"Jackass" On Top, and Definitely Not Alone
Wolfram Donat
September 25, 2006
Once again, I am floored by this country’s priorities. Every day I become more and more convinced that “Jackass” describes not only the stars of the movie, but also its intended (and willing) audience.
Just when I think that America can’t sink any lower when it comes to glitz, glamour and mindless entertainment, I’m proven wrong yet again. More than a year after Hurricane Katrina demolished large portions of New Orleans, great big chunks of the city, mostly in the Lower 9th Ward, remain uninhabitable. Yet tonight the New Orleans Saints are facing off against the Atlanta Falcons in the newly remodeled New Orleans Superdome, courtesy of a $185 million reconstruction project. The 9th Ward looks like a demilitarized zone, but the American public gets to have their football in a shiny new stadium. To add insult to injury, the news about the reopening of the Superdome (which will also feature performances by U2 and Greenday) trumped stories about leaked intelligence documents and freed tourists in Yemen, among other things.
The other thing that just irritates me (but probably shouldn’t come as any sort of shock, based on past experience) is that “Jackass 2” was the number one movie at the box office this weekend. There were other movies playing, of course: “The Black Dahlia,” “All The King’s Men,” “Fearless,” and “The Covenant,” to name a few. However, the American public continues to place incredible emphasis on inane, mindless distractions, so Johnny Knoxville receives fame and riches for doing nothing other than being an imbecile. Considering that most of the population can tell you what Paris Hilton’s pet’s name is but can’t name two Supreme Court justices, I really shouldn’t be surprised.
Does this sound harsh? It probably does, but I don’t apologize. After all, that segment of the population against whom I’m railing here will probably never read this, since it has lots of big words in it and doesn’t mention “American Idol” at all.
Just when I think that America can’t sink any lower when it comes to glitz, glamour and mindless entertainment, I’m proven wrong yet again. More than a year after Hurricane Katrina demolished large portions of New Orleans, great big chunks of the city, mostly in the Lower 9th Ward, remain uninhabitable. Yet tonight the New Orleans Saints are facing off against the Atlanta Falcons in the newly remodeled New Orleans Superdome, courtesy of a $185 million reconstruction project. The 9th Ward looks like a demilitarized zone, but the American public gets to have their football in a shiny new stadium. To add insult to injury, the news about the reopening of the Superdome (which will also feature performances by U2 and Greenday) trumped stories about leaked intelligence documents and freed tourists in Yemen, among other things.
The other thing that just irritates me (but probably shouldn’t come as any sort of shock, based on past experience) is that “Jackass 2” was the number one movie at the box office this weekend. There were other movies playing, of course: “The Black Dahlia,” “All The King’s Men,” “Fearless,” and “The Covenant,” to name a few. However, the American public continues to place incredible emphasis on inane, mindless distractions, so Johnny Knoxville receives fame and riches for doing nothing other than being an imbecile. Considering that most of the population can tell you what Paris Hilton’s pet’s name is but can’t name two Supreme Court justices, I really shouldn’t be surprised.
Does this sound harsh? It probably does, but I don’t apologize. After all, that segment of the population against whom I’m railing here will probably never read this, since it has lots of big words in it and doesn’t mention “American Idol” at all.
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