Clarkson 'n-word' furore!

klumpy – Member

7 pages of ranting about a word that wasn’t used

Yes it was used. I heard it clearly.

but to try and manufacture a spurious allegation of racism against them simply dilutes the SNR in which genuine incidents exist and damages the cause.

He’s the most influential motoring journo in the western world.

He is consistently behaves in the manner of a racist, a homophobe and a bigoted bore on the one of the flagship shows of our national broadcaster.

He hates cyclists and has no issue in saying so.

That’s why we’re still discussing this.

He is consistently behaves in the manner of a racist, a homophobe and a bigoted bore on the one of the flagship shows of our national broadcaster.

Which is partly why I have never paid a license fee and just use my laptop to watch shows.

…and hopefully don’t watch TV either. At least you are safe Tom, it’s the rest if us who are in peril.

(Edit: Beaten by the edit. )

I might add, I watch those shows totally legally. On netflix. So yaahbooog THM.

JC has just been on BBC1 news, saying “I did everything in my power not to use that word”

Not a word of comment from the presenter.

“I did everything in my power not to use that word”

Yahhh, except use one of the non racist variants.

Tom_W1987 – Member

Which is partly why I have never paid a license fee and just use my laptop to watch shows.

Seriously, you lot’ll be second against the wall when I take my rightful position as Leader.
First up are the blue badge abusers, obviously. 😀

Indeed as credible as a THM explanation when challenged about teachers using it

Say another rhyme whilst refusing to do it because it was racist would be everything in his power

Perhaps he is bullied at work and they made him do it?

I’m outraged! How can he get away with this?

Only a few of the earlier versions of this song used the n-word, why then is the song that he chose in of itself “not racist” and why did he feel the need to choose that version of the song?

To be brutally honest, it’s probably the one he was brought up with. It was the version I heard at school growing up, and the one I immediately thought of when my little ‘un started reciting “eeny meeny…” to chose between my or mum to take her swimming. Her version used ‘fisher’ instead but still to this day is makes me slightly nervous when I hear her saying it, even knowing she has thankfully never heard the offensive version.

I’m not a fan of his and don’t have intentions of watching top gear. Nothing to do with any of his rants about cycling etc I just don’t enjoy TV program’s he’s on.

I really do think its a slap on the wrist incident. Had he referred to someone on live tv/social media as a N-word then fair enough.

If this was completely in isolation I could probably brush it off as being an idiot saying something stupid in a thoughtless moment. However, clarkson has got form for saying vile things time and time again and apologising for them and then continuing to say them.

It doesn’t take much digging to understand his political leanings or stand point. He’s an old fashioned boorish right winger who thinks the world is overly politically correct and that everyone other than white middle class middle aged men should be treated with contempt. I have no doubt that he used the N word in this context because he has nothing but contempt and ignorance towards other ethnic groups and thought it was funny to try and sneak it in but then thought better of it.

And having his other boorish, right wing, middle aged, white middle class mates stating that he’s not a racist is hardly drawing a line under it.

Reading how the people here are defending what he “said”, or what he “appears” to be, reminds me of a rather disturbing conversation I had with an EDL member about how they “appear” to not hate Muslims.

What? You are barkin’

I really do think its a slap on the wrist incident

I would agree if it was an isolated incident, a public apology and slap on the wrist would be appropriate. But it isn’t an isolated incident, he has made a half arsed non apology because he doesn’t care what he said, he cares that he has been caught.

Contrast that to when Mark Lawrenson, used the term “coloured” in a discussion about racism in football. He immediately came out and made a genuine heartfelt apology. And everyone was able to look at the incident and say fair enough, he is a guy who usually talks about football, tackling a serious issue, who stumbled over language due to the gravity of the subject matter. It was a minor mistake, that had the potential to cause some offence, he realised that and did the right thing.

I think I’ll stick Pulp Fiction on tonight

Whats wrong with ‘coloured’?

What am I supposed to call my son?!! Half-caste? Why are we so hungup on words.

For me racism is when there is malice or intent in tone/voice.

Then you have films, music etc where someone can say ho’s, bitches and **** repeatdly.

Whats wrong with ‘coloured’?

It has a strong association with the language used for slaves and segregation in America.

What am I supposed to call my son?

Don’t you know his name?

What am I supposed to call my son?!! Half-caste?

You can if you want but I’ve always thought double-barreled names are a bit pretentious.

You can if you want but I’ve always thought double-barreled names are a bit pretentious.

I love it when someone injects some much needed humour in to these argualympian epic threads! 😀

hora – Member

Whats wrong with ‘coloured’?

That one is a minefield – excellent programme about it on Radio 4 recently.
Half the world uses it without issue, half doesn’t.
When in Rome etc.

What am I supposed to call my son?!!

Mancunian?

Why are we so hungup on words.

Because the usage (or not) of contentious language is often an excellent reflection of the character of the user.

Me :

There’s never been a time when people didn’t understand the concept of racism. Just look at the struggle against fascism for proof of that.

Thrown back at me :

America fought against fascism, and yet had racial segregation. After the allies had taken Paris the new French government insisted no black soldiers took part in the celebration parades.

Yeah I was really suggesting that racism is a recent phenomenon which didn’t exist before 🙄

EL – I think your experience differs simply because you lived in London and so people would have actually met people who had immigrated from the Commonwealth. Other areas of the country especially rurals areas just would not have done so their sensibilities where not informed in the same way. When the first black guy moved into the village where I was brought up, it caused quite a stir and that was in the early 80s.

We end up with ridiculous situations like this on the BBC today

Although he mumbles the offending word, the presenter clearly begins by saying the letter “n”.

There is nothing wrong in saying the word FFS. It’s like the whole John Terry reporting. The word that was **** was ok to use but no to write, whereas the word that was wrong to use was ok to print. We have got ourselves in a ridiculous linguistic tangle.

At least in SA you can use black, white, coloured as intended despite the history that goes with each. We should learn the lesson. Hora +1 again.

At least in SA you can use black, white, coloured as intended despite the history that goes with each. We should learn the lesson.

The racial make up of the population is very different in SA than the UK though, it isn’t a realistic comparison between the two for the use of language.

hora – Member
Whats wrong with ‘coloured’?

What am I supposed to call my son?!! Half-caste?

I don’t know. What’s his name?

It’s a fair point that my experiences were different to maybe some others mefty, although I find it very hard to get my head round the concept that some didn’t understand what racism was. And it has be said that I was brought up in a particularly anti-racist environment, indeed it was drummed into me from a very early age that all humans were equal irrespective of their race, class, or religion. Shamefully homophobia and sexism was ignored.

Ironically, in Spain of all places they called one of their Ibiza model’s ‘Bocanegra’! – black face 😀

I don’t know. What’s his name?

+1. There. I said it.

I was brought up in a particularly anti-racist environment, indeed it was drummed into me from a very early age that all humans were equal irrespective of their race, class, or religion.

Indeed, I find peoples differences interesting, not something to be feared, belittled or sniggered at, particularly by some in a nudge, nudge, wink, wink kind of way.

It’s a fair point that my experiences were different to maybe some others mefty, although I find it very hard to get my head round the concept that some didn’t understand what racism was.

The thing is, when you’re growing up, everything is based on experience. I went to a small school in the back end of Norfolk, which was 100% white, so I didn’t experience, or see, racism. The first time I did was watching the race riots in America, on TV.

At least in SA you can use black, white, coloured as intended despite the history that goes with each. We should learn the lesson.

He used the n word which you cannot use here just like you cannot use kaffir there.

Just as you can use coloured in the US and not here
its like words mean different things in different countries and all countries have racial terms that are, generally, only used by the racist

He used the n word which you cannot use here

Cannot, or should not?

Shocking. Etc.

It’s a fair point that my experiences were different to maybe some others mefty, although I find it very hard to get my head round the concept that some didn’t understand what racism was. And it has be said that I was brought up in a particularly anti-racist environment, indeed it was drummed into me from a very early age that all humans were equal irrespective of their race, class, or religion.

Me too but I didn’t know what the N word meant when I was using it in the rhyme, I was much older before I did then I stopped using it.

Shamefully homophobia and sexism was ignored.

Thankfully it wasn’t in my case. I blame my parents.

It’s a fair point that my experiences were different to maybe some others mefty, although I find it very hard to get my head round the concept that some didn’t understand what racism was.

I lived in a southern suberb of manchester in the 70’/80’s and there was one indian lad in the school. We used both the N word and Tigger interchangeably for years and never gave it a 2nd thought. At high school I can’t remember anyone of african descent but there were more indian lads.

As a kid I didn’t care about racism, was too bothered slagging of the bertie blues (inc my brother). In hindsight I was naive maybe but picking on someone because of how they looked was never going to be a winner for me (nhs specs from the age of 6 etc etc).

Kids are different, kids will pick on anything- weight, height, if all are standard then its shape of head, shape of nose etc etc.

Thankfully it wasn’t in my case.

Lucky you, there was a time when pretty much everyone, except gays and lesbians, were homophobic, at least that’s how it appeared – even the law of the land was. Very much so in fact. And it was perfectly legal to pay a woman less that a man for doing exactly the same job. You can thank Old Labour for sorting out those injustices. And making racism illegal.

Cannot, or should not?

Should not of course 😳

My bad 😉

At least in SA you can use black, white, coloured as intended despite the history that goes with each. We should learn the lesson. Hora +1 again.

Coloured in South African English doesn’t mean the same as what coloured means in UK English. Words mean different things in different contexts.

We should learn a lesson by not calling or describing people in ways they apparently prefer not to be called or described by us (whoever “we” happen to be). It’s, like, don’t be a dick.

part of clarksons problem is that hes not been shy about airing his political views and hes part of that whole chipping norton set bobbins

plus his spat with piers morgan, hes made a lot of enemies and I wouldnt be surprised if other revelations pop up at some point (ala Andy Gray)

he may have to start toning down his persona and Im not sure thats compatible with his brand of entertainment