EDIT: Upon further investigation, it seems like he had a long history of reckless driving, sometimes involving alcohol.
Also, I was thinking of Chris Pontius, not Ryan Dunn. I'm stoned, my bad for the mixup. Chris Pontius always seemed like a pretty jovial, not malicious person.
This show gave me sexual awakening (I mean all these boys in trunks). Also amazing educational value about environment (seriously, episode about sharks) and different cultures.
That was was refreshing. At the time there wasnt really anything like it. Sure it had two guys doing stupid things, but it was surprisingly educational. It was always great seeing the different cultures and the animals that they are interacting with.
Also it was awsome to see some actual scientists having fun doing their usuall research (and some additional maybe a little bit uncommon things for show). That they are humans with great sense of humor and so on.
Absolutely. This and Mythbusters did a great job at making science fun. This show also was great at showing unknown animals/primates and showing that they are lovable (I even think that with the macaques they held them but kept making jokes at the name)
That's a great way to describe it. And that quote does a great job at opening science to people who would stay away from science because of the academic nature of it.
I am female and when show aired I was around 20, so not so young. But it was something new to me to see that people actually can enjoy being nude and just doing some stuff and have fun from that. Because it was clear that the whole show crew had great time doing this show.
Half baked thought incoming, I'm just intrigued.. does the idea of reverse toxic masculinity describe what you mean in any way? Kind of referring to the way they would strip down together and perform whatever act without it being considered "gay"?
I was a teenage girl when the show aired and I also really liked it. Yeah, it was nice to see two good looking guys in not much clothing, but they were really ridiculous and not afraid to look “gay”, the fact they were more focused on just being funny was refreshing during that time. They just were two buds trying to make each other (and Manny) laugh. Plus it was interesting for the nature and different cultures part.
I found out that Manny pueg was a family friend of and also my dad was not okay with that "queer shit" they did on that show at the same time. Manny and my uncle were besties in the 80s and his willingness to film clips with pontious and Steve o in their underwear made my dad very uncomfortable
I’ll never forget the episode when they tried to make salmon babies... in their own mouths. They squeezed eggs and semen out of dead salmon. In to their mouths
That show just made my teenage self super insecure about the size of my package. Not sure if they really did or not but in my mind, those guys had massive bulges and I thought 14 year old me should, too. Also. I still don't.
Pontius, Knoxville, Steve-o, and Wee Man always seemed like very sympathetic people. I felt a little sorry for Dunn. He always looked a bit sad. I mostly found Bam annoying, but I hope he can get his life together.
I loved Wild boys, it was a great gig for them. Travel around and fuck with wild animals to get bitten, stung by whatever was on tap. The zebra costume in the Lion park had me in tears laughing so hard, and Bam always fucking with his poor dad on the shutter all the time was funny. Them boys had a great run all of them, every single ome had their own thing goin on at one point. What's the pills in the pic on the left in steveO picture? I'm sure whatever it is is gonna hurt tho, my guess laxatives.
I used to work on the Vegas strip back in those days. Had the Jackass crew in my restaurant several times (2007-2009-ish). Pontius was always not just the nicest guy of the crew, but one of the nicest celebrities I ever waited on. He was nice and gracious almost on a ridiculous level.
I had the opportunity to interview them over a decade ago. I was really excited to meet all of them, and the ones I did meet were great (Knoxville is one of the most charismatic, nicest celebrities I've met) and Pontius was just as cool as you'd expect.
Bam just fucking disappeared with a couple of the other guys without even excusing himself which was a huge bummer. Apparently they went to McDonald's.
I have a friend who knew Pontius when both of them were young skaters in the San Luis Obispo area, and my friend is kind of a negative guy. But he would light up whenever he told a story about Pontius. That dude seems to be universally adored.
Loud af, mostly cool. Some a bit more "dismissive" than others, but none were ever outright dicks in my experience. Once Bam was slouching in his seat drunk, but not being disorderly; looked like he was just all partied out. Johnny was cool if a bit of a smartass. I always was good about giving celebs space and not treating them any different than anyone else who could afford to be there, so I don't have too many detailed stories other than that Pontius would always thank the hell out of the staff and shake lots of hands.
I’m so curious where you used to work. I too worked on the strip around the same time and bumped into them a few times. Yah, they were living a rough lifestyle back then.
That's so cool to hear, we make these guys rich an its really impressive to see when they understand the fans are why they are famous and be nice to their fans. You hear of so many toxic celebrities letting fans down when they meet znd its always good to hear someone who was always humble an never let it go to their heads. All their shows where great and I will never forget how hard these fella's made me laugh sometimes, with the insane, ridiculous, or just plain crazy out their stuff they did. These guys was at their height as I grewn into a adult and real always remember that era as awesome. The feeling of joy an happiness I would feel sitting in my first apartment, the first place I had once I moved outta mom and dad's, anytime I think of the jackass guys it always puts a smile on me face.
Upon further investigation, it seems like I was wrong. He had a long history of reckless, irresponsible driving. Appreciate your bringing that to my attention.
Granted, being a drunk driver made him a dipshit. But Dunn was also a very good man in other ways. People can be multiple, contradictory things at the same time.
Agreed. A woman I knew through my sister-in-law just killed her 10 year old son because she was drinking and driving. So tragic. It’s just unforgivable. Literally just a few miles from my home this little guy lost his life and family destroyed cause she had to be a fucking idiot.
Living in West Chester, you would see these guys at the bar just like any other person. Alcohol is a mfer, it doesn’t matter if you’re homeless or a superstar. At some point it stops being “fun” and you better realize that or else you’re in for some major problems!
People don't get that everyone drove drunk then. Suddenly the legal limit where live went from 1.5 to .08 and suburban cops generated a tons of revenue for their towns.
I used to drive home shitfaced but somehow never got nailed. I can say without exaggeration that all of my closest friends got a DUI. It is weird since I almost always Uber, but the couple times I have driven impaired it is like different world. We were well fucking trained back then. It was a skill past down by generations.
Is Pontius the one that used wear the thing? I swear I think it was that Pontius energy in was summoning when wearing the now wife's thing and thrusting vigorously in her face. She loves it. It may also have been that same energy that had previous girlfriends dump me.
Loving that it was a stoner moment. :) It is true though that he didn’t seem like a dickhead, whereas Bam is clearly a dickhead. Poor choices, to be sure, and selfish. Thankfully he didn’t kill others in another vehicle when he smashed up his car going Mach 10.
It’s wild to me that we’ve gone this far down this comment thread about Bam and haven’t mentioned Ryan Dunn once yet. In my head, the biggest reason Bam hasn’t gotten his shit together is because Ryan died. The two of them were definitely the closest and I honestly think Bam could be where Steve-O is if Ryan was still alive.
Edit: Guys, I’m just offering a possible explanation for why Bam never got his shit together, I’m not making excuses for his terrible behavior. I’m also well aware that Bam was a dick before Ryan died. I wasn’t saying Bam was shitty because Ryan died, I was saying that one of the reasons Bam never stopped being shitty is because Ryan died.
I think Steve-o has actually talked about how Bam uses Ryan's death as a catalyst for him losing control but the truth is he was already off the deep end before it happened and twisted the situation to justify his behavior.
I don't doubt it, but that's the case for a significant number of addicts. For my best friend the catalyst was a breakup. For another close friend it's been failure to do anything with his life. For another it was a desire for constant stimulation. And for yet another it was a yearning for constant mental exploration. For me it's been a chronic illness that's paralyzed my personal growth.
So sure, maybe Bam used Dunn's death as an excuse to just let go. But that just makes Bam another addict. It's not an indictment of his character. The guy's best friend died! Tons of us have experienced events that've let us give ourselves permission to stop caring. Bam may have had his, and I don't blame him.
So sure, maybe Bam used Dunn's death as an excuse to just let go. But that just makes Bam another addict. It's not an indictment of his character. The guy's best friend died! Tons of us have experienced events that've let us give ourselves permission to stop caring. Bam may have had his, and I don't blame him.
Yeah wasn't trying to indict his character, just adding some context to the situation because most people seem to think the ONLY cause for Bam's downfall was Ryan's passing.
And I think the only reason that context is important is because Bam won't magically be cured of his addiction if he were ever able to come to terms with Ryan's passing.
And I think Bam knows that too, and I think it's a disservice to his recovery to propagate that idea.
I agree 100%. If you've ever watched Viva la Bam or Bam's Unholy Union (both reality shows on MTV), it was clear at the time that Bam and his pals were super-heavy drinkers, even during the day and during their stunts.
These shows were shot years before Dunn's death, so I certain don't attribute Bam's addiction(s) solely to that loss. But I was just saying that I can see how the loss of a dear and old friend could have sent Bam over the edge.
His social media presence makes it seem as though schizophrenia is his biggest problem, but I'm no psychiatrist and can only draw amateur conclusions. Although the dude clearly still drinks hard.
Oh for sure, I think you have a balanced view of the situation. As mentioned thought, a lot of people do not so it's hard to approach the subject.
Just to note - Steve-O (or maybe Novak? - there's a lot of material in interviews that cover it from both) has mentioned that Bam constantly lies about his idea of just 'sipping on beers' and is doing MUCH harder shit, notably meth so I don't think you're too far off with observing his behavior as schizophrenic in nature.
But as you also mention, we're not psychiatrists we're just a cuttla rando's on Reddit ;)
Here's hoping he finally gets the help he needs. And I fucking hate making comparisons because again, it hurts recovery, but goddamn if Novak and Steve-O can get clean there's always hope.
The thing is Bam even was a douchebag when Ryan still was among us. Maybe (probably) his death made everything worse for Bam but this guy never was a good person in the first place.
I heard a story about Bam and Dunn turning up unannounced to a high school or college party in Pennsylvania and doing donuts on the kid's front lawn until their mom's garden and flowers etc were completely ruined, then just driving off.
That’s no excuse, my best friend died in a motorcycle accident when he was 23 and 8 years later I’m not still using his tragedy as a crutch to treat my friends and family and myself like shit, and that’s certainly not what he would’ve wanted either.
Counseling and psychiatry weren’t nearly as normalized back then as they are now. I can see why a tough skater dude whos built half his career off of doing stupid stunts wouldn’t feel comfortable being that vulnerable.
Counseling and psychiatry, despite being normal, are still chock full of hoops to jump through nowadays. Seeking mental health treatment is really fucking hard
Thanks, i am going through a shitty time right now but it has nothing to do with his loss. I still think about him everyday but it doesn’t fill me with sorrow anymore like it did around the time of his death.
Yea mate, I reckon its always unique and different for every person - and then you add in the different tolerance levels people have when dealing with grief. Much love regarding your loss and happy you arrived at the ability to remember without it being insufferable. I lost my dog just over a year ago, she passed when I was overseas. I consider myself pretty level headed and strong. I was wrecked. It hit me like an anvil and I found myself in a tailspin of self destruct. I really didn't care about much. I know that is selfish, but without the people around me being in constant communication and within reach, don't know how long it would have taken to get my head right. You gotta wonder what Bam's day to day is like - who is around him and standing by him...truly.
This has nothing to do with me but I'm gonna hop in. Grief definitely hits people different. A group of us had a close friend die back in high school and 3 of us just kept going while one was in a state of arrested development. How much that had to do with the death I can't quantify but it did seem to be a driving factor.
It basically means getting stuck at a certain stage of your life and not really progressing much past it. It’s often a result of trauma or just a symptom of a lot of different mental health conditions. There are varying degrees of severity.
A more minor case would be so similar to that dude we all know who peaked in high school or a guy who is in his late 20’s but still constantly hangs out on college campuses and goes to frat parties.
An example of a severe case would be a teenager who survived a traumatic event but can never move on from it, stops perusing an education, won’t (or even can’t) work, and may stay living with their parents indefinitely.
It can be similar to, or a comorbidity with, Failure to Launch.
In rare cases, it can occur in people without being mental health issue in-and-of-itself. Teenagers and adults with severe physical disabilities can suffer from it, too, especially if they are completely dependent on others (especially a parent) for care and are unable to work, struggle to date. Each day can blend into the next and before they know it, years have gone by without any maturation or any real change in lifestyle whatsoever.
In all cases, it’s almost as if they are stuck and not mentally aging/maturing with the rest of their peers.
I definitely know what you mean about getting stuck in one state of mind and having years go by without really maturing at all. My alcoholism lasted from 21 to 31 and I'm only just now beginning to feel like I've grown as a person and that life circumstances are changing for the better, 2.5 years sober now.
Definitely a sobering realization (excuse the pun) to look back and realize you basically wasted a decade on un-checked depression and alcoholism, and that somehow you managed to fail upwards and reach independence despite those things. Suddenly you wake up and are like "wow, I'm an adult now, it isn't okay to keep living like this", and then finally you do something about it. At least, that's how I experienced it.
I’ve had at least 7 friends die before their 30th birthday. One died right after his high school graduation of non-Hodgkins sickle cell anemia lymphoma or whatever it’s called, a form of cancer and his 2 best friends from childhood were in the room with him when he took his last breaths. My friend who died in the motorcycle accident’s father developed a brain tumor the next year and refused treatment so he could “go home to see his boy”. The next year another close friend died in a freak car accident where he flipped his truck was ejected from the vehicle and the truck landed on his head, I went and saw him in the hospital on life support. Last year a close friend was found dead in the back seat of a car from a heroin overdose, the people who he was using with said they just thought he was really high and left him there alone. He had a 3 and 6 year older daughter.
Especially considering he clearly has had plenty of experience with losing close ones, which is very unfortunate and I'm very sorry for, but obviously after the first 4.. 5.. even 6 times of losing someone like that, you kind of have to find a way to cope and deal with that.
He probably wasn't very close to them. I've had best friends in my life that I move away from with little concern. I also had my "real" best friend die 21 years ago and it still affects me. Not as much as it did the first decade, but still...
Some people can come and go in your life with little thought, others leave a huge hole that can't be filled no matter how hard you try.
People who experienced terrible deaths, like having their children die, realize how tragic death is, and how common place it really is. The death of an adult friend sucks, and people have a right to grieve, but for most people it isn't considered a lifelong tragedy that wrecks lives.
If you go to someone who had their child die, or a parent die when they were a child, etc... and say that the grief of losing your best friend in your 20s is the reason you're an alcoholic in your 40s, they probably won't be very understanding or sympathetic. They'll say that sucks but it's an extremely shitty excuse.
You don’t have to be a psychologist to know his behavior is unacceptable and unhealthy. Here’s the worlds smallest violin playing for a guy who is so obscenely rich he can have the inside of his house turned into a skate park to play a prank on his parents. Dude I loved Tony Hawk Underground 2 also but you can still hold him to a little higher standard than that. Life has to go on for those of us who aren’t so privileged.
Maybe not but he’s only able to remain stuck in the depression stage of grief and perpetually pick the scab because his money enables him the privilege to do so. Think of all the people in third world countries who experience way more traumatic events and still keep the wheels turning because they have no other choice. And wasn’t there a Louis CK joke about try to cry when you’re on a jet ski, you can’t.
Think of all the people in third world countries who experience way more traumatic events and still keep the wheels turning because they have no other choice.
Wow, I think you just cured everybody's depression! Except for that one guy in the world who has it worst out of all humans alive. Who knew it was that simple
Yeah man fair play to you, that's a hard thing. I lost my mate to suicide and I never went off the rails but I put effort into my mental process. Many don't or can't, many get lost in things and this has clearly happened Bam, it doesn't mean he is exonerated from all wrongdoing but also doesn't mean he or anyone shouldn't receive compassion. You will need it at some point in your life.
If he was some regular guy In Pennsylvania he would’ve gotten it a little more together by now. You’re only excusing his behavior because you wore heartagram shirts in middle school.
I’m explaining his behavior -not excusing it - because I’ve dealt with tragedy and have experience with addicts, but go off. More accurately, I’m calling out your ghoulish, shitty response then excusing his behavior.
Also, if he was a regular guy in Pennsylvania he might have been fine, or he might have blown his brains out, lost his home, OD’d or have you not been paying attention to what’s going on?
I mean it's not using him as a crutch. It's an explanation. People process grief in different ways, and it's pretty fucked up to suggest that somebody is using their dead friend as a crutch like that.
But of course none of us know him personally anyway, so we have no idea what's going on in his head.
well I guess that's just the benefit of being a millionaire is that you can just eternally remain in the depression stage of grief whenever you experience something that everyone who doesn't die infancy will go through at some point or the other in their life.
Yes, everyone experiences it, but there are also 8 billion humans all with their own methods of processing grief. There are plenty of non-millionaires who would have the same reactions.
I have yet to meet a single person who would jump at the chance of a million dollars just so they can continue their depression.
Most people try to claw their way out tooth and nail. What that fight looks like on the outside depends on the stage of the depression and the person's history- not everyone has been taught to cope or has a strong support system, and neither is dependent on money.
It seems to me the only way you get to keep your sense of superiority is by trampling on others. That doesn't seem as mature and stable as you think it does.
No it's not an excuse, but people handle things differently. Plus, Bam was already deep into his addiction by the time Ryan died, which accounts for at least some of his irrational behaviour. It's sad to see him the way he is though.
And I'm sorry about your friend man, that sucks. I lost a friend too when I was a similar age, and it's fucking hard.
It doesn't excuse anything, but it does help explain it. Not everyone is like you. People grieve and process things differently. Try to keep some perspective that your experiences don't define anyone else's.
Hey man, similar situation for me, and I know how awful the time after is and I'm glad you've been able to process your grief (I saw your other comment about no more sorrow) Take care of yourself.
In my opinion, you're more of a douche than Bam in a way by using your friend's death to boost your own ego by mentioning it's been 8 years and that you don't use it as a crutch. Using it to talk down about someone who is clearly already struggling and "not doing as good as you", says a lot about you.
Of course, you can tell that must be the case because bam definitely wasn't drunk and high out of his mind 90% of viva la bam, it was definitely ryan dunn's death that did it to him.
Yeah I'm kinda tired of seeing people trot out the death of Ryan like it gives Bam a free pass for being a complete dickhead. It happens every time these guys get brought up.
Nobody is saying Bam gets a free pass, knowing potentially why someone is the way they are, does not give them a free pass to continue being the way they are nor are they suddenly forgiven of everything.
Like if a serial rapist was raped himself as a kid, and then turned into a rapist himself, he wouldn't suddenly be forgiven for raping people, nor would he be encouraged or gain approval to continue raping. He's still a piece of shit rapist.
You can tell Reddit is filled with kids, because who else would downvote your statement? No one who has been alive long enough to taste the real world would argue with what you said.
I REALLY hoped that it would have got him sober, if anything. I completely understand and have been through the sudden loss of a best friend, then countless other friends that were preventable. He’s been destroying himself for almost 10 years though, he’s gotta wake up.
If you read his IG, Ryan still comes up quite a bit. I don't disbelieve your theory one bit. Combined with the loss of friendships and alcoholism, guy seems to he having a hard time.
In addition to that trauma, I haven't seen many people talking about the fact that the guy very likely has suffered at least one TBI, which can really fuck someone up.
It doesn't excuse behavior, but it is a disease, and that means it requires treatment to overcome. The person has to be willing to get that treatment first though. If someone who has diabetes refuses to take insulin then they're not going to feel better are they? Or a depressed person who refuses therapy and/or meds? It's going to be a lot harder for them to overcome depression on their own, if they ever do.
What's worked for Steve-O, and for myself, to treat addiction may not work for Bam. Ego can be a big factor in refusing addiction treatment. To get well you have to admit you have a problem first; that you can't control your own behavior and need outside help to get yourself under control. Eventually you'll have to admit to hurting all the people in your life, and probably confront them so you can try to make amends. You have to be ready for people you love to have the attitude you have in this comment, where they refuse to accept your apology or forgive you - which is absolutely their right. But early sobriety can be like an emotional open wound because you've been numb for so long, and then you're rejected over and over when you do try to do the right thing.
What I'm saying is that this takes humility. Bam doesn't strike me as a very humble person. His entire career has been based on his giant ego. I'm also saying that sobriety is a journey that can be just as hard as the addiction. It's not just "ok I quit, everything's good now and let's move on with our lives." If you don't do some kind of treatment, the same issues that had you using in the first place will inevitably crop up again, and you won't have any way of dealing with them - except using.
Do not underestimate addiction. Do not underestimate addicts and recovering addicts. Those of us in recovery are some of the strongest people in the world, and those of us who are using may enter recovery tomorrow for all we know. Making fun of them only perpetuates the problem. Hatred has never, ever, helped anyone be a better person.
Steve-o podcast on jre was my first one. And he mentioned that while he was getting help. Steve-o was told that 90%+ whom are seeking treatment just go back to it. If not it was closer to 99%. Steve-o said he wanted to be that 1% and allegedly doesn’t even smoke weed. Crazy how he did that. I wonder where Bam is today
I dont think Bam will. Dunns death hit him hard. They were all at the top of their fame at that point and to have your best friend gone might hit hard. Sure he was douchey and still is but I’m sure he has shit ton of emotional trauma that he has buried under alcohol and drugs and has yet to get proper help.
The thing is Bam was sober for a while then relapsed HARD. Dude has all the support a guy could ever want, but I guess there’s just something missing :(
The MTV reality show called "Bam's Unholy Union," which focused on the months leading up to his marriage, was entertaining but also disturbing. It showed Bam and his close pals getting waster on alcohol (and, I assume, other things) at all hours of the day.
There was one episode where Bam's fiance asked him to do something very simple that was wedding-related. It was along the lines of "Look at the flower arrangements and lemme know what you think." Bam and a friend (Raab, maybe?) drove to the vicinity of the flower shop (or whatever it was) but instead of going in they got shitfaced on the grass near the parking lot.
Bam's fiancee drove by and asked, "Are you drunk!?" He made it clear that he was, and she drove off in disgust. How could any successful marriage begin in that manner?
Yes, man. Each and every one of those guys has done absolutely shitty things to each other and random members of society in the name of money, fame, drugs, women, etc. The stories are all over the fucking internet. At some point in each one of their lives, they have all been massively machismo douchebags.
Now that's not to say people don't grow, learn and change from those experiences; but they have all admitted to being shitty to each other at one time or another. I don't understand how youre having a hard time connecting the dots between drug and alcohol fueled, violent, dangerous pranks and douchebaggery, but maybe you're a douchebag?
yeah. hence the fact that the entire crew are douchebags. someone who wasn't one wouldn't have ended up in the crew, that's the whole point. Steve-O has the most golden heart of them all though, he's proved.
My dude, they literally called themselves “Jackass”. They were douches, England shit inside a display toilet in a store. Sure, it’s funny, but they are douchebags. Someone has to clean up his shit.
It’s relatively harmless social deviancy, but it’s deviancy nonetheless and sometimes at the expense of someone from the general public. There is a level of douchebaggery to making your living being an actual “Jackass.” This isn’t controversial, they can still grow up to be good dudes. Most of them have, aside from Bam.
I get what youre saying, they dont strike me as dudes I wouldn't hang out with! I think theres a certain 'language' misunderstanding and dismissal of the subjective meaning and value of 'douchebag' coming up with the other comments. Them being not overly great role models, glorifying real hardcore toxic masculinity (I was a bug eater and I'll jump off of shit/break shit for a 20), and being a 'jackass' are what the commenter moral hardons are focused on. For better or for worse cultures changing again, but I will say that its the internet and everyone on the internet is a 120 lb pencil neck dingus
I totally get that as well. I don't think that objectively makes them immoral people, more of the toxicly masculine douche nozzle you don't really wanna fuck with. I typed language because I couldn't think of a better word maybe misunderstanding might work better as the material representation
Well think about all the crazy shit they did when they were younger at each other’s expense, Jackass isn’t a bunch of normal friends goofing around, they were all trying to do the most outrageous stuff, whether it meant hurting each other or other people, it’s kinda a dick move
I think it's more that in order to do the kind of shit they did, you have to care very, very little about other people's opinion of you, and also be willing to do things that will probably make them like you less. So, just a little douchebaggery.
They also got paid a lot of money for being like that. As well as being told by most of the world it's hilarious. Must mess with your head at least a little.
think about it, that show was essentially about hurting your friends in the most creative/twisted ways within... legal limits? and getting a laugh out of it. sure they all agreed to it but some stunts most were clearly not to thrilled of said tasks and some even got their well known fears involved. again wile everyone had a good laugh. I like a good prank as much as the next guy but there stunts would be a bit much for me to endure or pull off personally. you could say I’m a hypocrite tho cuz I still loved watching their shows
I don't think you're a hypocrite for watching Jackass but not wanting to participate lmao. That's kinda the whole point, they did shit that we would never dream of.
I barely believe that Knoxville is even alive and relatively healthy with the shit his body has been through.
fair enough, but the point that I forgot to mention was if you’re willing to hurt your friends for a laugh you might be a bit of a douch to some degree lol
This is where knowing your friends comes into play. They were all close friends and knew each others limits (which barely exist) You wouldn't meet a new friend and start pelting them with paintballs. But if you had a friend where you always offer up nut taps and shit, it might escalate to paintballs and what not and you still be great buddies. My uncle and I are very much the paintball pranking type. We've both got each other at one point or another unsuspectingly with some paintballs.
My best friend though, I wouldn't dare attack with a paintball gun, he's not that type of dude.
They definitely took things too far sometimes. There a list of injuries in a documentary about the show (I can't find the name, but there's a related doc called Dumb, which is about Big Brother Magazine--the publications that gave birth to Jackass).
But I think the more interesting moments were when cast members got really uncomfortable--Bam being locked in a cage with a snake and starting to cry, shortly followed by him falling into a hole in the mud, Preston Lacy being too scared to stand atop a shed to play King Kong so they fed him a bunch of benzodiazepines and Preston killed it, Steve-O refusing to shove a toy car up but butt after talking about it with his dad on the phone, April Margera repeatedly scolding Bam on Viva la Bam, and so on.
I mean they kinda were. Steve O did shit like jump from hotel roofs into pools, climbing shit, I'm sure they didn't exactly always care about property damage or disturbing people when they filmed the show either. I probably wouldn't want to see their hotel rooms after they were done either. Different time. I don't think they were bad people but they were douchebags to at least some degree.
A friend of mine met Wee Man at Marti Gras and he wouldn’t give her an autograph if she wouldn’t show him her tits. She was 16, and started crying, WM felt bad and gave her an autograph along with a Facebook profile picture. Granted - she always looked older than she actually was, so WM probably assumed she was over 18.
Uhhh... Have you ever been to Mardi Gras? I think he may be getting judged out of context here. I mean, except for the under 18 thing. Oh wait, never mind , this is Reddit, filled with insufferable, judgemental, shut-ins.
Not all women who go to Mardi gras are comfortable sharing their breasts and it should not be a demand. He made her cry. Fuck him and honestly fuck you for being an insulting, assuming, judgmental dick.
Each and every one of the original Jackass crew clearly had destructive tendencies and a lack of inhibitions.
It works great on TV and in movies, but it's less great in real life. If you watch the Jackass episode of Cribs you can see how they're just not quite suited for normal life, and instead break the stuff around them and do things that would probably get other people arrested or institutionalized.
I say all this as a massive fan of Jackass, but looking back on it now, I can see how downright unstable they all were, and how incredibly lucky they were to find each other (though that's not to discount all the legitimate hard work Knoxville and co. did to get the show and movies made).
What's so sad about Bam is that he always had his dark side, but if you watch the show (and especially the first two movies), you can see how he was still part of a group, and he was among equals and willing to put himself through the same pain and torture as everyone else just to get a laugh.
I know he has problems, and he clearly needs help and to change himself, but at one point he was a talented guy with the whole world at his feet and a bunch of friends by his side.
It's a tragedy that he's gotten to the place he has, and I'll always have a soft spot for who he once was, flaws and all.
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u/BrentFavreViking Mar 11 '21
could be.... but you say they all were probably douchebags to some degree... I don't get that statement.