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  "path": "/jackass-male-loneliness-epidemic",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-18T17:00:04.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.papermag.com",
  "tags": [
    "Television",
    "Mtv",
    "Johnny knoxville",
    "Jackass",
    "In the article"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nThere is something so beautiful about the fact that I can go up to any woman my age and say the name Carrie Bradshaw without any hesitation or confusion. I can make a reference to Marnie Michaels singing a cover _of_ “Stronger” or utter the phrase, “As all adventure women do” and know that I won’t have to explain what I’m talking about. Referring to an on-and-off-again ex-boyfriend as _Mr. Big_ or saying that I feel like Carrie Bradshaw with the top hat and crop outside his door when I’m embarrassed.\n\nOr my personal favorite quote, pulled straight from Jemima Kirke’s Instagram stories that I say to my friends whenever we get too deep in psychoanalyzing people, _“I think you guys might be thinking about yourselves too much.”_ It’s her magnum opus and her greatest contribution to our cultural lexicon — that, and the fact she is the only person who can rightfully deem themselves a Jessa.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nEven 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.)\n\nBut what about the boys?\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThere'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.\n\nSo 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.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nA few days ago, as I folded my laundry, Johnny Knoxville shirt in hand, it came to me: _Oh my god, it’s Jackass_.\n\nI 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.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nNot to mention _anything_ with the bulls.\n\nThe 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.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nIn 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.\n\nThe show would evolve into a movie franchise, with multiple spin-off shows exploding it in popularity.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe 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.\n\nOne 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.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n_Images via Getty_",
  "title": "Is ‘Jackass’ Really ‘Girls’ for Boys?"
}