[Closed] Top Gear's Clarkson suspended by BBC

In Merica if you touch the police officer(s) that's an assault where you will have to face Mr Glock 27

That probably explains why it has so little appeal to me - taking the piss really is the lowest form of wit.

Not willing to tell us why it wasnt a real assault or real abuse.
IMO the worst aspect is the abuse of his position of power. I have no time for bullies who only attack those who cannot fight back.

[quote=ernie_lynch opined]That probably explains why it has so little appeal to me - taking the piss really is the lowest form of wit.

IME it really depends on who is doing it

slowoldman - Member

In Merica if you touch the police officer(s) that's an assault where you will have to face Mr Glock 27

Phew, you must be relieved you eventually managed to bring firearms into the thread somehow.

😆 Well, that's the way we are heading aren't we?

Yeah, I know JY, I was taking the piss.

TG is [s]based on taking the[/s] piss [s]so a highly appropriate denouement all things considered [/s]

and if I ****ted someone at work I'd get fired.

Genuiinely use to like it a decade ago. A DECADE AGO. Jokes have worn thin, Clarksons a-hole "persona" has been steadily revealed as just being clarkson. The other two can just evaporate.

And if you're that worried about the lost revenue you can stick it on your licence fee.

Does Clarkson really need tea and sympathy?

He was paid a bag of cash to play the man child role, couldn't keep himself in check and bolloxed the deal, but he's bound to get another similar job...

If his meat headed following really thought about it, I doubt many would shower him with sympathy Or sign his petition, not when most of them would face the sack for similar behaviour...

Of course the loyal viewers will follow him to another network and another bag of cash is his for playing the same role...

Only the Beeb have really lost here by effectively being forced to devalue the brand/format (that they went and bought from Clarkson) due to enforcement of their corporate policy on bullying / workplace violence... That the corporation (eventually) put ethics ahead of profitability should be applauded IMO "ZM's" or not...

What AA and spoil the fun?!?

I agree on bullies and JC got what was coming to him. Like the show's content much of the time not much of a story there though really. So let's dress it up to make it palatable to the masses, there's news to fill don't you know.

Those claiming it's not a big deal and that the victim shouldn't be such a wimp...

I think I'm right in saying that Clarkson is considerably physically larger than the person he abused/assaulted (never mind probably being more 'powerful'). If we were talking about Clarkson ****ting his wife because he didn't get what he wanted for dinner - would you still be trying to play it down? And if not can you explain why it's any different?

TG is based on taking the piss so a highly appropriate denouement all things considered

In other words

[img] [/img]

The default justification used by most offish halfwits confused by the modern worlds lack of support for bigotry and bullying...

Clarkson sacked

no he isn't, he is still employed and under contract to the end of the month getting paid by the licence fee payers until the end of his contract

Those claiming it's not a big deal and that the victim shouldn't be such a wimp...

yes the victim didn't report the attack, but calling him a wimp is a bit harsh 😉

cookeaa - Member

That the corporation (eventually) put [b][u]ethics[/u][/b] ahead of [b][u]profitability[/u] [/b] should be applauded IMO "ZM's" or not...

I don't think that's achievable cos that's the nature of the beast (corporation). 😮

Grum - don't know about current Mrs C, but I do know the first one and my money would not be on JC winning that one.

People forget that we are talking about a middle aged, unfit and overweight person (apparently) who hadn't had much/anything to eat. So with all the coffee and fags, the halitosis must have been truly breathtaking (IGMC).

Now subjecting some poor young man to that would be "real abuse". And on that bombshell.....

So many sad things about this whole situation.

Clarkson must have brought great misery and difficulties to all the people he worked with on set and off, to friends and employers who have supported him previously (and perhaps shouldn't have) and now his fellow presenters look likely to loose their jobs as well through continued misplaced loyalty to someone who appears to feel no concern about the consequences of his actions to others. Perhaps they are as bad though, as neither has said to hit an innocent man is wrong.

We keep hearing what a nice chap Clarkson is. So where is his speech or comment saying how he feels remorse, how much he regrets dragging others into his poor and aggressive decision making? His apology to the public whos money pays him.

I wonder how much awareness he has of all the many many people associated in with Top Gear events who are going to loose out? Of how he has let down the public who have paid him so well via the BBC he is a multi millionaire? Well, I understand he did make a public speech a few days ago, saying it was ALL the fault of the BBC... All ego and selfishness, no shame. Sad or perhaps just simply pathetic.

And for those who blame the victim - its like the people in India who blame women for being raped. Oh its just a little punch... Clarkson is a big man, but besides that why should any employee doing his best expect to have to physically defend himself against a raging violent person? From the report the assault would have gone further/been longer and was only stopped by a bystander. According to the BBC report, Clarkson was still shouting abuse and insults at the bloke for some while after the assault was broken up, loud enough for people on the floors above to hear in closed rooms. Why should colleagues have to witness this sort of event or feel driven to intervene - its not just the producer who was victim to Clarkson but every person in the room who was forced to witness or become involved with it in any way.

Also why is the victim being blamed for getting checked at the hospital - maybe he thought he had a fractured jaw - maybe his alarmed colleagues insisted he go. Remember the really small head injury that killed Natasha Richardson only hours after it occurred, with her thinking she was ok until it was too late.

This whole thing is like looking at Lance Armstrong all over again - no matter what the evidence revealed Armstrongs ego marched on and the fans worshipped the 'really nice guy'.

Clarkson does not even have the niceness to ask people to stop harassing his victim. He could stop a lot of the vile internet abuse and death threats aimed the assaulted producer with just a few words to fans but he has done nothing to discourage the appalling behaviour of his own fans towards the innocent man.

[img] http://replygif.net/1294 [/img]

loose

Midnighthour

it's not just the producer who was victim to Clarkson but every person in the room who was forced to witness or become involved with it in any way

Victims? really? It's precisely that sort of bolleux that resulted in a minor altercation between too probably drunk & tired blokes becoming Page1 news worldwide........ 😉

too

becoming Page1 news worldwide......

To be fair maxtorque your contributions to this thread, including iirc rather emotive ones, suggests that you take a very keen interest in this story.

So a minor altercation resulted in a TV presenter not getting his contract renewed, so what?

it's not just the producer who was victim to Clarkson but every person in the room who was forced to witness or become involved with it in any way

I'm not defending clarkson one bit, he deserved to lose his job for what he did

But that is just a [i]tad[/i] hysterical.

Midnighthour - Member
So many sad things about this whole situation....

post of the week

But that is just a tad hysterical.

Not really imo, I understand the point Midnighthour was making. I've walked off a job because two people were ranting and shouting abuse at each other. It was the site manager and the client's representative, it was pretty nasty stuff and I informed them that I was not prepared to work with people shouting at each other, I told them that I was packing my tools and going home.

Ironically it was a Saturday and the site had been opened up especially for me as they wanted me to do some urgent work. I left them to carry on with their arguing.

That doesn't sound like the tale of a victim to be honest.

Anyway, it sounded a bit hysterical to me, possibly not to everyone.

I think its the right thing that Clarkson got fired. You can't go punching your colleagues and expect to get away with it in this day and age.

But, I get the feeling that by doing the right thing, it may be the worst outcome for the producer, judging by the reaction he's had from people.

It's nice that the Clarkson fans here have found something they think they can take the moral high ground over.

I am wondering what would have happened to the producer if he'd actually seen red and battered Clarkson to a pulp in retaliation. Would he still have his job?

I see that the trolls on twitter have started issuing Oisin Wotsisname death threats. 😕

The twitter trolls are just picking the next easy target, says a lot more about them really.

Anyway we need another press release from somebody who was there otherwise this thread may die and just continue to churn over the same stuff over and over again 🙂

But more importantly has anyone ever seen JC and Prince Philip in the same room? Makes you think doesn't it.....

It's nice that the Clarkson fans here have found something they think they can take the moral high ground over.

What is it ?

Genuine question. Not sure who you were aiming your post at.

grum - Member

It's nice that the Clarkson fans here have found something they think they can take the moral high ground over.

Moral high ground? Pui!

That bloke spoils my weekend car programme and my hard earned TV license payment and he definitely deserves it. Simple.

cheekyw

Your hard earned TV license payment probably didn't even cover the time he tool to swing a punch. Don't fret over it. It's also not your weekend car program, but it seems to work well enough for the millions of people.

Did anyone hear Jim Naughtie grilling Alan Yentob about Clarkson on R4 yesterday evening? Ouch!

Yeah I listened to it, don't know why because I rarely use iRadio player..

Thought it really good.

It's good to hear haw the BBC runs, good to hear the ground stories of Chlebs and Staff interacting and how they deal with such premadonnas on both sides of the lens.

I once saw Bob Monkhouse throw a hissy fit in Carton TV's restaurant back in the early 90's when filming Family Fortunes, what made it hilarious was he'd just come out of makeup and was dressed in his on white/gold lamai dressing gown emblazoned with his crest, a gold trimmed towel on his head and a pair of white slippers. 😆

Ha! Edited, cheers

a gold trimmed town on his head

Hmm, gold trimmed or not I think I'd be in a fairly ratty mood as well if I was lugging that about.

Did anyone hear Jim Naughtie grilling Alan Yentob about Clarkson on R4 yesterday evening? Ouch!

So what do we reckon
Jezzas next move
Check into the priory to kick the booze
Celeb big brother by the summer
Chat show on C4 by Xmas
And UKIP MEP for chipping Norton in a couple of years ?

Did anyone hear Jim Naughtie grilling Alan Yentob about Clarkson on R4 yesterday evening? Ouch!

Anyone got a link (or a time of transmission) for that one? I love a good skewering, and if it's Alan Yentob, so much the better.

I bet ITV or C4 are all sat in meetings/talks on a new car programme format.............

So what do we reckon
Jezzas next move

This whole Clarkson thing is interesting in how it polarises people.

Whether or not you like him, or his on screen persona (I'm assuming no-one here actually knows him), Top Gear brings in £50m in revenue from syndication and re-broadcast rights which helps fund other parts of the BBC.

The 3 amigo's are a key part of that and they'll all no doubt now be off elsewhere to do a similar show and the Beeb will be left with a big hole in it income. Not all the £50M but it won't be the cash cow it has been. Given the freezing of the licence fee I can't help but think it's maybe not the best financial decision they've ever made.

Yep noticed theres a campaign of hate against the producer on FB...

Which I don't really care for...and i'm not really sure why 'normal' people
are taking such a stance over a MiddleAged Multimilionaire blokey who probably works for less then two months a year who punches his lowly minion(alledlgy) ..

Just because he makes a nice telly program..

(IMHO should have paid off said producer an swept under the carpet...which is a baaad thing to say but its all a game)

Given the freezing of the licence fee I can't help but think it's maybe not the best financial decision they've ever made.

IMHO both will struggle without each other as he really needs to be on a free to air [ ie non subscription] channel to keep his mass appeal

Will be interesting to see but it may just split the audience in half with half staying and half leaving.
He is also pretty risky as an employee when you have advertising and commercial interests to consider and it seems unlikely that his behaviour will become less erratic.

Given the freezing of the licence fee I can't help but think it's maybe not the best financial decision they've ever made

Maybe, but it wasn't a financial decision, it was a moral one, and respect to them that they made it.

[i]Someone on the forum complaint about the term so I just used ZM in order not to offend people[/i]

To be completely accurate about these things( and who here doesn't like accuracy, hmmmm? 😉 )

The complaint was about the fact that you use the term in every single one of your posts (and appear to continue to do so) thus rendering it dull, repetitive, unfunny, and equally applicable to you..

DaveRambo

Whether or not you like him, or his on screen persona (I'm assuming no-one here actually knows him), Top Gear brings in £50m in revenue from syndication and re-broadcast rights which helps fund other parts of the BBC.

The 3 amigo's are a key part of that and they'll all no doubt now be off elsewhere to do a similar show and the Beeb will be left with a big hole in it income. Not all the £50M but it won't be the cash cow it has been. Given the freezing of the licence fee I can't help but think it's maybe not the best financial decision they've ever made.

I'm not sure what £50million represents as a fraction of £3.6 billion (income from the lecence fee). Whilst it's not an insignificant amount, I don't think it'll cripple the BBC. Personally I'd be surprised if the Three ****s can replicate the success they had on the BBC for long elsewhere.

As I've said before, they are benefiting from familiarity and pre-installed viewer base on BBC. As you can see by this thread a lot of people who don't even enjoy it watch it because it is [i]Top Gear[/i]. On another network under another name, the cracks will be more obvious, the genie will be out of the bottle and they'll die on their arse if they just try and re-hash the same thing.

The BBC on the other hand will still own the name, and can re-invent and relaunch Top Gear. They've done it before several times, they can do it again. Nothing to say a new version of the show won't be much much better, and make just as much if not more money.