BBC under pressure to sack Jeremy Clarkson over N-word claims

skylock said:
Something occurred to me. If the BBC thought it was such a terrible thing, why no fine or suspenion?

Isn't that what they usually do when something is determined to be so serious?
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I think he is a 'freelance' and TG is produced by an independent producer (not 100% sure on that one). They can not fine/suspend him per se but may refuse to book him on to any BBC show (may be for a time period which is the same as suspension, or for ever which is the same as the sack) and cancel the TG contract if he appears, which would make TG pointless anyway.
 
Top Gear is produced for the BBC by a production company jointly owned by Jezza and Andy Wilman. Can't fire the boss.
 
Meanwhile popstar Jamelia recently urged the BBC to sack Jeremy, during a discussion about the race row on ?Loose Women?, saying: ?He has got to go?.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/05/jeremy-clarkson-wife-divorce-frances_n_5266091.html




BBC to trial Jeremy Clarkson ?mute? button
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?In any event, we are certain that viewers will welcome the BBC lavishing millions of pounds on silencing a broadcaster to whom we pay millions of pounds just to be heard.?
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http://newsthump.com/2014/05/06/bbc-to-trial-jeremy-clarkson-mute-button/





In all the overblown controversy over a snippet of never-seen video from the BBC archives, the most objectionable words were surely not Clarkson?s inaudible mumblings. They were the clear and unambiguous statement made by Harriet Harman MP, deputy leader of the Labour Party. In a post on Twitter (where else would a politician say Something Important these days?), Harman declared that ?Anybody who uses the n-word in public or private in whatever context has no place in the British Broadcasting Corporation?.
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Harman?s intervention captured the intolerant essence of those calling for Clarkson?s (admittedly swollen) head. For today?s free-speech police, there is no difference between saying something ?in public or private?, or presumably saying it in your own head. Most importantly, they insist that somebody like Clarkson should be censored or sacked for using an offensive word ?in whatever context? ? which, in his case, apparently includes thinking it while trying to avoid saying it.
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http://www.spiked-online.com/freespeechnow/fsn_article/clarkson-the-c-word-that-counts-is-context
 
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What I find disappointing is that neither the slope joke nor the Mexican business were funny. Jeremy and his writers are very talented and should be able to be funny without going so close to the edge of politically questionable material which jeopardizes the show. Personally I think Wilman should make more of an effort to reign in silly shit like the slope remark because they're just too unsophisticated to be funny. Jeremy insults everyone. He makes anti-American jokes that I find annoying (and the audience finds hilarious), but it's ok because he also insults the French, the Germans, and pretty much everyone else. We just suck it up, smile, and move on.

As to whether Jeremy is a racist - I don't feel it's a yes or no answer. No one is either a racist or not a racist. It's a sliding gray scale. I expect he is like most of us, we snicker at a politically incorrect joke, but we wouldn't hire or fire anyone based on their race.

I hope the Clarksons can find a way to stay together, but sadly I suspect that ship has sailed. Best wishes to them and to all the TG crew. Keep being funny and remember there IS such a thing as bad publicity. :cool:
 
skylock, you seem to be at least as offended as the people you are quoting :p
 
GullWing said:
He makes anti-American jokes that I find annoying (and the audience finds hilarious),
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I am neither offended nor annoyed by his comments about Americans. I watch the show to be entertained and I believe that it has such a huge following because it is simply that; entertaining. There are countless shows for those who want everything to be politically correct. Every aspect of the entertainment industry thrives or fails based on the support of its audience. If enough people are turned off by an entertainer to tune out, then the enterprise fails. This is no different. Let's see how many people are offended enough to stop following the show. It is the fairest way to let the majority rule. Otherwise, we are always pandering to the loudest critics regardless of how small their numbers may be.
 
While not even the ultra-PC "Guardian" still cares about this story, you guys are still in full-blown aggressive mode. Chillax!
 
Dr_Grip said:
Top Gear is produced for the BBC by a production company jointly owned by Jezza and Andy Wilman. Can't fire the boss.
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And they sold their shares in it to the Beeb two years ago. They don't own Bedder 6 anymore.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jeremy-clarkson-sells-top-gear-1347649

And the name 'Top Gear' itself has always been owned by the BBC (let's remember this is why Fifth Gear is called that), so the Beeb can fire the boss, but Jeremy and Andy can't take the show elsewhere and call it Top Gear.

But the Beeb would be better off standing by Jeremy and the show, financially. Either of the alternatives -- canceling the show outright, or firing Jeremy (which would likely mean James and Richard would leave as well) and hiring new presenters and (in all likelihood) having to cancel it due to low ratings (how Old TG ended) -- would spell disaster for them. (Although Top Gear USA is still going, I don't think it does near enough for them as the mothership.)

Anyhoo.

Someone on the inside has it in for Jeremy, IMO. Otherwise, this person wouldn't have sold the footage. I hope they get found out.
 
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shellygrrl said:
Someone on the inside has it in for Jeremy, IMO. Otherwise, this person wouldn't have sold the footage. I hope they get found out.
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This is what concerns me. I really hope they find out who the "someone" is soon and get rid of it. If it dislikes Jeremy or James or Richard so much that it's trying to destroy their careers, and with it, quite possibly, ruin their lives, there's no telling what other footage, real or doctored, it could come up with. There may be some uncomfortable times ahead on the TG set.
 
rickhamilton620 said:
I think it's pretty overblown. Like another poster I had no idea that word "tiger" was actually a substitute for the other word. Do I think he's racist? Not really, shit happens. There'd have to be more evidence a' la a certain NBA owner to safely come to that conclusion.
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Wait, you're black?

Next thing you're going to tell me is that you're gay, too...
 
yeah....about that....
 
First we are told to be tolerant and allow all creeds, colours and nationalities into our country; then after it happens we are not tolerated when we say a few funny words (note these are mere words, not actions). Whatever next? A mind probe to detect racist thoughts?!? It would not surprise me. PC-ness is the new McCarthyism - a cruel witch-hunt that needs stopping now.
 
Stein said:
First we kidnap people from Africa, strip them of their freedom and make them work as slaves on our sugar plantations, then we grow opium in India and sell it to the Chinese at gun point (because we have nothing of value to trade them in return for their tea and porcelain); then after it happens we refer to these people by demeaning names (which reminds us and them of what we did to them in the past and of how we despise them, then and now). Whatever next? A mind probe to detect racist thoughts?!? It would not surprise me. PC-ness is the new McCarthyism - a cruel witch-hunt that needs stopping now.
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FTFY ... but I don't need a "mind probe" to know what you are!


shellygrrl said:
Someone on the inside has it in for Jeremy, IMO. Otherwise, this person wouldn't have sold the footage. I hope they get found out.
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Ever thought to wonder why "someone on the inside" might have it in for him?
 
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It can get worse (and it did).

Imagine you are an employer and want to fill a vacant post. More candidates have appeared and from them you considered one to be the best. Unfortunately it is a white heterosexual man who does not publicly express his religion and political opinions. You ...! If any of the others is a woman or a member of any ethnical, religious or sexual minority (or just has different political opinion than you), you are not allowed to hire your favorite candidate. At least if you want to avoid public dehonestation, racism or sexism accusation etc.

Unfortunately, when it seemed that open racism has finally disappeared, the PC policy is starting to build a new wave. It is similar to eco-politics or EU-socialism which start to resemble 1984. Orwell was right, just missed it for about two decades. If you have a different opinion, you commited a thougt-crime and deserve to be strongly accused and dehonested. This is what is wrong, it's just another form of totalitarianism which doesn't help anyone and just makes life more difficult for the disadvantaged whom it was supposed to help.

Anyway, it was an old nursery rhyme. Jeremy should have done without it, it was stupid, the word is horrible, but it wasn't aired, it was an intentionally leaked outtake and from this point it should have been viewed. He should say "sorry", take care not co cock-up again, BBC might have given him a fine, but that should have been all. Not that huge affair.
 
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