What's In A Name?

This picture is circulating the Web today – it’s of a movie theater in Orange City, Iowa – about 50 miles NW of here.

Yes, they were too “embarbutted” to use the word “Jackass” on their marquee, so they renamed “Jackass Two” to “Jackbutt Two”.

I’ve been to Orange City. It’s a heavily Dutch-influenced town, filled with windmills, wooden shoes, and tulips. Overall it’s not a bad place. But apparently they have a problem with the letters A-S-S. Even though the term is used biblically to describe mules/donkeys, and the word “jackass” isn’t exactly a vulgarity, the prim & proper people of Orange City were careful not to display it on the streets of their fair city.

Of course, you can drop the $8 to watch Johnny Knoxville and his group of Jackbutts do horribly profane things INSIDE the theater. Or you can catch one of the other fine films, where odds are high that they also include at least one scene of violence, sex, extreme swearing, or someone getting hit in the crotch.

Is there a kid out there who doesn’t know the term “Jackass” anymore? Especially in these days where swearing is prevalent in just about every form of media, a relatively mellow term just as Jackass really isn’t that bad. If they’d called the movie “Dumbshits”, I could understand the reaction. But Jackass? It’s not that big of a deal.

So the next time you run out to the bijou for a matinee, be sure to proudly march up to the ticket window, take a deep breath, and bellow, “Yes, my fine ticket seller. I need two tickets for... Jackass Two!”

You’ll be glad you did.