Jackass: Best and Last is resonating with critics, as they praise what looks like the definitive end of their legacy as amateur stuntmen and pranksters. The movie gets into the early days of the franchise, so I guess it's only fitting that host Johnny Knoxville explained why he uses his current name rather than his given one.
Knoxville spoke about his original name on the red carpet, which was then shared on Instagram. The actor didn't mince words when it came to avoiding his actual name, as he said there's no escaping the fact that it's a nickname for a known venereal disease:
Well, it's better than PJ Clapp. When your last name is a venereal disease, you try to pivot.
Yes, it seems that Knoxville was more than willing to go by a different name publicly so as not to encourage comparisons to the STI, gonorrhea. Honestly, I don't think it would necessarily be off-brand if he had stuck with PJ Clapp and done Jackass, since the group has engaged in some wildly gross stunts before.
As for the origin of the name Johnny Knoxville, it's widely reported that he used his middle name, "John", and his hometown is Knoxville, Tennessee. As someone who grew up close enough to that area to know its name before Jackass became a thing, I used to think maybe his family was the founders of the town. It makes a lot more sense in hindsight that he just changed his name, and now I'm sure few people actually remember him as PJ Clapp.
There's probably even some fans who only just now learned his real name, as Jackass: Best And Last is in theaters. The movie leans into becoming a documentary of sorts, chronicling the history of the cast as well as featuring outlandish stunts. I'm really hyped to see it, even though I'm a bit bummed Bam Margera didn't return to be a part of the final movie. Bam's parents, Phil and April, were present at the premiere in place of their son.
Now that I think about it, there are plenty of people in the Jackass crew who don't go by their real name. At this point, I doubt anyone is calling the crew's wildest stuntman Steve-O his real name of Stephen, or calling Wee Man by his first name of Jason. Those names have become badges of honor for them, even when they're discussing serious subjects, and I think there are a couple generations of adults who would agree they earned those nicknames with all the injuries they endured along the way.
Jackass: Best and Last is in theaters right now. I'm excited to see it, and say goodbye to the old guard while crossing my fingers the newer members step up and keep the legacy going.
