Most of the time, when I hear the phrase, "stupid consumer warnings," I think about stupid warnings for consumers, like, "do not attempt to stop chainsaw blade with genitals," and other gems (real or imagined). However,
MTV's show,
Jackass, has warnings for stupid
consumers.
The show opens up with the following words: "The following show features stunts performed by professionals and/ or total idiots. MTV insists that neither you or any of your dumb little buddies attempt the dangerous crap in this show."
They also show the following disclaimer during commercial breaks: "MTV insists that our viewers do not send in any home footage of themselves or others being jackasses. We will not open or view any submissions, so don't even bother."
Despite this, there was an incident in the news last week about a teenaged boy who, with the help of his friends, set himself on fire by dousing his legs with gasoline. He had apparently gotten the idea from two segments where one of the Jackass crew donned a fireproof suit and had himself lit on flame (one was an attempt to roast hamburgers on his body). Needless to say, as the boy didn't have access to a fireproof suit, he suffered severe burns all over his body.
Are teenagers getting dumber, or are we just becoming more aware of the stupid shit some of them do?