There have been many established experts commenting on the public sector strike this week but none has garnered more media attention than Jeremy Clarkson calling on striking workers to be “shot in front of their families”. At the last count, complaints to the BBC topped 20,000. Yet where did this pearl of policy come from? A cabinet minister? Nope, the host of a TV programme about cars and established wind up merchant who’s other gems have included:
The only people who can’t navigate instinctively are women and anyone trying to find Malpensa airport in Milan.
The only person who looked good in a 4-seated convertible was Adolf Hitler
I don’t understand bus lanes. Why do poor people have to get to places quicker than I do?
I don’t often agree with the RSPCA as I believe it is an animal’s duty to be on my plate at supper time.
Of course he didn’t mean it (indeed he subsequently came out and said so). The fact that it has become such a ‘story’ is largely down to vested interests in the trade unions and left leaning media to distract from the catastrophic failure of the strike.
Top Gear is the highest grossing brand for BBC worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC which principally makes its money from selling programmes oversees. This has helped grow record profit to £160m. That’s £160m that doesn’t need to be funded from our licence fees. Those that are calling for his head (including many that actually work for the BBC) need to think about that and whilst they do so, get a sense of humour and perspective.
Thanks to http://www.jeremyclarkson.co.uk/jc-top-gear-quotes/ and http://www.inquisitr.com/2783/the-best-jeremy-clarkson-quotes/ for the quotes.
David, I disagree. So if a show’s profitable enough you can say what you like on an early evening prime time TV show? The man’s a xenophobic misogynistic Neanderthal. He’s not a comedian, he’s not funny, and no I haven’t had a humour by-pass. It sticks in the craw when very rich and highly over-paid people come out with comments like ‘… while the rest of us have to work for a living’. If he’s ever taken to Accident & Emergency in the middle of a busy Friday night, because his private health insurance wont cover emergencies, he would eat his words. The thought of so much Licence payers money going to untalented oafs like him really sticks in the craw; and let’s not forget his incredibly funny ‘jokes’ about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes and calling Gordon Brown a “one-eyed Scottish idiot” amongst many others. If you find that funny I’d say you’ve had a humour by-pass and should therefore be sent to Budapest and back mid-winter in a Trabant to gain a fresh perspective. Hope you get his book for Xmas I’m sure it will be an Austin Allegro full of laughs.
Hi Charles, thanks for your comments. The point I’m making is that he is simply a TV presenter on a programme about cars, not a policy maker. He’s been afforded too much publicity already and this has had the negative effect of taking the news agenda away from the very serious issues around the events of Wednesday. Yes he’s an oaf but he adds colour to a programme I wouldn’t personally wouldn’t take much interest in otherwise and I’m sure that’s the same for a lot of people. Budapest in a Trabant does sound like quite good fun!