The ‘Jackass’ Guys Might Be the Cure for Male Loneliness

We’re dealing with a male loneliness epidemic in the United States, and the men of Jackass, a franchise which began as an MTV series, just might have the cure. According to the Survey Center on American Life, only 27 percent of American men say they have six or more close friends, down from 55 percent in 1990. In other words, having a crew is increasingly rare, a real problem with seemingly few solutions. Yet somehow, Johnny Knoxville and the men of the Jackass franchise have not only maintained their bonds for a quarter of a century, they’ve enhanced them.

In their latest film, Jackass: Best and Last, the crew celebrates their 25th anniversary, looking back at decades of antics and injuries. But when you look beyond the mayhem, one thing is clear: These men love each other and are there for each other. Knoxville might say in the film that “we haven’t learned a goddamn thing” through all their shows and movies, but the lesson they’ve learned, and the one we can take from them, is actually pretty clear: Male friendships matter. But when it comes to Jackass, that’s a lesson that should be taken metaphorically, because the “don’t try this at home” of it all absolutely should be taken literally.