A Jackass Generation

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:32:38 -0500

A Jackass Generation

By Mitchell Stafiej

Youth culture has constantly been a point of confusion within society. Over the years, with attempts to stereotype this misunderstood generation, older generations have misrepresented youth time and time again. Since the 1950s, there have been attempts to represent youth culture within the medium of film. The 50s saw films such as Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause (1958) and Richard Brooks’ Blackboard Jungle (1955) discuss a trend of delinquency in youth culture. While these films did offer an interesting insight into the world of youth, they were films that were marketed to and profited off of a confused teen culture. Since these films, the youth have been marketed works that were created from the outside looking in. Save for certain exceptions, youth culture was represented by a studio system that was still searching for answers. The youth film is generally one that deals with a vast array of important sociological issues. These issues range from youth boredom, sexuality, drugs, authority, and etc. Through a careful and thorough analysis of Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze, and Johnny Knoxville’s Jackass: The Movie (2002), Jackass Number Two (2006), and Jackass 3D (2010), I will attempt to portray that this film trilogy was misunderstood by audiences and in reality deals with many important issues that have been exclusive to the teen film genre. I will also attempt to discuss that Jackass deals with these issues better than other films dealing with youth culture in the 2000s. I will first look at Jackass’ ironic use of violence in a violence filled world. Secondly, I will discuss the issues of authority that are apparent in the films. I will then delve into a brief history of Jackass and how the history itself deals with issues in youth culture. And finally, I shall provide a short analysis of the alienation felt by the stars of Jackass which led to a rejection of adulthood. Though widely misunderstood by older generations worldwide, Jackass is a stellar example of the teen film genre and was welcomed with open arms by a new youth culture that was searching for identity in a world filled with temptation, hate, and violence.

The 2000s were a decade filled with violence, torment, and hate; and Jackass exemplified the youth’s confusion in this world. The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center was a major catalyst in the violence that would span the decade. Timothy Shary makes reference to school shootings that shaped the Hollywood system. He writes “In the twenty-first century so far, Hollywood seems perfectly content to dismiss issues of juvenile delinquency rather than risk being blamed for encouraging it.” (Shary, 373) Jackass took the issues of juvenile delinquency and forced it upon Hollywood. Shary then goes on to write that Hollywood “continues to show youth growing into increasingly savvy and self-aware young people.” (373) To relate this to Jackass, one simply has to observe the violence portrayed in the film. The violence was not a mindless and senseless act of aggression; it was a call for attention. What Jackass was able to do was channel the frustration of a youth lost within a system that turned its attention away from them. In an interesting sequence of the films, Chris Pontius dons a devil costume and is propelled from a sewer onto the streets of California. He begins to proclaim Satan’s message to the people on the streets. This is a surprisingly self-aware sequence of the films as Pontius is mimicking the hate filled world forced upon youth. The “Jackasses”, as a fan of the show might call them, stemmed from an already misunderstood culture. Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze, Bam Margera, and the other Jackasses were all active skateboarders involved with the skateboarding culture in the United States (Margera being the most prominent skateboarder of the crew.) In fact, Jackass brought together several subcultures, often calling upon special guests Matt Hoffman (BMX) and Travis Pastrana (Motocross). In Amy Taubin’s article Chilling and Very Hot, she quotes Larry Clark, director of the independent teen film Kids (1995). Clark speaks about the skateboarding culture of which he was an active member “Everyone hates skaters so they’re forced to be tough and confrontational.” (Taubin, 365) The skateboarders at the time of Jackass were clearly misunderstood, as discussed by Clark. This was an ironic misunderstanding and hatred of a culture that the Jackass stars were a part of. While skateboarding was seen as an intrusive behaviour, the youth themselves were being intruded upon. News reports of violence and hatred were inundating the lives of these youth and their only vice (skateboarding) was seen as an intrusion on the lives of their elders. In the lecture notes provided by Professor Maule, this is “Youth trying to establish relationships that are thwarted by outside forces or differences; such as parents, age, and class.” (Prof. Maule) It was a violent culture that was attempting to thwart the lives of youth. The absenteeism of the parents is incredibly apparent in the Jackass films. Bam Margera’s parents can be used as a prime example. Taubin writes about the absence of parents in Kids, which inevitably led to the characters’ delinquency. But Taubin also states “Kids is the first movie in which teenagers seem like actual teenagers.” (Taubin, 364)This is true for Jackass as well, as the films are presented to us by youth and about youth.

Fear became a large factor in the social culture of the 2000s. This fear is directly related to the fear that was present in the 1950s at the beginning of the juvenile delinquency (JD) teen film genre. 1950’s culture was rampant with fears of nuclear war whereas 2000’s culture faced the fear of terrorism. The Jackass films took this intrusion and fear to a new level. The fear that was intruding upon their lives was parodied and mimicked in the violent stunts the Jackasses performed in the films. An important scene to analyze in the context of violence and fear in the 2000s is present in Jackass Number Two. Jackass star Ehren Mcghehey is disguised as a terrorist, put into a taxi, and subsequently plays a prank on a cab driver, who himself is an imposter as well, played by comedian Jay Chandrasekhar. The tables are turned on Mcghehey as his farcical depiction of a terrorist leads Chandrasekhar to pull a gun on Mcghehey and force him into the trunk of his car. As a spectator, it is quite easy to pass this off as offensive and inappropriate. On the contrary, these were the fears that were, in simplest terms, forced upon the lives of these youth. These were the issues of race that were constantly being discussed and argued in the world that the Jackasses lived in. Jackass is calling attention to these issues through their own, albeit vulgar, personal style. Unfortunately, this style led to misrepresentations of these issues even though they are very much present within the film. This is a prime example of the ridicule that the Jackass crew is attempting to portray. It is their goal to ridicule the obvious bigotry and ignorance present in the world around them. This creates an astonishing reflexivity to their own youth alienation.

Authority is seen as an expendable facet of life in the Jackass films. This rejection of authority is portrayed perfectly through Bam Margera’s complete lack of respect for his parents Phil and April Margera. This lack of respect is manifested through various pranks that are pulled on his parents throughout the entirety of the Jackass films. In his book Youth Culture in Global Cinema, Timothy Shary writes about youth’s relationship with their parents in youth cinema. He states “They challenge the authority of their parents – notably their fathers – by participating in subcultural practices such as wearing leather pants, riding motorcycles, and listening to rock n’ roll.” (Shary, 36) Shary is referring to Georg Tressler’s German youth films, but these themes can be directly attributed to the Jackass films. The Jackass subculture was skateboarding, a subculture thoroughly discussed by several other youth film directors such as Harmony Korine (Kids), Larry Clark (Kids), and Catherine Hardwicke (Lords of Dogtown). In the first Jackass film, the challenging of a father figure is reflected perfectly in a specific scene. The scene demonstrates Bam Margera intruding on his father as he is attempting to peacefully defecate. Margera proceeds to slap and punch his father throughout the scene. By the end, Margera leaves his father alone and naked on the toilet. Margera directly challenges his father’s authority while at his most vulnerable. The uselessness of his father’s supposed authority is perfectly presented to the audience. Phil Margera cannot even lift himself off of the toilet to defend himself. This is a scene not for the faint of heart, as the authority is not presented as “weak” in the subtle methods that youth films tend to deal with the subject. One example of a classic weak father figure can be seen in Rebel Without a Cause. An overbearing mother emasculates the father figure. He is unable to aid with his son’s problems due to his weakness. In the chapter “The End of the World (as we know it)” from the book The Road to Romance and Ruin: Teen Films and Youth Culture by Jon Lewis it is written that, “The key question of what to do when you have to be a man does not allow for a departure from the most traditional notions of manhood.” (Lewis, 26) In Jackass, audiences are presented with this theme in a shockingly blunt manner. Later on in the film, Margera returns to his father, once again challenging his authority. This time, on the eve of an early workday for his father, Margera fills his father’s bedroom and car with ear piercingly loud fireworks. Margera’s father is supposedly going to work, to make money and feed his family. As a breadwinner for his family, his son challenges his daily routines. Margera strips his father of the traditional activities that were appointed to him. These pranks will be similarly repeated throughout all three Jackass films. These include various beatings that Margera surprises his father with; including several morning “wake-up” pranks, and many others. These moments do not only offer some wonderful comedic value but also further reinforce an attempt of the Jackass stars to challenge authority.

This blatant challenging of authority is reflected in Jackass’ production history. Jackass began as a low budget idea pitched to MTV executives by directors Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze. Soon thereafter, the television series was born. The gang of misfits were given a free pass to do what the youth do best, be themselves. They were given an outlet to demonstrate their boredom. Though after two seasons of the valiant youth debauchery, people began to point fingers at the Jackasses for their lack of responsibility. In an article discussing the history of Jackass, Entertainment Weekly wrote that “a few boys injured themselves copycatting Jackass stunts, and Senator Joseph Lieberman, crusading against media violence, blamed MTV.” (Flynn, Entertainment Weekly) Due to this, the show shifted time slots and inevitably, the two year run came to an end. In Taubin’s article, she writes, (about Kids) “These kids are not running amuck because they’re watching too much MTV (…) but there are no adults around to suggest that living for the moment is the surest path to an early grave.” (Taubin, 364) Though about Kids, this quote offers interesting insight into the world of youth without authority. It can also be related to Jackass, perhaps shifting the blame from the television show to authority and adults themselves.In response to the cancelling of Jackass, Knoxville is quoted stating “Washington had come down on MTV, which came down on us, I was like, you know what? I quit. I love Jackass too much to do a half-assed version of it.” (Flynn, Entertainment Weekly) The ultimate authority, the government, had forced the show to be shut down. It would appear that authority emerged victorious in this bout. In reality, the Jackass youth fought back and won the battle. They presented their authority figures a film, where they created a world far more dangerous than the television series. The films allowed for the stunts to reach new extremes and there was no longer a broadcaster to be kept happy. It was now a venture that was run by the Jackasses themselves. The executive producer roles, often seen as authority figures on a film, were deliberately filled with persons part of the Jackass subculture themselves. The credits clearly show Jeff Tremaine (who also retained the director credit), Spike Jonze, and Johnny Knoxville as executive producers. By putting themselves in charge of the production there was no need to continue, as Knoxville would say, “half-assing it.” The misfits of Jackass were then living in an authority-less and parent-less world. As previously stated, the only parents seen in the film are those of Bam Margera, and they are portrayed as useless individuals whose only contribution is to be the victims of countless pranks. In his article, Lewis writes that the youth film “depicts a parent-less youth cut off from (even dysfunctional) family life.” (Lewis, 28) To further depict this, the Jackasses go so far as to mock an older generation. In all three Jackass films, Knoxville and Jonze disguise themselves as elderly folk for the purpose of ridicule. They portray this elderly generation as useless and dysfunctional. In one sequence, Spike Jonze wanders around as an elderly woman with his (fake) breast unknowingly exposed to the world. Again, the issues of authority and older generations written about by both Shary and Lewis are reflected in Jackass through the gang’s vulgar style of filmmaking.

The alienation of the Jackass stars leads to their refusal to make the transition to an adult lifestyle. By tracing the history of Jackass, it is noticeable that the formula has not changed. The television series portrayed a young and confused group of youth seeking the attention that they so desperately lacked. As the films came along, the Jackass crew became exponentially self-aware and began portraying many issues that they were dealing with. But as Jackass 3D was released in 2010, audiences raised an eyebrow at the ages of the stars. Knoxville, at the time of release, was 39 years old and reaching mid-life. As far as numbers go, he was no longer part of a youth culture, yet his films dealt with youthful activities and issues. The other stars were ageing rapidly as well. Jonze, now 41, is still a major influence on the Jackass films. Even some of the more immature members of the crew, most notably Bam Margera (31) and Chris Pontius (36) were all reaching a point in their lives that, to outsiders, would mean a cessation of the activities and stunts that they were performing. Jon Lewis calls this “the explicit rejection of most of the fundamental tenets of the ‘American way of life’” (9) Lewis continues by writing “Teen alienation is at once a psychological and social problem; it shows a disinclination to accept the inevitability of adulthood and a repudiation of the dominant values, roles, and institutions associated with adult society.” (9) By simply observing the Jackass films, there is an urge to hold onto the youthful world that the Jackass stars have been experiencing for the better part of their lives. In the deleted scenes of Jackass Number Two, Bam Margera exclaims, after being the victim of a prank, “Please god don’t let there be a Jackass 3.” (Jackass Number Two) Yet, almost inevitably, the crew returned with a third instalment of the franchise. In other behind the scenes moments of Jackass Number Two, audiences learn that Knoxville, the eldest member of the main cast, was unable to let go of the Jackass franchise. In an interview, Jeff Tremaine states that Knoxville borrowed a cameraman and simply filmed himself performing menial stunts such as running into signs and attempting to hurt himself.[1] These stunts were performed well after production on Jackass Number Two had ceased. Though this inability to accept adulthood as a part of their lives, there was at times, a sense of adult responsibility adopted by the Jackass crew. Fellow star Steve-O found himself psychologically distraught after a lengthy addiction to drugs. His fellow stars forced him into a rehabilitation clinic and was released, clean. To maintain Steve-O’s sobriety, alcohol was not allowed on the set of Jackass 3D. Though these responsibilities often associated with adult culture were adopted, the Jackass crew still reverted back to their old ways of portraying their youthfulness on screen.

The final moments of Jackass 3D reinforce that the Jackass crew will continue to refuse adulthood. We can only assume that the Jackass series has run its course in the cinemas; yet as the credits begin to roll in Jackass 3D there is no sense of willingness to adjust to adult society. The credits present audiences with a “farewell” and photomontage of the Jackass crew in their childhood and from the early days of Jackass. This is a sentimental moment for both audiences and the Jackass members alike. It is the attempts of the ageing youth stars to grasp onto whatever youth that remains. The song Memories by popular skateboarding influenced band “Weezer” accompanies this photomontage. The chorus sung aloud, states “Memories, make me want to go back there (…) how can we make it back there?” (Jackass 3D) It is a final plea of the crew to remain in the state of mind and lifestyle that has kept them from falling into adulthood. Lewis calls this “an idealization of youth and rejection of the inevitable future of adulthood, which leads to an overwhelming regret, and sense of loss.” (10) This is a regret that the Jackass crew is desperately attempting to avoid. It’s an issue apparent since the beginning of Jackass and has continued until the very final moments of their final film.

Though widely misunderstood by older generations worldwide, Jackass is a stellar example of the teen film genre and was welcomed with open arms by a new youth culture that was searching for identity in a world filled with temptation, hate, and violence. Those who viewed them on the screen misunderstood the Jackasses. Their background in the skateboarding subculture was a source of alienation from the world around them. Like many youth, they were lost individuals in a world that would neither accept them nor aid them. Surrounded by a violence filled world, the crew acted out through their personal means. Their disdain towards authority figures was portrayed through Bam Margera’s pranks on his father and the production history of the television series and films demonstrate several attempts to combat authority. By observing the Jackass crew’s persona as a whole, a rejection of adulthood is instantly apparent. While the Jackass films still function as comedy, the issues that they address are vastly important and should not be ignored by audiences as the Jackass generation has more to say than simple toilet humour.

R E F E R E N C E S / W O R K S C I T E D

1. Jackass: The Movie. Dir. Jeff Tremaine. Perf. Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O. Paramount Pictures, 2002. DVD.

2. Jackass Number Two. Dir. Jeff Tremaine. Perf. Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O. Paramount Pictures, 2006. DVD.

3. Jackass 3D. Dir. Jeff Tremaine. Perf. Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O. Paramount Pictures, 2010. DVD.

4. Shary, Timothy. “American Youth on Screen” History of Film Since 1959. Ed. Rosanna Maule and Marc Steinberg. Montreal: Concordia University, 2010. 372-382. Print.

5. Taubin, Amy. “Chilling and Very Hot” History of Film Since 1959. Ed. Rosanna Maule and Marc Steinberg. Montreal: Concordia University, 2010. 363-366. Print.

6. Maule, Rosanna. “Subcultures and the new generations.” History of Film Since 1959. Concordia University, Montreal. 17 March 2011. Lecture.

7. Shary, Timothy, and Alexandra Seibel. Youth Culture in Global Cinema. Austin: University of Texas, 2007. Print.

8. Lewis, Jon. “The End of the World (as We Know It).” The Road to Romance & Ruin: Teen Films and Youth Culture. New York: Routledge, 1992. 9-34. Print.

9. Flynn, Gillian. “JACKASS THE MOVIE.” Entertainment Weekly 680 (2002): 30. Film & Television Literature Index. EBSCO. Web. 29 Mar. 2011.

10. Shary, Timothy. Generation Multiplex: the Image of Youth in Contemporary American Cinema. Austin: University of Texas, 2002. Print.

[1] Jackass Number Two. Dir. Jeff Tremaine. Perf. Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O. Paramount Pictures, 2006. DVD.

M::S

taking the streets in montreal

V

valtari

I need a new job. I’ll do anything. Literally anything. I mean it. For serious.

I remember this…

Valtari

Some evil shit.

Taken with instagram

so i guess i’m in pre-production for a feature film? well then. bring it on bitch.

Video

FOUND aka TAPE POSTERS #1 and #2 for your enjoyment.

A Jackass Generation

Magic Dicks Episode 1

It’s the Tabernacle Crackle (On our way home after the...

"The scene with the chaplain at the beginning of the film was also very emotional. “Yes. But..."

tape take

wat

kelseyjaclyn: furiouseggs: …the last time i heard this song i was hammered and writing. this time...

…the last time i heard this song i was hammered and writing. this time i’m...

eff this movie man.