Top Gear - Racist Comments

[Matra et Alpine]

IT does seem to be Hammond's "style" as he plays a similar buffoon like approach in "Total Wipeout" in the UK.

In it's way it is mildly humourous and maybe UK viewers see more in Hammond as we have the full context of his persona with that great game show () and his other 'science' show "Brainiac"

[NSXType-R]

Yes, for some odd reason, I don't enjoy watching Top Gear anymore.

Hammond's acts were always a bit forced, I remember the South America special that they had where Hammond was driving the Toyota FJ and he blatantly let it roll down the mountain. It wasn't funny and he made a big deal out of it.

Add the fact that I saw the whole bit about Mexicans, it really was uncalled for.

I'm somewhat glad I don't have time for Top Gear.

[ScionDriver]

I thought it was outrageous, I tend to believe, mostly from what I've seen on TG and other such shows that there is a lot of racial hostility in Britain but it really surprised me for how long they went on.

And also, it wasn't even what I usually think of as stereotypes of Mexicans. I understand that yes those stereotypes existed back with like Speedy Gonzalez and such but nowadays I thought Mexicans were seen as very hard workers. That was my feeling anyway.

[Matra et Alpine]

The "racial hostility" in the UK is over played by the media in the US and the willingness for right wing media to host the WORST of our nationalists !

WHat is there does tend to be targetted more closely and at local issues and not as shotgun as TG did.

Remember the Mexican stereotype most of the UK play off is the one in cheeck and chong movies and old tv series and cartoons.

[TVRs4eva]

Oh, well it's all good now :

"Our own comedians make jokes about the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn make jokes about the Italians being disorganized and over dramatic; the French being arrogant and the Germans being over organized," the statement read. "We are sorry if we have offended some people, but jokes centered on national stereotyping are a part of 'Top Gear's' humor."

What a bunch of bullsh!t

[kingofthering]

It did feel a bit over-emphasized as opposed to the usual off-handed, "Yeah, you fat Americans blah blah blah hilarious joke!" dig.

[Matra et Alpine]

I think that's what got me on it this time.
A short one-liner MIGHT be funny but seeing all three pitch in at such a level I think was the tunrign point for me.

Mind you they ahve a go at Morris Marina owners more regularly

[Clivey]

Personally I think some people are far, far too sensitive and go way over the top regarding political correctness. I honestly think that the comments regarding Mexico is an example of JC & Co. lashing out against the PC culture. Comments could have been made about the French, Germans or Yanks just as easily as the Mexicans. - I think the presenters deliberately wanted to cause a stink so that they can illustrate how precious, sensitive and ridiculous society is becoming.

I find the "You can't say / think that!" culture far more offensive than any stereotypes spoken in jest, including ones made about my background (which is a good job really as I'm half Scottish ). - If you haven't got the common sense / intelligence to distinguish between a joke and a malicious comment, go and live in a hole somewhere away from the rest of society because you'll never be happy until everything is sterilised , you're wrapped in cotton wool and everyone else is miserable. You're probably the same kind of person that wants every speed limit dropped to 10-mph and alcohol consumption, sex & fun to be outlawed.

If you read some of their books, or look into their lives in more detail, you'll find that all 3 TG presenters are quite enlightened when it comes to history, politics, world affairs etc. and the "racist" gags they make on TV are just a silly bit of fun.

[Kooper]

Personally I think some people are far, far too sensitive and go way over the top regarding political correctness. I honestly think that the comments regarding Mexico is an example of JC & Co. lashing out against the PC culture. Comments could have been made about the French, Germans or Yanks just as easily as the Mexicans. - I think the presenters deliberately wanted to cause a stink so that they can illustrate how precious, sensitive and ridiculous society is becoming.

I find the "You can't say / think that!" culture far more offensive than any stereotypes spoken in jest, including ones made about my background (which is a good job really as I'm half Scottish ). - If you haven't got the common sense / intelligence to distinguish between a joke and a malicious comment, go and live in a hole somewhere away from the rest of society because you'll never be happy until everything is sterilised , you're wrapped in cotton wool and everyone else is miserable. You're probably the same kind of person that wants every speed limit dropped to 10-mph and alcohol consumption, sex & fun to be outlawed.

If you read some of their books, or look into their lives in more detail, you'll find that all 3 TG presenters are quite enlightened when it comes to history, politics, world affairs etc. and the "racist" gags they make on TV are just a silly bit of fun.

Agreed.

I think everyone watching should know that it was an attempt at humour. It might not have been very effective, at least to the general audience, but sure seems like they found it funny among themselves.

I also fail to see how poking fun at a specific nationality can be seen as racist to be honest.

[Matra et Alpine]

I think Clive, it was the AMOUNT of it and the "ferocity" which over-stepped the humour mark on this occasion.
It started out the "usual stuff" and amusing in it's anachronistic way - they've become a stereotype of themselves in a way - but took it too far and I think rightly expected to apologise for the excess .... and equally stand up for and defend the start of it

[henk4]

Personally I think some people are far, far too sensitive and go way over the top regarding political correctness. I honestly think that the comments regarding Mexico is an example of JC & Co. lashing out against the PC culture. Comments could have been made about the French, Germans or Yanks just as easily as the Mexicans. - I think the presenters deliberately wanted to cause a stink so that they can illustrate how precious, sensitive and ridiculous society is becoming.

I find the "You can't say / think that!" culture far more offensive than any stereotypes spoken in jest, including ones made about my background (which is a good job really as I'm half Scottish ). - If you haven't got the common sense / intelligence to distinguish between a joke and a malicious comment, go and live in a hole somewhere away from the rest of society because you'll never be happy until everything is sterilised , you're wrapped in cotton wool and everyone else is miserable. You're probably the same kind of person that wants every speed limit dropped to 10-mph and alcohol consumption, sex & fun to be outlawed.

If you read some of their books, or look into their lives in more detail, you'll find that all 3 TG presenters are quite enlightened when it comes to history, politics, world affairs etc. and the "racist" gags they make on TV are just a silly bit of fun.

we here may have the intelligence to distinguish between jest and offense, but a large part of the modern simple population would swallow the TG jokes as the gospel truth, without being able to make that distinction, in the mean time promulgating prejudice which is a rather destructive characteristic of modern society.

[Kitdy]

we here may have the intelligence to distinguish between jest and offense, but a large part of the modern simple population would swallow the TG jokes as the gospel truth, without being able to make that distinction, in the mean time promulgating prejudice which is a rather destructive characteristic of modern society.

All under the guise of free speech and anti-Political Correctness.

Top Gear are free to say what they want, but I think that they display poor judgment when they make some generalization (I find it funny - racism can be).

What bother me particularly about this current manufactured fiasco is that Mexico is a country that has such a hard time of things. Joking that Mexicans are lazy angered me. In one of my political science courses, we looked into the maquiladora situation in Northern Mexico and it was extremely upsetting. Labour is typically female and these women suffer horrible abuses and work exceptionally long hours and are often in very violent communities. They live in shacks, barely scrape by to provide for their families, and in general, have terrible standards of living.

Whether or not a joke at these people's expense is fit to run on TV is one question (I strongly feel that free speech is crucial in liberal democracies), but to defend their behaviour by saying they are attacking the PC culture (and nanny state in general) is not really a valid argument to me. Part of free speech is knowing when not to say something. I think that the criticism that TG are receiving for this is pretty reasonable. Should they not do this in the future? I am not sure. If you do not like what you see, do not watch.

I can see how a complication arises when you realize that TG is broadcast on a publicly owned station. In short, it is best that if you have these opinions that you share them in private, and that censorship - in my eyes - is not really desirable, perhaps baring extreme circumstances (calls to incite violence being one of them potentially).

[f6fhellcat13]

I think everyone watching should know that it was an attempt at humour. It might not have been very effective...

I think Clive, it was the AMOUNT of it and the "ferocity" which over-stepped the humour mark on this occasion.

I can't remember the exact quote but something like; "It starts being offensive when it stops being funny" suits this situation well.
If they had left it as a single gag, as Matra said, and moved on it would have been been just another Top Gear jibe, but when they started kicking a dead horse by belaboring the joke the humor was lost.

[Clivey]

we here may have the intelligence to distinguish between jest and offense, but a large part of the modern simple population would swallow the TG jokes as the gospel truth, without being able to make that distinction, in the mean time promulgating prejudice which is a rather destructive characteristic of modern society.

Why should we have to legislate for, or pander to, the lowest common denominator?

What I mean is: Some idiots and, let's not pull any punches, a**holes, will always deliberately manipulate anything you say to suit their agendas anyway. I could say "On the whole, Italians are very nice people" but if you look hard enough, you'll find some loon who accidentally or deliberately interprets that as something offensive. - For proof see how religious extremists manipulate the texts of the Qur'an or how lawyers manage to trick a court of law into letting an obviously guilty person walk free. Just because some prats will misinterpret quips or otherwise manage to screw things up doesn't mean that we should have to dumb our whole society down to suit them. - If we followed that kind of thinking to the inevitable conclusion, we'll never progress as a species because we'll be too frightened to do anything for fear of offending some precious dimwit. If we'd have though like that in the past, we'd all still be living in caves, scratching around in the dirt.

[henk4]

Why should we have to legislate for, or pander to, the lowest common denominator?

because the lowest common denominator is usually a much larger share of the population than we would like it to be.

Can you produce any form of added value derived from the critisized comments other than that they serve the aplomb of the TG presenters?