Jeremy Clarkson... 'Road Tax??'

[Ravenbait]

I'm reminded of the arguments that Jim Davidson's and Bernard Manning's misogyny and racism were just a bit of harmless fun, don't take it so seriously.

As the Joker might say

"Why so serious?"

Or as Manning himself, said: "I tell jokes. You never take a joke seriously."

Top Gear used to be entertaining. Then they became caricatures of themselves and it turned preposterous. Even my father, who insisted we watch TG at Christmas in the same way I insisted we watch Dr Who, declared that it had become stupid, annoying and offensive.

Sam

 

[turnout]

He's not even a real hamster.

 

[John the Monkey]

Perhaps it is the other way round. Those people would exist without Clarkson, but he might not exist without them.

You just blew my mind.

 

[joebingo]

They probably are Dave, but it doesn't reflect on the actions of the other xx million people who tune in weekly. Much like RLJ'ers, ninjas and pavement cyclists don't reflect on the actions of us.

I doubt that anyone would watch clarkson and say "Y'know what, he's so right. I'm going to go out and endanger lives because of him". It's probably more like "Oh, I'm a thick headed numbskull who endangers peoples lives because they don't pay road tax... GO ON CLARKSON, YOU TELL 'EM"

 

[400bhp]

It's a government-backed report, not a report carried out by the Daily mail.

Any chance of reining in your sarcasm and insults?

Not with anyone who quotes the Daily Whail, no.

Have you actually read the report?

It's political posturing.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Perhaps it is the other way round. Those people would exist without Clarkson, but he might not exist without them.

Granted, they'd be twats with or without Clarkson but I still think he and his various wannabes encourage them.

 

[turnout]

Not with anyone who quotes the Daily Whail, no.

Have you actually read the report?

It's political posturing.

What part of the report do you think wrong?

 

[subaqua]

You really don't see the difference in vulnerability between those groups and cyclists, then?

they have feelings too you know

people bite far too easily here.

 

[Ravenbait]

They probably are Dave, but it doesn't reflect on the actions of the other xx million people who tune in weekly. Much like RLJ'ers, ninjas and pavement cyclists don't reflect on the actions of us.

I doubt that anyone would watch clarkson and say "Y'know what, he's so right. I'm going to go out and endanger lives because of him". It's probably more like "Oh, I'm a thick headed numbskull who endangers peoples lives because they don't pay road tax... GO ON CLARKSON, YOU TELL 'EM"

This. There will always be a core group of people who think that cyclists should be run over on sight, immigrunts are coming here to steal our jobs and maybe our women, women should be at home looking after the kids and cleaning the house, a man has no business going anywhere near a washing machine unless it's broken and he's fixing it, or all of the above. That's why Have Your Say is only readable having been put through the SYB filter.

That doesn't make the jokes acceptable. We are not yet at the point in our culture where these things shouldn't be taken seriously, in the same way that Chris Rock gets to make jokes about African-Americans but Frankie Boyle probably shouldn't.

While the problem exists, it's not a joke.

Sam

 

[jack the lad]

It's TV, not education. Clarkson is playing up to an audience of juvenile petrolheads and just being one of them. Producers will try to reflect what their audience wants to hear, not lecture them on what they 'ought' to think or do. Is TG really any worse than the rest of the TV schedules overloaded with greed shows, murder mysteries, dysfunctional family life, prurient freak shows and all the other dross that passes for entertainment.

 

[John the Monkey]

people bite far too easily here.

Maybe I'm just trolling too?

AH!

Pfft.

 

[turnout]

David Neave of Co-operative Insurance compiled the report.

 

[Dave Davenport]

It's TV, not education. Clarkson is playing up to an audience of juvenile petrolheads and just being one of them. Producers will try to reflect what their audience wants to hear, not lecture them on what they 'ought' to think or do. Is TG really any worse than the rest of the TV schedules overloaded with greed shows, murder mysteries, dysfunctional family life, prurient freak shows and all the other dross that passes for entertainment.

I don't think top gear is any worse than and is maybe not as bad as some things on the telly, but that's because there's lots of absolute garbage on.

 

[subaqua]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpQLMHGDtYc&feature=player_embedded


i wonder if Clarkson saw this guy and just got confused.

 

[John the Monkey]

I don't think top gear is any worse than and is maybe not as bad as some things on the telly, but that's because there's lots of absolute garbage on.

It's definitely better than "Snog, Marry, Avoid". Probably.