Clarkson Strikes Again

mike65

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/04/top-gear-cleared-anti-mexican-comments

Top Gear sparked a minor diplomatic incident when it described Mexicans as "lazy, feckless, flatulent [and] overweight" but the BBC2 programme fronted by Jeremy Clarkson has been cleared of breaching broadcasting regulations by media regulator Ofcom.

The watchdog said the comments, in an episode of the programme broadcast on 30 January this year, had the potential to be "very offensive" but were justified by the programme's "irreverent style and sometimes outspoken humour".

Ofcom said Top Gear "frequently uses national stereotypes as a comedic trope and that there were few, if any, nationalities that had not at some point been the subject of the presenters' mockery throughout the history of this long-running programme".

Blitzkrieger

I remember he once said in his Times column that before when he visited Ireland all the people had pale skin and Orange hair. Now it's the other way around. I'd be surprised if he hasn't said more offensive things about us. Meh - it's a joke.

mike65

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/nov/30/jeremy-clarkson-one-show-apology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEKVUIeAsbA

Johnmb

Only problem there is that he said to take them outside to do it. If they're anything like the Irish lot they'd probably insist on moving expenses before they'd go out!

bnt

For better or for worse, he says and does things the rest of us don't get to, and whether we agree with him or not, we get to experience the vicarious thrill as he does it. Why else was he invited on that program, when he's not going to know anything about the lives of the strikers? He doesn't mind people thinking he's an idiot - both Hammond and May have called him worse things in interviews - and I suspect playing that character suits his purposes just fine.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

The gas thing is that he's a Public Servant himself.

Myrddin

deccurley wrote: »

The gas thing is that he's a Public Servant himself.

Yeah but he's not on strike.

Newspaper sales are prob slow since Jacksons doctor got banged up, this will keep the tabloids happy I'd imagine. It's just Clarkson, he says what he wants & can be quite passionate and blunt about it.

At least he wears his heart on his sleeve, it'll be something else next month.

DublinWriter

billymitchell wrote: »

Just for a bit of context, if clarkson started saying that the Irish were a bunch of "drunken spud eating terrorists" or something along those lines, I am sure there would be more than a few people in Ireland going mad over that!!

There was an edition of Top Gear where he was flying in the Pilatus PC-9M propeller plane and said something along the lines of "Can you believe the entire Irish Air Force consists of two of these!".

Cardinal Richelieu

Seriously the British have lost their sense of humour, the Unions were only looking for some extra publicity and latched onto Clarkson remarks. It was a sarcastic statement by Clarkson doing his best pseudo-Basil Fawlty alter ego impression but the Unions have to blow it up as a serious attack by a Cameron insider.

Cardinal Richelieu

DublinWriter wrote: »

There was an edition of Top Gear where he was flying in the Pilatus PC-9M propeller plane and said something along the lines of "Can you believe the entire Irish Air Force consists of two of these!".

He has offended most nations on this planet by now, its part of his appeal.:D

America seems his frequent target.

Have the Americans made something which can go round corners?

Segways are made in America, of course, so fat Yanks can go to the fridge without expending any energy.

But mostly, I suspect the people who move from Britain to the States do so because they are interested in guns and murdering

America: 250 million **** living in a country with no word for wanker.

If you're thinking of coming to America, this is what it's like: you've got your Comfort Inn; you got your Best Western; you got your Red Lobster where you eat. Everybody's very fat, everybody's very stupid and everybody's very rude. It's not the holiday programme--it's the truth.

The American motorist is the most aggressive creature on earth.

In a list of the five most rubbish things in the world, I'd have America's foreign policy at five. Aids at four. Iran's nuclear programme at three. Gordon Brown at two and Maserati's gearbox at number one.

They really do have an irony deficiency here. I can honestly believe that in certain parts of America now, people have started to mate with vegetables.

Myrddin

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

He has offended most nations on this planet by now, its part of his appeal.:D

Anyone who gets offended by Clarkson, & I mean anyone, takes themselves way to seriously & needs to lighten up.

Buffman

EnterNow wrote: »

Anyone who gets offended by Clarkson, & I mean anyone, takes themselves way to seriously & needs to lighten up.

I totally agree, as he's up to 20,000+ complaints about this already, we can safely say there are at least 20,000 Victor Meldrews in the UK public sector!

The Black Oil

EnterNow wrote: »

Anyone who gets offended by Clarkson, & I mean anyone, takes themselves way to seriously & needs to lighten up.

Yep.
I wouldn't pay much attention to him outside of Top Gear, tbh, although I wish the BBC would give him another WWII piece to do (Greatest Raid of All Time, etc). I'll admit that I do have an issue with how he says, in most series of TG, something like 'if James wins this challenge I'll have to kill myself', but I find that tedious and lazy rather than offensive.

Clips of the BBC DG Mark Thompson were on the Today programme on Radio 4 this morning. He was being pressed by some MP or Lord Twit about whether Clarkson was value for money for the license fee payer 'a luxury you can't afford'. Link. I hate this crap, get off your bloody high horse. I really think this doesn't have much to do with PCness at all, but it's about who can get on their keyboard the fastest and complain, hence 32,000 complaints. It's all just a stupid game now - Clarkson says something, complaints, outrage, blah blah, apologies, BBC defends. The end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7gP1xgRDJ4

Get over it.

Myrddin

Give me Clarkson over a 'reality tv presenter' any.day.of.the.week

lee_baby_simms

I think it's worth noting that not all people who dislike Clarkson are "easily offended" and "don't have a sense of humour."

I'm not offended by Clarkson and I've enjoyed some of the specials in the past, but for the most part I just find the condescending, little englander schtick really boring and predictable.

And as for Clarkson being some kind of trailblazing, gutsy maverick who is only "saying what everyone is thinking..."

Not everyone is a reactionary, Daily Mail reader.

mike65

/\ Classic Guardian poster! /\

lee_baby_simms

Our man in Havana

http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=395257&catid=35

UK PM sucked into slur row
31 December 2011
press trust of india
LONDON, 31 DEC: Furious over controversial BBC presenter Jeremy Clarkson mocking Indian culture during a Christmas special programme while driving in India, senior Labour MP Keith Vaz today demanded an apology. The controversy seems to have even sucked in 10 Downing Street.
The Indian-origin Vaz said the BBC should be ashamed for broadcasting gags about India that have evoked several complaints and allegations of racism. The controversial comments about India's trains, toilets, clothing, food and history were made by Clarkson during the Christmas special of the Top Gear programme.
Mr Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “Some of the contents of the programme are clearly offensive and not the least bit funny. They were completely pointless. Mr Clarkson is not a comedian. He talks about his cars and that is why he gets on the show. Why do him and the BBC bother putting this out?”
Mr Vaz also criticised Prime Minister David Cameron for making a jokey cameo appearance in the programme. The programme started with Clarkson standing outside 10 Downing Street, the British PM’s official residence, with his co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond. They announced they were going to India on a “trade mission” as “ambassadors of Britain” to save the UK from bankruptcy. Mr Cameron then stepped out of No 10 and waved off Clarkson and his co-hosts. Mr Cameron smiled while warning the trio of Top Gear hosts: “Stay away from India”.
An angry Mr Vaz said: “David Cameron used his first Christmas speech this year to stress how Britain needs to secure ties with India. I think that's all I need to say about his involvement in the show”. A Downing Street spokesman said the Prime Minister would not comment on the controversy.

The Black Oil

For jaysus sake.

mike65

It really does make you wonder doesn't it? If anyone was being mocked it was stupid tall Brits in India! I'm now certain that various politicians and other "right on" types who need a publicity boost latch onto TG.

Myrddin

This is getting ridiculous.

dublinman1990

It's get even more ridiculous, look for this story for the TG Boys payslip including Clarkson.

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16145542

After all the trouble he has caused, he still is the top earner on this programme.

Myrddin

dublinman1990 wrote: »

It's get even more ridiculous, look for this story for the TG Boys payslip including Clarkson.

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16145542

After all the trouble he has caused, he still is the top earner on this programme.

From the article

The outspoken presenter received £1.79m through his 30% stake in Bedder 6, the company set up in 2006 to exploit the Top Gear brand across the world

Seems like he earned a lot of it through his own investment?

Buffman

EnterNow wrote: »

Seems like he earned a lot of it through his own investment?

Yep, according to the article he got £350k pay from the BBC, the other £1.79m is dividend from the Bedder 6 company.

dublinman1990 wrote: »

After all the trouble he has caused, he still is the top earner on this programme.

Well, some say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and he is certainly good at getting publicity.

"Top Gear is easily British TV's biggest export worldwide, with an estimated 350m people watching each show," he told Sky News Online.

"Jeremy is synonymous with the Top Gear brand and it is difficult to imagine a better-known TV star worldwide. More people across the world watch him than David Letterman, Jay Leno or Piers Morgan."

Clarkson could probably kick the Director-General of the BBC in the nads and still have a job in Top Gear. It's all about £'s at the end of the day, and TG is a major cash cow for the BBC.

mike65

"Can I just say that I've worked at the BBC for 24 years and in all that time no one has ever tried to put his finger in my bottom".

Skrynesaver

I always assumed that Clarkson is a deep green comedian playing the sort of buffoon who can't see the need for an environment to drive their car in.