As taken from CNN.com


Jack Ass sues over 'Jackass' show
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 Posted: 3:44 PM EST (2044 GMT


LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Jack Ass says "Jackass" has given him a bad name.

A Montana man who legally changed his name to "Jack Ass" in 1997 has sued media giant Viacom Inc. , claiming its stunt-heavy, gross-out TV show and movie "Jackass" had defamed his character.

In a suit filed in November in Montana and posted this week on a legal Web site, Jack Ass, who said he changed his name to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving, claimed Viacom was "liable for injury to my reputation that I have built and defamation of my character which I have worked so hard to create."

The suit asks for damages of $10 million or more. Jack Ass is representing himself.

Jack Ass, a journeyman power lineman by trade, said he changed his name from Bob Craft in late 1997 as part of a personal crusade against drunk driving after his brother and a friend were killed in a car crash. Theirs was the only vehicle involved.

A spokeswoman for Viacom referred calls on the suit to MTV Networks, its subsidiary which aired the "Jackass" show. A spokeswoman for MTV Networks said its policy was not to comment on pending litigation.

"Jackass," the show and movie, featured outrageous stunts and practical jokes. The show ran in 2000 and 2001 before it was canceled. The movie, which came out earlier this year, made more than $60 million at the U.S. box office.

Earlier this month a New Mexico teenager died in what police said was an attempt to imitate a stunt he saw in the film. In November, a Seattle teenager suffered serious burns trying to imitate another stunt from the show.

Jack Ass runs a Web site (www.andiass.com) centered around a donkey-like cartoon character "Andi Ass," which touts T-shirts, baseball caps, souvenir beer bottles and a message of responsible drinking.

He also runs a non-profit service that sells heart-shaped markers to be placed at the sites of fatal accidents involving drivers, power line workers and for use in memorializing dead pets.

"I really want to emphasize the importance of this work," he told Reuters.

How can someone named Jack Ass sue for defamation? The things people do to get free money. Why this name instead of something else to raise awareness about drunken driving? I bet he dosen't get many dates. Imagine taking him home to meet Mom and Dad.

You gota' say one thing for the guy....he knew what he was talkin' about when he changed his name......Hee-Haw!

Good grief, as if his use of the phrase made it popular, and they're profiting from his efforts. What an friggin' idiot!

Article said he was representing himself: Two possible issues here: No one (as hungry as Atty's may be for billed hours) would take his case. Second possibility is only a "jackass" would take the case.
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Here's another possibility:

Let's say you want to generate publicity for your cause, but have limited resources with which to do so. (In this case, raising awareness to the dangers of drunk driving) With this seemingly rediculous lawsuit receiving the media coverage that it has, and even people on a NW FISHING BB talking about it, I'd say that Mr. Ass has probably accomplished EXACTLY what he set out to do already!

How much would you like to bet that traffic to his website has grown exponentially since the press got wind of this story?

The things that go thru our judicial system... I wish I could be a judge. The stories they must be able to tell about what idiots sue for what

Fred-
Glad to see you have taken to posting on The Board...you have had added much personality to Juro's Board and I am sure you will do the same here!!

This might be funny if not for the fact that countless tax dollars are wasted processing these idiotic lawsuits.

Also, violent criminials get released because they are denyed a speedy trial because the courts are clogged with this garbage.

Slab,

2 holes in your reasoning.

1 - No tax dollars are spent until it actually goes before a judge! This is a CIVIL lawsuit.

2 - Refer to #1. This is a civil lawsuit, not a CRIMINAL case. I'm sure the docket in whatever jurisdiction it was filed in is already backlogged, and I highly doubt that this case will cause the wheels of justice to come grinding to a halt. Odds are that it will be thrown out before it ever reaches a trial date.

In this case it would appear that there is a fine line between complete idiot and marketing genius.

Besides this whole lawsuit which you guys have already figured out what the underlying point of his even filing it in the first place is. publicity for his cause. Take a look at how CNN structured the article, i love how they and every other news network - fox, puts so much spin in their news that you automatically grow a hate for the jackass show if you know nothing about it. They dont hesitate to point out kids blaming their own injuries from doing stupid teenage things on the jackass show and movie, but somehow miss the point of asking where the parents were. I am 22 years old and since I was old enough to understand the news it has inflamed me so much that I can only watch foxnews on cable where it seems the only normal people who give a damn in the media are. The difference is you get your news then the opinion, where as in cnn, abc, nbc, cbs, msnbc, then news and opinion are molded into one liberal ass weak point of view. Those networks have supported and gone against everything I love to do like hunting, shooting, offroading, jet-sking, riding 4 wheelers etc. I'm counting the days when they do a show that covers environmentalists protesting fishing, and do an hour segment on it listening to all the environmental points then find 1 lame old fishermen to support all of the fishing communities point of view. This is what they did with jet-sking and they almost killed the sport I love. Lastly, I watched every jackass episode and the movie, I know some of you older guys dont understand it and thats fine, but most of our generation finds it funny as do I. What I dont understand how u can be dumb enough to try it yourself and then sue the show if you get hurt, man I wonder where their parents are.
Waterboy