James May: Work sets you free.

PieceOfTat

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During the caravanning holiday, when James walks away to find some breakfast, he says to Clarckson:

"Remember, work sets you free." This is a direct reference to "Arbeit macht frei" the phrase which was on the gates of deathcamp Auschwitz.

Referring to a war, I can live with that. Referring to the Holocaust is a different matter altogether.

Normally I don't mind WW2 related jokes or references, but I personally felt that this was TOO much.

Many (Jewish) people will find this offensive. I think of it as a misplaced, not thought through remark.

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Share your opinions here.
 
Jesus H. Christ, PieceOfTat....they anyway were referring to that horrible camp site as a "concentration camp". It wasn0t anti-jew...it was anti-camping-place. They hated it. That's it!

So don't be an Israeli and use this line as an excuse to massaker the population of a neighbouring country!
 
Re: James May: Work sets you free.

PieceOfTat said:
Many (Jewish) people will find this offensive. I think of it as a misplaced, not thought through remark.

Maybe, but the intent was not malicious.
 
Yeah.... and everytime I talk to my friends about a karate tournament, and say "My fight", I have to apologize to my Jewish buddy.

Calm down dude, I have heard hundreds of people say that... going all the way back to time of slavery in the US. Before that even, I believe indentured servants would say that to each other as motivation for getting through the day.

Seriously... unless James said "Work sets you free" in German, why get upset?
 
I noticed it when watching the episode, also understood that this is the same phrase as "arbeit macht frei" but didn't judge it to be offensive.

Everybody is offended by something, talking about fit people is offensive to fat people.
Whose problem is it then?

Top Gear directly mocks americans, no problem there. But just the slightest thought that this could have been somehow related to jews and BOOM, big problem.
 
there was at least one more such remark: "strength trough joy."
 
Re: James May: Work sets you free.

Without a doubt "Work sets you free/Arbeit macht frei" is synonymous with Auschwitz, but no-one in their right mind would ever condone the abhorrent things that happened there, and simply repeating this phrasing cannot be construed as accepting Nazi actions.

James May is the least offensive man in the British Isles, and although I can't speak for him, I'm fairly certain that he'd be mortified and disappointed that anybody took offense from repeating that phrase.

If anything, this thread should make us take a moment to reflect on what is still recent history, the families destroyed and lives lost. And to ensure that we never allow such a terrible thing to ever happen again.

:(
 
that someone living in holland would fall over sth like that :roll:
 
i didn't notice he said that. and now you pointed it out, i still don't mind. even if that's what james meant, he was joking. TG jokes must never be taken seriously, that's what some other people (i.e. bus drivers association) just don't get.
 
Being a Jew from escapees (who were able to leave Europe before the Holocaust) I of course instantly knew the reference. But I didn't find it upsetting. I didn't feel that it was being used in a way that belittled the suffering and the horrific nature of the Holocaust. I was more annoyed at JC picking on the Chrysler 300 SRT-8 (since I have one).

That said, without going into a deep political statement, but just to comment on some of the above, you cannot compare anything else to the Holocaust. It was the systematic extermination of an entire group of people. 1 out of every 2 Jews in the world died in the Holocaust. If you take American Jews out of the equation, more than 9 out of 10 of all Jews in the world were exterminated. My parents come from a small town in Greece that had 1500 Jews in 1941. Total survivors: 1.

Steve
 
Re: James May: Work sets you free.

PieceOfTat said:
"Remember, work sets you free." This is a direct reference to "Arbeit macht frei" the phrase which was on the gates of deathcamp Auschwitz.

Referring to a war, I can live with that. Referring to the Holocaust is a different matter altogether.

Clarkson commented that it wasn't a holiday it was a concentration camp. That's why James made the reference.

Get over it.
 
I hope so too, I live in germany and a lot of my german mates are a bit upset about it. Wouldnt have had that much of an impact if Jezza had said that. But then again, I am not german, so doesnt shake me.
 
So don't be an Israeli and use this line as an excuse to massaker the population of a neighbouring country!
Please take the time to learn how to read correctly.

I'm against it all the way!!

Where the fuck did I say i used it as an excuse to justify a massacre? Go on, show me.... I mean, really. SHOW ME. I'm not a racist in any meaning of the word and i do not approve of what happened back then.

Anyway, I didn't notice JC said it was a concentration camp, if I did, James's remark would fit in the context and I wouldn't say anything about it.

I haven't noticed.

edit: Just watched it again....I'm a dick........ :oops:



Doesn't take away the fact that some people might be offended by it. (JC's comment on busdrivers is a PRIME example) I wasn't, but the remark just didn't sound right at the time. (God I made a fool of myself, just by not paying attention during the episode....)

That's all. I said my part, I apoligize for not paying enough attention. :cry:


Byte, I take it personally that you see me as a racist........ I PM'ed you about this, so please clear it up.
 
Must be said, I did wonder how the more sensitive would take it when I heard it.

Basically, it is just another example of British humour - anything is a target not to be taken seriously and the more extreme, the more likely to have the piss taken. (See, Blackadder Goes Forth, for instance.)

Clarkson obviously didn't mean it was like a concentration camp, and May just ran with the analogy.
 
Plissken said:
Must be said, I did wonder how the more sensitive would take it when I heard it.

Basically, it is just another example of British humour - anything is a target not to be taken seriously and the more extreme, the more likely to have the piss taken. (See, Blackadder Goes Forth, for instance.)

Clarkson obviously didn't mean it was like a concentration camp, and May just ran with the analogy.
My point EXACTLY!! :)

I know British humor (lord, I have the entire "It ain't have hot mum, Allo Allo and Monty python collection) and I love it.

But the fact is, I didn't hear JC say it was a concentration camp. If i did, I wouldn't have started this thread in the first place.

Because of that I though James's remark came straight out of the blue, I just didn't think James would say such a thing and therefore it shocked me a bit.

........Can i change my username to EvelastingMoron, mods?
 
Well cry me a river. WW2 is history, at least for my generation, we can talk freely.

TG team wasnt exactly making skin lamps there now was it. Just few words.

And if somebody is offented thats their problem, their weak mentality that is not strong enough.
 
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