Lieberman slams MTV for Jackass stunt

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), who routinely pushes the TV networks to clean up their programming, on Monday chastised MTV for airing a stunt that led to a 13-year-old Connecticut boy setting himself on fire.

Jason Lind, of Torrington, Conn., had a 14-year-old friend pour gasoline on Lind's pants and light them on fire after seeing a similar stunt performed on MTV's stunt show, Jackass. Lind is now in critical condition. The host of Jackass, Johnny Knoxville, wore a fire-resistant suit when he covered himself with meat and climbed onto a grill in a stunt for the show.

Lieberman is calling on Viacom's MTV to cancel the show, tone it down or move it to a later time with stronger warnings. "MTV is an enormously influential force in the world our children inhabit, and with that power and the right to exercise it comes a certain level of responsibility," Lieberman said in a statement. "I intend to make clear to the network's owners that we expect more from them." - Paige Albiniak