Top Gear racist remark (again)

[Soapy Sam]

This explains something.
Last night my wife said that Jeremy Paxman had made the remark. This seemed unlikely as while Paxman has said some offensive things, he would be unlikely to do so for a cheap laugh.

Clarkson is, of course, quite different.

Yes, I have heard the expression, but I think I heard it from Americans. (I spent most of my life working with Americns, so sometimes I confuse UK and US terms and slang.

 

[jimbob]

I'd never heard it but from what has been reported it was obviously intended.

And I am offended that my license fee pays for people to make racist comments.

 

[Childlike Empress]

Never heard about the "slur", but although not much into cars, I have watched the episode where Clarkson honours Germany with his presence, and showed it to quite a number of people afterwards. Wouldn't I have humour and better things to do, I would have been seriously offended. As it is, I was highly amused and think that this Gentleman is a genuine funny one with the blessing of what you will find Germans first think of when asked to say something positive about Inselaffen: black humour.

 

[lobosrul]

And I am offended that my license fee pays for people to make racist comments.

Good news! Top Gear actually makes a profit for the Beeb, mostly by being sold to foreign TV companies and merchandise.

"The accounts demonstrate how rapid progress was. Top Gear Ltd (actually the company is called Bedder 6, but it amounts to the same thing) generated a modest pre-tax profit of £2.9m in 2008/9 the first full year of trading under the new Clarkson-BBC joint venture. Just two years later, in the year to March 2011, the last full set of accounts available, profits had soared fivefold to £15.2m."

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/sep/27/top-gear-jeremy-clarkson

 

[desertgal]

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?).

Haven't seen these, I'll look for them, and thanks for the recommendation. Never been a fan of his on Top Gear, but these sound worth viewing.

 

[Noztradamus]

It's a comedic format based on three buffoons who are given hot cars and stupid challenges. Keystone Kops in the 21st C.

I always thought it was the Three Stooges (with cars)

Jeremy is Moe the agressive shouty one

Hammond is Curly the impulsive manchild

May is Larry the (relatively) quiet sensible one caught between them

 

[Cain]

Which race is the most racist race? I don't care how politically incorrect this sounds, I think it's white people.

 

[Noztradamus]

Which race is the most racist race? I don't care how politically incorrect this sounds, I think it's white people.

Actually that is the only PC choice

 

[fuelair]

Padre: "This is the most well constructed wanking machine I've ever seen!"

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

I've been told off online for shortening 'Japanese' to 'Jap', which isn't really considered a racial slur in the UK[...]

Er, yes it is.

 

[bluesjnr]

Er, yes it is.

Er, no it's not.

Now, Nip on the other hand........

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

Er, no it's not.

OED

noun & adjective
• informal, • offensive

short for Japanese.

 

[mikado]

it is considered offensive in Australia.

 

[bluesjnr]

OED

I yield, your ability to deliberately offend other races supersedes mine.

Thank you.

 

[Rat]

it is considered offensive in Australia.

My boss, who is half-Japanese, went into a shop in Australia and asked for something. The proprietor absolutely pissed himself laughing and, after recovering his composure, said "Sorry mate. I've just never heard a Jap with a Pom accent before."

 

[angrysoba]

Well, that would clearly be different, since both of those terms are widely understood to be racist in the UK. The whole point of this furore seems to be that - at least in a UK context - it has to be pointed out that it's potentially offensive.

The fact that most viewers don't know the word "slope" hardly means anything. Surely it comes down to what the user thought they meant by the word. If it was "word-play" then essentially Clarkson and Hammond knew full well that "slope" meant Asian.

I doubt if Top Gear lets political correctness get in the way of anything they do.

Neither did Bernard Manning, nor Jean Marie Le Pen.

Er, yes it is.

Yeah, "Jap" is definitely known as a racial slur. The fact that some people use it without thinking it is bad is pretty irrelevant.

 

[Rat]

Yeah, "Jap" is definitely known as a racial slur. The fact that some people use it without thinking it is bad is pretty irrelevant.

I'm not sure that it is irrelevant. As has been pointed out, things like 'Brit' are not taken as offensive, so if 'Jap' has been used in a given community as a simple abbreviation with no connotations intended, it only becomes offensive if they continue to use it after being told that it is considered offensive. Until then, they don't think it bad because it isn't.

 

[jimbob]

Good news! Top Gear actually makes a profit for the Beeb, mostly by being sold to foreign TV companies and merchandise.

"The accounts demonstrate how rapid progress was. Top Gear Ltd (actually the company is called Bedder 6, but it amounts to the same thing) generated a modest pre-tax profit of £2.9m in 2008/9 the first full year of trading under the new Clarkson-BBC joint venture. Just two years later, in the year to March 2011, the last full set of accounts available, profits had soared fivefold to £15.2m."

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/sep/27/top-gear-jeremy-clarkson

OK, it is still inappropriate for a public service broadcaster to promote such casual racism.

 

[JariM]

Which race is the most racist race? I don't care how politically incorrect this sounds, I think it's white people.

Saying one race is more racist than others is actually quite racist, yes?

Having said that, last year there was a story in the news that claimed that the most racist country is India followed by Jordan.

I'm not going to make any claims regarding how valid this study is.

THE LEAST RACIALLY TOLERANT COUNTRIES

40% + (of individuals surveyed would not want a person of another race as a neighbour)
India, Jordan

30 - 39.9%
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea

20 - 39.9%
France, Turkey, Bulgaria, Algeria, Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Thailand, Malaysia, The Philippines, Bangladesh, Hong Kong


THE MOST TOLERANT COUNTRIES

0 to 4.9%
United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Britain, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Australia, New Zealand

5 - 9.9%
Chile, Peru, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Belarus, Croatia, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa

10 - 14.9%
Finland, Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Slovakia

15 - 19.9%
Venezuela, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Macedonia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Russia, China

News
w w w .dailymail.co.uk /news/article-2325502/Map-shows-worlds-racist-countries-answers-surprise-you.html

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

The Daily Mail commenting on racism is always good for a giggle.