Related Quote:

The Three Stooges did a lot of dangerous things too. People blame their own stupid, self-destructive acts on everyone and everything but themselves. -Dave Kopel, research director of the Independence Institute

Meet the Idiot:

Jason Lind

Jason Lind is your average 13-year-old from Connecticut. He managed to get himself in the hospital after copying a stunt he saw on MTV. Now everyone blames MTV, rather than Lind, for this incident.

The Jackass Incident:

The Action...

He saw the show Jackass on MTV. In that show, he saw a guy put steaks on a protective suit and himself on the grill. So Jason thought it would be cool to do that because he saw the guy do it. He and a friend went outside, put on a bunch of crap that he thought would protect him, poured gasoline on himself, and got on the grill, which his friend lit. Lind ended up getting plenty of second- and third- degree burns.

...and the Reaction.

As a result of Jason's stupidity, his parents blamed MTV for showing Jackass. They even got Joseph Lieberman, who would have been Vice President had Bushy Boy not bought the election, to blame MTV.

But who is really to blame? Let's use the process of elimination to find out.

Let's start with MTV. MTV shows Jackass. Most people do not go out and do what they see on Jackass. In fact, MTV tells the viewers not to do the stunts they see. They don't encourage the behavior Jason exhibited. They probably aren't to blame.

Since MTV didn't do it, let's try Jason's friend. Although he lit the grill, he did so at Jason's request. So that leaves: JASON.

It seems as if people don't want to be held accountable for their actions. So they blame the media, or McDonald's, but never themselves, even if they know they did it. As a result, huge warning labels pop up everywhere, and the courts take buttloads of money from these innocent companies or people, and give that money to the ones who are truly to blame.

Sure, some people have the right to sue McDonald's (like the guy who got bleach instead of iced tea). But they didn't bring their bad times on themselves. They were actually victims of someone else's stupidity. In other words, if you set yourself on fire, sue yourself.

Notes:

A while ago (from the 18th of December), some idiot Darwinized himself imitating a stunt from the Jackass movie. And, if I heard right, some other moron spilled coffee on themselves and is suing.

Common sense has prevailed for once, though: A lawsuit by a bunch of people who filled themselves out right with McDonald's food has been thrown out.