Crash Bam

The Jackass star has dodged death again — how does he do it?

Johnny Knoxville was always the star of Jackass — handsome, creative and funny. But he made no bones about being a wuss, and a big part of the show's frisson came from the tension between Knoxville the comedian and Bam Margera, the stuntman with a death wish. You watched his segments with a sickening but thrilling sense that he might actually kill himself right there in front of you. I can't think of anyone so apparently unconcerned by death.

So my first thought on hearing of his recent travails was: how come that guy's still alive? His buddy Ryan Dunn died some time ago in a car crash. The only explanation I could come up with was that he'd been so dedicated to drinking that he hadn't had time to fly into a lamppost at 60mph on a jet-powered skateboard. And the pictures certainly give credence to that theory -- he looks a lot older than his 41 years.

I hope he comes to an accommodation with his demons so he can get back to doing what he does best: playing chicken with the grim reaper. He's being doing it all his life: he's had the "Bam Bam" nickname since he was a young child, when he used to charge into walls for fun, it's said.

They should make a Final Destination film about him. But in a contest between him and the reaper ... well, I think death is going to need a considerably bigger scythe.