PETA has claimed that the new Jackass film includes scenes which violate animal cruelty laws which has led to the organisation calling for a criminal investigation to be carried out.
Letters sent to the LA City Attorney and San Luis Obispo County DA, the charity say the cast and crew likely broke state animal protection laws.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals say that the issues include a spider being 'provoked' into biting an actor's chest, a turtle 'harassed and goaded' to bite someone's testicles and a snake 'harangued and provoked' into chomping on someone's nose.
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On top of that, the charity are also highlighting a scene where a tarantula was 'trapped' in a tube and the bull which they say was 'deliberately agitated' into charging at Johnny Knoxville.
PETA also claim that Knoxville and Steve-O provoked a swarm of honeybees into stinging Steve-O's penis which apparently killed bees in the process.
The charity believes that, if an investigation is carried out, charges could be made against cast and crew including: Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Eric André, director Jeff Tremaine and producer Spike Jonze as well as others.
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Lisa Lange, PETA's senior vice president of communications, told TMZ: "If Steve-O and Johnny Knoxville want to make a career out of nasty little boy fantasies, they're entitled to, as long as they don't stress, harm, poke, prod, scare, or bother animals who are used as living props for their idiocy."
She went on to say: "PETA is reminding city and county prosecutors that no one is above the law and that while the rest of the world wants to save bees and recognizes animals as sentient individuals, these jackasses exploit and abuse them for fun."
As well as calling on prosecutors to investigate, PETA is also asking moviegoers to boycott Jackass Forever, explaining: "Animals are not actors—they didn’t consent to these horrific stunts, and they shouldn’t be used for our entertainment."
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PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said: "Jackass stunts are violent and vulgar, but if the talent is willing and the wounds are self-inflicted, that’s one thing—however, it’s quite another when animals are exploited, harassed, and harmed: That’s cruelty."
LADbible has reached out to Paramount for a comment.
Topics: TV and Film, Jackass, Animals
Rebecca Shepherd