Steve-O says early years of Jackass were "legitimately a bad influence" on young viewers

“Don’t try this at home” warnings aside, Steve-O knows full well that the early days of Jackass probably led some younger viewers to test their limits. In a new interview on the Hotboxin’ podcast hosted by Mike Tyson, the actor says the first films were a “bad influence” on impressionable kids.

“I think in the beginning of Jackass we were genuinely worth vilifying because back then they didn’t have YouTube or video on the internet and we were legitimately a bad influence,” he explains.

He continues: “When Jackass came out, little kids were showing up in hospitals all over the country and maybe the world because they saw us doing this crazy shit and they wanted to do it themselves. So, little kids everywhere got video cameras and started fucking themselves up and showing up in hospitals and getting really hurt.”

The first iteration of Jackass aired as a series on MTV in 2000. The premise is simple: Steve-O and the rest of his gang dream up wild, dangerous, raunchy, and straight-up ridiculous stunts. The beloved series spawned multiple feature films including February’s Jackass Forever, as well as an all new series coming to Paramount+.

Although in the past 22 years Jackass’ stunts have only grown more elaborately goofy (Electric Tap Dance with Tyler the Creator, anyone?) Steve-O says he doesn’t think the franchise is responsible for kids’ try-anything habits these days. In his mind, the growing popularity (and accessibility) of YouTube is partially to blame.

“At that time you could really point to us as being a bad influence,” said Steve-O. “But I think over the years, because now that there’s so much YouTube, Ridiculousness, so much, it’s not our fucking fault anymore.”

Now that Steve-O is releasing responsibility, this writer highly suggests readers to set any and all shopping carts aside and climb down from any roofs they may be perched on. You’re not Johnny Knoxville.