Clarkson Suspended...

[User169]

Now we do not know but expect Clarkson smacked somebody, what would it take for you to do the same.

A bit more than being told din-dins was going to be late!

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

It will be interesting to see if the facts justify the uproar and speculation.

 

[John the Monkey]

He was taking the pee, it's an entertainment programme, anyone who watches this for driving advice is dumb, IMO

My impression of the programme is that it seems to occupy an uneasy space where that's not entirely clear though.

In a similar way, the targets of the humour, and the views on them (possibly presented ironically) hover close enough to a mainstream view for the distinction to be elusive for some, and problematic in its effect.

It's not Frankie Boyle (for example, or, to be fair, those parts of Frankie Boyle's act that get into the papers) where the view is so outrageous as to be rejected out of hand, or considered obviously laughable, it's supportive of something close enough to the status quo (if not the actual status quo) repackaged as bravely contrarian.

It's entirely possible I have an outdated view of the programme though. My son was a big fan when he was about 12, and in his own words "grew out of it" after a year or so, so all I really know about Top Gear is the stuff I've seen about it in the papers since.

 

[John the Monkey]

Yeah but, you know, its Clarkson. He expresses the stuff we would all like to say but can't because of those pesky PCers, so he should be allowed to because, after all, it is only a bit of a joke
At least I think that is the argument.

There are various that I've seen - some of them revolve around the producer being "typical BBC" in some, unspecified way (and presumably, therefore, worthy of a thump) and some are variants of "but LOL, bants." The commentary under the Telegraph piece is where I gleaned most of that, I've not looked at the petition page.

 

[snorri]

[QUOTE 3584499, member: 9609"]Because the response needs to be in proportion to whatever happened. I am not suggesting that the beeb should be tolerant of clarkson bullying members of the crew, but to take the entire programme down for a bit of a push would be wildly over the top..[/QUOTE]
I think there could be technical difficulties screening the programme with Clarksons speech muted and image defaced sufficiently to make him unrecognisable.

 

[raleighnut]

It is going to cost the BBC millions of pounds, already there is talk about penalty charges being claimed by other countries who have purchased the series and now will not get what they have paid for. This is before the loss of revenue kicks in.
FWIW I suspect Jeremy engineered this Hoo-hah to get away from the BBC.

 

[snorri]

[QUOTE 3584577, member: 9609"]unless it has been a significant assault then I see no reason for a suspension, if it was some minor push and the other bloke feels he can no longer work on the same set, then I am sure the beeb could employ him elsewhere until the investigation is over.[/QUOTE]
I just can't understand your responses to this incident, but relieved you never had anything to do with management of any of my workplaces.

 

[albion]

"he could walk away from the show when his contract runs out at the end of the month."

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/ne...acas___after__star_offered_cold_meat_platter_

 

[shouldbeinbed]

[QUOTE 3584499, member: 9609"]Because the response needs to be in proportion to whatever happened. I am not suggesting that the beeb should be tolerant of clarkson bullying members of the crew, but to take the entire programme down for a bit of a push would be wildly over the top. If JC has whacked him one and the bloke has a black eye or something, then the police should be called and if that was the case I could understand the series being cancelled.[/QUOTE]
You're looking at this in isolation of the many other 'incidents' the public know about, for which he and his employers between them have notified us all that he's been through an increasing scale of warnings to his last indiscretion (the nursery rhyme supposed gaffe or the Brumese bridge) garnering him a final warning, since then there was the childishness in Argentina & now he's offered violence to a colleague on works time. The response is entirely in proportion to an escalating and seemingly endless trail of wilful rebellion/misdemeanours/wrongdoings/ just plain egoism or rampant stupidity on JC's part.

 

[Cyclist33]

The difference is Boyle and Clarkson are being ironic whereas Farage and the Daily Mail aren't.

I could understand the groundswell of antipathy to Clarkson if it came from an irony-free Middle America, but I had thought the Brits had a slightly better evolved and sophisticated sense of humour; but apparently that is reserved for the intelligent among us.

[QUOTE 3584625, member: 45"]Anyway, Frankie Boyle once used the line "The Daily Mail - racist in public so you don't have to be".

This applies to people like Clarkson and Farage. Their fame is somehow seen to give credibility to what they say, and people like that. They get away with it because people like what they say. Prejudice by proxy.[/QUOTE]

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I am surprised they haven't got someone else in to 'muddle through' it's the way they normally do it and as mentioned, not doing it that way is going to cost them a huge amount of money. Even if they don't have this weeks, it seems like an odd decision to scrap the following two as well. I guess it's possible that May and Hammond have refused to work without him but considering the HIGNFY tub of lard choice, you'd have thought something could have been done.

Also, anyone seen the Dave bit, they are putting up their 'definitions of words' screen between programs and one of last nights was 'Fracas - 1. an altercation between two or more people, 2. the reason you'll only see Top Gear at 8pm this Sunday on Dave'. That's clever TV management.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

The difference is Boyle and Clarkson are being ironic whereas Farage and the Daily Mail aren't.

Hmm, not sure. I think Frankie Boyle moved away from TV because he realised that his persona wasn't being recognised as not being him, while year on year Clarkson seems to have come to a similar conclusion but just embraced the whole thing and moved more heavily towards it.

 

[Cyclist33]

Hmm, not sure. I think Frankie Boyle moved away from TV because he realised that his persona wasn't being recognised as not being him, while year on year Clarkson seems to have come to a similar conclusion but just embraced the whole thing and moved more heavily towards it.

In this way he deepened and sharpened the inherent satire and irony, it's a shame anyone fails to understand that, although to be honest if it were understood by everyone then there'd be nothing to satirise.

 

[benb]

[QUOTE 3584577, member: 9609"]unless it has been a significant assault then I see no reason for a suspension, if it was some minor push and the other bloke feels he can no longer work on the same set, then I am sure the beeb could employ him elsewhere until the investigation is over.[/QUOTE]

What exactly is a "significant" assault?
Or, perhaps more pertinently, what is an "insignificant" assault?

 

[Cyclist33]

[QUOTE 3584657, member: 45"]You're giving him waaaaaayyyyyy too much credit (or he's fooling you). A speed apologist cannot satirise speed apology.[/QUOTE]

Of course they can.