Top Gear racist remark (again)

[Monketi Ghost]

Oh, very drole...............

And there's a big difference between policing language and combatting racism - especially in the insidious casual form in which it's presented (for "humour", no less....) in this crass adolescent-boy programme.

Would it be fine, for example, if Clarkson had casually used the "n-word" or the "c-word" to make "humorous" reference to a black person in the programme? Would it be called "policing the language" to express disgust and distaste at that?

Droll.

 

[Primus]

UK here. Heard it before and always thought it was very racist.

 

[tyr_13]

I would be more interested in a breakdown by age. I'm in my 40's, and I also heard this term quite a bit growing up. I figure that for Americans, the further you get away from the those exposed to the Vietnam era, the less it will be recognized.


Daredelvis

I'm thirty and I don't ever recall having heard it (although I have seen Pulp Fiction once so I guess I must have), and if I did did not recognize the source.

I've worked extensively with college students from Asia, and it just doesn't seem to be used in this area. I sadly know of more than few other racist terms though...

 

[malicus]

UK, know about it from books with Vietnam themes. Commonly used as a slur alongside gooks and zipperheads.

 

[LondonJohn]

Droll.

Mas pas si on veux l'utiliser dans la maniere la plus nuancee du mot francais.........

(But thanks for the spelling lesson anyhow )

 

[LondonJohn]

UK, know about it from books with Vietnam themes. Commonly used as a slur alongside gooks and zipperheads.

I genuinely find it hard to believe that any educated, worldly-wise UK adult can be unaware of the word "slope" as a pejorative racial epithet aimed at people of South-East-Asian and East-Asian ethnicity.

 

[Lensman]

I've only ever come across the word used as a racial slur from US sources, I've never heard it used as such by someone from the UK.

(I'm not saying the a Brit has never used it as a racial slur - just never heard it)

 

[Cain]

I'm familiar with the term, but in all fairness, I'm unusually knowledgeable when it comes to the science and art of racial epithets.

 

[gregthehammer]

WI born and raised, dad Vietnam vet, and I don't recall it ever used as a slur around me. Or maybe it just never registered as a slur. And until this thread, I thought a zipperhead was the same as a jarhead.

 

[herrdocjdm]

Heard it a bunch of times, mostly in movies. Last one was Gran Torino

CLINT EASTWOOD
Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing with my car you yellow gook slope?

BEE VANG
I was just going to install a spoiler and hover lights, I swear!

CLINT EASTWOOD
Well get the hell out before I blow your rice pancake head clean off, lego!

 

[JariM]

I'm from elsewhere and I've heard it.

Elsewhere being Finland. And I have known about that slur for more than 20 years.

 

[elbe]

I've heard it before but it doesn't seem to be nearly as popular as others.

It did not occur to me while watching the episode of Top Gear, I just assumed it was about how it wasn't exactly that good a bridge. After watching the scene again it is entirely possible that he was making a racist joke, which I'm of mixed opinions about.

 

[Monketi Ghost]

I feel confident saying that anyone who casually refers to Asians as "slopes" casually hates Asians.

 

[Rat]

I feel confident saying that anyone who casually refers to Asians as "slopes" casually hates Asians.

I think there's only one person I've used it about and to, and that's my boss. It's far from the worst thing I've called him.

 

[Dr. Keith]

I feel confident saying that anyone who casually refers to Asians as "slopes" casually hates Asians.

But it wasn't casually. It was part of a script in a TV show. To assume Jeremy is serious about anything other than his hatred of caravans is absurd. He is an entertainer, whether you find him entertaining or not.

Did you get as outraged at Stephen Colbert and the Ching Chong Ding Dong kerfuffle? Or Archie Bunker and every word out of his mouth? Do you think wrestling may be rigged?

 

[George 152]

So apparently, Jeremy Clarkson is busy being racist again.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27123434





My husband had not ever heard "slope" as a term towards Asian people, but I have. So my question is (and poll to soon follow) have you heard the term "slope" used as a racial epithet towards East Asian people?

Top Gear is a bloke show where the IQ of those fronting is similar to warm cabbage

 

[lionking]

I've heard it before but it doesn't seem to be nearly as popular as others.

This is my view. I've heard it, but not for ages. It's clearly racist, but I wouldn't put it in the same category as the "N" word.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

But it wasn't casually. It was part of a script in a TV show. To assume Jeremy is serious about anything other than his hatred of caravans is absurd. He is an entertainer, whether you find him entertaining or not.

Did you get as outraged at Stephen Colbert and the Ching Chong Ding Dong kerfuffle? Or Archie Bunker and every word out of his mouth? Do you think wrestling may be rigged?

So you are saying Jeremy Clarkson is a character in the same way that Stephen Colbert and Archie Bunker are characters?

 

[Howie Felterbush]

It's also used in Apocalypse Now.

The guy on the M60, (Mr. Clean, I think) says "Shut up, slope!" when Street Gang is checking out the people in the boat on the river.

Right before they find the puppy.

 

[elbe]

So you are saying Jeremy Clarkson is a character in the same way that Stephen Colbert and Archie Bunker are characters?

If I were to hazard a guess I'd say he's a character in the same way Bill O'Reilly is a character: his TV persona is an exaggerated version of himself.