# Top Gear's Clarkson suspended **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713 "2015-03-10T18:29:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/61 "2015-03-12T09:06:43Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > I don’t like him for the same reason I can’t stand Piers Morgan. They’re both “British oaf who just has to force his opinion about everyone and everything into your ears, whether or not you asked for it.” There is a massive gap between Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson which might not be clear if you are not from the uk. Clarkson is a successful, opinionated and deliberately controversial person. Yet funny. And liked by a bunch of the population. Works successfully in the uk. Has a fanbase and is amusing (to me at least, sometimes). Morgans was a widely disliked ex-editor of tabloid newspapers (and originally a vacuous showbiz column writer, which might have served him well for getting that job in the US), who is probably working in the US because he can’t get a job in the uk. There wasn’t anyone standing waving a tear soaked hanky at the airport when he left. IMHO, he’s an obnoxious moron and thank god we don’t see his smug face on the telly anymore over here. As an aside, there are definitely people who don’t like Clarkson over here. He has the type of anti environmental opinions that comes with people who drive high powered sports cars. This seems unacceptable to some. I don’t have a problem with people who have such an opinion other’s find it a taboo to question the evidence. A lot of the people I know who dislike him, have never watched an episode of Top Gear though. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_of\_Words](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@Jack\_of\_Words](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_of_Words)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/62 "2015-03-12T09:50:06Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > As an aside, there are definitely people who don’t like Clarkson over here. He has the type of anti environmental opinions that comes with people who drive high powered sports cars. This seems unacceptable to some. I don’t have a problem with people who have such an opinion other’s find it a taboo to question the evidence. A lot of the people I know who dislike him, have never watched an episode of Top Gear though. Does he ‘question the evidence [for the impact of motoring on global warming, I assume]’? I didn’t think it was genuinely questionable (legitimate global warming question: “What’s that you’re saying about worldwide death and destruction? I can’t hear you, I have my fingers in my ears.”) So yeah, I don’t care for his views on that matter. But I do like him - he’s an engaging character, unafraid to express provocative opinions. I enjoy the show occasionally too (though I don’t have tv, or drive at all, as it happens). Piers, on the other hand, is as you describe him. Other names in the frame for taking over include Steve Coogan (not sure he’d take the offer, nor that he’d be best suited - it’s not a comedy show) and Jimmy Carr - now he is smug and detestable enough to step straight into Jezza’s shoes, but he’s never been good at sharing a stage. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/63 "2015-03-12T10:46:34Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Do you watch the show at all? He makes generally stereotypical remarks about the UK, other European nations, Americans, Australians, Russians, Chinese, Japanese, and many others, but more as a friendly gibe than as pejorative. If you’re bound and determined to be offended by any mention of race or nationality, no matter the context, then yes, you won’t like him. I’m glad to see that my opinions could only come about through ignorance of the show and a biased, context-free approach to what I do know. That’s a very good way to dismiss them. Well done! (I do watch, aren’t bound and determined to be offended, yet am offended on occasion, for the record). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/64 "2015-03-12T11:34:32Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > As an aside, there are definitely people who don’t like Clarkson over here. He has the type of anti environmental opinions that comes with people who drive high powered sports cars. This seems unacceptable to some. I don’t have a problem with people who have such an opinion other’s find it a taboo to question the evidence. A lot of the people I know who dislike him, have never watched an episode of Top Gear though. That’s interesting… where is his exposure coming from outside of Top Gear? ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/65 "2015-03-12T11:40:44Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > That’s interesting… where is his exposure coming from outside of Top Gear? Clarkson has or had a newspaper column. He’s also interviewed quite a bit - it’s the BBC so he has no end of outlets for interviews, plus a twitter account. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Bragg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Stealth\_Bragg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Bragg)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/66 "2015-03-12T12:06:15Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > Oh he meant it, but was almost certainly relying on the relative obscurity of the term (when compared to the well known racial terms) to “get away with it”. > > Clip in question: > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-OQR5zu\_J4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-OQR5zu_J4) > > Urban Dictionary with reference to the term going back to 2003: > [Urban Dictionary: slope](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=slope) The 1978 movie “The Deer Hunter” has Walken use the term also. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/67 "2015-03-12T12:07:04Z")
He’s also appeared multiple times on QI (he’s quite chummy with Stephen Fry), where he generally comes across as more relaxed and easygoing than on TG, although he’s not above mocking Alan Davies for his vegetarianism. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/68 "2015-03-12T12:14:17Z")
Yeah, I don’t watch _Top Gear_ too much, so I’m _most_ familiar with Clarkson from _QI_, where he comes across as a little cantankerous esp. with liberals, but knowledgeable and affable enough. They do rip into him/the show occasionally when he’s _not_ on, though, which strikes me as a _little_ bit two-faced. Although I get the impression all’s fair on Brit comedy shows… ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/69 "2015-03-12T12:35:53Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > That’s interesting… where is his exposure coming from outside of Top Gear? The Daily Wail, sorry Mail, enjoys reporting on everything he says in a “I agree with him/Look how much trouble he is in now” way. ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/70 "2015-03-12T12:46:45Z")
Everytime Clarkson does something stupid it always reminds me of this great Stewart Lee ‘bit’. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/K7CnMQ4L9Pc/hqdefault.jpg "Stewart Lee and Top Gear") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7CnMQ4L9Pc) ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/71 "2015-03-12T12:49:53Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > They don’t set it up with working plumbing, I thought it had a working(leaky) sink, and I remember a lego dookie in the toilet, but I don’t remember if they tried to flush it. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/72 "2015-03-12T13:07:09Z")
Apologies in advance for the long post, but I thought a few points may be of interest. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Huh. He admits that they told him he was on sudden-death overtime, and they’d fire him if he screwed up again. You don’t see that very often. Despite his many faults JC seems to be a man who sticks to his principles. So this part doesn’t surprise me. > [@straight\_man](#): > > Honestly, Jeremy Clarkson is getting a bit old. If the BBC could find a good replacement, I would keep watching. It’s mostly just a question of who would fit. I could see someone very no-nonsense, particularly a woman, working well to counterbalance James and Richard, provided she had an adequate ridiculous side as well and Top Gear were sufficiently courageous to exploit it. ETA: I haven’t watched German Top Gear, but Sabrina Schmidt strikes me as the right type… if she played up her ultra-competitiveness to the point that her projects in their used-car competitions could be as rubbish as James’ and Richard’s projects because they push the envelope too far, or something like that. > > I mean, that’s the real question. You can’t just have a Jezza, Mk. II. So what personality would work across from James May and Richard Hammond aside from Jeremy’s overprivileged-ape schtick? It wouldn’t work. What a lot of people may have forgotten is the current incarnation of TG is the second (or possibly the third/foruth - you could classify them as the “pre-Clarkson era”, “Clarkson era take 1”, “post-Clarkson”, and “Clarkson era take 2” - the current run). When TG first started it was very much a “straight” car show, with virtually nothing but sensible road tests and maybe a bit of consumer advice. Then Clarkson came along and spiced things up a bit by frequently giving honest opinions about cars that tended to upset their manufacturers (e.g. of the Ford Escort Mk IV “It handles like a dog”). But mainly the show was still road tests with JC, used car tests/buying advice with Quentin Willson, and motor racing with Tiff Needell. Chris Goffey occasionally made appearances too, usually leather-clad on a big motorbike. The show was entertaining for its time and informative too. Then Clarkson basically got fed up and left, I think he mainly pursued other projects such as a failed late-night chat show. After 20 years of motoring journalism I think he was bored of it all. TG struggled on without him but Quentin and Tiff left at much the same time to do other car shows on Channel Five, and the show was killed off - it just wasn’t the same sans-Clarkson. Soon after, TG was relaunched by JC, Hammond, and Jason Dawe in the format as we know it today, Dawe being replaced by May after a couple of series. But despite the engaging personalities of the other two, it’s still very much the JC show and I just don’t think it will continue without him - the BBC tried before and it was crap. > [@amanset](#): > > Oh he meant it, but was almost certainly relying on the relative obscurity of the term (when compared to the well known racial terms) to “get away with it”. > > Clip in question: > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-OQR5zu\_J4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-OQR5zu_J4) > > Urban Dictionary with reference to the term going back to 2003: > [Urban Dictionary: slope](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=slope) Agreed, certainly there are times when JC’s comments have been taken out of context or unfairly characterised, but this wasn’t one of them. I had never heard the term before either so I can only assume they perhaps didn’t realise how offensive it was. Stupid, either way. > [@jz78817](#): > > It’s especially grating when I run into people whose opinions on cars always start with “Well, Clarkson said…” You are of course free to dislike the man and his opinions but he is in fact extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about cars, so I think someone quoting his opinion is perfectly valid. Not that he is always right, of course, but he is much more often than not on car matters. > [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Personally I find them all funny and inoffensive but there is a point where Top Gear will have to stop and this may be the point. We don’t actually know what happened in this incident but I’m sure it’ll all come out and I’ll predict now that if Clarkson is in the wrong he’ll take full responsibility, apologise profusely and not try to duck the rap. Agreed. > [@Simplicio](#): > > Eh, if it was an act, you’d think he could dial it back when it started hurting his career. I doubt he cares. He’s (I believe) a multi-millionaire who has been doing this for decades and probably fancies a break anyway, just like 15 years ago. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Right after the Great Stig Treason, the show went downhill very deeply indeed. Their whole episode with Australian Top Gear just seemed like a chance to bully the Aussies, and not in a pleasant way and the seasons following just seemed to recycle older content. > > This season is the first one in a while where they’ve seemed to have some good, original(ish) content. I think that they are running into the problem that the hosts are getting a little too old to do a lot of the stunts that would seem to naturally follow, so it feels like they’re getting right up against something exciting and then backing down just before it. I hope that they keep going, but at the same time I think that it wouldn’t be a bad time for them to quit either. I agree with this part - the show was getting tired a few years ago, the Aussie one was clearly just a way to appeal to the lowest common denominator in the audience and I expect they filmed an alternative version for the Aussie edition in which the Aussies won (same with the German one). Since then, I think as you say they have managed to refresh it a bit, but now could be a good time to call it quits. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I suspect that smoking has done them more harm than drinking, though I suppose I don’t really know. Clarkson has gone on record more than once as saying taking up smoking is the best decision he has ever made. He once expanded on this by “explaining” that this is what gave him the signature “Clarkson pause” (e.g. “This is the best car… in the world”) - he simply didn’t have the lung power to get through the whole line without taking a breath. I suspect he is only half-joking on both counts, he has tried to give up several times so I’m sure he realises it’s not great long-term, he may be a buffoon but he’s not stupid. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I saw his toy series and thought that it fell a bit flat. The fundamental ideas were cool, but each of the big builds just seemed to result in something more like an art piece than an “awesome object”. Like, they build the lego house and, after they are done, simply show some panoramas of the interior. They don’t set it up with working plumbing, they don’t showcase what life would be like living in the house, they don’t try and take advantage of the fact that it’s a lego house to improve livability in any way (even if on the whole the overall livability would be lower, there’s got to be at least one or two things that you can do by virtue of lego that you couldn’t otherwise). Basically, the show would just get to the part where all the questions you had could finally be tested, and instead they would just snap a picture and call it a day, without performing any of the practical tests. > > So overall the show was “fine” but not exceptional. You must have seen an edited version - he absolutely did live in the Lego house (if only for a night), and one of the issues was that Lego plumbing turned out not to be waterproof, so when he filled a basin of water it slowly leaked out on to the floor. Unsurprisingly, the bed was also a tad uncomfortable. He even invited his friend Oz Clarke round for a glass of wine (as it was in a vineyard and Oz is a wine critic), but the wine leaked out of the Lego glasses. Similarly, for the longest ever model train track they actually ran a train along the line the whole way and (I believe) set a world record. I thought it was great idea, well-executed. > [@Wallaby](#): > > The Clarkson character is just that - a character. He plays a loud-mouthed ignorant moron. Like the best characters it’s basically a severely exaggerated version of himself. He gave it away once on QI - when talking about driving the Robin Reliant (3-wheeler) and rolling it constantly, he mentioned that he received dozens of letters from the Robin Reliant fan clubs criticizing his driving style and telling him what he should have done - which, as Clarkson said ‘Would have meant a very dull show. The whole point was to be an idiot and roll it’. > > Top Gear is a comedy show about a loud-mouthed idiot, a hyper-active idiot, and a stuck-up, old-fart idiot. Criticising the characters is like criticizing the Skipper off Gilligan’s Island for not representing WW2 veterans accurately. > > If he has belted someone at work, however - he’s a dick. Whether that means he loses his job, is up to his employer. This is a great summary with which I fully agree. > [@Jack\_of\_Words](#): > > Does he ‘question the evidence [for the impact of motoring on global warming, I assume]’? Not sure what his current views are but I like to think they may have evolved in the same way as my own, namely that 15-20 years ago I was very much a sceptic that it was happening, now I agree the evidence of a warming planet is pretty unarguable but I question whether driving a fast car around (even if everyone did) makes that much difference. > [@MrDibble](#): > > I get the impression all’s fair on Brit comedy shows… Absolutely - Clarkson, and most others, couldn’t give a stuff if someone slagged them off on a comedy show, whether to his face or not. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/73 "2015-03-12T13:43:58Z")
> [@Stealth\_Bragg](#): > > The 1978 movie “The Deer Hunter” has Walken use the term also. Huh. Walken uses the term in _ **Pulp Fiction** _ as well, talking to young Butch about the watch. It was the first time I’d heard the term. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/74 "2015-03-12T14:19:32Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > I thought it had a working(leaky) sink, and I remember a lego dookie in the toilet, but I don’t remember if they tried to flush it. > [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > You must have seen an edited version - he absolutely did live in the Lego house (if only for a night), and one of the issues was that Lego plumbing turned out not to be waterproof, so when he filled a basin of water it slowly leaked out on to the floor. Unsurprisingly, the bed was also a tad uncomfortable. He even invited his friend Oz Clarke round for a glass of wine (as it was in a vineyard and Oz is a wine critic), but the wine leaked out of the Lego glasses. I think I remember him inviting someone over for a drink in the house, but that’s not particularly thrilling. Possibly there was more that got edited. I’ll watch the series again and report back (it’s short, after all.) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/75 "2015-03-12T14:30:57Z")
Looks like they have cancelled the last 3 episodes of this series. > **[REPORT: Clarkson punched producer, Top Gear season 22 cancelled](https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/entertainment/news/a25239/clarkson-punched-producer-top-gear-season-22-cancelled/)** > > Radio Times says Jeremy Clarkson was suspended for throwing a punch at a BBC producer, and that the plug has been pulled on the remainder of this season. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/76 "2015-03-12T14:41:13Z")
> [@Wallaby](#): > > The Clarkson character is just that - a character. He plays a loud-mouthed ignorant moron. Like the best characters it’s basically a severely exaggerated version of himself. He gave it away once on QI - when talking about driving the Robin Reliant (3-wheeler) and rolling it constantly, he mentioned that he received dozens of letters from the Robin Reliant fan clubs criticizing his driving style and telling him what he should have done - which, as Clarkson said ‘Would have meant a very dull show. The whole point was to be an idiot and roll it’. This whole schtick of his reminds me so much of the crap Rush Limbaugh tries to pull when he’s confronted with his idiocy or hypocrisy. The “I’m an entertainer” stuff works very well for the two of them, because it lets them blur the line between fact and joke and allows their audience to blur that line too. So when Clarkson spouts off about global warming or antagonizes the locals, just as when Rush spouts off about whatever crap he’s spewing, they can put misinformation or insults out there to their fans who actually give them credibility, and then simply wash their hands of any repercussions. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/77 "2015-03-12T14:47:30Z")
[quote=“Arch\_Trout, post:70, topic:714713”] Everytime Clarkson does something stupid it always reminds me of this great Stewart Lee ‘bit’. [/QUOTE] Angry comedy is bad comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/78 "2015-03-12T14:57:01Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Looks like they have cancelled the last 3 episodes of this series. > > [http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/entertainment/news/a25239/clarkson-punched-producer-top-gear-season-22-cancelled/](http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/entertainment/news/a25239/clarkson-punched-producer-top-gear-season-22-cancelled/) I really don’t get that. They’ve already been filmed, obviously. What’s the point of not showing them? How does that punish Clarkson? ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/79 "2015-03-12T15:01:33Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I really don’t get that. They’ve already been filmed, obviously. What’s the point of not showing them? How does that punish Clarkson? Financially I guess, due to the money he’ll miss out on from the residuals. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713/80 "2015-03-12T15:08:47Z")
They’re punishing _themselves_ much more, in the payouts they’ll have to make to the overseas carriers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gears-clarkson-suspended/714713.md?page=5)