This is why they say don't imitate Jackass

The Times ^ | May 9, 2003 | Chris Ayres

[MadIvan]

An American teenager is seriously ill in hospital after jumping five floors into a pool in an attempt to imitate the stuntmen on the controversial television show Jackass.

Paul Smith, 18, was being videoed by some friends when he hit the side of the pool and then toppled into the water with serious injuries. Three of his friends had already managed to carry out the stunt. Doctors said that the teenager, who shattered both his legs, was in a “critical but stable” condition at Bayfront Medical Centre in St Petersburg, Florida. It was not clear last night whether his injuries would leave him disabled.

Steve Burns, a police spokesman, said that the teenagers were trying to imitate Jackass, in which people perform dangerous and often painful stunts. “He’s an 18-year-old and can make his own decision,” said Mr Burns. “To wilfully do something like that and be injured, it makes you shake your head.”

Even though Jackass, which was originally shown on MTV and was later turned into a Hollywood film, includes a warning not to try out the stunts at home, there have been several reported attempts of people imitating the show’s material. The producers say they will not broadcast tapes sent to them by members of the public.

[MadIvan]

Darwin award?

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[tet68]

Well, at least he wasn't on drugs.

[Glenn]

We've been swiping television content (with great success) from Great Britain for a while now. I'm curious to know how MTV plays in your country?

[MadIvan]

I honestly don't know. I don't watch MTV.

Regards, Ivan

[Glenn]

I don't watch MTV.

That pesky language barrier.

What I am attempting to ask is if it has a big following with the same content. If it is available at all, that is.

[MadIvan]

Well I can't speak for the content, but as for its ratings - well it exists, someone must watch it. I can't say I know anyone who does, or at least, who admits to it. There are several music video channels here in the UK, and they're only one of them.

Regards, Ivan

[Mr.Clark]

I saw a story on this last night. The mother of the idiot was absolutely disgusting, she blamed everyone possible, the media, MTV, Jackass, besides her sweet little degenerate son. Wonder where he got his brains from?

[luigi]

The Associated Press
One of the teenagers who jumped into a pool from the roof of a five-story condominium said they were merely seeking adventure and not imitating stunts seen on the television show "Jackass."

"It wasn't a stunt," said James Zinkand, 16. "It was a possible jump you can make."

Zinkand and two other teens were successful in their attempts to jump from the roof of a building into the pool at the Sarasota Surf and Racquet Club on Tuesday. But Paul Smith, 18, was not so lucky, crashing into the pool's ledge and not the water.

Smith remained hospitalized Wednesday at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg with two broken legs, plus a broken arm and cracked pelvis.

"But he's alive," said his mother, Janet Stone. "His vitals are good."

One friend was videotaping and five others were watching from below as Smith jumped. Stone said the stunt was an attempt to imitate the movie and now-defunct MTV show "Jackass," which featured crude stunts and antics.

Sheriff's officials have released a video they seized from the teens. Along with the roof-diving, the tape shows a boy running through Sarasota Square Mall in a one-piece women's bathing suit and jumping from a building into a tall bush.

Zinkand said the tape was simply for posterity.

"It's adolescent independence and taking risks, like kids taking drugs or doing pot," Zinkand said. "It was proof of the stuff we did. It was catching adolescence on tape. Adolescence comes with stupidity and arrogance. All of that was shown on the tape."

Smith had seen the movie version of "Jackass," said his sister, Jackie Smith, 19. He also has a history of wild antics, such as streaking at Sarasota High School's homecoming, according to relatives and friends.

Zinkand said he was trying to distance himself from association with "Jackass."

"I didn't want to be a copycat," Zinkand said.

---

Information from: Sarasota Herald-Tribune,

I just found out a few minutes ago that this kid is a friend of my step-daughter and attends the same high school.

[tet68]

YOu are probably asking yourself, "HOw does he know the kid wasn't on drugs?

Well, the answer is that there was water in the pool.
If he had been on drugs an done this, the pool would have been empty!!!

[babaloo999]

I would think MTV, if it is available there, is a little tame for British youth.
South Park and The Simpsons are quite popular, though.

[Shermy]

It's a tradition American as apple pie.

[Nephi]

The producers say they will not broadcast tapes sent to them by members of the public.

What, deprive the human race of tightening up the gene pool?

[Ole Okie]

Dang. I thought this was a thread about not imitating Jesse Jackass Jackson.

I tried a few dumb stunts in my youth without benefit of a TV program to lead the way.

Weren't any TV's. Hardly any radio in my youth.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Let's thank him for lessening the chance that children will be reproduced whom are so stupid, eh?

[Hacksaw]

This reminds me of a Beavis and Butthead cartoon where they watched a show about Ben Franklin. They immediately went out into a thunderstorm to fly a kite with a key on it (Imagine what happened). The whole thing was blamed on Howard Stern when Butthead (from the hospital) said they saw a "dude with long hair and glasses" doing it.

[paltz]

When MTV first launched, it was a haven of foreign music clips. The demgraphics for the channel was between 16 to 25. However, in the past 10 years since Viacom, (MTV's parent) has bought up outher subsidiaries, the channel's content has become increasingly aimed toward a younger demo after the Nicklodeon age group. The viacom plan is to have audiences from cradle to senior citizen home... Nickelodeon, Mtv, Paramount, CBS. It is indeed popular in the UK as well as other foreign outlets. These channels and websites are known as MTV UK, MTV CHINA, MTV Japan...etc. While we freepers wince at the MTV content, nonetheless, it is still popular medium.

[templar]

No guts, no glory. Better to die young and adventurous than old and sitting around in a wheelchair drooling on yourself.

[navygal]

he is as smart as a box of rocks!