[Closed] Top Gear - Clarkson in "IDIOT" shocker!

no. I take it with a pinch of salt and don't get so worked up.

Clarkson is a fictional character on the BBC, he plays to an audience in very successful way for which he is rewarded. When people get worked up it proves he is getting his act right.

Cheer Up

MW: 'I drove into a Rav 4 and broke my shoulder and leg'

JC: '...And that is why you shouldn't take up cycling kids'

I took it as a joke. Because it was a joke.

Should I be banned for admitting that I even chuckled briefly a couple of episodes ago when his cycling T shirt 'Drivers, thank you for letting me use your roads' was shown...

I've never been passed by Clarkson so couldn't judge whether he passes cyclists safely.

He (Clarkson) and Top Gear are two of the funniest things on TV, did think the end last night showing off Britain's manufacturing (albeit automotive) was quite poignant.

I thought it was funny but I'm not a hater who still watched Top Gear anyway so they can whine about it.

[b]Of course it's dangerous [/b]because people drive with your attitude you prick!

So you seem to agree with him that it's dangerous then ?

The cycling piece was very tongue in cheek....

The collection of stuff on the Mall was ace, just before The Germans and Das Auto, impeccable timing and probably no coincidence...

Clarkson is a fictional character on the BBC, he plays to an audience in very successful way for which he is rewarded. When people get worked up it proves he is getting his act right.

[img] [/img]

Anyone else think the above when he discusses how dangerous cycling is?

No.
I've been reading and watching JC for well over 20 years now. In that time he's insulted virtually everyone on the planet including myself more than once through my various pastimes, cars, opinions etc.
But I 'get' him. I understand his humour. I know where he's coming from.
I find the idiots are those that get wound up by him and rant an rave about him.....
🙂

I suspect he passes cyclists very carefully, because if there was even a whiff or him hitting one then losing his career would probably only be the start.

Clarkson is a fictional character on the BBC, he plays to an audience in very successful way for which he is rewarded. When people get worked up it proves he is getting his act right.
Cheer Up

I think the only problem is that not everyone understands this.

(aka [url= http://www.****/news/article-2351767/BBC-shelved-report-showing-Alf-Garnetts-bigotry-shared-viewers-bosses-worried-encouraging-prejudice.html ]the "Alf Garnett problem"[/url])

This thread isn't going the way the o.p. had hoped...

I thought it was just kids and the terminally stupid that watched top gear.

I think the Facebook and Twitter I-ran-him-off-the-road braggers show that there are people thick enough to take him seriously and he therefore makes the roads more dangerous for cyclists.

Religious people who incite hatred of other groups aren't given air time so I object to the BBC (run by the Queen and funded by a direct tax) giving Clarkson air time. Baiting the thick and ignorant isn't a part of the BBC's mission.

Clarkson is a fictional character on the BBC, he plays to an audience in very successful way for which he is rewarded. When people get worked up it proves he is getting his act right.
Cheer Up
I think the only problem is that not everyone understands this.

And that's the genius. People still think he's serious. When everyone works out it's all an act (and don't get wound up by him) that'll be the end of the act.

So, just like that girl on Twitter then?

I thought it was just kids and the terminally stupid that watched top gear.

Don't worry it still is.

And that's the genius. People still think he's serious. When everyone works out it's all an act (and don't get wound up by him) that'll be the end of the act.

To be clear here are we talking about JC, Al or AA?

I laughed, and I actually took it that he was highlighting how dangerous a car/bike interface can be

Your rant stinks of fail

I once had a tenuous link to one of the writers for TG; word was Clarkson was a nice fella & the other 2 were the plicks. Just 3rd hand info though, and about 6 years old now.

So, just like that girl on Twitter then?

I wasn't paying too much attention last night, can you direct me to the segment where he said he got drunk and intentionally ran someone over?

Next you lot will be telling me Eastenders isn't real.

so I object to the BBC (run by the Queen and funded by a direct tax)

Religious people who incite hatred of other groups aren't given air time

I think the Facebook and Twitter I-ran-him-off-the-road braggers show that there are people thick enough to take him seriously and he therefore makes the roads more dangerous for cyclists.

Baiting the thick and ignorant isn't a part of the BBC's mission.

True. Unfortunately, entertaining them still is sometimes.

I didn't see the cycling bit, which appears to shed a different light on it.

My concern is the neanderthals like the twitter girl, and threads on here saying "looking how stupid this cyclist is riding on this busy road" when in fact it is DRIVERS not driving to acceptable standards that kill thousands on our roads annually.

It's the glaring failure to see the causal link that JC's comments encourage that concerns me.

Anyone who has lost someone to an RTC may see my point better.

I actually took it that he was highlighting how dangerous a car/bike interface can be

+1

Sweet child of Nazareth it was a quip/joke. He was talking to a bloke who can rag a car really well who also loves cycling. That alone pisses on any 'petrolhead' who hates cyclists. any morons that take Clarkson literally will take anything that they see, hear or do literally ALL their lives. Get over it.

I actually took it that he was highlighting how dangerous a car/bike interface can be

So the whole programme should be about enjoying ones driving whilst respecting the law, other road users and the environment. As per M6 Turbo in France or PS in Germany. But it's not, it's about "lads" driving "laddishly" and encouraging dangerous driving that makes life dangerous for other road users. Yob, slob, gob etc..

so I object to the BBC (run by the Queen and funded by a direct tax) giving Clarkson air time

You're spot one there, programmes such as Snog, Marry Avoid, Eastenders and Extreme OCD camp are much better use of their money and we should thank the Queen personally.

and encouraging dangerous driving that makes life dangerous for other road users.

I must have missed that bit. Or did you over-exaggerate and make it up as usual?

There really are some humourless twits around watching telly programmes and people they don't like.

In fairness there also appears to be an equal measure of humourless twits getting wound up that people don't have the same sense of humour as themselves.
Too many people seeking approval of others.

Looks like it's time to roll this out again. Nothing is what it appears etc..

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I really liked last nights show and the one before.

It started appealling to the geek/enthusiast again for all things motor/driven.

After countless episodes with purile japery I bet last nights show turned off alot of non-car fans.

I actually agree with cynic-al having lost a good friend to an idiotic drivr and having helped get an old lady out of a demolished jag yesterday that had been hit by a defender that had tried to straight line some bends. The road number of road injuries and deaths shouldnt be trivialised imo. Having said that I dont watch top gear and find it funny that so many jump to defend such mindless bollocks telly.

Having said that I dont watch top gear and find it funny that so many jump to defend such mindless bollocks telly.

I find it equally funny that people try to take it far too seriously and attack it, especially when they don't watch it. (Or better, when they do watch it, just to get annoyed by it and post on STW).

Clarkson is a fictional character on the BBC, he plays to an audience in very successful way for which he is rewarded. When people get worked up it proves he is getting his act right.

Precisely sums it up IMO.

There are so many other things on TV I'd want banning before the "Heightened Reality" show that is Top Gear, For the life of me I cannot fathom the appeal of some of some of the other shite on telly.

Banning Clarkson for being Oafish and middle-aged would feel more like a bitter blow to Freedom of speech than a win for proportionalty and public safety IMO. In the same vein the world would have to view [I]"TOWIE"[/I] and all of those other "Reality" shows as a prime argument for Eugenics... Actually, Thinking about it Twitter Girl (whose already been pointed to as some sort of example of "Clarksonism" in action) is more likely to be a devoted viewer of those preening wastes of oxygen than Clarkson... Target audience innit...

I often dislike some of what he espouses, but then I don't think he believes most of it, it's part of the act. Those that think he's serious and worse yet those that agree with it are the sort of toss bandits that would be inclined towards cyclist hating and other forms of "Light Bigotry" with or without Jeremy Clarkson's encouragement.

I love cars as engineering objects, and I love to drive, which is why I end up watching Top Gear despite having a fair few problems with it. The trips or races across Europe are good telly, I reckon, even though the tension is pretty false. Some of the stunts are good, many are stupid, and in some of the later seasons the shows just seemed like a load of clips randomly jumbled together rather than a well assembled show. And some of it is just stupid, boy racer attitudes aside.

However, there is more to driving than speed, and the show seems to downplay that side of it in favour of some boy racer attitudes at times. For example, on the cross country races they keep going on about the power and speed of the car, even though half the time they are just on normal roads and motorways and (Germany notwithstanding) they aren't going any faster than I would be in my Prius. Having said that.. they do a lot of interesting things that are not focused on speed, so perhaps they do serve both camps.

I know they joke about environmental stuff and cyclists, and I know they are joking, but humour is often a way to normalise something. If you were having doubts about buying an RR Sport say, and those three start making jokes about it, you might well find it easier to brush your conscience under the carpet.

One of the episodes you missed must have been the "lads" racing through France on public roads at average speeds over the national speed limit. Brits racing through France immune to speed cameras is a serious safety issue with something like 85% of cars flashed on some radars having foreign plates even though foreign plates are only 5% of the traffic.

even though half the time they are just on normal roads and motorways and (Germany notwithstanding) they aren't going any faster than I would be in my Prius.

Well, until they come to a queue of traffic, anyway

One of the episodes you missed must have been the "lads" racing through France on public roads at average speeds over the national speed limit.

Yeah I did miss that. I'm sure I'd have ranted about it if I'd seen it 🙁

Zokes having a pop at a_a who'd have thunk it?

Have to say that I agree with a_a on this.

Brits racing through France immune to speed cameras is a serious safety issue with something like 85% of cars flashed on some radars having foreign plates even though foreign plates are only 5% of the traffic.

Are 85% of the cars involved in speed-related crashes also foreign plated? If not, the logic FAIL.

Zokes having a pop at a_a who'd have thunk it?

Nope, just disagreeing with his logic

I would imagine that insane young French men are more of a problem than foreign drivers in terms of road safety...

cynic-al - Member

I didn't see the cycling bit, which appears to shed a different light on it.

The problem with Clarkson is he only has one joke which is every position he takes is the wrong one. He's ridiculing people like him - middle age, middle brow, tory know it alls and he's trying to demonstrate the wrongness of his opinions by having everything go wrong for him, usually by something predictably bursting into flames or falling over. If you agree with him you don't get the joke, if you get upset by the position he takes on an issue you don't get the joke - because he agrees with you thats why he's making his position ridiculous

The problem arises that even though he's been telling that joke for 20 odd years lots of people don't get the joke and still take what he says at face value. Clarkson fans of the 'Clarkson for PM' petitions don't realise that they are the butt of his joke. Single issue campaigners prodded for a reaction by the press don't get the joke.

The thing is, if you get the joke how many times can you hear it before it stops being funny.

Knock Knock
Who's there
Exactly the punchline you were expecting
Hurray my favourite

Knock Knock
Who's there
Exactly the punchline you were expecting
Hurray my favourite

Knock Knock
Who's there
Exactly the punchline you were expecting
Great.. is something going to catch fire soon?

One of the episodes you missed must have been the "lads" racing through France on public roads at average speeds over the national speed limit.

I suspect some of them are races to a point - the London one perhaps? I'd love to know if any of them were genuine.

Insane young French men are no problem at all, they aren't allowed to drive and are often in asylums.

The percentage of Brits involved in accidents near the channel ports is possibly worse than the 85% of vehicles flashed. Even for France as a whole foreign vehicles are a quarter of the total flashed. The combination of high speed and driving on the other side of the road mean a lot of holidays end badly.

It works both ways, a French acquaintance survived a fatal accident near Devil's Bridge in Wales. The driver pulled out from the pub on the wrong side of the road and hit a Land Rover head on.

The T5 transporter vans and range rovers they use as camera cars must be blimmin quick to keep up and sometimes race ahead of the super cars they use in those races

The percentage of Brits involved in accidents near the channel ports is possibly worse than the 85% of vehicles flashed.

I'm sceptical of that. I'd like to see figures, and don't include accidents related to being on the wrong side of the road.

France has higher road death stats than the UK, I seriously doubt that the difference is caused by UK drivers.

The last ten minutes of the show remind you just how good the uk is. It's only when the program is finished that you also realise that we have too many people here with either a sense of humour bypass or/and an iq of 45

Do you think the intellectually challenged Top Gear audience stop to think whether it's a race or not. Shifter? I doubt it, I credit them with just enough intelligence to note that they are immune to French Fixed radars and can race through France with impunity which is great fun as the "lads" demonstrate. I think Top Gear has a lot to do with the irresponsible attitude of Brits to driving In Europe and the British hatred of cyclists.

Anyway this thread could be an article in the Daily Mail. No longer gonna read it

I think Top Gear has a lot to do with the irresponsible attitude of Brits to driving In Europe and the British hatred of cyclists.

Seriously? It's the fault of Top Gear? Wow

My mates 5yr old is Top Gear mad, loves the presenters and the stig and is happy to watch the same episode many times over on his ipad so i wrote to J-C care of Top Gear explaining about his young fan and asked for a signed photo for him etc and i received back a large box of Top Gear goodies including a t-shirt, a mini model of the stig, a large cardboard stig to assemble, loads of stickers, posters, signed photos and a Bugatti Veyron toy along with a hand written note by Jeremy to my mates son.

Not bad, certainly a damn site better than the Blue Peter badge i received as a kid.

I think most of the intellectually challenged know you can't drive anywhere with impunity, not even the autobahns.

It's common knowledge that speed cameras don't work with foreign plates. I heard that on here ages ago. Given that knowledge, many people will choose to speed. I don't think you can blame Top Gear for that specific thing, Edukator, even though I am not a big fan of many of their attitudes.

According to Clarkson the races are real, but with regards to the footage used they are actually filmed on return journeys etc. when they have more time/its easier to shoot them. And all the people slating them for speeding in France need to remember that there have been instances where police cars have pulled alongside them urging them to go quicker. People who like fast cars want to see them being driven fast. its only when it becomes dangerous that it needs intervention. Speed isn't a killer. Its speed mixed with incompetency or another factor that makes it a killer.

Do you think the intellectually challenged Top Gear audience stop to think whether it's a race or not. Shifter

You do know they've pretty much broadcast the fact that they fake everything on that show. At which point the audience all laughed.

It doesn't take much to figure out that the chase cars aren't going to keep up with a Bugatti Veryon well enough to set up camera shots from the Alps to Calais.

I credit them with just enough intelligence to note that they are immune to French Fixed radars and can race through France with impunity which is great fun as the "lads" demonstrate. I think Top Gear has a lot to do with the irresponsible attitude of Brits to driving In Europe and the British hatred of cyclists.

The percentage of Brits involved in accidents near the channel ports is possibly worse than the 85% of vehicles flashed.

Are they speed related, as in relevant to your original point? If so, can you point us in the direction of the figures to back this up? Or, are you wildly speculating?

So Clarkson isn't an idiot, he just says idiotic things to provoke a reaction. Isn't that what a "troll" does?

they are immune to French Fixed radars and can race through France with impunity

This is almost, but not quite untrue true. 😕 It used to be the case, but there is now a Europe-wide reciprocal agreement between the equivalents of the DVLA abroad. It means that foreign police can now look you up on your home nation's vehicle databases and send you a fine through the post. Except they can't, because for some bizarre reason we've opted out of the agreement. Unless you were caught in Switzerland where speeding's a criminal offence, rather than being dealt with through the fixed-penalty system and you can be subject to extradition proceedings and lovely invitations to spend two nights in one of their hotels with no lock on the inside of the door 😥

It's not speculation. The majority of the vehicles "en grand excess de vitesse" over the Le Mans weekend were Brits in their Lambos etc.. quite happy to pay the fines. [url= http://www.76actu.fr/controle-a-plus-de-250-kmh-sur-la28-entre-rouen-et-alencon_41852/ ]Article[/url]. No accidents this year perhaps because so many had their licences removed on the spot with the usual banned for three months in France.

I forgot the essential in my last post. Top Gear did a Le Mans special in 2012 which raised the awareness of the event among "laddish" Brits who then rented something special for the weekend in 2013.

Britain opted out of the European agreement on cross-border fines.

trying to hard to be funny top gear and failing

Brits in their Lambos etc

We do love a Lamborghini, I should never have traded mine in for a Pagani.

I wonder how many traffic incidents involve French drivers coming off the ferry at Dover?

GrahamS said it also:

molgrips - Member

I know they joke about environmental stuff and cyclists, and I know they are joking, but humour is often a way to normalise something

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Isnt it passed your bedtime or something Zokes. You seem overtired.

I wonder how many traffic incidents involve French drivers coming off the ferry at Dover?

Too many. It would have been so easy to change at the end of WWII when many of the road signs and markeings had been removed (and before the motorway junctions were built) but the British motor lobby was against. Protectionism that ultimately led to their downfall.

No accidents this year

So, not that dangerous then? At least, not ">85% of all drivers" dangerous, anyway

Isn't it pas[s]sed[/s]t your bedtime or something, Zokes. You seem overtired.

FTFY, and, no - it's 7.30 in the evening, but thanks for your concern.

Protectionism that ultimately led to their downfall.

So it wasn't the GFC, toxic debt, sub-prime markets, and banks gambling billions that led to the turmoil of the past few years? Was it just that we chose to continue to drive on the side of the road we always have had? Glad that's cleared things up then.

but humour is often a way to normalise something

Such as running cyclists off the road and racing across France.

Best thing about thing about last nights show was…

Mark Weber beating Seb’s time by some margin 😆

The rest of the show was the usual George Zippy Bungle tomfoolery, which is why I and a few others watch it

racing across France.

FTFY, and, no - it's 7.30 in the evening, but thanks for your concern.

Their downfall had a lot to do with the Japanese taking market share in the 70s. Britain was the European target of choice for the Japanese as they made RHD cars. At the same time other European makers were increasing their markets with cross-border sales and expanding while the British makers were handicapped by their LHD models being slow to market even when a LHD version was eventually made.

Edit; compare the price of a new car with anywhere else in Europe. I very much doubt you would be paying a premium if you drove LHD cars.

Keep forgetting about the 30 min time difference

Yeah, it's a real PITA heading backwards and forwards to the east coast the whole time

Their downfall had a lot to do with [s]the Japanese taking market share [/s] making incredibly shit cars in the 70s.