RIP, Ryan Dunn (1977-2011): Remembering a legendary Jackass

The cloak of teenage invincibility has left one of the great Jackasses.

Ryan Dunn has been confirmed dead in the wake of an early-morning car crash. He was 34. Quite honestly, it's surprising that death has spared the crew famous for being dumb for so long. However, his death is having a bigger impact on me, as a fan, than I would have ever imagined.

I remember buying CKY2K out of a CCS catalogue when I was 13 or so. The VHS tape, which I had watched on a weekly basis for a time longer than I care to admit, made me the person I am today (in a very large part anyway). The act, though tired now even from a die-hard perspective, exemplified what I hoped life could be - a relentless gag. Fuck growing up. Fuck being serious. Let's get rowdy and skate. I don't care what anyone says; it takes fucking balls to stay a kid forever.

Despite the mayhem, the crew's antics stopped at harmlessly messing with the unsuspecting. Sure, they could be reckless, stupid beyond comedy. No matter -- we all got back to laughing eventually. The footage during the credits of Jackass 3-D beneath Weezer's "Memories" was honest and made fans think back to the first time they watched Landspeed. Today's news is having the same effect on me, but it's difficult to laugh about it.

I hope that wherever Dunn is now, there's shopping carts and unlimited High Life. I hope his family and friends know how much he and they mean to countless people like me though we've never met. Mostly, I hope they can soon laugh again.