# should the BBC have fired Jeremy Clarkson? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 12, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967 "2017-01-12T16:57:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/41 "2017-01-14T03:18:50Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > A weak analogy. It implies that other BBC employees _aren’t_ watching and learning from the incident, and that it was a one-time thing that represents the worst damage that could possibly be done by an aggressor. > > If they didn’t fire Clarkson, other employees would conclude that they can get away with fisticuffs too. And the damage isn’t restricted to just an annoying goose bite. Clarkson’s punch put his victim in the hospital. What if next time he puts someone in a coma? No because the other employees aren’t making everybody rich. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2017, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/42 "2017-01-14T09:00:14Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > No because the other employees aren’t making everybody rich. So, you would have given Clarkson a pass on it, specifically because he brought in lots of money for the BBC? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2017, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/43 "2017-01-14T11:28:40Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > A while back Jeremy Clarkson was sacked from Top Gear by the BBC for assaulting a producer. All three decided to move on and were quickly snapped up by amazon. The new hosts for Top Gear did a terrible job and The Grand tour seems to be as good as ever. Should the BBC have fired him or should they have just overlooked the incident in favor of keeping their money makers? He should have been fired for being a prima donna asshole long before he clocked somebody. This notion we have in our society that “celebrity” is an automatic “get out of jail free” card is disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/44 "2017-01-15T00:08:49Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > So, you would have given Clarkson a pass on it, specifically because he brought in lots of money for the BBC? Yes, sometimes being a smart businessman means swallowing your pride and doing what’s right for the business. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/45 "2017-01-15T00:12:07Z")
Did he say “fuckstick” in front of the children? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/46 "2017-01-15T01:24:04Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Yes, sometimes being a smart businessman means swallowing your pride and doing what’s right for the business. IMO, that’s not “swallowing your pride,” that’s “selling your soul.” And, frankly, a lesser star than Clarkson would almost have undoubtedly been sacked by the BBC years earlier. They repeatedly looked the other way, or slapped his wrist, for misbehavior that would have cost the associate producer of the overnight show on BBC2 (or any other less-well-known employee) their job. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/47 "2017-01-15T09:51:58Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > Number One Rule is ‘look after the talent. If it wants steak and chips at two in the morning you make sure it gets steak and chips at two in the morning’. Which makes the OP’s factually incorrect statement correct how? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/48 "2017-01-15T11:41:36Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Yes, sometimes being a smart businessman means swallowing your pride and doing what’s right for the business. Do you understand that the BBC is not a businessman or indeed a business? Do you understand that it has priorities (for which it is widely revered) other than those of making a buck? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/49 "2017-01-15T12:25:24Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Yes, sometimes being a smart businessman means swallowing your pride and doing what’s right for the business. nobody is obligated to suffer (unwanted and unexpected) physical harm just so you can be entertained. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/50 "2017-01-15T16:55:28Z")
No, no, it’s about money, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/51 "2017-01-15T17:21:23Z")
Incidentally, in case you never saw this, Clarkson has [worked for the BBC since the incident](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/11907578/jeremy-clarkson-have-i-got-news-for-you-live.html). He got properly roasted on the show. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/52 "2017-01-15T17:22:09Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Yes, sometimes being a smart businessman means swallowing your pride and doing what’s right for the business. And leaving your business open to a series of high-publicity lawsuits from employees, because you let the “the talent” assault the no-name employees to keep up ratings, is good for business, how? ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/53 "2017-01-15T18:55:13Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > And leaving your business open to a series of high-publicity lawsuits from employees, because you let the “the talent” assault the no-name employees to keep up ratings, is good for business, how? Does Clarkson have a record for being disagreeable to work with? Or was this a one off? Genuine question because I don’t know.\* Personally while I found both Clarkson and Top Gear entertaining I’m not surprised he was fired, they started going over the thin line between being edgily amusing and downright and nasty and insulting _(eg the ‘slope on a bridge’ comment, really?)_. A pity because when he reigns it in and plays it seriously Clarkson can be very interesting to listen to. \*Just did a quick google search, at least one former co-presenter says he is: [Quentin Wilson says Clarkson 'difficult to work with' - ITV News](http://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-03-25/quentin-wilson-says-clarkson-difficult-to-work-with/) ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/54 "2017-01-15T21:26:28Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Which makes the OP’s factually incorrect statement correct how? They should have had the kitchen on permanent standby, and he wouldn’t have had to punch out anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/55 "2017-01-15T22:38:51Z")
> [@Atomic\_Alex](#): > > Does Clarkson have a record for being disagreeable to work with? Or was this a one off? Genuine question because I don’t know.\* No idea. It sounds like he was reasonably drunk when the fight took place, so it could be that he has an issue there. I feel like this may also have been around the same time that Clarkson was duking it out with his wife, due to his infidelity, so it’s plausible that he was in a poor temper generally, around that time. (Not that getting caught cheating on your wife is a reasonable excuse for punching someone.) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/56 "2017-01-15T23:39:42Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > They should have had the kitchen on permanent standby, and he wouldn’t have had to punch out anyone. He didn’t have to punch out anyone anyway, the big fucking drunken baby. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/57 "2017-01-16T00:03:09Z")
As a matter of interest, what is a reasonable excuse for punching someone? I’m asking for a friend. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/58 "2017-01-16T00:08:31Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](#): > > As a matter of interest, what is a reasonable excuse for punching someone? > > I’m asking for a friend. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wptn5RE2I-k) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/59 "2017-01-16T00:18:40Z")
Okay, thanks. It might help to know that my friend is NOT an astronaut. So, as a matter of interest, what is a reasonable excuse for punching someone, if you’re not an astronaut? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967/60 "2017-01-16T01:22:24Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](#): > > Okay, thanks. > > It might help to know that my friend is NOT an astronaut. So, as a matter of interest, what is a reasonable excuse for punching someone, if you’re not an astronaut? [http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-law-basics/self-defense-overview.html](http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-law-basics/self-defense-overview.html) From a philosophical standpoint, the standard of self-defense is higher than the standard that “the guy was an annoying asshat”. Given that you seem to have accepted Buzz Aldrin’s stance on the matter, you seem to accept that punching someone for being an annoying asshat is also reasonable. I’d venture to guess that the reality is that people will generally not admit to following that standard, but will switch around depending on how much they side with the asshat versus the puncher in the matter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-bbc-have-fired-jeremy-clarkson/776967.md?page=4)