Jackass Star Chris Pontius Evidently Attributes Party Boy To God
In her efforts to repel British efforts to conquer France during the Hundred Years' War, Joan of Arc frequently credited a series of divine voices, angels and saints alike, as her guiding counsel. Doc Brown's idea for the time-travel-enabling flux capacitor came from a bathroom tumble and a concussion. The most profound ideas can come from the wildest places.
Surely, when we consider momentous occasions in human history, the reign of one Jackass-ed Party Boy merits a mention. One of many personalities presented by performer and "Wildboyz" co-host Chris Pontius (others include Chief Roberts, Bunny the Lifeguard, and Pontius the Barbarian), Party Boy has an urgent need to party rock at all times, stripping down to the barest layers of his body and soul and letting the music take him where it may. Throughout the "Jackass" franchise, from the early aughts slapstick comedy series to the latest feature "Jackass Forever," Party Boy has made his way around the world, annoying straight-laced staff with his shimmies and shenanigans. In season 2 of the Jeff Tremaine-helmed show, Pontius brings the party to NYC and brings it so hard that the rock-n-roll spirit becomes contagious, resulting in a thirtyfold duplication of thonged, grown men jogging down the street and fist-pumping to the infectious beats wafting from an unseen, divine boom box. Dudes truly do rock, in a naughty low-rise if the mood calls for it.
In anticipation of the fifth film in the Jackass franchise, "Jackass Forever," Johnny Knoxville and Chris Pontius did an Ask Me Anything Q&A on Reddit, and the fans delivered with the hard-hitting questions like, "What's a stunt that seems unassuming but caused the most problems/injuries?" (Knoxville's answer: ripped webbing on his hand from a jousting stunt). One question, from u/TonyVenture, was just as unassuming: "Pontius, how did party boy come about? Do you still have the thong?" The answer is more existential than one might expect from the same guy who once drank horse ejaculate (to be fair, it was the one time he — or anyone — uttered the words, "I'm ashamed of myself" in a Jackass venture).
'It Just Fell From the Sky into My Head'
California native Chris Pontius linked up with his future "Jackass" peers when he was interviewed in skate culture magazine Big Brother, which he later contributed to as a writer before becoming a member of the Jackass crew along with Knoxville, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Steve-O, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Ehren McGhehey, Preston Lacy, and Jason Acuña. Pontius appeared in the MTV series' pilot in 2000. It wasn't long before he was featured in season 2, learning how to strip dance and waxing his nethers in preparation for party rocking. From there, a muscled Dionysian demi-god of revelry was born. Reddit asked: where did the character come from?
Party Boy idea just kind of fell from the sky. I had a thong, bow tie, and cuff links and it just fell from the sky into my head. If anyone wrote it, I would say it was God...
As surely as warrior-goddess Athena spawned from the mind of Zeus, the voice of the Holy Father came down from the clouds and gifted his humble servant with inspiration: go forth and shake it, daddy.
And the thongs?
Yes, I still have my bag of thongs that have never been far from my side because you'll never [know] when I might need one. Many different styles for any situation.
Pontius (and hopefully Party Boy) will be in "Jackass Forever," which arrives in theaters on February 4, 2022.