Jackass

The Jackass series is the ultimate collection of stunts people would find funny to downright hysterical, but would never dare attempt them in real life. From skateboarding down a bowling lane to riding an explosive rocket, Johnny Knoxville and his gang to it all. Because the restrictive lines of movie censorship have grown thin over the years, Jackass is able to use this to its advantage and gets away with just about anything.

Although the majority of the movies provide its audiences with physical stunts that usually involve the cast with bruises and scars, occasionally they will play off other social norms. For instance, Johnny Knoxville dresses up as a senior citizen and pretends to share his alcohol and cigarette to his "grandson" while using foul language in public. The majority of the humor is not derived from the actual acts but in the reactions of the nearby people who state their mind at what seems like an atrociously irresponsible grandfather.

Playing on social norms is nto a new concept; it can be rewound all the way back to Allen Funt's Candid Camera (1948) and beyond. However, what may have seemed despicable in the 1940's, generates not only laughs but also large amounts of revenue in today's society. Thus, the Jackass crew makes a strong effort to see how far they can go, similarly to Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat and Bruno. And, while there may be organizations that are overtly against these films, as the Catholic League of Decency was in the past, the economics of the issue is not in their favor. While the saying, "money makes the world go round"may sound like a cliche', it still holds true today. Although, the Catholic League of Decency would probably prefer the saying, "money is the root of all evil."