Coogan no longer impressed with Top Gear...

[highlandsflyer]

Looks like the world is being taken over by the pc Mafia :x Most jokes make fun of a group of people.
And long may it continue.

There is a rule about jokes.

Humour should always be part of them, and if not humour then some political or social comment.

Their pathetic racist rants are as inaccurate as their car reviews.

Thinking back to their recent slating of the Ferrari GTO, a car that 5th Gear said was deserving of the monicker.

 

[JohnH]

I learned everything I needed to know about Jeremy Clarkson during his test of the little Mercedes SLK two-seater when he said that he could "feel the supercharger squirting petrol into the engine..." :roll:

And this guy's supposed to be a motoring journalist?

 

[tintin40]

I never thought that more a journalist who loves cars. He does write about other topics such as politics

 

[highlandsflyer]

and he writes with equal aplomb on all issues.

 

[Neil]

Here's the thing about Clarkson, he used to have entertainment value, and reasonably good journalism - when he was more on the fringe. That passion for (practically) all things car related, once upon a time showed through as his motivation, even if it got a bit distracted at times. Once he started getting popular, he started to believe in his own hype, and went beyond what he had passion and insight for, into things he's clearly not equipped for.

So now, when he's in "character" he's gone beyond thought provoking, witty, and entertaining, and merely descended to pantomime buffoonery. The problem with the route he's gone, is that in order to sustain his act, he's got to try and out-do his previous, inane commentary.

At this point he's gone all "Denny Crane". He's a biscuit away from being almost entirely "Rowley Birkin".

And as Coogan points out, this isn't really edgy "comedy" - after all, Clarkson is only a wannabe comedian - if it was truly edgy comedy, he'd have the balls to go beyond soft targets, to subjects that really might bite back. It's no more sophisticated, and certainly no more funny than Jim Davidson - it just has pretensions otherwise.

 

[Neil]

Looks like the world is being taken over by the pc Mafia :x Most jokes make fun of a group of people.
And long may it continue.

+1 to that.

One of the best shows on tv imho.

Clarkson and co have the bollocks to say what they want and I applaud them for that and not pussy footing around being all pc.

Thing is, though, I'm not sure I buy, for a second, this is anything other than their "stage" persona talking.

I don't think this is straight talking at all. I think it's presenters of a car entertainment programme, confusing themselves with comedians, and needing to maintain a certain "act" in order to sustain the ongoing gag.

And my reasoning for thinking that way? I doubt they'd have anything like the balls to say something truly controversial about a subject that would really bite back, compared with a likely / designed reaction of a bit of media coverage intended to improve their ratings.

 

[drcarlos]

IT funny how no one mentions the racism agains't the Aussies in the same show, I mean them arriving in a prison truck.

We'll it because they take it for what it is just a bit of banter with no malice intended then they give a bit back.

It could be said that as it happened in the same week as Key and Gray being removed from Sky (you can't say keys wasn't pushed) that it was a sort of protest at a world gone PC mad, but that would just be too co-incidental

Carl.

 

[Neil]

IT funny how no one mentions the racism agains't the Aussies in the same show, I mean them arriving in a prison truck.

We'll it because they take it for what it is just a bit of banter with no malice intended then they give a bit back.

It could be said that as it happened in the same week as Key and Gray being removed from Sky (you can't say keys wasn't pushed) that it was a sort of protest at a world gone PC mad, but that would just be too co-incidental

"Never ascribe to malice, what could be explained as incompetence"

Personally, I'm not against their gag because it was bigoted, per se. I just think it was lazy, stupid and feckless - but the worst sin? Unfunny.

I mean Clarkson saying something stupid and controversial - no big surprise, but then the help add their comments, it's all just too staged, but too stupid. I mean Hammond has excuses, but what's May's?

I think it's giving too much credit to present it some subtle point - because it most certainly wasn't subtle - it was just an attempt at cheap laughs, and to court ratings.

This whole straight talking, "telling it like it is" nonsense is all just blind allegiance. I wouldn't be suprised if they didn't really think like that at all (I struggle to believe all three do, coincidentally), I think it's all just for effect.

 

[David B]

Looks like the world is being taken over by the pc Mafia :x Most jokes make fun of a group of people.
And long may it continue.

+1 to that.

One of the best shows on tv imho.

Clarkson and co have the bollocks to say what they want and I applaud them for that and not pussy footing around being all pc.

Thing is, though, I'm not sure I buy, for a second, this is anything other than their "stage" persona talking.

I don't think this is straight talking at all. I think it's presenters of a car entertainment programme, confusing themselves with comedians, and needing to maintain a certain "act" in order to sustain the ongoing gag.

And my reasoning for thinking that way? I doubt they'd have anything like the balls to say something truly controversial about a subject that would really bite back, compared with a likely / designed reaction of a bit of media coverage intended to improve their ratings.

Bang on. Even at least one member of TG's production staff (Andy Wilman) has stated that the show has gone OTT and turned into a bad caricature of itself, or words to that effect. Fishing for ratings seems the most likely explanation. There was a time when TV shows bumped up their viewing figures by being novel, genuinely thought provoking or entertaining [1], obviously no longer a requirement in these days of dross such as Britain's Strictly Got The X Factor On Ice, The Jeremy Vile Show or Hole in the Schedule, erm, Wall.

David

[1] Case in point: OK, so The Sweeney attracted a fair bit of controversy back in the day, but partly 'cause in places it was a bit too close to the truth for some members of the Met. Which adds up to good scripting, acting and production (oh, and not getting Dennis Waterman to do the theme tune [2] ).

[2] "Two detectives named Regan and Carter, doo doo doo doo, drive round in a brown Ford Granada, doo doo doo doo, I've got a good idea, just you keep me near....", etc. You get the idea, anyroad.

 

[tintin40]

The best place for un-pc humour T-shirt hell