About this Clarkson row

[blackburn_stevie]

What the smeg is going on?

It's a TV show, not a live broadcast.If there's a major issue, just edit it out before the final take. Problem solved.

So then the story is leaked to the newspapers, etc.

I think the report isn't so much about Clarkson's antics but more about Top Gear and he BBC's inability to control a leak.

By the way ....... 'Morning all

[Anonymous]

Well, at least he gives people something to talk about on forums.

[electric*mayhem*band]

'According to Channel 4, Clarkson had kept a helicopter and its crew waiting for three hours while he sat in a pub.

The helicopter was set to take them to their next location, arriving back at the hotel for 8pm.

But kitchen staff at the hotel cancelled the planned dinner service, because the TV crew were then two hours late in returning.

A witness to the incident said that Clarkson replied 'So there's no food', after being offered a cold platter or something from the bar menu – rather than the steak he wanted'.

A case of: 'Do you know who I am' ?

[fallen-archie]

A woman has been campaigning against a company who offer free coffee during your shopping trip, she has whined , wailed and thrown all sorts of demands at the business.

The Reason

No Free Soya milk to go with it!

It's Britain, what we have become, a bunch of moaning Minnie's , we complain about inflated egos yet we bring up more every day.
I don't like swearing yet if we were watching Queen Elizabeth on telly and she stubbed her toe instinctively whispering th F word I wonder how many would be offended and how many would find IT funny. Iny book there is ppm for both.

[sir_arthur_strebe-grebling]

I don't think I have ever watched Top Gear, but enjoy hearing about Clarkson's non-PC utterings. I'd vote for anyone who kicks against the overpaid loony lefties running the BBC who try to brainwash us all into politically-correct thoughts.

[joe_bloggs*]

Decent post on Guy Debords cat blog:

https://buddyhell.wordpress.com/

......."But what about free speech? What about it? The Clarkson incident wasn’t about free speech. Clarkson punched a producer because he couldn’t get what he wanted. In the vast majority of workplaces, it’s a sackable offence to use violence towards your work colleagues. When Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand made prank calls to actor, Andrew Sachs, they were dismissed. No questions asked.  Yet, Clarkson is seemingly in a different league to other workers. He punches a producer and 300,000 people sign a petition (that was started by Guido Fawkes) to have him reinstated. If you or I punched a workmate, we’d told to leave the premises immediately and we’d be threatened with prosecution. Not Clarkson. In the end, the BBC merely suspended him,  which effectively amounts to little more than a slap on the wrists"...................................

[fallen-archie]

As you mentioned rights, Clarkson has rights too, the Beeb are right suspending him pending a disciplinary, that is the correct process.

We could of course abandon due process and agree that without evidence we should get the Beeb to sack him, pay compensation to the poorly victim and give the change to the whinging minority groups who only want to be loved. Having escaped persecution elsewhere to re locate here and end up facing daily taunts from drunken natives and ego driven celebrities.

[fallen-archie]

Breaking news tonight! Clarkson is out but will be replaced by Clare Balding, Hammond and May to take a break, Christopher Biggins and Esther Rantzen will replace them. Each week Andrew Niel will be the fat boy in a Dinky toy. Problem solved

[cee-dee]

It's right that things are to be determined by due process but as things emerge, it can't be denied that he comes over as a loud-mouthed, bombastic, bullying character full of his own importance:-

http://news.sky.com/story/1444054/family-clarkson-said-hed-have-colleague-fired

Over the years he's become more and more obnoxious in his attitude even though it's also obvious that he appeals to a large number of people. Are they like-minded, wish they could behave as he does or do they emulate his antics?

The petition has certainly grown but if a contrary petition had been started at the same time, would it have resulted in abusive, trollish responses such as we often see on discussion forums?

[fallen-archie]

I don't believe the majority are like minded, I see his attitude as a component within a show which has evolved to what it is today. If you have watched Martin Clunes as Doc Martin he is entertaining because his attitude would never be allowed yet many of his responses to patients are hilarious. Clarkson is Fact whilst Doc Martin is fiction and that probably colours our attitude to both. I think diversity of programming is essential within the BBC One that reflects life, fact and fiction. That should evolve naturally rather than by so called positive discrimination with all involved on message to the PC police and the LiberalLuvvies. People have no need to feel offended by theatre within reason, sad fact is they choose to be offended to further a cause.

[cee-dee]

The "show" has evolved to the point where the actions and behaviour portrayed are being emulated either directly or subconciously to the extent that they're being carried over to driving on the roads or public places.

Very low numbers of real-life Doctors would be watching Doc Martin so similar emulation would be either unlikely or unlikely to continue without censure.

On the other hand, the majority of Top Gear viewers are drivers with the ability to access vehicles, roads and public places. The attitude being demonstrated on TG is such that it's time for more responsible demonstrations of vehicles and driving because very few viewers have access to an airfield to horse around like TG does.

It's clear that Clarkson has carried over an unpleasant attitude from the "show" in to real-life and if he can't now control that it's time he drove off to pastures new where the doorways can be widened to accommodate his grossly overgrown ego.

[fallen-archie]

So in conclusion he is pig headed, has an enormous Ego, expects everyone to accept his point of view I assume we are still referring to Clarkson ? I stand by my assertion that TV and Theatre should push the boundaries, these day's we are banning so many things, In the name of what exactly? Respect, freedom, preservation of peace, Humour varies from one man to another, doubtless somewhere there exists a list of topics which can with care be included within an amusing script.

[electric*mayhem*band]

I think the BBC should replace 'Top Gear' with the test card. Much more entertaining, cheaper to run, and as deference and homage to Clarkson, they could substitute the child and clown photographs with images of himself and Hammond. No prizes for guessing which.

[cee-dee]

For all we know he might have decided to use the situation to further his own ends after realising his behaviour at the hotel was like that of a spoiled child having a tantrum.

Having seen that his obnoxious behaviour had many witnesses and that some of them would probably report it to the press, he cleverly decided to exploit the situation to pressurise the BBC to either "keep" him at an inflated renewal of his contract or to "sack" him so that he could play one media outlet against the other in order that a bidding war would ensue.

Such a bidding war may well be under way and it may well include the BBC so far from being concerned, he might well see himself as being in a win-win situation.

If faced with such a contrived arm-twisting, I'd weigh up the options and having done so, I'd decide that it was time to move on and wave him bye-bye.

Theatricals may well "push the boundaries" but after a time they've pushed so hard they've forgotten their direction so that the push "upwards" may have gone as far as it's going and having peaked, thereafter the only way is down. He won't be the first (nor the last) to think that he's bigger than he is and wrapped up in his own cocoon of self importance, blame everyone else for his ultimate demise.

[mr-expresso]

What the smeg is going on?

Put 'Smeg urban dictionary'

Then click onto a few of the selections....   You might then not use the term again....

It seems to have a rather unpleasant meaning.

[******lynda******]

I sometimes watch TG and I thought,mal though he can be an idiot, JC never speaks out of malice when he exploits these generalities as humour. He often uses stereotyping we all know is not accurate and so don't take it seriously. We need to keep a sense of humour...as I have when I get called a nazi because I have a part German heritage.

I drive a fast car, limited to 155mph. If I want to do a TG I would go to a track, like many people do to put their cars through their paces. Oddly, I drive at the speed limits or according to conditions but it is amazing how it is always white van man who roars by doing a ton. If I followed suit, the police would stop me, not him, because I have the sporty car, yet my car is only at 50% of its capabilities while he must be at the top end of his. My car would stop sooner and more safely. I think those want to drive badly, will, regardless of TG. Young drivers in particular have always been a risk. The term boy racer has been around all my life and insurance has always favoured the over 25s for a reason.

According to the witnesses, it was a verbal assault, not physical and the victim said it was just everyone frazzled after a long day. Yes, he was wrong and apparently he alerted his bosses himself ...fessed up to what he had done. I do think, as the contracts are so close to end, they should have finished the season, because it is our licence money that will have to compensate those who paid for the series all over the world.
JC has no worries, any more than Jonathon Ross or Russell Brand had. Apart from already being wealthy, plenty of companies will be waiting in the wings.

[Anonymous]

Only one solution................ https://youtu.be/HU7htB3cyo4

[upthecreekyetagain]

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@cee-dee wrote:

Theatricals may well "push the boundaries" but after a time they've pushed so hard they've forgotten their direction so that the push "upwards" may have gone as far as it's going and having peaked, thereafter the only way is down. He won't be the first (nor the last) to think that he's bigger than he is and wrapped up in his own cocoon of self importance, blame everyone else for his ultimate demise.

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From what I can see of this whole incident it's not Clarkson who is making out that he is bigger than the BBC nor displaying a level of self importance - it seems that it is others that are ascribing those attitudes to him.

Top Gear is NOT a consumer show for car buyers - it used to be but Clarkson changed it from a failing review show into a successful entertainment show based on the subject of cars and car driving.   For most it has no more to do with the real world than a Bear Grylls survival show has!

The BBC are well within their rights to discipline an employee, as they have done, and as with any other business to sack their employee if they believe the circumstances justify this course of action.  The BBC have that simple decision to make and whatever that decision is it will be the "right" one as they are the sole arbiter as the employer.

[cee-dee]

The actual incident was a clear demonstration of someone with an over-developed opinion of his own importance throwing a childish tantrum because he couldn't have his own way. That it was caused by his late arrival due to him being in a pub drinking for hours and was the actual cause of the lateness was overlooked by his temper.

For all we know, his "self-report" to the BBC was either a ploy to get himself out of a hole or an attempt to elevate an increase in payment when his contraact is up for renewal shortly on the basis that if the BBC won't play ball, C4 or Sky might well take him up.

It was reported that last year the BBC paid him £14 million for a dividend and his stake in the company that "owns" the Top Gear "brand", including a "presenters salary" of nearly £1 million soooooo, it's gonna be interesting to see how the BBC choose to play the coming game?

There comes a time when bad behaviour by "stars" reflects badly on those promoting them and repeated incidents sometimes enter the "No More" area and whether that time is now, we shall see?

[******lynda******]

Yet millions tune in to watch Gordon Ramsay abuse contestants on Hells Kitchen and others. Millions tune in to Big Brother and other 'reality ' shows hoping for displays of bad behaviour...they certainly don't watch to see people happily playing monopoly...they want controversy and personality clashes. Comedians have built careers on being not politically correct. I live with someone who also has the temper management skills of a 2 year old. It is not pretty, and I agreed JC was wrong to behave thus.

[**caution**opinion_ahead]

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@******lynda****** wrote:
Yet millions tune in to watch Gordon Ramsay abuse contestants on Hells Kitchen and others. Millions tune in to Big Brother and other 'reality ' shows hoping for displays of bad behaviour...they certainly don't watch to see people happily playing monopoly...they want controversy and personality clashes. Comedians have built careers on being not politically correct. 

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Quite so!  "Humiliation" TV is apparently fine.  Participants can be picked on and derided and that is seen as fine.  No one cares whether any lasting harm is being done to sensitive individuals.  And press reporting is as bad.  How many rise to fame only to be kicked down a few months later by tabloid speculation about private lives, etc.