Jackass is an MTV reality-comedy series about a group of friends performing pranks and stunts on each other, launched in 2000 and later expanded into a film franchise.

Where did Jackass come from?

The show grew out of Big Brother skateboarding magazine, with Jeff Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, and Spike Jonze pitching the concept to MTV after HBO turned it down.

What does Jackass mean?

Jackass originally referred to a male donkey in the early 18th century, and by the early 19th century took on the extended sense of a fool or idiot.

How do you use Jackass?

On Twitter, people write fake Knoxville intros such as 'Hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville and this is chewing minty gum' to swap the show's dramatic setup for a mundane payoff.

Is Jackass still popular?

Yes, Jackass Forever earned an 86% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes in 2022 and revived the show's opening line as a Twitter format.

Jackass

2000tv series / catchphraseclassic

Published August 8, 2026

Jackass is an MTV reality-comedy series that debuted in 2000, built around Johnny Knoxville and a rotating crew performing pranks and stunts on each other. The show's opening line, 'Hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville and welcome to Jackass,' later became a Twitter format after the 2022 release of Jackass Forever.

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Overview

Jackass is an MTV reality-comedy series that debuted in 2000, built around a rotating cast pulling extreme pranks and stunts on each other1. Johnny Knoxville fronted the show alongside Bam Margera and Steve-O, with Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Wee Man, Preston Lacy, Ehren McGhehey, and Dave England rounding out the crew3.

The show's opening line, 'Hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville and welcome to Jackass,' is instantly recognizable and got a second life on Twitter after the 2022 release of Jackass Forever2. Users flooded the platform with fake stunt intros where Knoxville announces mundane tasks like chewing minty gum or posting in a ska Facebook group2.

Gallery

Origin & Background

Platform

MTV (TV) / Twitter (viral intro meme)

Key People

Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze

Date

2000

The Jackass concept grew out of Big Brother, an underground 1990s skateboarding magazine edited by Jeff Tremaine1. Tremaine convinced Knoxville to film stunts for the publication, and Spike Jonze joined the pair to shape a stunt show pitch3. HBO passed on the idea, but MTV entertainment president Brian Graden greenlit it1. The show first aired October 1, 2000, running for three seasons through 20021.

How It Spread

After MTV wrapped Jackass in 2002, the crew jumped straight to film with Jackass: The Movie later that year, kicking off a franchise that spanned four theatrical releases1. Politicians pushed back hard, with former Senator Joe Lieberman publicly calling on MTV to pull the show for its content1. Family Guy paid tribute on November 9, 2008 with 'The Man with Two Brians,' a half-episode segment featuring Knoxville's own voice work3.

Jackass Forever hit theaters in 2022 and picked up an 86% critics score and a 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes2. The film's press cycle pushed Knoxville's famous intro back into circulation, spawning a Twitter format where users swap the show's stunts for banal or absurd activities2.

How to Use This Meme

The Twitter template typically opens with 'Hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville and...' followed by a task that is deliberately unspectacular, such as drinking a cold glass of orange juice or ordering at a Wendy's counter2. The joke lands because the intro primes the reader for an elaborate stunt, and the payoff is anything but2.