Clarkson

[bunn]

I have to admit, I'd assumed that Jeremy Clarkson had long ago jumped his own personal shark, and had been playing an Ali G -style character based on himself on Top Gear for many years.   I'm rather saddened that recent events suggest that he was actually taking himself seriously.

Although I've not signed it myself*, I am amused by the fact that the petition to bring back Clarkson was set up on change.org.  Judging by the emails I get from change.org, they take themselves rather seriously, and their userbase profile has probably just changed in ways they were really not expecting...

Also, The Stig delivering the petition to the BBC  in a tank (or is it a self-propelled gun as I saw some gun nerd complaining somewhere?) was an inspired piece of theatre that I can only appreciate.

* because, amusing though Clarkson and petition both are, when it comes down to it, if he really thumped someone vastly poorer and less influential than himself, or even threatened to do so, that's pretty abysmal behaviour and I'm not sure an online petition to allow him 'freedom to fracas' is in any way an appropriate response. 

Comments

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

Ah, but he isn't, despite some reports, the show's producer. He's just an associate producer. Or to put it another way, a glorified gofer. A big part of his job seems to have been stuff like sorting out on-location catering arrangements. Since the incident supposedly started when Clarkson arrived back to the hotel after a day's filming to find that they weren't doing hot food, it calls into question how well he was doing his job. That might be why he didn't report the incident.

[purplecat]

In which case one suspects the damage is done, irrespective of the outcome.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

I fear so. Can't help but feel sorry for the bloke.