Review of Jackass: Number Two

This sentiment carries over to Jackass: Number Two. In it, viewers will see the Jackass cast--often naked or almost naked--getting into every possible position with one another and delighting in all sorts of bodily fluids.

But not once will viewers hear the cast utter the word “fag.”

It's no secret that the word is regularly thrown around by homophobic men when justifying and denying their own clearly homoerotic behavior with one another. So one would almost expect to hear “fag” or other such slurs bandied about when, in the film, the rest of the guys watch Steve-O consume a beer via a beer bong—and not with his mouth.

But this is the Jackass universe, and the guys in question are Johnny Knoxville and company. They simple giggle, chant “Take it! Take it!” and hold Steve-O's feet in the air as the beer disappears.

And that's not even where the stunt ends. I won't ruin the surprise, but I will tell you that Steve-O gets some very creative assistance from one of his buddies when he learns that he's taken in more beer than he can handle.

That bit (called “The Butt Chug”) isn't even the most homoerotic in the film. It's difficult to go into much detail about the stunts without effectively spoiling the movie, so here's a list of some of their more memorable elements: a herd of bulls, a rocket, human excrement, a swarm of bees, over-sized rubber testicles, a branding iron, electrical shocking devices, a large gold dildo, skateboards, a rocket, and horse sperm. Yes, horse sperm.

The film also features cameos by two gay icons, entertainer Rip Taylor and director John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Hairspray). Famous for his own forays into distasteful cinema, Waters beams proudly while the obese Preston Lacy scrambles atop and smothers "Wee Man" with his barely-clad body. It's hard not to think of the Jackass crew as Waters' nasty surrogate offspring. (Waters also cast Knoxville in his campy sex romp A Dirty Shame in 2004.)

Be advised that Jackass: Number Two is often flat-out gross. There are some stunts you can't believe they're doing, and others that you'll sincerely wish they wouldn't. The juvenile physical humor in the film may simply be too low-brow for the more discriminating viewer—Jackass: Number Two is clearly not aimed at the art house crowd.

That being said, the film is at times uproariously funny. Many of the stunts are truly inspired, and the film has a spirit of irreverence that is sorely lacking in most other films today.

Like Playgirl magazine and those cheesy Guys Gone Wild videos, Jackass: Number Two will be a guilty pleasure for some gay men. But the gay-friendly vibe that surrounds the film and its participants makes for a great excuse to watch it.

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