Ryan Dunn died much the way he famously lived - in Jackass fashion.
Yet even though his claim to fame was the Jackass series and movies - stunts including human bar-b-que, latrines being turned upside down with someone inside, countless ballsacs being wacked, life and limb constantly being toyed with - I highly doubt Ryan envisioned tearing ass through the trees, impacting with one, and turning his Porsche into a, well, pardon the irony - human bar-b-que.
Much has been made of his death, and that of his friend in the front seat, in the past 24 hours. People who call it for what it was - senseless. A waste. The what-do-you-expect outcome of drinking and driving.
And they're right.
Which is why so many of his fans have been pissed off. It's not that they, too, don't know the guy died needlessly, it's that they want to protect his memory, his family's feelings, etc.
All understandable. At this point, I imagine they see all the criticism as "piling on." The guy's dead, isn't that bad enough?
Not if he can be a cautionary tale to other jackass mentality people.
Look, the guy loved to drive fast - well documented by friends and family. The guy did not shy away from alcohol - again, well documented - just hours before the crash he Tweeted a picture of himself and buddies drinking.
Police currently conjecture his car was going over 130mph. Even Speed Racer would say, "Whoa."
His blood alcohol content from the preliminary test was .196. The legal limit is .10.
You do the math.
It was stupid. Ryan Dunn was, if only in that moment, STUPID.
Now, given he is also known for having encased a Matchbox car in a condom and shoving it up his "Holland Tunnel" - one could easily argue he was STUPID a lot.
But, he was also someone's son, someone's boyfriend, friend to a lot of people. And even stupid people are loved and mourned when they die. A process those left behind should be allowed to do in private, with dignity, and reverence.
Enter the true jackasses of this world, the ane-holes of Westboro Baptist Church.
Yes, they have announced plans to picket outside Ryan Dunn's funeral, carrying their now predictable placards proclaiming "God Hates Fags" "God Hates America" "God Hates Rocky Road Ice Cream" - whatever phrase they splash on their signs that deign to speak for God.
Good.
I hope this is the time that all their hateful rhetoric, blasphemy, intentionally inflicted hurt, and bombastic egos bite them in the ass. I can think of no better assemblage than those who loved this man - folks with big hearts, rough edges, and now painfully raw souls - to meet these cretins head on.
I just hope Johnny Knoxville has the cameras rolling when the real Jackasses finally get their comeUPpance.
I'll even supply the Matchbox cars and Trojans.
I have to admit - I've never seen a Jackass movie and I didn't know who Ryan Dunn is - but that doesn't matter - what matters is that he deserves a proper funeral - where his loved ones can mourn him without being afraid they will be "outed" or filmed for the evening news. Shame on the WBC - they are the worst kind of zealots.
Posted by: Chicky (Kathy) | Friday, June 24, 2011 at 09:00 AM
His funeral should be treated with the same dignity as anyone else's. These WBC people have to stop. Ryan Dunn may have been a jackass on many levels but he doesn't, and his family doesn't, deserve this circus coming to town.
Posted by: Nikki | Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 09:20 PM
What has become so blatantly clear over the last few years is how the Westboro Church has devolved into a bunch of fame whores, more desperate for attention that Paris Hilton during her worst days. When picketing gay funerals didn't get them enough attention (a shame Fred Phelps wasn't man enough to deal with his homosexuality or we would have been spared ever hearing about them), they started picketing soldiers. And now that that's become "old hat", they're going after celebrities. What a bunch of pathetic losers.
Posted by: Tommy Marx | Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 02:49 PM
maybe they could catapult the members of the WBC, one by one - now THAT I would love to see!
Posted by: Katy | Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 12:33 PM
I hope they douse the "protestors" with the contents of a sewer truck! I, like many others, also hope they get it on camera. I would love to see them get what they deserve!
Posted by: RBlues | Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 12:08 PM
I can't deny I hope the "jackass" family beats the crap out of the folks from Westboro BC. Talk about a bunch of jackasses. They take the cake.
Prayers for Ryan's family.
The older I get, the more problems I see with alcohol - and it's legal, yet there sits the cannabis plant, with known medicinal properties - illegal. Go figure.
Posted by: lizzieb | Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 10:54 AM
I am a fan of the Jackass movies and an even bigger fan of Bam Margera's (who was Ryan's best friend). As a fan of the movies, I'm ANGRY at Ryan Dunn for wasting his life and the life of his friend. I don't defend him for one minute, and I don't buy what some of the other fans are saying - that is was a "mistake." As you said, Linda, driving too fast was a long-time practice for Ryan - this was NO mistake. He was warned over and over, and even suffered through a horrible car accident over 10 years ago, resulting from his reckless driving and drinking. I am grateful that Ryan only took one person with him when he died -- it could have been SO much worse. So, yeah, I'm angry and disgusted, and I agree 100% with Roger Ebert's tweet from Monday morning.
As far as the WBC is concerned, I sincerely hope that my beloved Bam and his motley crew of Jackasses douse them in lighter fluid, set all of them on fire and send them careening down the nearest ski slope in shopping carts. In 3-D.
And may you rest in peace, Ryan... you stupid jackass.
Posted by: Lori in Texas | Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 07:19 PM
totally agree. However, I will also add, that I am so glad that Dunn didn't take out anybody else's child, wife, husband, sister, ... when he flamed out. So often these drunk driving stories have this terrible component as well.
Posted by: Bobbsey | Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 06:29 PM
WBC are TROLLS of the worst sort. I can't agree more Linda...hope they get JACKED UP!
Posted by: Shawn in Lakewood CA | Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 04:15 PM