Parents' Guide to Jackass

TV MTV , MTV2 Comedy 2000
Jackass Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

S. Jhoanna Robledo By S. Jhoanna Robledo , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Crass, crude, and certainly not for kids.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 14+

Based on 25 kid reviews

Kids say that while this show is filled with crude humor and outrageous stunts, it is primarily suitable for older teens rather than younger children, who may not be able to distinguish acceptable behaviors from the antics they witness. Many reviews appreciated its humor but also noted the need for parental discretion due to its strong language and adult themes.

  • crude humor
  • suitable for teens
  • parental discretion
  • outrageous stunts
  • adult themes
Summarized with AI

What's the Story?

Witness a man getting attacked by police dogs that he purposefully taunts; see someone drink to oblivion and throw up all over the place; view a melee played for all it's worth, with everyone's arms swinging and hitting. These are just some of the pratfalls and antics deemed worthy of this MTV series following Johnny Knoxville and his motley crew of fearless, shameless thrill-seekers. Inspired by a Finnish show called The Dudesons, JACKASS has also earned a big-screen movie of its own and is one of MTV's most popular -- if not highest quality -- offerings.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 2 ):
Kids say ( 25 ):

If this show were to have another title, it probably ought to be Men Behaving Badly. Or insanely. Or both. In short, Jackass makes no bones about appealing to the adolescent boy in everyone -- and in many ways, it's brilliant at what it does: hooking viewers.

Jackass certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea. In fact, it's probably not advisable viewing for anyone under 15, considering the strong language, nudity, and general craziness. Most kids are much too young and much too impressionable to filter through it all and appreciate the laughs without mimicking the guys' sometimes-dangerous audacity. And no one wants to have their teenager chased down by guard dogs simply because they're trying to replicate what they see on TV.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what drives people to do stunts like these, when they'll most likely get hurt and at the very least end up looking like complete fools. What's the attraction? Is the rush from performing these silly, wacky, and outrageous derring-dos worth the trouble? Families can also discuss the difference between daring and bad taste. Where do you draw the line? And what about when other people are involved? What's the difference between playing a funny practical joke and being cruel?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Jackass Poster Image

What to Watch Next

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate