At the beginning of the school year my teenage daughter was given an assignment by her eighth grade home economics teacher to write an essay about a person (living or dead) who represents "exemplary character." When I learned about this essay I was excited; after all, character is something we should showcase and instill in our children. I assumed my child would select someone like Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr., maybe an astronaut, athlete or a president, or possibly my favorite, Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

My daughter's choice for her “character essay" was Steve-O. What? I must admit that when I first found out about her choice I was kind of puzzled, but later I had a good laugh — only my kid! If you've never heard of Steve-O, which until this year I hadn't, he is one of the stars of Jackass and the hit movie spin-offs, Jackass 1, 2, and 2.5, all of which include ridiculous, pain-inflicting stunts and embarrassing pranks.

I have to point out that I am no fan of the Jackass movies and could never quite see the fascination of it all. However, I did watch an hour-long documentary, Steve-O: Demise and Rise, based on his personal life. This documentary is a "brutally honest one-hour special about his descent into madness and the consequent intervention that saved his life", which premiered on May 3, 2009 on MTV. While some reviews have labeled this documentary as "a cautionary tale and/or as exploitation," my take is mixed and when I viewed it I was somewhat squeamish, but then again, reality can have that effect.

Here is an excerpt from my daughter's "character essay":

Stephen Gilchrist Glover, more commonly known as Steve-O, who some may refer to as a “professional idiot”, however, there is more to his story than just ridiculous stunts that people laugh at, are shocked by, or get disgusted with. I have done research on his background and have uncovered much more. Don’t judge until you know the whole story because underneath the laughter you will find darkness and a tale about a young man, who in the end, triumphs!

This may seem a weird pick for "someone with good character;" however, quality of character includes humility, courage, and perseverance, which Steve-O has demonstrated through his experience with drug and alcohol abuse and his desire and tenacity to get “clean” and live a sober life. This is a story of triumph over darkness. I would highly recommend watching Steve-O: Demise and Rise. It’s a touching story of a boy following the wrong path that took him to the depths of darkness and despair and with the help of his friends he found the light and is still fighting to stay sober today. It’s an ongoing battle between right and wrong, light and dark, and Steve-O has shown me that drugs and alcohol are not the answer to dealing with life’s problems and challenges.

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Article Author: Christine Lakatos

I am the author of the fat-loss diet book for women (of all ages), MY DIVA DIET: A Woman's Last Diet Book and Compact Version, with over 29 years of experience in the health and fitness industry. I am the mother of two awesome daughters, a retired …

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