Stunt Singes MTV

A teen-ager hurt trying to imitate a dangerous stunt from MTV’s Jackass has drawn a new round of fire from media critics and government officials to cable.

The flames were fanned when the teen’s father called U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., a longtime critic of media violence, who denounced MTV and called on the network to alter the popular program.

An MTV spokeswoman says: "We’re going to keep running it."

She says the show in question was reviewed by the network’s standards and practices group, and they found "nothing unusual. They are pretty strict, in line with broadcast industry standards," she says.

On Jan. 26, 13-year-old Jason Linds’ friends threw gasoline on his legs and feet and set him on fire. They were imitating a segment of Jackass in which host Johnny Knoxville, wearing a fire-resistant suit wrapped in steaks, lay atop a make-shift barbecue grill and was doused with lighter fluid. MTV had not been served with any papers at presstime. Efforts to reach the family at their Torrington, Conn., home and Shriners Hospital for Children in Boston, where Jason had been upgraded from critical to stable-critical condition, were unsuccessful.

MTV says each of the three segments constituting the typical Jackass show is preceded by a disclaimer, stating: "The following show features stunts performed by professionals and/or total idiots under very strict control ... neither you or anyone else attempt to recreate or perform anything you have seen."

The show also begins with a TV-MA ratings label.

A Lieberman spokesman characterized the warnings on the show as "self mocking." He added that it is "a little hollow that they claim to put warnings on before the show."

The incident, which comes as a 13-year-old is awaiting March 2 sentencing on a first-degree murder conviction, stemming from his stomping and kicking of a 6-year-old in moves emulating professional wrestlers, has rekindled a firestorm of controversy among parental groups and politicians over media and its relationship to violence.

Lieberman, during a speech before the National Institute on Media and Family Jan. 25., said he intended to introduce legislation in February that would give the FTC the authority to bring actions against companies that continue to market violent and adult-rated products to children.

Typically, legislation of this kind is preceded by a hearing. However, asked last week if the senator was considering

addressing Jackass in such a forum, a spokesman said: "There is nothing planned in the way of hearings on the Jackass issue, or television violence in the future. I don’t know if it technically fits into [the FTC] review, but it relates to it … We’re asking MTV to make the show less accessible to kids and have stronger warnings."

Jackass is among MTV’s most popular shows with a 2.6 household rating. In addition to its Sunday night slot, Jackass has run at different times throughout MTV’s schedule, including Friday nights. The show was not scheduled to run last Friday.

At presstime, no advertisers had requested to be taken out of, or inserted into, breaks during the show. Some industry observers anticipate viewership could spike in the weeks ahead as parents and/ or curiosity seekers tune in.