So the lads from TOP GEAR, those witty English hosts of the BBC’s most popular international export, have moved on from their controversial comments about Mexico. Now the focus is Albania.
TOP GEAR Hosts (l-r) Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, and James May ©Julien Behal/PA
As The Guardian reported on Monday, host Jeremy Clarkson, whose rather bizarre “apology” to Mexico was published in THE SUN last Sunday, focuses on the little European country that borders Greece. Next up? The Albania crime mafia, a bank robbery, and a police chase. The Guardian writes:
“Apparently, what happens is Albanians go to England, get a job, buy a car and then bring it back with them,” Clarkson said in one segment of the programme, in which the three presenters had gone ostensibly to road-test cars for a mafia boss.
“And it is quite traditional when you bring a car back like that, that you drive it around with the door locks pulled out and sometimes little marks along the back of the door,” chimed Richard Hammond, amid clumsily mocked surprise that some of the imported cars might be stolen.
Luckily for the BBC, it seems that Albanian diplomats take such slurs more phlegmatically than their Mexican counterparts.
While sources at the Albanian embassy admitted last night that the mafia stereotype could be a trying one, they noted that the ambassador himself had opted to accept the insults without complaint. His view was sought after two embassy staff attended the filming of the show’s studio segments and one was understood to have become angry at the tone.
The article continues:
While there was some outraged reaction to last night’s show on Twitter, others claimed the programme had inspired them to visit Albania, a country whose scenic beauty Clarkson acknowledged – but only after drawing laughs from the studio audience with stories of how an Albanian government minister had been embarrassed after his car was found to be stolen at a Greek police checkpoint.
Here is a video clip from the show, where the lads rob a bank and get chased by Albanian police:
The reaction has not been as intense as the one the lads received from the infamous Mexico segment, which will not be aired in Australia or on BBC America in the United States. But, from the looks of it, TOP GEAR will continue to poke fun at countries and maybe in the end no lesson will be learned. Too bad the Albania car chase wasn’t funny.
Sorry, Jeremy. Looking forward to that pint.
Why do these guys feel it’s witty to pass on stale stereotypes? Each child comes into this world without prejudices. These louts on Top Gear are simply infecting another generation with prejudices under the guise of humor. I don’t think this is amusing — at all.
The excuse that they mock all groups is no excuse at all. The entire idea of this kind of humor is a step on the path toward bigotry.
We can’t understand it, either. And it’s not funny either. Not clever at all. Frat boy humor at its worse. And go after Albania since they are such a powerful country.
Guys, guys, guys stop bickering and be thankful that Top Gear have now got your sad countries recognition all over the world. No offence!
My sad countries like America?
Fred, glad to hear from someone whose idea of wit matches the show’s.
Last time I checked, Raul, we live in the United States, right?
Have any of you folks ever seen the episode when they travelled from Miami to New Orleans?
You probably haven’t, given that you’ve probably only discovered Top Gear when it got round the online blogs that some stuff aired was a bit nasty towards Mexicans, but the hilarious abuse dished out to Americans was far more plentiful than that aimed at Mexico.
I personally love the show.
Yes I have. Making fun of Americans is easy to do. Guess what? I liked Top Gear. Now I don’t. And so does Chicharito, Mexican soccer star.
Well at least Mexico made the news in the UK for something other than the normal reasons. Probably this is the best publicity the country has had in ages.
I reckon they now have to test drive the Mastretta.
His lorry driver comments. Probably offensive, but funny as hell
Thanks for sharing!
The special on Communist cars. Probably the funniest ever.
Making fun of Communists is always funny
The thing about Top Gear is that it essentially offends, well, everyone. Each week different groups in society get, as we say in Britain, the piss taken out of them. And that is part of its charm. Granted, they went too far with the Mexico comments, but the show in general prides itself on being non-PC. It’s audience laughs when the Australians are brought to a challenge in the back of a prison van and are asked to herd up sheep. They giggle at Clarkson’s humour and asking Hammond after he recovered from brain surgery “are you now a mental”.
If we don’t have humour, then what do we have? Utter shite.
I hear ya, but there is a fine line between good humour and taking it too far. Glad you recognized that they went too far with Mexican comments.
I love the UK especially my Arsenal.
top gear its shit and they look like the r 80 years old to ugly to rude that jaremy clarkson is the biggest cunt i have ever seen in my life why do people like them i dont know
Ha! Well said. Yeah, none of the show is funny.
why jaremy dont like albanian people i know why bcos his wife f—ed 4 albanian men at the same time and she loved it
nonsense shit
Thanks for the comment