Un-official GTPlanet BBC Topgear UK ThreadTV 

  • Thread starter ExigeEvan
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If they did say it like that the BBC wouldn't let that happen surely. It's stupid particularly as the bridge was actually sloped. Though Jeremy could have worded it better, besides I don't thin nothing will happen.
 
Classic
It's not as if this is a first offence though, they do it ALL the time.
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True. They also 🤬 off Mexico which is a whole country and all they asked for was an apology which they got. I don't see what the actress wants happening.
 
ExigeEvan
I'm not sure what's worse, the use of a racial slur, or introducing a previously unknown racial slur into the British dialect.
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In this day and age? Probably the latter because it's another way to the former and the word 'slope' is used on signs all over the UK.
 
ExigeEvan
I'm not sure what's worse, the use of a racial slur, or introducing a previously unknown racial slur into the British dialect.
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It's not a commonly used racial slur here, but it is most definitely a racist slur nevertheless. I figured that Clarkson might get in trouble for that comment, although somehow I doubt much will come of it other than another finger-wagging.

For those who think this was not done on purpose, however, you have got to be joking... the scene was about the "proud moment" as they survey the finished bridge as inspired by the film 'Bridge On The River Kwai' which in turn is loosely based on real events in Burma during WWII where Japanese forces brutally mistreated British (among others) POWs, hence the joke.

It's fine to give Clarkson the benefit of the doubt, but it is ridiculous to assume that this is just an unfortunate coincidence and was not done on purpose. And it is not as if Clarkson is unknown for this kind of thing either. The episode was awash with in-jokes and hidden references to drug use, and I'd have to watch it again to find any more 'easter eggs' that are lurking in there, but to suggest that the cast and editors leave stuff like this in accidentally is beyond credulity.
 
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Vic Reign93
In this day and age? Probably the latter because it's another way to the former and the word 'slope' is used on signs all over the UK.
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Oh christ imagine all the complaints for "slope ahead" to the councils on those mixed race places
 
Touring Mars
It's not a commonly used racial slur here
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Not commonly used? Never used! I know just about every word for intercourse, genitalia, excrement, vomit and members of other races, religions and countries - I'm a walking Profanisaurus - but I've literally never heard of this. Since it's a Vietnam War-era (a war we weren't involved in) reference to the Viet Minh, that's not surprising.

"Slant", yes. I wouldn't even be a fraction surprised if the script originally said "slant", but they decided to cut it because it would attract significant complaints and replace with a more innocent word. The fact it's been two weeks since the broadcast before apparently anyone's picked up on it is testament to just how completely unknown this word and connotation really is.
 
I've not only heard of it, I've heard it used, albeit not in the UK but Australia. It's maybe not commonly known as a racial slur in the UK, but it's alot more well known elsewhere... it's even listed on Wikipedia in their handy list of ethnic slurs! Also, it was most definitely picked up earlier - the Daily Mail originally covered the story on 17th March, and there was some reaction on social media at the time as well.

But who says "there's a slope on it" anyway? It strikes me as a very odd choice of words if it was intended perfectly innocently. Of all the possible ways that Clarkson could have said that the bridge was lop-sided, sloping, slanted, whatever, Clarkson chose one of the very few ways of making it a double entendre - in this case, a literal remark about their wonky bridge and a crass joke about Asian people/a veiled/subtle reference to the Bridge On The River Kwai/WW2.
 
Touring Mars
I've not only heard of it, I've heard it used, albeit not in the UK but Australia.
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An English friend of mine who has moved to Perth has been known to remark that off-the-cuff racism is practically a national hobby in Australia.
Touring Mars
It's maybe not commonly known as a racial slur in the UK, but it's alot more well known elsewhere...
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Okay, but TG is a UK program, broadcast on UK TV. It may have worldwide distribution after broadcast, but it's written for UK audiences.
Touring Mars
But who says "there's a slope on it" anyway? It strikes me as a very odd choice of words if it was intended perfectly innocently.
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I said exactly that to the guy who laid my driveway. Before he did it, since we needed to preserve the slope for access and drainage.
 
I don't approve of racism when serious but if you say something in a joking manner that could be construed as offensive or racist,which way do you take it?
Is Clarkson having a laugh or deadly serious and pretending it's a joke and being racist?
If it's a joke then shouldn't we or whoever it's aimed at take it as such?
If I call someone fat or ugly,could I be thought to be mocking someones existence or making someone feel worthless?
But I'm joking and I don't mean to humiliate someone,just a joke.
If people can't take a joke then how will people laugh?
We'll make fun of someone in all kinds of ways but nothing that involves race?
I don't condone calling people n*****s or s*****s or whatever,I think that's just plain mean but my point is,where do we draw the line on what's a joke and what's rude or offensive.
Was Bernard Manning a comedian or a jumped up racist?
Is Clarkson joking or a racist?
 
Famine
- I'm a walking Profanisaurus -
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Ah, the Profanisaurus... not the most feared of all the Dinosaurs, but always the last one to be invited round for tea....

http://[domain blocked due to malware]/instances/500x/47916549.jpg


Meanwhile, on topic... this Lawsuit thing is ridiculous. I think there are literally millions of viewers that didn't even notice the line because they have no idea 'slope' was an insult... yet now, because of this lawsuit, this Indian actress has managed to educate a whole bunch of people to a new racial slur they can use. It's a thin attempt at grabbing some $$$. Personally, out of context, if someone said, "What is Slope, when meant as an insult?" I would have guessed it was to infer someone was 'slow' as in - to slope off.

If Clarkson had really wanted to stick the boot in they could have done a much longer piece on the treatment of POW's by their captors. My Granddad was with the RAF stationed in Burma during WWII, even though he was never a POW it was still a pretty tough place to be.
 
Maybe they just added it to spark a reaction because of the 0.00001% of people understood. Even if half the staff are alot younger than the trio and maybe didnt understand them selves
 
Jeremy Clarkson was good as host of Have I Got News For You last night, he kept on calling Ukraine 'the' Ukraine and there was a story about 5,000 mugs that have come from China that have Hitler's face on them and he said that he read it in the Daily Mail and he couldn't work out whether it was a news story or one of their promotional offers! :lol:

Also there is a car series starting tomorrow called For The Love Of Cars, Life on Mars and Ashes To Ashes actor Phil Glenister presenters and its about cars that have shaped social history and he goes about restoring classic cars, its on Channel 4 at 8pm tomorrow...might be worth a look...
 
The BBC have 'expressed regret' over Clarkson's 'slope' comment, saying "When we used the word "slope" in the recent Top Gear Burma special it was a light-hearted wordplay joke referencing both the build quality of the bridge and the local Asian man who was crossing it." but added that they didn't know it was considered offensive... not convinced by the second bit, but it is a clear acknowledgement that the word slope was a reference to the man on the bridge.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-r...gear-regrets-offensive-remark-jeremy-clarkson
 
Not jeremy with out conflict. Nothing wrong with naming a black dog drogba. Like naming a ginger cat paul scholes, that would be the same but not at all rasicst.
 
Clarkson should never have been given access to something like twitter. Although it sure is funny to watch.
 
The Guardian
Jeremy Clarkson has strongly denied allegations he used the word "n****r" in previously unbroadcast footage from the BBC's Top Gear programme.

The presenter was accused by the Daily Mirror of using the language in what appeared to be an unseen clip from the BBC2 show.

In the footage, published on the newspaper's website, Clarkson appears to recite the beginning of the children's nursery rhyme "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe..." before appearing to mumble: "Catch a n****r by his toe."
The BBC on Thursday launched an urgent investigation into the allegations, while Clarkson denied he used the word. He told his 3.2 million Twitter followers: "I did not use the n-word. Never use it. The Mirror has gone way too far this time."

The BBC said: "We've seen the story. The Mirror didn't approach us before publication. Clearly we will establish the facts before commenting."

Amid calls for Clarkson to be sacked, the Mirror reported that it had hired a firm of audio forensic experts to analyse the clip, which it said was taken from the third episode of series 19, which aired in February 2013.

The footage appears to show Clarkson standing between a Toyota GT86 and a Suburu BRZ and saying: "Both cost the same, they have the same bodies and the same interiors with the same equipment. They are even built by the same people in the same factory. You might imagine then that it's quite hard to chose between them, but actually, it isn't. Watch, because this is how you do it."

In the unaired version – which was later passed to the Mirror – the presenter then appears to recite the children's counting rhyme and use the n-word under his breath before pointing at the Toyota and shrugging: "Toyota it is."
The offensive term was removed from the episode eventually shown by the BBC last February 2013, according to the Mirror. In that clip, Clarkson recited the rhyme but this time used the word "teacher".

The allegations come weeks after Top Gear executives expressed regret over a remark made by Clarkson on the show's Burma special broadcast in March.

During the programme, Clarkson and co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May built a bridge over the River Kwai in Thailand. As an Asian man was seen walking along the bridge, Clarkson said: "That is a proud moment, but there's a slope on it."

The law firm Equal Justice accused the BBC of airing casual racism for using the term "slope", which it said contravened the Equality Act 2010 as it can be used as a derogatory term for people of Asian descent.

Top Gear's executive producer, Andy Wilman, said the remark was meant to be a "light-hearted wordplay joke" and that they were not aware that the term was considered offensive.
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Call me simple minded, but shouldn't the fact that it never aired make the whole thing argument kinda irrelevant?

Had it gone to air like with the Slope example, then there would be a genuine reason to call for the sack but I'm skeptical the N-word was even said in the first place.
 
I bought the Mirror earlier like I have done every day for the past decade, I knew that Clarkson was on the front page because I saw it on Twitter last night, two things..

1. it didn't air.

2. they used 'experts' to try and work out what he said after he mumbled the word

....I mean, its a bit desperate innit?!
 
MUSC4EVER
I bought the Mirror earlier like I have done every day for the past decade
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Oh, so it's you.
MUSC4EVER
2. they used 'experts' to try and work out what he said after he mumbled the word
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As I may have remarked elsewhere, I wonder if the experts are the same people who assured them that the images of soldiers abusing and urinating on Iraqi combatant prisoners were genuine.
 
I honestly think it's just the Broken Mirror trying to shift papers. :rolleyes:

Hypothetically speaking, if any investigation concludes that no obscenities were said, what would happen next?
 

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