Acting like a Jackass still pays

A lot can change in a decade.

In 2000, the highest-grossing movie in the country was Meet the Parents. Nobody knew the name Barack Obama. A “face book” was a printout with names attached to photos. And a group of drug-addled skaters became famous for filming stunts and pranks on MTV.

Some things never change.

The Jackass crew, notorious for their reckless disregard for personal safety, is back—this time in 3D. But, nobody’s going to see Jackass 3D for the cutting-edge technology. (Not unless somebody out there yearns to see three-dimensional poop volcanoes, dildo rockets, and an ass-powered party horn). Johnny Knoxville and company draw crowds for one reason: slapstick is universal.

The brand of slapstick in Jackass 3D may be the hyper-violent, gross-out variety, but judging by the movie’s $50 million opening weekend haul, it still attracts audiences in droves. Does this mean America wants to be disgusted? Has our society devolved to the point that paint is our high comedy?

No. It’s just funny to see a man get hit in the testicles.

Jackass 3D shocks and awes, if only because it has no other aim. Look at that fat guy chase that midget! See the tuba-playing bearded man just got headbutted by a ram! Watch that tattooed asshole from Pennsylvania pee on people! It’s an instinctive kind of humor that stands apart from the ironic, sarcastic wit that dominates mainstream comedy today. The movie may not be subtle—and it’s certainly not for those with weak stomachs—but it is absolutely satisfying.

Of course, it isn’t without flaws. The cast’s maniacal cackling is non-stop and will make you wince. Studio sound effects exaggerate the lamer stunts. And the immature pranks land a bit off-target, if only because every participant is … well, old. Jackass 3D isn’t a movie about 20-year olds hurting themselves; it’s about adults who hurt themselves, professionally.

Beneath its surface, though, Jackass 3D reminds us that its roving gang of sadomasochists are indeed  human. Steve-O nearly suffers a nervous breakdown before a stunt involving bungee cords and a port-a-potty. Dave England cries after playing a game of “bee hive tetherball.” And while sitting atop a 60-foot pine tree in a Santa Claus costume, Johnny Knoxville admits that the stunts scare him. Every time.

A lot can change in a decade. But, there is one constant: behind every man’s fear of roller skating with buffalo or attaching a remote-control helicopter to his penis, there’s always a crowd waiting to laugh.