[09x03] February 11th, 2007

[JudgeB]

Originally Posted by Groove

Well, this thread reached 50 quicker than a Camaro with a cow on it's roof .

Has said here 10000x times but awesome episode indeed. Top quality production (like always).

Keep it up guys.

[USViewer]

I'm a Brit in the US (Miami); I thought it was very funny in places, but the "all yanks are fat and stupid" gets old once you've lived here.

Everything else has been said about this episode (yes I've read all 49 1/2 pages); my only addition will be: Of course people had guns in those parts of Miami, I wouldn't go there without a gun!

[superchevy]

Originally Posted by Nano

I don't exactly understand what is so bad about the states you mentioned compared to the rest?

in the united states, non-southerners love to hate on the south regardless of whether or not they've actually lived in the area. that's just how it is in this country. it's just a bunch of ignorant stereotyping.

oddly enough, the southeastern united states is experiencing a population boom because of all the people moving down here. they hate us so much that they have to become our neighbors. even the canadians are coming. the rbc centura bank (royal bank of canada) is moving their corporate headquarters to raleigh, north carolina! they're currently building a sky scraper downtown. that one truly has all of us puzzled, but we're gladly welcoming them.

[djdorifto]

can anyone post a screenshot of when Jeremy has the cow on top of his car? I keep getting a black screen when I try to capture it.

[Cobol74]

Originally Posted by USViewer

I'm a Brit in the US (Miami); I thought it was very funny in places, but the "all yanks are fat and stupid" gets old once you've lived here.

Everything else has been said about this episode (yes I've read all 49 1/2 pages); my only addition will be: Of course people had guns in those parts of Miami, I wouldn't go there without a gun!

OK but watch U571 and the Patriot with one of your American friends and then ask them what they though of those films (on world wide distribution) and it will be very difficult for them to see any problem at all - NO SEROUSLY DO IT - DVD will do.

If I am wrong post here - I dare you. BTW there many other Hollywood films that have the same premise - that the bad guy is British (well no not British but English actually).

[djdorifto]

lol nm, got it to work

[superchevy]

^^ cobol74, it's the accent. it has that whole "evil genius" thing going on. so, take it as a compliment.

and the patriot is a remake of braveheart set in the american revolution. the plot line is exactly the same. you may notice that with ray and walk the line as well.

[tnemec]

IMHO the best episode ever... I was watching it breathless, it was dramatic, funny, and above all, true insight into the real America ... Alongside it looks the Borat movie like the amateur, shallow story of some egocentric star trying to make himself look glamorous and funny on the background of the America...

The Top Gear episode is differet... there is something in it, that hit me deep in my heart... Sorry for being so pathetic, but I am so full of adrenaline....

The sentences of the sentences of the whole movie was the Clarksons: "There is a vast scale of destruction. A year had passed, since Kathrina had blown through. And we sort of assume, that the after twelve month, wealthiest nation on the Earth would have fixed it. But we were wrong. How can rest of the America could sleep their nights knowing, that this is here." (when they saw what hurricane Kathrina made). Nothing ever is better essence of America. We in Prague had really bad floods in 2002... The Underground (Tube) was flooded and ruined, the whole city quarter "Karlin" was devastated, the damage was massive... and today - the city including Karlin is more beutiful than ever... we often swear at our politicians and magistrate, but what was done since 2002 is actually marvelous. We are small country, not poor but not wealthy either and we made it... how it is possible, that America, the big and rich USA trying to rule the world and "export the democracy" (at least Mr. Bush says, that invading another country is an "export of democracy"), wasn't able to "clean its own house" first?

By the way :respect: for giving your cars away, boys. And shame on the imbecile, that wanted to sue you for "giving a wrong information about the cars year"... It's so typical...

[lllflypaperlll]

Originally Posted by lllflypaperlll

Does anyone know the song that plays when the guy drives up in the cadalliac?

mod edit: the answer remains the same: Wrong thread, wrong Forum.

Look here: http://forums.finalgear.com/top-gear-episode-songs/

[rosey]

Wow, 50 pages, and no one mentioned that JC said the C6 corvette vert had a 5.7 liter 400hp V8. All C6s(besides the z06) have 6.0 liter engines, guess that means British people don't know anything about engines? lol

Honestly, I thought this was one of the best eps of top gear I've ever seen, the cow, the shower, the rednecks...too much to mention, it was all classic TG GOLD.

[turkish]

Speedtouch wrote: "I truly think America is a great country; just look at the Grand Canyon. But unfortunately the large majority of Americans ruin it all. They just got lucky in where they were placed by nature."

Really? Really??
Please don't let me think that you really believe what you wrote here. This is laughable! I'm not going to give this much of a reply because... well, frankly it is just an unbelievably stupid thing to say.

I must say first, I love TopGear and all three of the hosts. I watch every week and love every episode.

As far as this episode goes, it is obviously set up to make America (and Americans) look as bad as possible. I mean, why on Earth would you take a road trip (in cars with no A/C) through Florida, Alabama and Mississippi in the middle of summer?? These are some of the poorest, hottest and ugliest places in the entire country! Pick anywhere else and you wouldn't have this happen. Hell, Texas is practically it's own country with it's own wacko laws and you wouldn't have this stuff happen there.

Now, I did find a lot of what they did very funny. The cars were priceless. The sabotaging of James' Caddy was hilarious. But don't think they are trying to paint an accurate (or fair) picture of any part of what America really is like. You have to try HARD to get people to react like that.

That all said, I almost expect it now from Jeremy the Top Gear producers, so it is easily forgotten. I will sit and wait patiently (and safely, no "hicks") for next week's episode here in the USA.

[USViewer]

Originally Posted by Cobol74

OK but watch U571 and the Patriot with one of your American friends and then ask them what they though of those films (on world wide distribution) and it will be very difficult for them to see any problem at all - NO SEROUSLY DO IT - DVD will do.

If I am wrong post here - I dare you. BTW there many other Hollywood films that have the same premise - that the bad guy is British (well no not British but English actually).

I understand what you're saying but their (lack of) reaction wouldn't make them stupid.

Plus, I'm sure we (the Brits) have made a mockery of the Germans on film a few times, and I'm sure they (the Germans) might be offended at some of it.

It sounds like people want to turn this into a X country is better than Y country debate.

[turkish]

I can't take this anymore...

[NecroJoe]

Originally Posted by Nano

Don't know man, Texas looks marginally less "frigthening" than alabama to me, and kansas seems pretty relaxed

"MURDER RATES PER 100,000 PEOPLE (2005)

US states

North Dakota - 1.1
Maine - 1.4
Massachusetts - 2.7
Washington - 3.3
Colorado - 3.7
Kansas - 3.7
New York - 4.5
Florida - 5.0
Oklahoma - 5.3
Texas - 6.2
Georgia - 6.2
Arkansas - 6.7
California - 6.9
Missouri - 6.9
Mississippi - 7.3
Alabama - 8.2
Nevada - 8.5
Louisiana - 9.9
Maryland - 9.9
(US average - 4.5)

... Compared to UE countries

Greece - 0.8
Netherlands - 1.1
Germany - 1.2
Italy - 1.3
UK - 1.4
France - 1.7
Hungary - 2.0
Portugal - 2.3
Finland - 2.9
Bulgaria - 4.5
Poland - 5.6
Lithuania - 10.2
Estonia - 10.7

... Compared to others

Qatar - 0.1
Japan - 0.5
Russia - 20.2
Jamaica - 32.4
Colombia - 61.8

Funny thing is, I've been to Jamaica and utterly loved it, also been to Russia, and utterly loved it too...

I don't exactly understand what is so bad about the states you mentioned compared to the rest?

Those numbers seem like they'd be skewed, simple because the rates for the United States are for seperate states, segregating the loest from teh highest, where as all of the other numbers are for whole countries, where the places with the lowest help even out the places where it's higher. Although...most US states are the size of most of the countries...

[turkish]

Originally Posted by NecroJoe

Those numbers seem like they'd be skewed, simple because the rates for the United States are for seperate states, segregating the loest from teh highest, where as all of the other numbers are for whole countries, where the places with the lowest help even out the places where it's higher. Although...most US states are the size of most of the countries...

He gives the US average as 4.5.

[Nano]

Originally Posted by NecroJoe

Those numbers seem like they'd be skewed, simple because the rates for the United States are for seperate states, segregating the loest from teh highest, where as all of the other numbers are for whole countries, where the places with the lowest help even out the places where it's higher. Although...most US states are the size of most of the countries...

The american numbers are from the "FBI Uniform Crime Statistics for 2005" (Published Sept, 2006) the world numbers are from the "United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Centre for International Crime Prevention" (1998-2000)

In all Fairness, the european numbers aren't exactly accurate as the data is from 1998 to 2000 (murder rate in USA at that time would have been at 4.2).

In anycase, I don't really see bases for alabama being so "frightening"... to europeans, and even less to Americans from other states. Unless you are dealing drugs, banging your neighbors wife, robbing supermarkets or trying to get into fights with the locals, I'd say you are pretty safe to go anywhere.

[Law]

Nice show.

As others have mentioned the problem with Louisiana was not money, but government. Government is useless at solving peoples problems, but good at ruining peoples lives.

I've been to the US many times and lived there for a short while. Theres a lot of things i like about the place. That taxes are generally lower than most European countries, and that you can own guns for instance. It was once quite a free land, now less so.

If any of you Americans are worried about tourism something should be done about the immigration process. One thing that really annoys me is the immigration authorities and homeland security.

Fill out all kinds of forms answering questions like"Where you a Nazi during WWII?",
"List all the countries you've been to in the last ten years and the year you entered each country." .... That's my own business! And how do they expect you to remember that? A lot of Europeans have been to quite a few places. And there's not a lot of space on that form.

It feels very part scary part humiliating to go through customs, when entering the US. It's feels like you are suspected for being a terrorist or something. You are not allowed to talk on your cellphone while waiting in line for getting through immigration!? I think I waited in line for about an hour last time! And I couldn't even phone my American friend who was waiting to pick me up and tell him I was waiting in line! Government always creating problems, argh!

I've read articles stating that all this hassle in getting into the country are turning people away from going to the US on holidays.

If the federal government wasn't so big, I'd might want to live in the US again in the future. But I don't think it will get smaller anytime soon.

[chpsk8]

Originally Posted by tnemec

IMHO the best episode ever... I was watching it breathless, it was dramatic, funny, and above all, true insight into the real America ... Alongside it looks the Borat movie like the amateur, shallow story of some egocentric star trying to make himself look glamorous and funny on the background of the America...

The Top Gear episode is differet... there is something in it, that hit me deep in my heart... Sorry for being so pathetic, but I am so full of adrenaline....

The sentences of the sentences of the whole movie was the Clarksons: "There is a vast scale of destruction. A year had passed, since Kathrina had blown through. And we sort of assume, that the after twelve month, wealthiest nation on the Earth would have fixed it. But we were wrong. How can rest of the America could sleep their nights knowing, that this is here." (when they saw what hurricane Kathrina made). Nothing ever is better essence of America. We in Prague had really bad floods in 2002... The Underground (Tube) was flooded and ruined, the whole city quarter "Karlin" was devastated, the damage was massive... and today - the city including Karlin is more beutiful than ever... we often swear at our politicians and magistrate, but what was done since 2002 is actually marvelous. We are small country, not poor but not wealthy either and we made it... how it is possible, that America, the big and rich USA trying to rule the world and "export the democracy" (at least Mr. Bush says, that invading another country is an "export of democracy"), wasn't able to "clean its own house" first?

I've been reading for a while now, and I wasn't going to post since I can laugh at myself just like most people can but...
This episode was funny, but also one of the strongest Clarkson Anti-American rants to date.

To help those that aren't here understand a little bit about Katrina and whats going on in the areas that are devastated I'll give you a little info.

The areas that were hit are some of the poorest areas in the country. High levels of poverty and low levels of home ownership. (high rental ratio) When the hurricane hit it sent millions scrambing, and a very high percentage of them never came back. There are no jobs, no industry, no housing, etc... Most rented and lost thier homes, and the rest lost jobs... and NOT high paying ones... mostly retail and light assembly. Easily replacable income in any other area. One of the largest manufacturers just closed this month because they could no longer afford the insurance rates anymore.

In order to rebuild you need capital ($$). Most of the homes that were destroyed were not covered by insurance. Insurance does not cover flood or hurricane unless you buy a special policy.With so many poor people, how can they afford a special rider like that? Rental insurance has even less coverage. Landlords also didn't buy riders for flood insurance, and those that did just took the money and left because the vast majority of homes were shot and not going to be rebuilt. Why be the only one to rebuild? What value will that one rebuilt home have? Follow me? So without the money to rebuild, what are they going to do? The government offers low interest loans, but they certainly aren't giving away money... and no country represented on this board is in the habit of giving away money.

So now there's no money to rebuild your home. The insurance industry took such a massive hit that they are no longer writing policies in that area, and those that do are very very expensive. So if there's no insurance available, business can't rebuild and open either. With no homes, there's no people... No homes, no jobs... nothing. (picture the chicken and egg issue)

There's no magic wand to wave over the area and fix it. Yes GW was an arse and didn't react fast enough to the problem, but the rebuild is a completely different problem. It is incredibly complex. There are parts of New Orleans that will never be residential again because it is prone to flooding...again.

BTW, when disaster hits anywhere in the world the US is expected to write a check and help out. Heck we even give Cuba a check when a hurricane hits. So what happens when we need a hand? Hmmmm? $__________. 00 nothing.

I'm not making excuses for what you all saw, but believe me, it's not as simple as Jezza preached. You all saw a finely edited set of visuals that were meant to invoke an impression, albiet a really negative one. What you saw in Alabama was a distinct minority of people. I'm sure the same window licking mouth breathers are in every country. I saw a quote somewhere about going to a soccer match in the UK and telling them Soccer is for Homos' and you'd get the same reaction.

Come to America, drop by my house, I'll offer a nice cuppa tea and we can chat about cars. We're not all what Jezza makes us out to be.

(funny how an episode of TG filmed in the 90's showed JC in America and drooling over how great American cars were... that was the 90's, what was he smokin'?)

[Nano]

Originally Posted by Law

Fill out all kinds of forms answering questions like"Where you a Nazi during WWII?", "List all the countries you've been to in the last ten years and the year you entered each country." .... That's my own business! And how do they expect you to remember that? A lot of Europeans have been to quite a few places. And there's not a lot of space on that form.

Oh god that is so true. I really believe they are out to humiliate you, as some of the stuff they ask is absolute nonesense. I had a custom officers give me shit because I had too many shoes! (5 for a 2 week stay)

[USViewer]

Originally Posted by Law

Fill out all kinds of forms answering questions like"Where you a Nazi during WWII?",
"List all the countries you've been to in the last ten years and the year you entered each country." .... That's my own business! And how do they expect you to remember that? A lot of Europeans have been to quite a few places. And there's not a lot of space on that form.

To be fair, they ask that because if you *do* turn out to be a Nazi/terrorist/whatever, they can just deport and bar you from the country without spending too much on a trial - or so I've heard.