Jeremy Clarkson

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-108271 2/BBC-receives-500-complaints-Clarkson-jibe-tr uck-drivers-murder-prostitutes.html

Not quite up to Ross's standard, but was it wise so soon after.

Taking into account that Jeremy is an educated person, this was a silly remark to make. He could have made a much less offensive remark such as:

'You've got to change gear, change gear, change gear, check mirror... eat a 'Full English'. Change gear, change gear, pay another visit to the 'Greasy Spoon' That's a lot of effort in a day.'

Why did he have to make the remark about murdering prostitutes?

[Kromovaracun]

I can't stand Jeremy Clarkson. Boorish, laddy and frequently (and mysteriously) homophobic.


Clarkson's actually only homophobic in a jokey sort of way. Much the same way he is about everything offensive. When more serious, he has for instance expressed a great sadness over what happened to Alan Turing.

AOG, weren't you complaining a couple months ago that freedom of speech on TV was being limited by oversensitivity?

[saxy_jag]

I'm an ex-trucker's missus. Both of us found it funny and not one bit offensive. If anything, it's nice for the profession (and that's what I believe it is) to have the man's backing.

I'm with Jenty - some people are so uptight. I'm sure there are those who are never happy unless they're moaning about something. I see quite a few things on TV that I find offensive (Songs of Praise, for one), but I have better things to do in life than whinge about them. As Jenty says, the off switch is quite an easy one to find.

It looks like this:
http://www.clker.com/cliparts/3/e/7/1/11970919 7585381818TzeenieWheenie_Power_On_Off_Switch_r ed_2.svg.hi.png

[carrust]

Wouldn't mind if the remark about prossies was original! It was in Viz several years ago!

[jenty]

i have 3kids and 2 grankids jake

[jno]

Kromovaracun, I am none too sure what, in practice, the difference is between jokey homophobia and the real thing. It's sort of like thinking you can say anything you want if you put a :-) at the end of it, as if that somehow stops something being offensive - which I don't think it does.

[debbz1969]

Clarkson is a genius... have you read his books (the ones that have his Sunday Times columns) so funny. At this rate the only TV we'll have to watch is the Tweenies and Tickabilla, just in case someone, somewhere, without a life finds something offensive.
Come on, lighten up folks and take what was said in the manner that it was meant. This is, after all, still a free country.

[jake-the-peg]

So Jenty

How do you feel about having a discussion about the muder of prostitutes with your grandkids?

[Bbbananas]

Still laughing at saxy-jag finding Songs of Praise offensive!

[Kromovaracun]

am none too sure what, in practice, the difference is between jokey homophobia and the real thing.

Jokey homophobia is me calling my friends (both of us being gay) radically offensive things and being responded to in kind. The real thing is passing a gay guy on the street and shouting abuse at him. Or kicking his head in. Or denying him rights to education or employment on grounds of sexuality. Honestly, I find the fact that you can't distinguish saying it and meaning it kind of shocking.

The only real evidence of homophobia on Clarkson's part that I can see is that he frequently pejoratively implies that either Hammond or May are gay. And, frankly (and I say this as an openly gay man), if gays can't take a little horsing around, then we may as well lay down and let the world walk all over us.

As for the ludicrous argument that it affects children: do you really think children are paradigms of tolerance and civility before the likes Clarkson come along? Clarkson is childish, children aren't Clarksonish. Plus I'll bet you any money you like that pretty much every child in the country has and always has known somebody like Clarkson, so the idea that he's a unique figure that children aspire to has no grounding.

[jno]

But Kromovaracun, can you actually tell whether someone means it? If someone calls 'Hey *******', can you actually be sure the smile on his face means he's not about to kick you anyway? And if it's just alerted bystanders, who wouldn't otherwise have known, to your sexuality, is that always going to be a good thing?

I know people don't always mean what they say, but to my way of thinking, using the language of homophobia is never going to be a good thing (the exception would be the one you cited: between gays who are comfortable with each other). You may know, or think you know, when Clarkson is joking. Does everyone?

[jno]

okay, the word I used was the one that rhymes with woof+dah, but it could have been any unsympathetic expression.

[Oneeyedvic]

So Jake, you think Top Gear raises more moral questions that say East Enders?

I must confess that I don't watch the soaps, but isn't someone about to get murdered? Have you had conversations with your kids about that? What about lesbian behaviour? Adoption? Arson? Or should all soaps be banned as well?

How about the Bill - that used to be on at 8pm? Did they tackle any gritty issues in that?

Do you let them watch the news? Have you tried explainnig to your little darlings how you can have a lovely tv set while people in Africa are starving to death?

Have you told them that they shouldn't be laughing at jokes whilst atrocities occur in the Congo?

Moralistic prat!

[brionon]

But has he ever denied that he murders Prostitutes ?

[ummmm]

An Englishman, Irishman and Scottsman....!!!!!

Get a humour.

[jno]

Vic, perhaps jake's point is not to laugh at jokes about atrocities in the Congo? It's not the fact of prostitutes being murdered that is a problem - that will be on the news any time of day - but the fact that it is being treated as a source of humour before the watershed that seems inappropriate. At least if the watershed is to have any purpose.

[Jillius]

My hubby is a HGV driver and he thought it was hilarious !
People nowadays just can't take a joke. Perhaps he shouldn't have joked about the murders but he certainly didn't offend my hubby.

[brionon]

My daughter is an Articulated Lorry driver working on the Continent and she'd like to meet him up an Alley one night.

[123everton]

I thought it was quite funny and without reading the other answers the analogy of this and the Ross/Brand fiasco does'nt wash.
Brand phoned someone up and involuntarily involved them in the joke, Clarkson has'nt.

[brionon]

Everton -What Joke ?