Jackass Fans Make It Abundantly Clear Who Their Favorite Cast Member Is
The prestigious cultural institution that is "Jackass" has provided inspiration to no fewer than two generations of viewers. For more than two decades, we've watched them pummel their own groins, subject themselves to attacks from animals, and launch themselves through the air on just about every projectile you can imagine. The success of "Jackass Forever" has proven the formula to be an enduring one.
No less a news outlet than the BBC has bluntly explored "How 'Jackass' became a pioneer of modern comedy." The answer, per writer Hannah Strong, is in the original show's camaraderie and the cast's willingness to make, well, jackasses of themselves. "Although its content skewed towards gross-out behaviour," wrote Strong, "in mostly pranking themselves and each other the show retained a strange sort of purity. The 'Jackass' crew were always the butt of their own joke."
These brave jokers have put their bodies through the wringer just to bring the rest of us cheap but hearty laughs. But who is owed the biggest debt of gratitude from us, the fans? Or, to put it more in the crass language of the entertainment industry, who is the most popular?
Johnny Knoxville is the clear favorite among Jackass fans
According to the poll posted by u/chonkLord789 at the r/jackass subreddit, Johnny Knoxville is the clear favorite. Offering up six options, the poll has Knoxville with far and away the most votes at 205. Steve-O is a distant second with 99, and the late Ryan Dunn is in third with 79. Controversy-mired Bam Margera is in fourth with 59, and Jason "Wee Man" Acuña and Preston Lacy bring up the rear with 10 and six votes, respectively.
Interestingly enough, of the original "Jackass" crew, Knoxville is something of an outlier in that he did not come out of the skateboarding world. Knoxville's introduction to them came when Jeff Tremaine, then editor of Big Brother skateboarding magazine, was one of the few to take Knoxville up on his idea to write a story where he tested self-defense equipment. "Nobody would have anything to do with it," said Steve-O to The Hollywood Reporter, "except Tremaine." The rest, as they say, is history, and for better or worse, Johnny Knoxville has been the face of "Jackass" ever since.
These results were not without their detractors, though. Commenters like u/Asexual_Coconut and u/Arius_de_Galdri were quick to point out that "Jackass" mainstays Chris Pontius and Danger Ehren were missing from the poll. To which u/chonkLord789 replied that, unfortunately, Reddit wouldn't let them include more than six options.
But what of the young upstarts?
The limit of six options presents another problem. None of the newer members — those who joined in the lead-up to "Jackass Forever" — are included. No Rachel Wolfson or Jasper Dolphin. No Dark Shark or Zach Holmes. No Poopies.
Not that it is the fault of u/chonkLord789, but their poll does leave much to be desired. Particularly since Johnny Knoxville is retiring from "Jackass" and from stunts in general. "I knew going into this movie that this was going to be the last time I was going to do big stunts because I've got kids, and I've had so many injuries," he told the NME. The brain hemorrhage he sustained during "Jackass Forever" definitely didn't help.
Most of the legacy cast are around Knoxville's general age, meaning they are no doubt starting to feel the wear and tear on their bodies. Clearly, it is time for a new generation to take the helm. Who among them will end up the new heart and soul of "Jackass"? Will Dark Shark's quickness to utter terror make him the face of the franchise? Will Rachel Wolfson's willingness to be stung and shocked until the cows come home make her the first female "Jackass" figurehead? Or will Poopies' near sacrifice of his own hand to a shark put him in the front? As always, only time will tell.