'American Special' Complaints: BBC Response

With due respect, who owns this website (and what nationality they are of), is irrelevant. It has no bearing on the desire to change TG, or rather Clarkson and his motor mouth.
So... what? Do you think your opinion matters either? What, are you not going to pay your BBC fees? Clarkson has gotten plenty of complaints and stirred up plenty of controversy from within the UK, they don't care. Does Free Speech only apply to Brits or something? Get off this website if you have a problem with us expressing ourselves. YOUR nationality is irrelevant.
 
Whilst Top Gear is very popular, you have to credit the people who watch it with a little intelligence. People know it is humorous and not to be taken seriously.

From all the people I have spoken to about the USA, most of them have a much worse impression of it from the news, especially where Bush is involved. Many more people see the news than Top Gear around the world.
 
I always get a laugh when any of the guys on TG take a stab at the US, usually because the comments are so over-the-top. I quickly learned to take their negative comments with a grain of salt; it's all in good fun. They rag on about Britain a lot too, but you never hear people complaining about that. They really don't mention many other countries on the show, so I take it at a compliment that we're at least noticible. I think it's great that they (Clarkson in particular) keep going on about the US, seeing as we're not the most well-liked country right now. The world needs more people who aren't afraid to open their mouths and speak their minds. After hearing about all the complaints, the world also seems to need a lot more people with a sense of humor.
 
So hang on...

It's ok for them to make fun and invade other countries
Yet its not ok for someone else to poke a little harmless fun at them?

People need to grow up

Getting a negative comment from Clarkson is like getting a complement; it's just funnier the other way
 
So... what? Do you think your opinion matters either? What, are you not going to pay your BBC fees? Clarkson has gotten plenty of complaints and stirred up plenty of controversy from within the UK, they don't care. Does Free Speech only apply to Brits or something? Get off this website if you have a problem with us expressing ourselves. YOUR nationality is irrelevant.

Fact is, it is relevant. It is not an international debate about the content of the program, it is a internal British matter. We can debate it internationally yes but when it comes to who the BBC listen to, it is not. The BBC is not going to listen to a individual who complains because it is just an individual no matter if he/she pays the license fee and therefore contributes to the production costs of the program. However it is a British ratings issue if the British public tuned out then it will cease to exist no matter how popular it is abroad.
 
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Dear all,

As a French guy, I though I could bring a different view, not being from US or UK.
I absolutely agree with JC when he is making those hard comments about US, I could have make them myself.
Off course I totally disagree with him when he is talking about French, but that?s life, I just have selective ears?
I fact, I think I don?t need English people to like my country and I don?t care if someone doesn?t like driving a supercar in my favourite town (Paris).
I will not complain if something bad or wrong is said about France, and I will see this sort of complains as a lack of confidence. No need to leave in the best country or place and to try to have others agreeing on this point if you are deeply convinced that you are truly happy about the place you are leaving in.
If JC?s comments were difficult to ear, you should ask yourself why a British commentator opinion was important to you, don?t tell us that it could have change your way of seeing Amrerica?
 
So... what? Do you think your opinion matters either? What, are you not going to pay your BBC fees? Clarkson has gotten plenty of complaints and stirred up plenty of controversy from within the UK, they don't care. Does Free Speech only apply to Brits or something? Get off this website if you have a problem with us expressing ourselves. YOUR nationality is irrelevant.

For f***s sake, chill out! And whilst you're at it go back and read my original post.

Did I say free speech applies to Britain only? Did I say I'm gonna stop paying the license fee?

My point was this debate can be held on any forum which is owned by a person of any nationality, hence the nationality of Viper is irrelevant.

And for the record I'll get off this website when Viper tells me to. Fortunately he seems to be a very tolerant kind of guy, so I don't think that'll happen.
 
Fact is, it is relevant. It is not an international debate about the content of the program, it is a internal British matter. We can debate it internationally yes but when it comes to who the BBC listen to it is not. The BBC is not going to listen to a individual who complains because it is an individual no matter if he/she pays the license fee and therefore contributes to the production costs of the program. However it is a British ratings issue if the British public turned out then it is cease to exist no matter how popular it is abroad.

That pretty much hits the nail right on the head. British audience figures can make or break TG.
 
Fact is, it is relevant. It is not an international debate about the content of the program, it is a internal British matter. We can debate it internationally yes but when it comes to who the BBC listen to it is not. The BBC is not going to listen to a individual who complains because it is an individual no matter if he/she pays the license fee and therefore contributes to the production costs of the program. However it is a British ratings issue if the British public turned out then it is cease to exist no matter how popular it is abroad.

Let me ask a general question. Does anyone here actually think the BBC reads their posts and takes action based on the results of their posts?

I think it's funny that the British members think their opinions are the only ones that matter and the only ones the BBC would read on this forum, simply because they're British and forced to pay high BBC licence fees. I don't think the BBC cares one way or another about what most Brits think, let alone the rest of us. TopGear doesn't even have an official forum. Do you think they care? I don't.

Did I say free speech applies to Britain only? Did I say I'm gonna stop paying the license fee?

You and others like you seem to think Non-Brits are not entitled to an opinion about the show, unless it's fan-boyish compliments, simply because we're not British. Our opinions don't matter and are "irrelevant". Yet Brits seem to think their opinions matter because they pay licence fees, basically. So what are you going to do? If you dislike a program on BBC, what are you going to do? Complain? And then what? The only real power you hold of TopGear's content is if you decided to not pay BBC licence fees and lose the channel(s). That's all you can do.

My point was this debate can be held on any forum which is owned by a person of any nationality, hence the nationality of Viper is irrelevant.

And for the record I'll get off this website when Viper tells me to. Fortunately he seems to be a very tolerant kind of guy, so I don't think that'll happen.

My point was simply that this website was made for those of us who don't have access to the TopGear and FifthGear programs. It was designed for Non-Brits, in a sense. It's an open forum where we can discuss the show and it doesn't segregate people by nationality. Just because you're British, it doesn't mean your voice carries more weight around here. That was my point. I don't like being told to shut up because the show wasn't designed for me.
 
Tom I think you are on a little bit of a high horse here, what I can say as a Brit is that my opinion is no more important than any1 else, no matter what nationality they are or where they come from partially on a public forum. What I said was and I quote.

"The BBC is not going to listen to a individual who complains because it is just an individual no matter if he/she pays the license fee and therefore contributes to the production costs of the program."

What I am saying is the BBC ain't going to listen to me because they just don't care because I am only a individual but what the British pple think as a whole is vital to the show remaining on air.
 
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Tom I think you are on a little bit of a high horse here, what I can say as a Brit is that my opinion is no more important than any1 else, no matter what nationality there are or where they come from partially on a public forum. What I said was and I quote.

"The BBC is not going to listen to a individual who complains because it is an individual no matter if he/she pays the license fee and therefore contributes to the production costs of the program."

What I am saying is the BBC ain't going to listen to me they don't care because I am an individual but what the British pple think as a whole is vital to the show remaining on air.

So you're saying the British people as a whole matter and no one else?

I don't care if the BBC listens or not. I don't post on this forum to change the show. If I wanted, or cared about the BBC, I'd email them directly, but I don't. Most networks suck and the majority of their shows are crap. They don't listen to the viewers and constantly cancel the only good shows they produce. For the most part, they're all idiots.

I agree with you about the British audience as a whole being the biggest influence on TopGear. What I don't understand is why this discussion came up where anyone who doesn't pay licence fees isn't entitled to an opinion.
 
wow, i can practically hear the sand in all these vaginas. who cares if top gear makes fun of the US? newsflash: JC isn't the smartest guy on earth or God so why do people give two craps?

is just silly. ya know why? cause he's rich, got rich BY being a smart-alec-dick, and doesn't give two craps about any of you. honestly, if you died, if this forum disappeared, he'd still have that nice ford GT, loving family, and a mountain of cash AND a hit TV show.

maybe i'm just naive because idon't care if they make fun of the US or if they get stuff wrong about cars every once in a while. i like the show cause its funny and has shiny things that make loud noises that go fast. don't like it? don't watch it.

/thread
 
MakotoS13, this thread will reach it's own conclusion. We don't need you to be our nanny.

zaybxcwd12, I was paying attention to you until you started speaking like a 9 year old AOLer. Hell, I'm tapping all this out on a PDA and still managing to use proper English. You can do the same.
 
oh the conclusion has been made, some people are just dragging it out. maybe some people need to just pretend like the whining matters or like these guys care about opinions expressed on this site. at the end of the day the UK is just like every other country in the world. its all about the $$$. why do you think JC didn't want his crap on youtube yet this huge fanbase here is pretty much neglected? cause THIS huge fanbase (those of us that like topgear but can't see it anywhere else) doesn't increase the size of his ford GT gas fund.

i understand that people need to feel like they matter but the sooner you realize that none of this does the sooner you can get to talking about whats really important in this life:

shiny things that make lots of noise and go real fast.
 
The reason we go on about licence fee payers having a greater say in BBC programming is because, due to the way the corporation is funded, every licence fee payer is, for want of a better phrase - a shareholder in the BBC.

Also, the reason Top Gear doesn't have its own website is the same reason Doctor Who doesn't have its own website - the BBC has been told by OfCom, The Government and The Trust that they should be encouraging people to chat on other sites instead of hosting their own chats.

Since the Graf Report a few years ago the Beeb have been slowly closing Message boars and from what I've heard they may all be gone in a couple of years - possibly replaced with comment forms on stories.
 
TopGear has it's own website, just no message board.

FifthGear has it's own website, as well as, it's own message board.
 
MakotoS13,

I would love to reply in depth, however, I am on my PDA so I will do the best I can.

You seem to be under the mistaken impression that FinalGear's members expect change as a result of these posts. We don't. This is a place for us to talk about the show - what worked for us and what didn't. You have made your opinion abundantly clear - just as clear as your simplistic ferret-like preoccupation with shiny things.

Now we know what (and how) you think. Now kindly shut up and let us discuss this like adults.

If I throw a set of shiny keys will you go away for a while?
 
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While it is neive of me to say that Dollars and Cents have no bearing at all on the precedings, it is less true with the BBC than with any other breodcasting network. A broadcasting company gets revenue from advertising, a hit show in prime time sells airtime. The BBC on the other hand could axe top gear, Life on Mars and other top rating shows fill the time with reruns of mastermnd and songs of praise and it would still get the same revenue than it did before top shows where put on the chopping board.

Now this is the key, if this happened then the company who is it answerable to no1 else other than the British public.

I doubt JC's personal coffers are inflated by the fact there is demand for the show around the globe, can't see him personally getting anymore out of it, his ego might be inflated perhaps but not financially. I can't answer this one I don't know but if there is such a huge fan base for TG across the Atlantic why is it not listed in the guide for BBCA?.
 
Given its world-wide popularity, I think Top Gear is probably the only show in the world that would be viable as an Internet-only broadcast should the BBC drop it. Think about it: a special website for subscribing to Top Gear broadcasts for, say, $0.50 per episode. I think it would yield a healthy amount of money. And IMO they wouldn't have to change one bit of it, even if it would be sold to a more international audience.

To a few Brits:
If we non-British viewers critize an aspect of the show, however insignificant, for whatever reason, that doesn't mean we demand an influence on your British show. Not even when the producer lurks here. I don't understand why people who are fairly discussing the show would prompt you to suddenly say "Oh but your opinion is pointless, because the show is made for US and WE pay for it". Or to say to people who are fans of the show, but have a little bit of (constructive) criticism here and there "Oh but that's your problem and you shouldn't watch it anymore". FFS! I guess you wouldn't say that if people were only raving about it, would you?
Besides, as others mentioned this is a forum for people/non-Brits who don't have regular access to the show, as you know. Those people still want to be able to watch the show and discuss/critize it. However, it seems that those people and indeed this website annoy you. That is what I conclude when I read your posts. Why did you join this (non-British) website and post here if you think we non-British are not "worthy" of Top Gear?
And we're really not that easily offended by JC. We're definitely not asking for political correctness; indeed the incorrectness is precisely one of the things we love about TG. However, when some people here suggest JC may have crossed the line between incorrectness and being obnoxious with a few remarks during this episode, that prompts you to say to us to "sod off" in a way. Why FFS?
It's not at all what I would say to people here if I were British...
 
"We trust most viewers are familiar enough with the style and tone of the show not to take offence", must be one of the most commonly used sentences in the BBC complaints department.
 
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