While crazy stunts used to be an anomaly, to be heard about occasionally on the news of seen on TV and used as a warning to little children not to get out of control, they have become a ubiquitous pastime in recent years. From tightrope walks and barrel rides over Niagara Falls to Evil Knievel’s career to the proliferation of shows and movies based around the “Jackass” franchise, it seems that crazy stunts are the everyman’s newest sport. While stuntmen have had a place as real-life daredevils in American culture since the early days of Hollywood, this new form of stunt performance is often based on the accomplishment of shocking and dangerous tasks without preparation, in contrast to the highly trained athleticism of the Hollywood tradition.

Crazy stunts have served as a form of entertainment in many cultures, in various representations. One of the most universal venues for crazy stunts is the circus. From Barnum & Bailey’s big top adventures and optical illusions to the graceful contortionists and highly coordinated massive dance troop of Cirque du Soleil, the circus is a cultural fixture that has managed to reinvent itself to create a booming industry. While the wealthy once scorned the stunning feats performed in circuses as sideshow diversions, the popularity of the Cirque du Soleil production has been accompanied by a professed respect for the artistry and athleticism that goes into the creation of their awe-inspiring shows.

In addition to the classic circus shows, the last few decades have seen the commercialization of the human impulse to take risks on a grand scale. Evil Knievel is a legend for his crazy stunts, which drew as much attention for their grand scale as for the risk, and fulfillment of that risk, of serious injury. One of his most audacious motorcycle jumps in Wembley stadium resulted in a crash after Knievel attempted to clear 13 busses. Despite his broken pelvis and physical shock over the trauma, Knievel refused to use a stretcher and walked off the field as an act of bravado. The showmanship involved in denying the pain of such an intense injury is part of the draw of crazy stunts.

While for years such stunts were considered the territory of career daredevils such as Knievel, the popular TV series “Jackass” has changed that perception. On the short-lived series, which spawned the careers of Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and Bam Margera, various amateur showmen performed dangerous stunts, which were taped and broadcast with warnings to audiences not to imitate their stunts. The show originated from one of the cast members desire to write an article on self-defense tools, by trying them out on himself. The freewheeling, lowbrow nature of the show created a new spin on the performance of crazy stunts, and led to a movie as well as other franchise developments.

Some crazy stunts are so dangerous as to be illegal. For example, many daredevils throughout recent history have attempted to traverse Niagara Falls in a barrel. The likelihood of death is extremely high, as the height of the drop combined with the boulders at the bottom of the falls and the risk of drowning present a series of factors that conspire to create a fatal ending. Tightrope walking across the Falls is another crazy stunt, performed by trained tightrope walkers, which has been immortalized in famous photos going back to Maria Spelterini’s successful crossing in 1876.