At GQ, Johnny Knoxville talks about his career. There’s also a fashion shoot. ‘Cause GQ. “It was easy at the time to describe Jackass as lowest-common-denominator entertainment, a feeble nadir in TV’s race to the bottom. With time, though, it became clear that the show was operating at the intersection of a number of ancient American traditions. If you squinted, you could see traces of Buster Keaton and the Three Stooges. Knoxville’s outlaw influences were present too. Spike Jonze told me that he and Tremaine and Knoxville hadn’t discussed how the stunts might be introduced on the show, so Knoxville improvised what would become a signature opening to each segment. ‘He started saying, “Hi, I’m Johnny Knoxville and this is the Cup Test,” or whatever it was,’ Jonze wrote in an email. ‘Only later, I remember listening to Johnny Cash Live, and hearing Johnny Cash say, “Hi, I’m Johnny Cash and this is ‘Folsom Prison Blues,'” and a lightbulb went off. I was like, damn…no wonder it’s so iconic.'” (via Jake Adelstein)