Paramount Pictures’ Jackass Forever is a fun movie that opened to positive reviews and a pretty good box office collection. The fourth installment returned more than a decade later, but not everyone is pleased about it.
As Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and the rest of the Jackass crew find creative ways to hurt each other, some of their stunts involve various insects and animals. PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has questioned the production’s treatment of animals due to these scenes, calling for a criminal investigation.
As the film was shot mostly in Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo counties, PETA, in a letter to Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer and Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Kimberly Abourezk, has urged for an investigation.
The organisation believes the film may have violated California’s prohibitions on bullfighting and animal protection laws and has asked moviegoers to boycott the film.
PETA mentioned scenes from the trailer where a bull is being goaded into charging, provoking a snake to attack, and forcing a tarantula into an enclosed tube with two yelling people, adding that these are just a few examples of the film’s “animal-exploiting stunts” that made the final cut.
In a statement, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said,
Jackass stunts are violent and vulgar, but if the talent is willing and the wounds are self-inflicted, that’s one thing—however, it’s quite another when animals are exploited, harassed, and harmed: that’s cruelty.
PETA explained that snakes and tarantulas are sensitive to vibrations, so loud sounds and foreign environments cause these creatures a lot of stress. Snakes don’t attack unless provoked or in distress and the same goes for bulls, who charge towards someone only when goaded.
Ever since the film’s release, PETA believes that the animal exploit is even more apparent. The letter mentioned a stunt in which Knoxville and Steve-O provoke honeybees into stinging Steve-O’s penis and one in which a scorpion is placed near Rachel Wolfson’s mouth and repeatedly hit by Eric André till it stings.
PETA SVP Lisa Lange added,
If Steve-O and Johnny Knoxville want to make a career out of nasty little boy fantasies, they’re entitled to, as long as they don’t stress, harm, poke, prod, scare, or bother animals who are used as living props for their idiocy. PETA is reminding city and county prosecutors that no one is above the law and that while the rest of the world wants to save bees and recognizes animals as sentient individuals, these jackasses exploit and abuse them for fun.
Although it’s not a lawsuit, the organization has requested for a strict investigation into the matter that targets the film’s cast, including Knoxville, Stephen Glover, Sean McInerney, and others along with director Jeff Tremaine, producer Spike Jonze, and the animal suppliers on the production.
About Jackass Forever
Jackass Forever is a 2022 American reality slapstick comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine. The sequel to Jackass 3D (2010)—it is the fourth main installment and the fifth overall installment in the Jackass film series.
The film stars Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Wee Man, Danger Ehren, and Preston Lacy. It also includes various celebrity guest appearances.
It follows Knoxville and the gang as they return for another round of hilarious, wildly absurd, and often dangerous displays of stunts and comedy.
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