Jeremy Clarkson shocker

mfin · December 2011

I dont get it at all... he makes comments about lorry drivers, caravans, cyclists, public sector, whatever... in the case of Cyclists for instance, has anyone been out on the roads mowing cyclists down because of what he said?? No.

Take Caravan(ers) ...am I more irritated by them because he has gone on about them relentlessly over the years? No. But they irritate the sh!t out of me.

If comments cause people offence then tough, he's hardly inciting racial violence or anything is he.

As for sacking him on the grounds he might have offended someone, well, think that's out of order based on the above. If, people want him sacked cos they think he's not funny (I dont find him particularly funny) then just watch other things. There's plenty of BBC presenters Id like to see sacked. Id like to see Strictly Come Dancing cancelled, but it isnt gonna happen, it brings lots of joy to the oldies anyway.

The argument over whether his comments should be on The One Show.... well, if the One Show didnt think he was suitable for their audience then they shouldnt have booked him to be on there in the first place. If you book Jeremy Clarkson you get Jeremy Clarkson. If you book Nick Griffin you get Nick Griffin.

The one thing you cant do, is have a debate on what people find funny and what people dont. If I went out of my front door for instance and saw someone slip in dogsh!t and fall over their shopping, wind-ing themselves and they were honking for breath on the pavement, Id be on the floor in hysterics, but, I can bet half a dozen other people would be over there all concerned saying 'are you alright???'.

Censorship on the basis of what people find funny is a dangerous road towards very borrrrring broadcasting.

One Man And His Bike · December 2011

If he got the sack over this I'd want all the people who complained shot in front of their families as a form of protest because my civil liberties were being infringed. *nods*

Top Gear is one of the most successful shows the BBC has managed to keep hold of and keep going, if I remember correctly the waiting list to view the show is the longest (Followed by QI IIRC) and it's broadcasting figures globally have been mentioned already in this thread. He and the rest of the team are fantastically popular and do provide very entertaining TV and it's because (shock horror) they have a very tongue in cheek style of humour and entertain millions of people.

People find Jezzer funny, it's a personal view but the numbers also make it fact. He is booked on the shows he is because of his style, views and what he says. As rajMAN points out correctly, you book the guy you know what you are getting, if you DON'T the person who booked him should get the sack for such a huge mistake and error in judgement.

You have to view the full context of what he said, not the edited version to see it for what it was, if you don't grasp it get someone with more than 2 braincells to explain it too you in words containing less than 2 syllables perhaps? If that still fails to help you understand, go check eBay for a sense of humour?

verylonglegs · December 2011

Tom Butcher wrote:

I'd rather not have to contribute to his inflated wages so based on that I think the BBC should get rid. It's not a free speech issue - he's free to say what he likes - just I'd rather not pay for him to do it. If more people would rather keep him then they are free to give him support - myself I took 3-4 minutes to complain.

You are aware you are not forced to pay his wages?

Tom Butcher · December 2011

verylonglegs wrote:

Tom Butcher wrote:

I'd rather not have to contribute to his inflated wages so based on that I think the BBC should get rid. It's not a free speech issue - he's free to say what he likes - just I'd rather not pay for him to do it. If more people would rather keep him then they are free to give him support - myself I took 3-4 minutes to complain.

You are aware you are not forced to pay his wages?

Are you going to say something like "don't pay for a TV licence" ?

It's pretty simple - I find his jokes about cyclists objectionable and I do think they contribute to the motoring culture in this country which means cyclists get less consideration than they might in some others. I also found his joke about public sector workers objectionable - so I used the correct channels to let the people who buy his TV show that. That doesn't mean I don't want a TV licence, it doesn't mean I was outraged or shocked, it doesn't mean I think he infringed my civil liberties or any of the other slightly hysterical suggestions on here - it just means I think the BBC should spend its money otherwise.

MattC59 · December 2011

Tom Butcher wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

Tom Butcher wrote:

I'd rather not have to contribute to his inflated wages so based on that I think the BBC should get rid. It's not a free speech issue - he's free to say what he likes - just I'd rather not pay for him to do it. If more people would rather keep him then they are free to give him support - myself I took 3-4 minutes to complain.

You are aware you are not forced to pay his wages?

Are you going to say something like "don't pay for a TV licence" ?

It's pretty simple - I find his jokes about cyclists objectionable and I do think they contribute to the motoring culture in this country which means cyclists get less consideration than they might in some others. I also found his joke about public sector workers objectionable - so I used the correct channels to let the people who buy his TV show that. That doesn't mean I don't want a TV licence, it doesn't mean I was outraged or shocked, it doesn't mean I think he infringed my civil liberties or any of the other slightly hysterical suggestions on here - it just means I think the BBC should spend its money otherwise.

And dispite everything that's been written, you still manage to miss the point of his joke, ignore his comment about the views not being his, and ignore the somewhat more offensive comment about suicide victims.

Bravo :roll:

Tom Butcher · December 2011

What was that - you find his comment about suicide victims offensive - but surely it is just a joke, not his real view, you know what you are going to get with him etc etc.....

Fwiw yes I do think that's another of his comments that is out of order - do we have to start the same dance again where you ask me half a dozen irrelevant questions and then get upset when I don't answer them all ?

ps - was the bravo you congratulating yourself for finishing a sentence ?

Edit - Matt you really are a *****

MattC59 · December 2011

Tom Butcher wrote:

What was that - you find his comment about suicide victims offensive [once again, highlighting that you can't read and digest what is written in posts] - but surely it is just a joke, not his real view, you know what you are going to get with him etc etc.....

Fwiw yes I do think that's another of his comments that is out of order - do we have to start the same dance again where you ask me half a dozen irrelevant questions and then get upset when I don't answer them all ? [I just assumed that you were unable to]

ps - was the bravo you congratulating yourself for finishing a sentence ? [well done, an attempt at a joke ?]

Woosh...................

OffTheBackAdam · December 2011

If he'd said that bankers should be shot infront of their families, would we hear the same uproar from the Unions?
It also seems that JC's joke was passed by the BBC prior to him saying it.

One Man And His Bike · December 2011

OffTheBackAdam wrote:

It also seems that JC's joke was passed by the BBC prior to him saying it.

So much for "live television"...

pauldavid · December 2011

I think that Jezza is actually quite funny.

Tom Butcher please advise who employs you, I would like to let your employer know that I don't find you funny atall and that they should spend their money employing someone I don't dislike as much you.

You don't annoy me, upset me but I'm at a bit of a loose end this evening and complaining about you would fill 10 minutes.

Thank you kindly

Ron Stuart · December 2011

http://www.pureclarkson.com/ :roll:

finchy · December 2011

I think that Clarkson, on this issue, is just suffering because he's been such a complete tw*t in the past that everyone is assuming he's being a tw*t now.

Soni · December 2011

I wasn't offended by his comments and to be perfectly honest all the fuss about the sparrows I think is perthetic, however I did think the train suicides comment was very unthoughtful for those who have lost relatives in this way.

Only the other week there was an incident in my old hometown whereby a young 25 year old lad through himself in front of a fast train at a train station right next to where he lived, I didn't know him, however I couldn't help but hope his freinds and family weren't watching that one show and listening to that moron Clarkson sprouting off stupid uncaring and unthoughtful childish comments at a time of year when loved ones are missed the most.....

And the thought that this could have been purely money/publicity motivated is shameful, causing others distress and hurt for your own success.....he is a little boy who has some serious growing up to do, you could see how childish he is when they came back to him after one of the other topics they covered, he looked like a little boy who had just been told off.

Tom Butcher · December 2011

pauldavid wrote:

I think that Jezza is actually quite funny.

Tom Butcher please advise who employs you, I would like to let your employer know that I don't find you funny atall and that they should spend their money employing someone I don't dislike as much you.

You don't annoy me, upset me but I'm at a bit of a loose end this evening and complaining about you would fill 10 minutes.

Thank you kindly

Once again it's not a case of my wanting him off the BBC because I don't find him funny. I do actually find some of his stuff funny - not so much these days but certainly a few years back - I don't doubt he has talent as a TV presenter.

My point is simply this - when he makes his silly comments designed to shock he doesn't give a stuff about the impact. Now you may not think his jokes about cyclists or trivialising speeding etc etc - how to blow up a speed camera and that kind of stuff - has any impact but I do. I was only reading an article today off this site - http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/call-for-courts-to-do-more-to-protect-cyclists-28853 - which discusses the culture in this country whereby offences against cyclists are not taken seriously. Yes Top Gear and JC are as much a symptom as a cause but you don't need to take that approach to present a motoring programme - there's just no need for it.

The suicide comment is another - there's just no need. I actually witnessed this incident - the catcalling anyway I didn't hang around to see the lad jump : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3108987/Suicide-teenager-urged-to-jump-by-baying-crowd.html

No I'm not saying Clarkson had anything to do with that attitude but it does show that we don't need any more encouragement of that kind of mentality especially from people with a public platform.

So yes because Clarkson doesn't really give a stuff about the impact of what he says so long as some of you find it entertaining and it makes him money I'd rather he was off the BBC and I've told them that. When my kids go out on their bikes I'd rather not even take the chance the likes of Clarkson have influenced some guy to think cyclists shouldn't be on the road or that speeding is OK really so long as you don't get caught. If that's so offensive to you then maybe you are a bit more easily offended than you think.

DavidBelcher · December 2011

One Man And His Bike wrote:

OffTheBackAdam wrote:

It also seems that JC's joke was passed by the BBC prior to him saying it.

So much for "live television"...

Only serves to reinforce the "outrageous politically incorrect opinions which he has for money" quote I used earlier in the thread. Basically the sort of person (or performing monkey, take your pick) wheeled out in front of the cameras as resident rent-a-gob in order to stir up a bit of controversy. Presumably the Beeb could just have easily plumped for Richard Littlejohn or Jon Gaunt, except they wouldn't have flogged quite so much money-spinning Top Gear merchandise as a result.....

David

Ben6899 · December 2011

This thread has taught me A LOT.

rick_chasey · December 2011

Do share ben.

Ben6899 · December 2011

Which BR members get offended easily/as a hobby and which ones manage to get on with life and recognise the difference between jokes and reality.

rick_chasey · December 2011

Ben6899 wrote:

Which BR members get offended easily/as a hobby and which ones manage to get on with life and recognise the difference between jokes and reality.

That usually depends on how busy work is for me to be honest.

Ben6899 · December 2011

Rick Chasey wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

Which BR members get offended easily/as a hobby and which ones manage to get on with life and recognise the difference between jokes and reality.

That usually depends on how busy work is for me to be honest.

Which makes all the difference. Some folk drop everything to make time for taking offence.

Matt the Tester · December 2011

thought it was quite funny to be honest lol.

finchy · December 2011

I'm not offended, I just think he's a twunt.

Soni · December 2011

I think even those who are not offended 'would be' offended if they had a relative who could not handle life any longer and took their own life in front of fast moving train....imagine your brother, sister, mother, father......and a twat like Clarkson is too dumb to think of something that is actually funny and wouldn't cause distress to anybody.....like the Sparrows

Jeremy Clarkson shocker

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