now allowed to circumvent the censors, showing more vulgar stunts than the ones featured on the TV show. Despite earlier disagreements, MTV Films
assisted in the movie's distribution.
The movie, filmed on a budget of just $5 million, went on to gross over $60 million in the United States alone, and finished in the number 1 spot at the box office during its debut weekend.
, Johnny Knoxville joined his former castmates Chris Pontius and Steve-O on various expeditions around the world. It was said that Knoxville went so far out during the filming of the show that Tremaine pulled him aside and said "If you're willing to go this all out, why not get all the guys together and shoot another movie?" Knoxville agreed, and with both Viva La Bam
and Wildboyz finishing their runs, the entire cast was available to reunite and film the sequel.
Jackass Number Two was released on September 22, 2006, produced by MTV Films and distributed by Paramount Pictures. As was the case with its predecessor, Jackass Number Two topped the box office in its debut weekend, earning $29.01 million. Footage for several stunts featured Bam Margera's uncle Vincent "Don Vito" Margera
, but the footage was removed from the theatrical and DVD release due to his arrest in August 2006 and the nature of the charges.
On September 7, 2006, MTV featured a half-hour documentary
of Jackass: Number Two
. When asked if the film meant the end of Jackass, cast member Steve-O jokingly commented that the people who made money from the Jackass franchise still wanted money, hinting that the cast would still continue the franchise in one form or another. At the conclusion of the documentary, Johnny Knoxville reveals that he "had a hard time letting go" because he is "so hooked on doing stunts." Cameraman Dimitry Elyashkevich
reveals that weeks after the film, Knoxville was so desperate to shoot that he would film himself running into street signs just for the sake of additional footage.
On September 5, 2007, Margera announced on The Howard Stern Show that Jackass 2.5 will be released. He said that Jackass 2.5 is a compilation DVD of stunts that did not make it to Jackass Number 2. The DVD was released on December 26, 2007. Special features on the DVD include the making of Jackass 2.5, the making of Jackass: The Game
, deleted scenes and a photo gallery.
was released in American movie theaters on October 15, 2010. In an August 2009 interview with Johnny Knoxville for The Times-Picayune, Knoxville on the topic of Steve-o's recovery and rehabilitation said "He's taking to sobriety like he took to drugs and alcohol, I'm very proud of him. I think we'll see him doing some stuff here really soon. As a matter of fact, I know we are." And later stated "Something's coming. We're pretty excited". Later, he added: "I think it'll be a big year next year, but I don't want to talk about it yet....."
In September 2009, Margera revealed to Iltalehti
, a Finnish newspaper, that a Jackass 3 will be made and filming in places like Mongolia
, South Africa
and Finland
as well as the United States
will start in January 2010. He then confirmed it again on Radio Bam
on September 21, 2009. In early December Knoxville later confirmed that Jackass 3 was being made. In April 2010, a brief blurb about Jackass 3D
, entitled "gone filmin'," appeared on the MTV
website: "Thanks for the support the past two years. To keep abreast and adick of all things related to the world of jackass and Dickhouse (including the currently in production flick jackass 3D), follow us on Facebook and Twitter."
In late July 2010, Paramount and MTV Films screened the first footage from Jackass 3D at a special event during Comic-Con 2010 in its 3D format. The event allowed fans to meet the Jackass crew. Then in August 2010 the official trailer was aired on MTV.
On opening weekend, Jackass 3D made an estimated $50 million in 3,081 theaters, outperforming predictions it would earn $30 million and breaking the record for the most successful Fall opening ever, which was previously held by Scary Movie 3
.
Following the movie's success, another sequel was announced. Jackass 3.5 was released in June 2011 with unused footage shot during the filming of Jackass 3D. The entire movie started to be streamed in weekly segments on Joost
, starting April 1, 2011. Previously the first trailer was released online on January 27, 2011 and the feature-length movie was released on VOD and DVD on June 14, 2011.
was released on October 2, 2007. It was developed under a license by Sidhe Interactive
in Wellington
, New Zealand for the PlayStation 2
and PlayStation Portable
and Nintendo DS. The game was first shown at the 2006 E3 behind closed doors. It is mentioned in the Jackass: Number Two commentary that the stunt where several members get punched in the face by a spring-loaded boxing glove hidden behind a fake valentine on a wall had just come upstairs from shooting a promo for the video game. Johnny Knoxville and other members of the Jackass team also provided stunt ideas to the developer based on unused stunts from the show. A trailer and the cover art was released in June 2007 on the game's official website.
Jackass-type behavior has also been depicted and used as plot devices on multiple other television shows - an example of which is episode 19 of season 3 of CSI: Vegas
, in which one of a group of teenagers is shot and killed while performing (and filming) a stunt.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
, originally shown on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
stunt
Stunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...
s and pranks. The show served as a launchpad for the television and acting careers of Johnny Knoxville
Johnny Knoxville
Philip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
, Bam Margera
Bam Margera
Brandon Cole "Bam" Margera is an American professional skateboarder, television and radio personality, actor and daredevil. He released a series of videos under the CKY banner and came to prominence after being drafted into MTV's Jackass crew...
, and Steve-O
Steve-O
Steve-O is an American stunt performer and television personality. His entertainment career is mostly centered around his performance stunts on the American TV series Jackass and accompanying movies....
.
Since 2002, three Jackass theatrical films have been produced and released by MTV corporate sibling Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, continuing the franchise after its run on television. The show sparked several spin-offs including Viva La Bam
Viva La Bam
Viva La Bam is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. The show was a spin-off from MTV's Jackass, in which Margera and most of the main cast had appeared...
, Wildboyz
Wildboyz
Wildboyz is a spin-off and follow-up to Jackass, which debuted in 2003 on MTV and moved to MTV2 in its third season. Steve-O and Chris Pontius are the stars of the show, who perform stunts and acts with animals, often putting themselves in situations for which they are not trained...
, Homewrecker
Homewrecker (TV series)
Homewrecker is an American reality show on MTV that was hosted by Jackass star Ryan Dunn. The show is a twist on home renovation reality shows such as Trading Spaces and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; but instead of the room being renovated, it is wrecked.-Plot:To qualify for Homewrecker, a...
, Dr. Steve-O
Dr. Steve-O
Dr. Steve-O is an American reality television series starring Steve-O, Trishelle Cannatella and Reggie Pace. The show first premiered on October 1, 2007, it aired Monday nights at 11:05 pm Eastern / 10:05 pm Central, immediately after WWE Raw, on the USA Network. The show ended on November 1,...
and Blastazoid
Blastazoid
Blastazoid is a video game themed MTV show starring CKY Crew members Brandon DiCamillo, Rake Yohn and Joe Frantz. The show featured pranks and set-ups reminiscent of predecessor Bam Margera, and showcased user-created gaming footage found on the internet....
.
Origins
The show developed from Big Brother Magazine, a skateboarding-related humor magazine that Jeff TremaineJeff Tremaine
Jeffery James "Jeff" Tremaine is an American film and television producer/director, and, along with Johnny Knoxville and Spike Jonze, one of the creators of MTV's Jackass. He directed Jackass: The Movie, Jackass Number Two, Jackass 3D, and Jackass spinoff Wildboyz...
, Dave Carnie
Dave Carnie
Dave Carnie , is a former editor-in-chief of Big Brother Magazine and current writer for numerous publications.-Writing career:...
, Rick Kosick
Rick Kosick
Rick Kosick is an American photographer and crew member, and supporting cast member of the Jackass TV series and the three Jackass movies.-Early career:...
and Chris Pontius
Chris Pontius
Christopher Andrew "Chris" Pontius is an American entertainer and daredevil. Pontius is a member of Jackass, and along with Steve-O, was the co-host of Wildboyz.-Life and career:...
all worked for, and featured regular contributions from Johnny Knoxville
Johnny Knoxville
Philip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
, Tyler Newton
Tyler Newton
Tyler Isaac Newton is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Rera Kamuy Hokkaido of the Japan Basketball League...
and Dave England
Dave England
Dave England is an American daredevil stunt performer and former professional snowboarder who is known for appearing on the MTV series Jackass, as well as the films Jackass: The Movie, Jackass: Number Two, and Jackass 3D.-Life and career:Johnny Knoxville stated on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...
, among others. The concept of Jackass dates back to 1999 when failing-actor-turned-writer Johnny Knoxville thought of the idea of testing different self-defence devices on himself as the basis for an article. He pitched the idea to a couple of magazines and was turned down until meeting with Jeff Tremaine of Big Brother. Tremaine hired him as a journalist and convinced Johnny to videotape this idea and other stunts for stories. The footage, which involved Knoxville being tasered
Electroshock gun
An electroshock weapon is an incapacitant weapon used for incapacitating a person by administering electric shock aimed at disrupting superficial muscle functions. One type is a conductive energy device , an electroshock gun popularly known by the brand name "Taser", which fires projectiles that...
, maced
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
, and ultimately shot while wearing a bulletproof vest
Bulletproof vest
A ballistic vest, bulletproof vest or bullet-resistant vest is an item of personal armor that helps absorb the impact from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions, and is worn on the torso...
, appeared in the second Big Brother skateboarding movie (which is also the title of the second Jackass theatrical film). Future Jackass castmember Wee-Man made an appearance in the videos, and Florida clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
Steve-O
Steve-O
Steve-O is an American stunt performer and television personality. His entertainment career is mostly centered around his performance stunts on the American TV series Jackass and accompanying movies....
would send in submissions to be part of the videos.
During this time, Bam Margera
Bam Margera
Brandon Cole "Bam" Margera is an American professional skateboarder, television and radio personality, actor and daredevil. He released a series of videos under the CKY banner and came to prominence after being drafted into MTV's Jackass crew...
released a movie entitled Landspeed:CKY, consisting of himself and his friends, which he dubbed the "CKY Crew
CKY Crew
The Camp Kill Yourself Crew are a group of friends and relatives centered around Bam Margera, many of whom are from or located in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania...
", in West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
, performing various skits and stunts. The Crew included the colorful cast of Ryan Dunn, Brandon Dicamillo
Brandon DiCamillo
Brandon Ralph DiCamillo is an American actor, stuntman and screenwriter. He was a founding member of the CKY Crew and rose to fame through appearances in the CKY video series and MTV's Jackass, Viva La Bam and Bam's Unholy Union.-Personal life:He previously worked for Neiman-Marcus, and is the...
, and Raab Himself, as well as Margera's family April
April Margera
April Margera is an American reality television personality, best known for her appearances on MTV's Viva La Bam, Jackass, the CKY videos, Minghags: The Movie and Bam's Unholy Union....
, Phil
Phil Margera
Phillip "Phil" Margera is an American reality television personality, best known for appearing on Viva La Bam, the CKY Videos and the Jackass television series and movies...
, Don Vito
Vincent Margera
Vincent Roy Margera , more commonly known as Don Vito, is an American former reality television personality known for his appearances in Viva La Bam, Jackass, Haggard and the CKY videos alongside his nephew Bam...
, and Jess Margera
Jess Margera
Jesse Phillip Margera is the drummer in the band CKY, its predecessor Oil and Foreign Objects, Viking Skull, and The Company Band.-Life and career:...
. Tremaine saw the tapes and drafted Margera and his crew into what would become the cast of Jackass. Later, the Jackass crew would recruit Steve-O in a Florida flea market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
where he worked as a clown. To round out the cast, England brought in his friend Ehren McGhehey
Ehren McGhehey
Ehren McGhehey is an American daredevil and actor. He is best known as a star of the MTV series Jackass and its subsequent films.-Jackass:After McGhehey retired from snowboarding due to injury, he got a job at a skate shop in Portland...
, a fellow Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
resident and extreme stunt participator.
Tremaine drafted his friend, director Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
, to get involved with the show, and together, he, Jonze, and Knoxville served as executive producers. The show idea was pitched, and the cast was initially given an offer by Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
to perform the stunts weekly for the show, though the offer was turned down. A bidding war eventually occurred between Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
and MTV, which MTV eventually won. It was then that Jackass was born.
Supporting crew members
- Brandon DiCamilloBrandon DiCamilloBrandon Ralph DiCamillo is an American actor, stuntman and screenwriter. He was a founding member of the CKY Crew and rose to fame through appearances in the CKY video series and MTV's Jackass, Viva La Bam and Bam's Unholy Union.-Personal life:He previously worked for Neiman-Marcus, and is the...
(2000–2006) - Mat HoffmanMat HoffmanMat Hoffman is an American BMX rider considered one of the best vert-ramp riders in the history of the sport. He is nicknamed "The Condor" and owns the BMX Freestyle brand Hoffman BMX Bikes, based out of Oklahoma City, OK.-Bio:...
- Loomis FallLoomis FallLoomis Fall is an American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician and actor who has performed with several rock and punk bands, most notably with Wax, an early-1990s California pop-punk band, which was compared to the likes of the Ramones and the Pixies. Fall has performed as a cast member in...
- Brandon NovakBrandon NovakBrandon Novak is a professional skateboarder, actor, stuntman, and friend of Bam Margera and is a prominent member of the CKY Crew...
- Raab Himself (2000–2002)
- Manny PuigManny PuigManny "Sharkman" Puig is an American wildlife educator and entertainer. Puig is known for his direct approach when dealing with dangerous animals such as sharks, black bears and American alligators...
- Rake YohnRake YohnRake Yohn is a member of the CKY Crew and a regular in the CKY Videos, MTV's Viva La Bam and Jackass.-Life and career:Yohn was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania...
- Stephanie Hodge
Controversy
Since the first episode, Jackass frequently featured warnings and disclaimerDisclaimer
A disclaimer is generally any statement intended to specify or delimit the scope of rights and obligations that may be exercised and enforced by parties in a legally recognized relationship...
s noting that the stunts performed were dangerous and should not be imitated, and that recordings of any stunts would not be aired on MTV. Such warnings not only appeared before and after each program and after each commercial break, but also in a "crawl" that ran along the bottom of the screen during some especially risky stunts, as well as showing their 'skull and crutches logo' at the bottom right of the screen to symbolize the stunt performed as risky. Nevertheless, the program has been blamed for a number of deaths and injuries involving teens and children recreating the stunts.
On January 29, 2001, U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Joseph Lieberman publicly condemned MTV and Jackass in connection with a dangerous stunt that led to a copycat incident in which a 13-year-old Connecticut teenager was left in critical condition with severe burns. Lieberman followed up with a February 7, 2001 letter to MTV's parent company Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
urging the company to take greater responsibility for its programming and do more to help parents protect their children. MTV responded to the criticism by canceling all airings of Jackass before 10:00 PM, but Lieberman's continual campaign against the show led to MTV refusing to air repeats of the later episodes, a move which angered the cast and production crew of the series who were furious with MTV's "caving into Lieberman's demands."
A man named Jack Ass sued MTV for $10 million, claiming the series was plagiarizing his name. Jack Ass, formerly known as Bob Craft, changed his name in 1997 to raise awareness for drunk driving, after his brother and friend were killed in a vehicle accident.
Series ending
In a 2001 interview with Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine, Knoxville announced the show would end after its third season aired. He also stated discontent with MTV and the censors, who, from the start of season two, increasingly gave notes regarding what the show could and could not depict. When the third season ended in 2002, MTV (which owns the rights to the name "Jackass") contemplated keeping the show going with a new cast (even running a teaser for the show's return during the 2002 VMA Awards Show
2002 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 29, 2002, honoring the best music videos from June 9, 2001, to May 31, 2002. The show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It is most remembered for Michael Jackson's acceptance of a birthday statue, which he...
).
Because of problems with MTV's standards and practices department as well as the sudden departure of Margera and the CKY Crew halfway through season three, the Jackass crew did not attempt to create a finale to bring the show to a close. MTV released a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
boxed set in December 2005. It included the three Jackass DVD volumes (which were not composed of all three entire seasons, but highlights of each season), a bonus disc that included the crew's trip to Gumball 3000
Gumball 3000
The Gumball 3000 is an annual international road rally which takes place on public roads, with a different route around the world each year. Founded in 1999 by Maximillion Cooper, it sees an annual entry of 120 cars, which are mostly exotic and powerful sports cars. However, more unusual entries ...
, a "Where Are They Now" documentary, MTV Cribs
MTV Cribs
MTV Cribs and CMT Cribs, depending on which channel it airs, is a franchise reality television program that originated on the MTV Networks' MTV. It later aired on its CMT channel that features tours of the houses and mansions of celebrities. The first show aired September 2000...
Jackass Edition, TV spots, and a 48-page book of photos and inside stories.
Life after Jackass
When the hit show ended, each member of the cast found new work in movies and television, each gaining his own degree of success. Knoxville pursued a career as an actor, appearing in such films as the 2004 remake of Walking TallWalking Tall (2004 film)
Walking Tall is a 2004 remake of the 1973 film of the same name. It stars Dwayne Johnson and Johnny Knoxville. Like the original film, it was based on real-life Sheriff Buford Pusser, however, the main character's name was changed to "Chris Vaughn"...
, The Dukes of Hazzard, Men in Black II
Men in Black II
Men in Black II is a 2002 science fiction action comedy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The film also stars Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson and Rip Torn...
, The Ringer, A Dirty Shame
A Dirty Shame
A Dirty Shame is a 2004 satirical sex comedy written and directed by John Waters, and starring Tracey Ullman, Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville, Chris Isaak, Suzanne Shepherd, and Mink Stole.-Plot:...
and Big Trouble.
Margera and the CKY crew
CKY Crew
The Camp Kill Yourself Crew are a group of friends and relatives centered around Bam Margera, many of whom are from or located in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania...
were given their own spin-off show Viva La Bam
Viva La Bam
Viva La Bam is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. The show was a spin-off from MTV's Jackass, in which Margera and most of the main cast had appeared...
, which follows Margera and his family, who are often made the victim of the clique's practical jokes. Bam and the crew also have Radio Bam
Radio Bam
Radio Bam is a Sirius Radio Station that is aired on Mondays at 7pm, straight after The Jason Ellis Show. On each episode, Bam Margera and his friends tell stories about past times and play music...
on Sirius radio. Margera has also been featured in Bam's Unholy Union
Bam's Unholy Union
Bam's Unholy Union is an American reality series that aired on MTV and MTV Canada. It follows Bam Margera and his fiancee Missy Rothstein as they plan their wedding...
, following him and his fiance Missy in the run-up to their wedding, while Brandon DiCamillo and Rake Yohn featured in Blastazoid, a short-lived show about video games.
When Viva La Bam finished its run, Ryan Dunn, who was part of Bam's crew on Viva La Bam, was given his own show Homewrecker, in which he finds revenge for helpless victims of practical jokes by renovating the prankster's room according to the original incident. The show only lasted one season. On June 20, 2011, Dunn was killed in a car crash in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Pontius and Steve-O were also given their own spin-off show Wildboyz
Wildboyz
Wildboyz is a spin-off and follow-up to Jackass, which debuted in 2003 on MTV and moved to MTV2 in its third season. Steve-O and Chris Pontius are the stars of the show, who perform stunts and acts with animals, often putting themselves in situations for which they are not trained...
. Unlike Jackass and Viva La Bam, Wildboyz rejected the formula of practical jokes and instead features the two traveling the world in search of wild and exotic animals. Directed by Jackass director Jeff Tremaine, Wildboyz featured frequent guest appearances by fellow Jackasses Johnny Knoxville, Manny Puig, and Jason "Wee Man" Acuña.
Jackass MTV Takeover
On February 23, 2008, MTV held the TV special, Jackassworld.com: 24 Hour TakeoverJackassworld.com: 24 Hour Takeover
Jackassworld.com: 24 Hour Takeover was a 24-hour live TV special featuring many stars of the MTV show and movie franchise Jackass from February 23-24, 2008....
to coincide with the official launch of Jackassworld.com. The special allowed the core members of Jackass to take over MTV and its studios for 24 hours, broadcasting new pranks and stunts, along with a tribute to stunt man Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
shot days before.
Jackass: The Movie
After the show went off the air, the cast reunited in 2002 to film what they believed would be the conclusion of Jackass: a full-length motion picture version of the show entitled Jackass: The MovieJackass: The Movie
Jackass: The Movie is a 2002 American reality film directed by Jeff Tremaine with the tagline "Do not attempt this at home." It is a riskier and uncensored continuation of the stunts and pranks by the various characters of the MTV television series Jackass, which had completed its unique series...
. The cast made it clear that the film was their "farewell" to the fans of the show, and with the franchise taking the movie format, the cast and crew were now allowed to circumvent the censors, showing more vulgar stunts than the ones featured on the TV show. Despite earlier disagreements, MTV Films
MTV Films
MTV Films is the motion picture production arm of cable channel MTV. Founded in 1996, it has produced films based on MTV programs such as Beavis and Butt-head Do America and Jackass: The Movie, as well as other adaptations and original projects. Its films are released by fellow Viacom division...
assisted in the movie's distribution.
The movie, filmed on a budget of just $5 million, went on to gross over $60 million in the United States alone, and finished in the number 1 spot at the box office during its debut weekend.
Jackass Number Two
With the release of Jackass: The Movie, director Jeff Tremaine and the rest of the Jackass cast believed that Jackass was finished and there would be no further projects under the franchise. However, during the final season of WildboyzWildboyz
Wildboyz is a spin-off and follow-up to Jackass, which debuted in 2003 on MTV and moved to MTV2 in its third season. Steve-O and Chris Pontius are the stars of the show, who perform stunts and acts with animals, often putting themselves in situations for which they are not trained...
, Johnny Knoxville joined his former castmates Chris Pontius and Steve-O on various expeditions around the world. It was said that Knoxville went so far out during the filming of the show that Tremaine pulled him aside and said "If you're willing to go this all out, why not get all the guys together and shoot another movie?" Knoxville agreed, and with both Viva La Bam
Viva La Bam
Viva La Bam is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. The show was a spin-off from MTV's Jackass, in which Margera and most of the main cast had appeared...
and Wildboyz finishing their runs, the entire cast was available to reunite and film the sequel.
Jackass Number Two was released on September 22, 2006, produced by MTV Films and distributed by Paramount Pictures. As was the case with its predecessor, Jackass Number Two topped the box office in its debut weekend, earning $29.01 million. Footage for several stunts featured Bam Margera's uncle Vincent "Don Vito" Margera
Vincent Margera
Vincent Roy Margera , more commonly known as Don Vito, is an American former reality television personality known for his appearances in Viva La Bam, Jackass, Haggard and the CKY videos alongside his nephew Bam...
, but the footage was removed from the theatrical and DVD release due to his arrest in August 2006 and the nature of the charges.
On September 7, 2006, MTV featured a half-hour documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
of Jackass: Number Two
Jackass: Number Two
Jackass Number Two is a 2006 American comedy film. It is the sequel to Jackass: The Movie , both based upon the MTV series Jackass. Like its predecessor and the original TV show, the film is a compilation of stunts, pranks and skits...
. When asked if the film meant the end of Jackass, cast member Steve-O jokingly commented that the people who made money from the Jackass franchise still wanted money, hinting that the cast would still continue the franchise in one form or another. At the conclusion of the documentary, Johnny Knoxville reveals that he "had a hard time letting go" because he is "so hooked on doing stunts." Cameraman Dimitry Elyashkevich
Dimitry Elyashkevich
Dimitry Elyashkevich is a producer and camera operator of the MTV series of Jackass and Wildboyz.He was born on February 23, 1975 in Minsk, Soviet Union . Dimitry has also cameoed in the series and movies, most notably the Gumball 3000 rally special as their Russian Interpreter, as well as being...
reveals that weeks after the film, Knoxville was so desperate to shoot that he would film himself running into street signs just for the sake of additional footage.
On September 5, 2007, Margera announced on The Howard Stern Show that Jackass 2.5 will be released. He said that Jackass 2.5 is a compilation DVD of stunts that did not make it to Jackass Number 2. The DVD was released on December 26, 2007. Special features on the DVD include the making of Jackass 2.5, the making of Jackass: The Game
Jackass: The Game
Jackass: The Game is a video game based on the television series Jackass. It was developed under license by Sidhe Interactive in Wellington, New Zealand for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable...
, deleted scenes and a photo gallery.
Jackass 3-D
Jackass 3DJackass 3D
Jackass 3D is a 2010 American 3D comedy film and the fourth film in the Jackass series. It was released on October 15, 2010 by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films to American theaters and marked the 10th anniversary of the franchise, which started in 2000...
was released in American movie theaters on October 15, 2010. In an August 2009 interview with Johnny Knoxville for The Times-Picayune, Knoxville on the topic of Steve-o's recovery and rehabilitation said "He's taking to sobriety like he took to drugs and alcohol, I'm very proud of him. I think we'll see him doing some stuff here really soon. As a matter of fact, I know we are." And later stated "Something's coming. We're pretty excited". Later, he added: "I think it'll be a big year next year, but I don't want to talk about it yet....."
In September 2009, Margera revealed to Iltalehti
Iltalehti
Iltalehti is a daily tabloid newspaper and the third largest newspaper in Finland. Of tabloid newspapers, Iltalehti has a market share of 40% and its biggest rival Ilta-Sanomat has a market share of 60%...
, a Finnish newspaper, that a Jackass 3 will be made and filming in places like Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
as well as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
will start in January 2010. He then confirmed it again on Radio Bam
Radio Bam
Radio Bam is a Sirius Radio Station that is aired on Mondays at 7pm, straight after The Jason Ellis Show. On each episode, Bam Margera and his friends tell stories about past times and play music...
on September 21, 2009. In early December Knoxville later confirmed that Jackass 3 was being made. In April 2010, a brief blurb about Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D is a 2010 American 3D comedy film and the fourth film in the Jackass series. It was released on October 15, 2010 by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films to American theaters and marked the 10th anniversary of the franchise, which started in 2000...
, entitled "gone filmin'," appeared on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
website: "Thanks for the support the past two years. To keep abreast and adick of all things related to the world of jackass and Dickhouse (including the currently in production flick jackass 3D), follow us on Facebook and Twitter."
In late July 2010, Paramount and MTV Films screened the first footage from Jackass 3D at a special event during Comic-Con 2010 in its 3D format. The event allowed fans to meet the Jackass crew. Then in August 2010 the official trailer was aired on MTV.
On opening weekend, Jackass 3D made an estimated $50 million in 3,081 theaters, outperforming predictions it would earn $30 million and breaking the record for the most successful Fall opening ever, which was previously held by Scary Movie 3
Scary Movie 3
Scary Movie 3 is a 2003 American science fiction comedy film, which parodies the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres, directed by David Zucker. It is the third film of the Scary Movie franchise, as well as the first to have no involvement from the Wayans family...
.
Following the movie's success, another sequel was announced. Jackass 3.5 was released in June 2011 with unused footage shot during the filming of Jackass 3D. The entire movie started to be streamed in weekly segments on Joost
Joost
Joost is an Internet TV service, created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis . During 2007-8 Joost used peer-to-peer TV technology to distribute content to their Mozilla-based desktop player; in late 2008 this was migrated to use a Flash-based Web player instead.Joost began development in 2006...
, starting April 1, 2011. Previously the first trailer was released online on January 27, 2011 and the feature-length movie was released on VOD and DVD on June 14, 2011.
Jackass: The Game
Jackass: The GameJackass: The Game
Jackass: The Game is a video game based on the television series Jackass. It was developed under license by Sidhe Interactive in Wellington, New Zealand for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable...
was released on October 2, 2007. It was developed under a license by Sidhe Interactive
Sidhe Interactive
Sidhe is a game development studio based in Wellington, New Zealand.Sidhe is an officially licensed developer for Microsoft , Sony Computer Entertainment Europe , and Nintendo of America . It is also a co-founding member of the New Zealand Game Developers Association...
in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and Nintendo DS. The game was first shown at the 2006 E3 behind closed doors. It is mentioned in the Jackass: Number Two commentary that the stunt where several members get punched in the face by a spring-loaded boxing glove hidden behind a fake valentine on a wall had just come upstairs from shooting a promo for the video game. Johnny Knoxville and other members of the Jackass team also provided stunt ideas to the developer based on unused stunts from the show. A trailer and the cover art was released in June 2007 on the game's official website.
DVD releases
- Jackass: Vol. 1 (2005)
- Jackass: Vol. 2 (2002)
- Jackass: Vol. 3 (2002)
- Jackass: The MovieJackass: The MovieJackass: The Movie is a 2002 American reality film directed by Jeff Tremaine with the tagline "Do not attempt this at home." It is a riskier and uncensored continuation of the stunts and pranks by the various characters of the MTV television series Jackass, which had completed its unique series...
(2002) - Jackass: The Box Set (2005)
- Jackass Number Two (2006)
- Jackass 2.5 (2007)
- Jackass World Presents: Mat Hoffman's Tribute to Evel Knievel (2008)
- Jackass: The Lost Tapes (2009)
- Jackass 3 (2010)
- Jackass: Unrated 3-Pack (2011)
- Jackass 3.5 (2011)
Influence
Various groups have created shows based on or similar to Jackass. These include:- Extreme DuudsonitExtreme DuudsonitThe Dudesons are a four-man stunt group from Finland. The Dudesons are best known from their TV shows and live performances. Their TV shows are combination of stunts, comedy and reality.-History:...
aka The Dudesons - Dirty SanchezDirty Sanchez (TV series)Dirty Sanchez: The Movie, a reality film based upon the series, was released on 22 September 2006. It is in the format of a world tour and incorporates stunts related to the Seven Deadly Sins. Stunts are on a larger scale and more extreme than stunts shown in the TV show.The film also features the...
aka Team Sanchez - Tokyo Shock Boys
- Crazy MonkeyCrazy MonkeyCrazy Monkey is a series of spots made for MTV to go between music videos. The team behind Crazy Monkey first made them in the hope of MTV just airing them at least once, and thus staking the South African flag on the airwaves of the world's music channel....
- Rad GirlsRad GirlsRad Girls is a stunt and prank television show which aired on the music network Fuse TV and has now moved to MavTV. The show's format is essentially a female version of MTV's Jackass and Dirty Sanchez, with three female performers: Ramona Cash, Munchie, and Darling Clementine, doing stunts and...
- Les 11 commandements (The 11 Commandments)
- N.O.I.A. (Brazil based Jackass)
- AFAFAF may refer to:-Businesses, organizations and projects:* Anarchist Federation , an Anarchist-Communist agitational organisation in Britain* Air France, IATA airline designator for Air France...
(South African based Jackass)
Jackass-type behavior has also been depicted and used as plot devices on multiple other television shows - an example of which is episode 19 of season 3 of CSI: Vegas
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, in which one of a group of teenagers is shot and killed while performing (and filming) a stunt.