Just when you thought 2011 would be over for the Jeremy Clarkson, the man whose TOP GEAR “Mexican Sports Car” segment seemed to offend almost every Latino in the world earlier this year, the BBC’s controversial TV star was facing even more problems last week in the UK.
It all started with this rant on November 30 episode of the BBC’s The One Show. When asked about the recent general strike that recently occurred in the UK, Clarkson had this to say:
Maybe the 1% has a new spokesperson?
As you might expect, Clarkson and the BBC were barraged with complaints, so much so that the popular host of TOP GEAR had to issue a somewhat more sincere formal apology (unlike the silly one he did during the Mexican controversy).
As he told The Sun on December 1:
“I was just making a joke about the BBC’s need to be impartial. If you listen to the whole interview, you’ll see there isn’t a case to answer.
“I started by saying I supported the strikers. Obviously, because it’s the BBC, I have to be impartial. So then I said they should be shot.
“Most people who are complaining haven’t seen the full interview. It’s a knee-jerk reaction.”
Clarkson’s initial comments on The One Show received over 5,000 complaints to the BBC, as reported by the British media. Even the Prime Minister, David Cameron (a friend of Clarkson’s), called it a “silly thing to say.”
Ah, Jeremy, you just can’t stop.
What kind of simpleton thinks jokes about shooting people are in any way funny? Try making a public joke about shooting the president of the USA. You’ll find the Secret Service knocking on your door in very short order. Or try making hijacking jokes at an airport. You’ll discover how little sense of humor authorities have about this kind of “satire.” I would not be surprised if Clarkson’s idea of a funny prank is to scream “fire” in a crowded theater.
Also, it’s unsurprising that when the targets of Top Gear’s inane “humor” was an Anglo-Saxon group, the apologies from Clarkson and the BBC seemed much more sincere than when he was insulting Mexicans. This response only underscores the unconscious arrogance and chauvinism of Top Gear’s creators — and apparently the BBC as well.
Yup. We are such uppity Yanks. Lol.
Julito estoy muy de acuerdo con tu comentario (uppity yanks)
Creo que la presion a la que estamos sometidos los latinos nos hace un poco sensitivos, Por lo menos en esta ocasion creo que el comentario fue mas ironico y sarcastico que ofensivo,y es que aveces le damos demasiada importancia y opacamos la realidad. Teniendo en cuenta que Europa por lo general son menos razista que en Norte America le doy el beneficio de la duda….
Tienes más fe en Clarkson que yo, hermano. ¡Abrazos!
How it is possible that at the start of the 21st century some people find it funny to make comments about race? I guess they did not live in the past century! (or at least they will not admit to it due to their egos) I believe that in the end we loose our humanhood!
It is EGO, it is always about EGO. Thanks for the comment!