Is ‘Jackass’ Really ‘Girls’ for Boys?

Even the simple nature of women describing themselves as one of these defining fictional women. Are you a Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, or Charlotte? Or perhaps, maybe, you're a Hanna or Shoshana. What about a Marnie? (Again no one is really Jessa.)

But what about the boys?

There's the universal experience of watching these shows and defining ourselves by them. It's almost like a rite of passage that every girl or gay must go through, binge-watching them at pivotal points in your life, then, later, coming back to them for guidance as if they’re ancient texts of wisdom. Shows that are equally enjoyable both before and after the frontal lobe develops, which is a rarity in itself. These programs feel so inherently feminine and capture the qualities of such friendships in an authentic, addictive way. There's a reason it seems like every girl my age has not only seen these shows, but also loves them — or at least loves talking about them.

So then what’s on the complete opposite end of the spectrum…. what’s the equivalent for men? This question haunts me. As someone who enjoys a lot of male-oriented media, I’ve tried to gauge shows that resemble Girls or Sex and the City. There’s not really an exact parallel. Even Entourage doesn’t seem correct.

A few days ago, as I folded my laundry, Johnny Knoxville shirt in hand, it came to me: Oh my god, it’s Jackass.

I know what everyone may be thinking: in what world is Jackass at all similar to Girls or Sex and the City? It’s not; that’s the point. Jackass is its own bizarre, rowdy, at times disgusting cultural talking point for men. I hear "Corona" by Minutemen and am instantly flooded with memories of stunts pulled by the Jackass crew: Chris Potinus wearing speedos as a party boy, Bam Margera pulling pranks on his family, showing off skate tricks, and literally anything Steveo has done to his body.

Not to mention anything with the bulls.

The franchise stemmed from Johnny Knoxville, who, after attempting to break into acting in Los Angeles, became a freelance writer. One of his pitches became extremely popular with a bunch of different magazines, but because of the outlandish nature of what could happen, no one wanted to take the risk. Except for Big Brother, a skateboarding magazine.

In the article, he tested self-defense equipment on himself: stun-gun, taser gun, pepper spray, and notably, the last part of the test would end with Knoxville shooting himself in the chest with a very cheap bulletproof vest on. Jeff Tremaine, the editor of Big Brother at the time, now the director of all Jackass projects, suggested that Knoxville film the test and put it in their skateboarding video, which featured Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, and other future Jackass members. After the success of the skate video, Jeff Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, and Spike Jonze would film a pilot featuring various stunts and pitch it to various networks before landing at MTV, where Jackass, the TV series, was born.

The show would evolve into a movie franchise, with multiple spin-off shows exploding it in popularity.

The crew that makes up Jackass has a wide range of men, all of whom have to be somewhat insane to agree to inflict and subject psychological and physical torture on themselves and others for a camera. But there's an undeniable, magnetic camaraderie between the Jackass men, even though they're constantly pulling pranks on one another. It doesn’t matter if they’re literally launching each other from rockets or getting hit by bulls; they trust each other enough to do it again and again.

The series, for me, as someone who is not a man (but whose celebrity crush is Johnny Knoxville and therefore has seen a lot of Jackass), documents male friendship in a way that is extremely genuine and provides insight into what it’s like to be a guy or what I assume it feels like. As gross as much of the series's content is, I find it strangely sweet and endearing to watch these men. I see guys walk around with skull-and-crutch hats, even old stunts getting reposted to reels for a new audience, or TikTok reposts of Johnny Knoxville’s fashion. Which, if you take anything from this, men, please start dressing like Johnny Knoxville.

The world Jackass was born in is one where the “Male Loneliness Epidemic” doesn’t exist. Men who are angry on the internet about not having friends, or who complain that the friendships they do have lack the emotional bond found between girls, would be better off going outside and filming themselves doing a stunt. I understand that men struggle with vulnerability amongst each other, and typically use women or the internet to launder their emotional problems. But the connection they so desperately crave is already out there. The Jackass men constantly surround each other, laughing, enjoying one another's company, even if that means getting double-kicked in the face.

One could only do a show like Jackass with friends that they trust with their life. While not heartfelt in the traditional sense, it’s a great example of male friendship. And as much as I genuinely enjoy the show, I still feel like an outsider looking in, but that’s okay, now I know what it feels like to be a straight guy when someone makes a Girls reference.

Images via Getty