[09x03] February 11th, 2007

[SPG900]

Originally Posted by fbc

There's plenty of people who like the current mix of reviews vs comedy. As for being a car show - a road-trip, in cars, messing about with the cars, sure counts as 'car-content' to me.

There was plenty of comedy while TG was still mostly a car show, plus it was better. A big problem now is that lots of the jokes aren't subtle enough and seem forced. For instance, the fact alone they were driving through Alabama with those slogans on the cars was funny enough, especially with the weird looks from the people passing them. But then they ruin it a bit with that phone cam scene etc. I'm pretty sure some of that was fake, and there's just no need for it.

Overall though, the last two eps have been an improvement.

[eMKay]

over 200 posts since I went to bed, and still mostly civil. See? We're not ALL like those gas station rednecks

[tylerblue]

Originally Posted by eMKay

over 200 posts since I went to bed, and still mostly civil. See? We're not ALL like those gas station rednecks

No, but too many of us are

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally Posted by JosefCarlin

and they get one. It was a stupid thing to do and they could have been seriously hurt. Do you really think you could go into someones house, disrespect them, and expect anything different? Here are some other Top Gear Top Tips: Don't go to Iran and call them "Camel Jockeys", don't go to a football game in Germany and call them Nazi's, and don't go to Berwick, Scotland and tell them what a great King Edward I was. They too might not have a sense of humor.

I have a had a great deal of respect for the BBC, Top Gear, the production crew, and the lads, but I must say I have lost some of that respect and high regard. It was a cheesy (get it), classless stunt and in bad taste. It really is a shame because the rest of the episode was truly inspired.

Oh and thanks for the gift of the broken down pieces of junk. Your charity is quite, underwhelming. As James so elquoently put it once, "Sod off!"

calm down dear

i know going into alabama like that is like going into a jewish house hold with the swastiker armband and a tank of chlorine gas, but if they just waltzed in as any normal person would..... were's the entertainment in that.

its a tv show, its designed to entertain....to entertain you have to do stupid risky stuff.

its stupid, but you cant blame them.

i mean look at jackass and dirty sanchez....(ones american ones welsh) they go round doing similar distasteful acts, but theyre sure as hell were funny. if they can get away with moments of sheer stupidity why cant top gear?

[fbc]

Originally Posted by SPG900

There was plenty of comedy while TG was still mostly a car show, plus it was better. A big problem now is that lots of the jokes aren't subtle enough and seem forced.

IMHO the jokes flow more naturally now since the guys know each so well (I'm talking about the messing about outside of the studio).

Originally Posted by SPG900

For instance, the fact alone they were driving through Alabama with those slogans on the cars was funny enough, especially with the weird looks from the people passing them. But then they ruin it a bit with that phone cam scene etc. I'm pretty sure some of that was fake, and there's just no need for it.

It seemed pretty genuine to me.

[Anivasion]

I had to immediately stop the episode we had downloaded, register on your forum just to apologise for the horrible "chase" scene. My husband and I are big fans of the show and we enjoying watching the scene where the cars were painted up with messages while the guys were driving through the south.

Aside from being pretty distant from the the types of people who were...represented :p and offended by the Man-love, Hillary and Nascar sucks slogans, we can also laugh at ourselves anyway and were laughing heartily at the reactions by other drivers. That is, until the gas station scene. I can't (or maybe I can, sadly) believe people like that ACTUALLY exist, that they would threaten and chase you from the gas station. It wasn't funny and I wish the vegetable breeding kin would have a sense of humor. So, please accept my condolences anyone had to see that! I would have loved to have been around to see the guy's road showcase, but they would have had to have gone a bit more north.

Other than that distasteful display by the inbred hicks (the people weren't provoked, so much as looked to pick a fight, I mean really) the show was very funny. I hope that their next experience, if there is one, is in an area populated by people with an actual sense of humor.

[Alok]

awesomest episode in a long time....

[Jesda]

That was the BEST hour of entertainment in the history of all media!

I've driven through the south a number of times and noticed that the further south I went, the friendlier people were, except for Florida.

Now, if you drove through the bad parts of LA or Detroit with "BAN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION" plastered on the side of your vehicle, you might annoy some inner city gangbangers. There's thugs of all kinds.

Amazing how many hard impacts that Cadillac Brougham took. I hope they come back to America. I know Jeremy will (as he has on several occasions).

[janstett]

I just got done watching, as an American, not that bad. I was expecting worse, or maybe I'm just numb to the insults. Jeremy has to get off the one track mind (maybe I should start a drinking game every time he mentions murder or cheese). It was a great road movie, but I don't think it's the best episode ever.

Wow, I'm even shocked about the Alabama rednecks. In New York they'd just point and laugh, I think most people would get the joke. I was seriously scared for the gang. Although I have to wonder what would happen if you drove up in a Ford Transit Van with "Manchester United sucks" what the hooligan Football thugs would do. It reminded me of the beginning of Die Hard 3, when the bad guy makes Bruce Willis's character go to Harlem naked with a sandwich board that says "I hate ni**ers". Asking for trouble. And was the owner of the gas station a man or a woman, it's hard to tell.

I think I can use Jeremy's car-shower in my Porsche, no a.c.

I'm with May, I'd rather go to bed hungry than deal with a dead cow and squirrel. And FWIW I'm not the kind of person who as a kid tortured insects and small animals, I didn't pull the wings off of flies or poke the eyes out of dead birds. A little respect for the dead, huh Jeremy?

Re: New Orleans, it's a complcated matter - political corruption, residents depending on government for everything who've been relocated around the country (and some might stay where they relocated). A lot of those properties are abandoned. I think the worst is that the local government doesn't pour funds into protecting against the floods with a comprehensive modern levy/gate system like used in the Netherlands and from what I understand even the Thames. Over the decades New Orleans has had plenty of money thrown its way, but the politicos treat this money as a slush fund and divert money away from doing something about the levys; as long as the disaster didn't happen on their watch they didn't care. New Orleans is still below sea level and in fact is sinking, so until they get serious about the levy system (which means money going where it's supposed to instead of being siphened off by corrupt politicians), what's the point of going back to those devastated areas? Florida just got hit with tornadoes/hurricanes last week and people rebuild in the same spot, what's the point? And the people turning down a free car, that's the problem, everybody's sitting around waiting for handouts and there's no gratitude or appreciation -- hell even beggars have standards, right?

Great episode. More of this. But I think the balance between screwing around and talking about cars is going too far out of whack. How about reviewing something?

Please do this again -- New York to LA, Chicago to LA (Route 66), Grand Canyon, America's 10 best curvy roads -- there's so much to be explored. I hope Hammond and May get to experience something better over here, is Clarkson purposely trying to sour them on America? I'm not sure why they picked Miami to New Orleans.

[Jesda]

Originally Posted by epp_b

For a country that preaches free speech until everyone else's ears bleed, that part was pretty disgusting.

Free speech is not a right on private property.

If you come to my house, I reserve the right to control your speech by disinviting you.

[upyourego]

Originally Posted by janstett

Ford Transit Van with "Manchester United sucks" what the hooligan Football thugs would do.

Not much as most Manchester United fans aren't really football fans However, as has already been said - drive a car covered in Rangers colours and slogans through a Celtic area in Glasgow and you won't come out alive!

But this was just a chance for British people to laugh at silly Americans on a British show made for a British audience. Don't take it seriously - nobody here will

Originally Posted by janstett

Please do this again -- New York to LA, Chicago to LA (Route 66), Grand Canyon, America's 10 best curvy roads -- there's so much to be explored.

I can see a new series coming (Andy Wilman you reading this?) Top Gear Road Trip - the three of them going on various famour road trips around the world in cars related to that country.

Me thinks a new thread is in order - where should the boys go next and what should they drive!

[swek]

I demand a road trip through Germany. It's not fair that the US overtook us as the most bashed nation on TG. We want that spot back!

I think we can take it. After all we're the most masochistic nation on earth. We hate our past, ourselves and the future does always look grim to us.

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally Posted by boufrog

I gotta say...that was classic TopGear. I am an American, and I laughed my ass off the entire time; granted I'm not the type that shovels down cheeseburgers all day (there are definitely ppl out there like that), but I don't see how people can get so pissed off 'bout some of the commentary. Yea yea whatever, chill out and have a laugh. I'll definitely be taking some cues from this for the trek from Chicago to Florida for Spring Break with the guys coming up here. Haha, loved it, keep it up!

can't wait for next week

cool, we need more americans like you.....people who know when to just join in with the fun, so what if it generalises america....most intelligent people know better anyways and those that live their can live safe in the knowledge that they know the truth and the others dont.

[dmcl]

Ok, I've seen it, and I loved it.
To quote the comic book guy from the Simpsons (but in reverse) "Best Episode Ever"
One thing we must always remember, Top Gear is about cars, and its entertainment, not a travel guide, not an insightful show examining cultures around the world, its three guys cocking about in cars - and once again they did it to perfection.
To anyone who is concerned about the way Americans will view the show, look at something like "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" they can laugh at themselves quite well. So lets sit back, enjoy the show for what it is, and start the countdown to the Reliant Robin Space Shuttle.

[IVIaster]

"I can get to the root of your dogs depression"

[Dalamari]

Why can't we just break the U.S up into North US and South US, 2 seperate countries, I'm sick of my country getting beaten up because of the dirty confederates

Also, that episode was by far the best thing ever ever ever

[IceBone]

Yeah, you guys should have a civil war or something.

[sorcker]

it is great fun all the way, untill they reach New Orleans, I really can not smile anymore.

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally Posted by thedguy

Perhaps you could provide us with a take on how Alabamian's (is that right?) really are. You all can't be like that, I would hope those of you from the bigger cities are definitely not like that.



I would think making some slur against various soccer teams would do a better job...

Don't most of you guys from the UK get really pissed off one someone insults your soccer teams? I've always heard that nasty fights happen at all the soccer, err sorry, football matches not uncommonly involving the death of at least one person?

im not a footy fan, and i live in one of the roughest towns in britain.... aside from the usual banter at the matches, i have not heard of fights or fights involving death for a very long time

[upyourego]

I got caught up in the middle of a football riot between England and Portgual fans in Jersey last year and, although kept under control by the police there were a few occasions where I was pretty scared. At one point I, along with two cameramen and a report was chased down a road by a group of people throwing stones.

Story (the photos are mine)