Top Gear racist remark (again)

[Jim_MDP]

I'm afraid your attempts to parody Clarkson fall short when compared to his actual quotes:

Then last year they raced down SoCal to the border, with the loser having to continue into Mexico to review the first ever all Mexican supercar. The Hamster lost.

Or Jezza's short series about Europe from a couple years ago... him standing on the beach (Normandy?) with the French world champion ocean yachtsman and extolling how great France would be if it weren't for all the French people.

 

[Manopolus]

Umm.... no. I've never heard of the term. What, exactly, is it supposed to be referring to? Slanty eyes or something?

 

[angrysoba]

Has his Tweet following the making of the show been mentioned yet?

Big thanks to all the Top Gear off-screen people for a phenomenal job on tonight's show. Have yourselves a black cock on me.

 

[elbe]

Has his Tweet following the making of the show been mentioned yet?

Should it be?

 

[Cain]

I'm afraid your attempts to parody Clarkson fall short when compared to his actual quotes:

So he makes fun of (Southern) Americans, Orientals, Mexicans, and the French. It seems like Asians have been able to create media-blowback for the most semi-guilty comments lately; I don't know when it happened, but they've tapped into a power once reserved for the blacks and the Jews. Frankly, given the subject matter of the show, I'm surprised it took them this long to make fun of Asians. /hackery

 

[Filippo Lippi]

Abso-bloody-exactly!

I am guessing some may have seen it before, but here's Stewart Lee riffing on Top Gear. Disclaimer: it contains a modicum of offensive language......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7CnMQ4L9Pc

I knew someone must have posted this already. A thing of beauty.

 

[Ranga Nuts]

Aussie and I've heard it a bit, but not used by younger people though as much

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

FWIW, I stopped watching Top Gear years ago. The US special was the acme, in my opinion. There was a lot about it that seemed unforced. Ever since then the show has become more and more obviously scripted and seemed more and more forced and, as a result, has been less and less funny. It's a sad shadow of its former self, and just not worth the effort.

But at least it's not Stewart *********** Lee.

 

[Ethan Thane Athen]

I know people who've met Clarkson socially. They thought they'd hate him but came away saying he was actually a tidy bloke. He undoubtedly plays up for tv, media etc but it's all a mickey take that's not meant to be taken seriously - not that he's got much time for those who do take it seriously. Also very happy to have the mickey taken out of himself.

I suspect (especially given the 'wordplay' argument) that they judged this one wrong thinking it was akin to 'Jocks' for Scottish people or 'Taffs' for Welsh people, or 'Frogs' for the French - which they'd have no hesitation in using.

He's always ripping into the Welsh. I'm Welsh and I find it funny (see his comment quoted above - which is very tame compared to other stuff he's said - including putting a map of Wales to cook in the microwave because it was a waste of space). It's just banter.

Never seen him stray into 'serious' racist territory (as some have touched on 'What if he'd used the 'n' word?' etc) so, as I say, I expect this was a misjudgement - especially as, despite others finding it 'hard to believe', this is just not a term in common use in the UK. I had never heard it before this thread.

 

[Duffy Moon]

I've heard the term in Pulp Fiction and also in an Australian (or possibly NZ) soap opera years ago.

I saw the Top Gear episode and I have to say that the 'joke' went over my head - I simply didn't notice it.

 

[Caper]

Definitely one of the funnier racist words.

 

[wobs]

That's about how I would see it. He is a complete dick, but that seems to sell to a certain demographic so he plays up to it.

His character helps make Top Gear, and as others have said, all three play up to their characters. But it is now repetative, and often forced. However, it is still one of the best programs on TV. This says a great deal about the media in general.

Not heard slope used in a racial reference before.

Yes, he comes across as a dick, but if you want to see another Clarkson, watch him do documentaries on WWII campaigns. All are excellent, and told with depth and passion.

 

[The Don]

Yes, he comes across as a dick, but if you want to see another Clarkson, watch him do documentaries on WWII campaigns. All are excellent, and told with depth and passion.

And if you wanted any assurance that there is a difference between the "CLARKSON!!!!!!!" character portrayed on Top Gear and in some of his journalistic work and Jeremy Clarkson, here it is. Personally I also really liked his Brunel documentary.

 

[Foolmewunz]

From the USA and have heard it, both in films and in fiction and ITRW.

I'd be curious as to the Americans who've never heard the term. Are you all under 40? That'd put you at ten or under at the end of the Viet Nam War.

 

[Doghouse Reilly]

37 years old from the US, and yes, I am familiar with the term.

 

[bluesjnr]

I'm finding it hard to even consider watching any form of telly again. I didn't notice it during the airing of the show but now that it's been pointed out I am retrospectively outraged and sickened. We all know how bad retrospective rage and nausea is and I wish you would all stop discussing this and adding further posts which compel me to look at the thread again therefore adding to my discomfort.

Please, for the love of Asia and all it's wonderful people, let this be the last word.

 

[Stuart]

I saw the Top Gear episode and I have to say that the 'joke' went over my head - I simply didn't notice it.

Might help though that I had never heard the term before except in the two contexts mentioned before (slope off early from work, at an angle)

 

[Ethan Thane Athen]

...

Yes, he comes across as a dick, but if you want to see another Clarkson, watch him do documentaries on WWII campaigns. All are excellent, and told with depth and passion.

Absolutely. His one on the arctic convoys was one of the best presented pieces of television I have ever seen. Also did a good one on the Victoria Cross that had added poignancy as one had been won by a close relative (Wife's father?).

 

[Skepticemea]

It's all relative. "Likeable English" is synomyous with "Obnoxious Aussie".

Shirley the latter is tautologous?

 

[Polaris]

Slope or slopehead, reference in my mind to the older use of Neanderthal, meaning an uncouth savage. Don't know where I heard it but it was in my youth, in the 50s. It *may* have come from WWII or Korean vets.

That's certainly possible. "Gook" comes from the Korean War, as slang for Koreans based on the Korean term for people: "han guk". It just carried over to Vietnam, probably through officers.

I once saw a show on Discovery or some such channel about either mountaineering or ski resort, where a short segment was given to an old Korean War 105mm howitzer used to pre-empt avalanches. The narrator said something to the effect of, "This howitzer has a new lease on life after the Korean War, firing at the slopes." I couldn't help but say to my brother, "So nothing changed." Not my proudest moment, I admit.