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[Nickbat]

The problem with this "edgy" humour is where to draw the line.

Suppose he had been doing a bit about school caretakers and said "all they do is sweep the playground, kill a schoolgirl, sweep the playground etc." (Huntley). What would have been the reaction?

If that is not funny (which it isn't) then why should it be funny to talk about lorry drivers and prostitute murder?

The more I think about it, the more I think it was an ill-judged remark. I like Clarkson, but he needs to be a little bit more circumspect.

[Andy B]

.....
The more I think about it, the more I think it was an ill-judged remark. I like Clarkson, but he needs to be a little bit more circumspect.

You're probably right, but as said before the programme is likely to have been recorded months before the Woss/Brand affair.

[LaserLance]

I wasn't offended i was to busy laughing me socks off at there antics in the trucks ,i've not laughed so since when they were in the caravan http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=E9epdvykQl4 Dont know if any off you were listening to Talksport when the union guy was on ,he made himself look a right buffon when asked how many of his members complained, asked how many of 17000 members had complained was first asked if it was a 1000 or more ,no answer, 100+ no answer ,10 or less he said im not sure on the figures as all the emails dont come to our office   like some one said if the ross /brand thing hadnt happened no one would have really paid much attention to it  

[Mr Skrunts]

Apparently lorry drivers that were asked were not the least bit offended.

But more to the point this is annother case of BBC editing and monitoring.  If anything the fault lies with the BBC production team for allowing it to be airerd.

[Kevin Wood]

Apparently lorry drivers that were asked were not the least bit offended.

But more to the point this is annother case of BBC editing and monitoring.  If anything the fault lies with the BBC production team for allowing it to be airerd.

The unfortunate thing is it's not going to offend lorry drivers but it is going to be deeply offensive to someone, somewhere who happens to have had a loved one murdered by a lorry driver.

This appears to be the attraction of this type of humour - that it has the potential to cause serious offence, but it doesn't happen to offend those who find it funny - so that's allright.

I can see why Ross has to resort to such antics. Without taking such risks, he's a tedious chat show host whose face just appears to fit on the telly but with talent that's equally skin deep IMHO.

I agree that Clarkson, doesn't need to stoop low like this. He has a very clever wit about him, and it comes over much better in his writing than on TG, again IMHO.

Kevin

[Mr Skrunts]

Apparently lorry drivers that were asked were not the least bit offended.

But more to the point this is annother case of BBC editing and monitoring.  If anything the fault lies with the BBC production team for allowing it to be airerd.

The unfortunate thing is it's not going to offend lorry drivers but it is going to be deeply offensive to someone, somewhere who happens to have had a loved one murdered by a lorry driver.

This appears to be the attraction of this type of humour - that it has the potential to cause serious offence, but it doesn't happen to offend those who find it funny - so that's allright.

I can see why Ross has to resort to such antics. Without taking such risks, he's a tedious chat show host whose face just appears to fit on the telly but with talent that's equally skin deep IMHO.

I agree that Clarkson, doesn't need to stoop low like this. He has a very clever wit about him, and it comes over much better in his writing than on TG, again IMHO.

Kevin

Fair comment.  So really it is down the how the BBC regulate thier own programs ..... Yet Again.

[Kevin Wood]

Fair comment.  So really it is down the how the BBC regulate thier own programs ..... Yet Again.

Absolutely. It would no doubt have been recorded before the previous scandal reached frenzy level so it was out of Clarkson's hands by then.

Kevin

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

People have forgotten how to laugh & find everthing offensive.
Hell, say what you like within reason, you can't please everyone, because no one likes it

Agreed...not offensive in my view....not aimed at a individual person.
We need to be careful with this Ross/Brand / Clarkson saga that we do not go back to TV like it was in the fifties.
In my opinion it is because Clarkson is so un PC that Top Gear is so entertaining.....and long may it continue that way.

[bob.dent]

People have forgotten how to laugh & find everthing offensive.
Hell, say what you like within reason, you can't please everyone, because no one likes it

Agreed...not offensive in my view....not aimed at a individual person.
We need to be careful with this Ross/Brand / Clarkson saga that we do not go back to TV like it was in the fifties.
In my opinion it is because Clarkson is so un PC that Top Gear is so entertaining.....and long may it continue that way.

Absolutely spot on!

There are always going to be things that offend some people and not others and the difficulty is always going to be where to draw the line.
Can you imagine if Mary Whitehouse was still around with todays TV programmes and films!!

[ians]

Agreed...not offensive in my view....not aimed at a individual person.

you mean not offensive to you, or in general..?

If you had had a sister/daughter etc who had been murdered by a lorry driver, do you think you would have a different opinion?  Could you laugh it off on the basis it wasn't offensive to most other people?

Persoanlly I feel bad that there are a few people in that situation who would obviously be deeply upset by that humour.  That is why I think it was in bad taste.  Its not the same thing at all as ribbing caravan owners and the like.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Agreed...not offensive in my view....not aimed at a individual person.

you mean not offensive to you, or in general..?

If you had had a sister/daughter etc who had been murdered by a lorry driver, do you think you would have a different opinion?  Could you laugh it off on the basis it wasn't offensive to most other people?

Persoanlly I feel bad that there are a few people in that situation who would obviously be deeply upset by that humour.  That is why I think it was in bad taste.  Its not the same thing at all as ribbing caravan owners and the like.

I can only speak for myself...the same as anybody.
Whatever somebody makes a joke of ......someone else will be offended....too make sure that nobody was offended   ......ever.....we would have to completely ban jokes and humour.
Really ..it is a case of you can't please all the people all of the time. but most people enjoy a good laugh most of the time.

[albitz]

I love top gear and the more un pc the better,but I do think this was a bit needless,not one of JC,S finer moments.

[willyboy]

Some of the stuff he does & says is funny  but hes still a big tit  who seems to think he is the dogs B******s used to watch it every week now only if its on do I watch ..hes become same same same always slagging off cars that dont cost more that £60k loves cars that most peeps will never ever have ..
Oops sry if I have offended anyone

[Bandit127]

Some of the stuff he does & says is funny  but hes still a big tit  who seems to think he is the dogs B******s used to watch it every week now only if its on do I watch ..hes become same same same always slagging off cars that dont cost more that £60k loves cars that most peeps will never ever have ..
Oops sry if I have offended anyone

No, not offended here.

Until I read about your abuse in The Daily Mail tomorrow morning. Then - you can be sure - I will be complaining to the Moderators in the strongest possible terms.  



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1082712/Ofcom-set-clear-Clarkson-jibe-truck-drivers-murder-prostitutes-BBC-receives-500-complaints.html

[Albatross]

This is nothing to do with Clarkson. He is paid to ramble in front of a camera and offer his opinion. I'm absolutely sure he has said may worse things, I know that I have.

The bottom line is that the problem, and responsibility, lies with the editors and the programme makers who are then presented with shed loads of material on video, some of which they decide to use to make a good programme and some of which they decide to leave out for various reasons such as it's boring, irrelevant, un-PC not funny etc.

IMHO I just think that the tiny part of dialogue in question was unnecessary, didn't add much (there were much funnier bits) and was completely irrelevant to any value in the overall peice of VT.

It is not a live programme, and the BBC probably wouldn't let JC go live given what he can be like.

As for Ross and Brand, I decided not to add to that debate on here because I don't think Brand is, or ever has been, worth me tapping a keyboard, but at 48 and paid what he is as a professional and key broadcaster Wossy simply should have known better. They are very, very different issues; it wasn't so much that it was un-PC, it was just plain stupid and disrepectful to Andrew Sachs as an indiviudal and fellow professional entertainer.

Both could have been better monitored and edited though. Down to the programme makers. Perhaps if they paid the likes of Wossy a bit less they could spend a bit more on the makers and the processes of making the programmes.

Rant over