Top mouth in gear again
Jeremy Clarkson is in trouble again with Britain's media watchdog Ofcom after describing a car as "special needs."
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Top Gear‘s Jeremy Clarkson is in trouble again with Britain’s media watchdog Ofcom after describing a car as “special needs” in an episode which aired in August.
Clarkson said the Ferrari F430 Speciale was “a bit wrong … that smiling front end … it looked like a simpleton … [it] should have been called the 430 Speciale Needs”.
The BBC said it regretted that the comments had caused offence to some viewers and removed the reference from a repeat of the show on BBC2 and online.
Ofcom took into account Top Gear‘s “irreverent style and sometimes outspoken humour” but said “discriminatory language of this nature has the potential to be very offensive to some viewers, as it could be seen to single out certain sections of society in a derogatory way because of their disability.
“In Ofcom’s opinion, while obviously intended as a joke and not aimed directly at an individual with learning difficulties, the comment could easily be understood as ridiculing people in society with a particular physical disability or learning difficulty.”
Clarkson’s blunt style has seen him reprimanded before for his comments on previous occasions.
During a car challenge earlier this year he also referred to his co-stars Richard Hammond and James May as “a lunatic and a retard.”
Source: Guardian
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11 Responses
hugs Clarkson
A lot of people really need to suck it up.
Well we can probably watch a repeat of it at prime time in 2013 waiting for a fast tracked episode of Survivor!
This one might be a bit of a storm in a teacup, but Clarkson does have a habit of being a verbal clutch….sorry klutz. He often selects reverse instead of top gear.
@Secret Squïrrel: and you whinging about me whinging? I suppose now its just a vicious circle, huh?
@DansDans – yeah ‘cos it’s not like Aussies ever whinge about anything. Just take a look through the comments on this blog for example. I’m guessing that the irony of you whinging about whingers is lost on you.
Easily the most ridiculous complaint ever. Now it’s politically incorrect to use a politically correct term in a joke???
My brain hurts (can I say that – or is that offensive to people with brains?!?!)
wow – precious much? What is wrong with the British? I thought they were tough bastards.. but looks like the mantra of whinging poms is alive and well…
Who cares, if anyones to blame its the shows editors for leaving the comments in! Its a show that takes the p**s, someones always going to be upset, get over it.
Seriously if the PC crowd got their way there would be no more jokes, because every joke will offend someone. This is a non issue, if you don’t like him then don’t watch the show!
I thought the whole point of watching Top Gear was to watch Clarkson put his foot in it?