Despite them sending out insulting letters to people who complained (including a friend) saying they had no sense of humour or weren't capable of appreciating that of Top Gear, yes.
It makes me very very sad when people idolise Clarkson and/or just dig Top Gear for the fun aspect. I couldn't really concentrate on "the fun aspect" with a complete and utter wanker like that heading the show. He's a racist, sexist, homophobic, greedy, environmentalist-hating Tory fuckwit and no amount of fancy cars and gadgets can change that fact. Every time I see him even being allowed on telly I despair for the human race. Fuck compassion towards your fellow human beings and the planet we walk on; let's race with some shiny penis extensions instead! Yeah!
Oh, yeah. I loathe the supercar crap (rich bastards' toys), the sexism and the sneering at cars for ordinary people. I rather like James May though--he's done some great programmes other than TG--but he was just as bad as Clarkson this time.
The fact that May and Hammy are nice doesn't really change Clarkson's odiousness or the fun of gadgets and shiny cars, that's the problem. Imagine them at a party at someone's house: "Oh, I'm sorry my friend called you a nigger, groped your wife's tits and voted in people who decided to close down the school your disabled kid goes to." "No harm done! Come and visit us again!"
I heard Guardian readers defended them to the hilt--what a surprise. And of course the BBC isn't going to apologise for its biggest money-earner. [rolls eyes] I have zero respect for the BBC and its treatment of viewers, esp overseas ones whose countries have bought their programmes.
That's actually a surprise, as I can think of many Guardian readers who hate them. And there were columns in the Guardian slamming the racist remarks (one was from Steve Coogan (http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/feb/05/top-gear-offensive-steve-coogan)). Or are we talking some other kind of Guardian here and not the fairly leftie/environmentalist-ish UK one? o_O
I agree on general principles, but I think it's worth noting that in this instance, it was primarily Richard Hammond spouting racist bullshit, with James May chiming in too. Clarkson was actually the least culpable.
I long ago figured I must be Mexican, because I cannot see anything remotely funny in anything those utter knobs on Top Gear say or do. They are the kind of men who give masculinity a bad name.
Yet this is the BBC's top selling show. I wonder why. Oh wait; it must be because of all that, going by their target audience of the same.
That said, I do watch the interesting challenges (the Reliant Robin space shuttle was sheer genius, and Vietnam utterly beautiful despite Clarkson's constant whingeing), but I leave the room for the rest.
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I read the Steve Coogan article at the time: brilliant and very much what I was thinking.
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I agree on general principles, but I think it's worth noting that in this instance, it was primarily Richard Hammond spouting racist bullshit, with James May chiming in too. Clarkson was actually the least culpable.
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(NB, icon directed at Clarkson, not you, obv!)
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That said, I do watch the interesting challenges (the Reliant Robin space shuttle was sheer genius, and Vietnam utterly beautiful despite Clarkson's constant whingeing), but I leave the room for the rest.