I would neither cry nor take to Twitter. I'd just think it was wrong and add it to the catalogue of stupidity that the Top Gear team had spouted in the last few years. What if Top Gear said "There's a fatty on it" and the next day at school groups of children were all running around shouting "there's a fatty on it" and directing it with malice at the fat pupils. Would you think the actions of those children were right or wrong? Is it still funny when it's directed at a person and it's said in anger? Or is it only funny when it's not really directed at anyone on a TV programme? Of course, I'm not suggesting that if Top Gear didn't use racial slurs and other offensive terms no-one else would, but their actions can definitely be viewed in terms of creating a permissive society where insults are seen as "funny" and accepted.
There are a number of comics who made a living on saying the most offensive, non-PC things they could think up. People like Bernard Manning, Roy Chubby Brown and Andrew Dice Clay. The world would be a better place if they'd tried to think of innovative ways to get their laughs, rather than degenerating to the level where they picked on people who were different and appealed to the crowd that likes that sort of thing. Top Gear are certainly verging on that category, if they're not already there.
Itt: people pretend the hosts of Top Gear are raging racists intent on the global genocide of all inferior races, instead of a bunch of middle-aged men with a lot of self-mockery and the occasional politically-incorrect joke thrown in.
I thought every group of friends (or pretend-friends, in this case? Who cares) spent at least a fraction of their time together laying down crappy jokes. Yes -- also 'racist' jokes.
It's like we've all forgotten what proper racism is and are looking for something to protest against. Real racism is not a subtle half-joke about an Asian on a bridge - but a bit more like hanging people from trees, dragging them behind a horse, taking away freedom and basic human rights solely om the basis of the colour of ones skin. That sort of thing.
What I am saying is... y'all are getting trolled by Top Gear.
Hence why I've been using the qualifier "casual". It's certainly true that people are still killed or attacked for being the 'wrong' colour, but the majority of society rightly sees that sort of violence as morally repugnant an undeniably wrong. Nowhere have I directly equated Top Gear's casual racism with that sort of flagrant racism. What Top Gear's casual racism does, though, is to help to create a permissive society where casual racism and other groups of offensive terms (such as the 'fatty' example above) are more acceptable and seen as totally different to flagrant racism, rather than just a diluted version.
I do wonder where it can end?
Can I no longer describe a person with the words:
fat/skinny/tall/short/big nose/etc.
If someone has a beard...can I not call him beardy? Are we still allowed to call people from Austrailia Aussies...etc...etc?
You mention a few comedians and all appear to be pale skinned....are they the only comedians that made money from popular topics or just the ones you are familiar with?
Personally I had no idea that the word slope could be used to describe anyone. So the totally politically correct JC (:tilt made an inane joke that passed straight over my and many other peoples heads...quite frankly...who cares...nothing new!
You may or may not know but the BBC is funded via a licence fee which is mandatory for all UK TV viewers. You simply can't just 'turn over'. The BBC is in effect a publicly owned organisation. So it is stupid to say 'turn over' when you are being forced to fund it. Whether you agree with the concept or not you have a perfect right to moan about it.
... and to be honest I have no idea what to reply to that bolded part I really don't.
Since TopGear is quite a sucess pretty much around the world, it would be false to claim that you are actively funding it. It may be part of the BBC but their show is making the BBC a profit.
So yes it is pretty easy just to turn over as there is enough other stuff on the telly to watch.
We have already established that you despise everyone that has a different oppinion or attitude towards this. Maybe one day you will realize that the jokes the TG crew does are only jokes and they do have quite a lot compassion for the people around themselves, but that would probably require an open mind.
The whole point of the BBC is to have a publicly accountable TV channel that serves the interests of the public. You couldn't have a more acceptable situation for moaning at a TV show.... literally.
So now we're saying don't just "turn over" we're now saying if you don't like Top Gear's latest casual racism stop watching TV altogether? WHAT THE ****...ok.
I agree that it's difficult to know where to draw the line and it can also be tricky to keep up with 'acceptable' and 'unacceptable' words and phrases. Ironically, part of this problem is because of people/groups taking words and using them as insults. A couple of examples would be "spastic" and "retard". These were terms used generally by medical professionals for specific situations. Members of the general public latched onto them and started to use them either intentionally as bullying terms intended to cause emotional harm (especially in the case of the word "spastic") or as a jocular term used in a similar fashion to casually racist terms (e.g. "You're such a retard!"). The use of the word "spastic" (particularly in the UK) would now generally be frowned upon unless it was medically relevant or in relation to, for example, the former name of "Scope". "Retard" is still used quite liberally, but it's another term which can be considered offensive.
With regards to shortened terms for nationality (such as "Aussie" and "Scot"), again, these are open to interpretation and should take into account historical usage. For instance, "Aussie Mark Webber" and "Scot Andrew Murray" are acceptable but "Paki Imran Khan" wouldn't be. This is largely because of the negative history of the term "Paki" (especially in the UK) as being intentionally offensive to Pakistanis (and other Asians, since racists ironically aren't particularly adept at identifying different nationalities).
I'm sure there are non-white comedians who tell blatantly racist and/or casually racist jokes too, but I'm unfamiliar with them. I don't tend to go out of my way to view people who are intentionally offensive, so my knowledge of that particular group isn't the best.
What's more important is whether the Top Gear team knew what they were doing. As I said above, they count on ignorance and apathy to get away with these types of things.
I find it difficult to find an answer for that sort of comment.
I haven't watched a full episode of Top Gear in several years. That doesn't mean I've given up the ability to complain about its content and find it offensive. Again, as I said above, I'm annoyed by the impact of the jokes in creating a more permissive society for racist/offensive jokes.
It is funny that you mention "spastic", I used the term recently and was chastised by someone around 15 years younger than me. Of course my only redemption was that it is an actual medical term...or at least was to my knowledge.
...and this is where it can become complicated.
Why is the abbreviation for one ok but another not?
Yes, you mention history being the reason for not abbreviating the term for a person from Pakistan...but surely it is the specific incidents that have to be dealt with...not the words involved?
It would always be easier to play the racism card rather than deal with an actual integration problem.
I recall a football incident ( I do not watch football generally but it was a popular story), where a white player called another player a "black c***".....of course the aggressor is looking to offend...maybe if they were both the same shade of pale then he would of used a different word in-front of the C word.
Do not be shy...it can be very funny to laugh...even when the joke is aimed at people that you may associate with yourself with....colour/age/gender/religion/height/size/etc...
Surely you know that Jeremy Clarkson is just a guy that hates everyone...it is probably nothing personal.....but it can be entertaining.