Let's play the whoooooo game

[Viv 14]

So, Clarkson wants public sector workers shot !!

I disagree fully with strikes, but is this just a storm in a teacup, or what?? Clarkson's typically outspoken manner taken and made into a huge drama, or what??

"The BBC has apologised after Jeremy Clarkson said he would like to see striking public sector workers "shot".

The Top Gear presenter was speaking on the BBC's The One Show on the day of widespread public sector strikes.

He said: "I'd have them all shot. I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families."

A BBC spokesman said: "The One Show apologised at the end of the show to viewers who may have been offended by Jeremy Clarkson's comments."

Jon Trickett, Labour's shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said: "No-one wants these strikes but most of today's strikers are mums, not militants.

"Clarkson should apologise. And the prime minister should make clear he disassociates himself from the distasteful remarks uttered by one of his friends."

Mr Clarkson's comments sparked hundreds of angry comments on Twitter".

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

*sigh* I can't believe people are ALWAYS this gullible when it comes to things Clarkson says...

I bet half the people whining about him never even WATCH the clips of things he says. Really, go to iPlayer and watch the WHOLE THING, not just the edited highlight infesting Youtube that misses out a key part where he says he FULLY SUPPORTS the strikes. http://audioboo.fm/boos/569622-one-show-clarkson#t=0m0s Have a listen, he even makes a jokes about the BBC having to balance it...

Clarkson's typically outspoken manner taken and made into a huge drama, or what??

Exactly that. Amazing how many people can’t see that Jeremy Clarkson is a master at manipulating opinion to get attention/talked about at VERY convenient times while playing up to his ‘controversial’ reputation in a massively exaggerated way, innit? Nevermind the fact that in front of camera, he's really a character now rather than himself.

Seriously, from what I’m seeing over what he said about Strikers, he’s got into the heads of more people than Derren Brown from this, so IT’S WORKING. He doesn’t much care if attention is good or bad, but he has things to sell over Christmas. Sorry if you can’t see that, he’s been VERY successful at manipulating you to think ill of him. In the end Controversy Creates Cash.

If it helps, think of Jeremy Clarkson like a Heel in Professional Wrestling, an effective one who gets Heat from a crowd for saying things he KNOWS get bad reactions, even if they Do NOT reflect his true opinion in any way. These Heels, though ‘hated’, STILL get massive merch sales, you know, things like books and DVDs.

Why are there SO FEW people who can see this? It happens at least twice a year when he has something out for sale and the worm is taken by gullible fish in the mindless masses every single time, it's getting boring now.

It's almost like the Unions and other complainers don't have ANYTHING better to do with their lives...

[Viv 14]

It wasn't a good day for it to come to the public eye, manipulative or otherwise.

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

Eh? He used an at-the-time current event. When is better than at the immediate point something is happening?

[Viv 14]

Btw, u r wasted as a trolley dolley

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

Yes. Tell any potential future employers this please. I guess technically I'm also part of the F1-related media (a REALLY minor part, aka a podcaster) too... but without the glamour of actually GOING to places like Monaco

[Viv 14]

I know that. Timing is a grt thing. This, however, from someone already v rich indeed is way over the top.

[Viv 14]

Do appreciate fully timing and controversy, being a mistress of timing my goodself. btw, radio two news are saying legal advice is being sought about clarkson.

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

They can seek all the legal advice they want, all Clarkson and the BBC have to do is:

1/ Whip out the FULL clip to put the entire furore into context, given his line moments before about 'the BBC having to balance it', not to mention his comments before that the Strikes were GOOD. This kinda shoots down any case made by those who take a very selective clip and label it as the full fact. Might even lead to a counterclaim BY the BBC, you never know.

2/ Restate the fact that they have already apologised IF any offence was caused anyways.

Clarkson ain't getting the sack or anything, he's worth far too much to the BBC.

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

Can’t be bothered to listen? Here’s a Transcript: (with thanks to Jon Ex off of here and Twitter for the audio I did this from)

Male Presenter

: Schools, hospitals, airports, even driving tests have all been affected, do you think the Strikes have been a good idea?

Clarkson

: Fantastic… <off-camera laughter=""> absolutely… never had, London today has just been empty, everybody’s stayed at home, you can whizz about

Female Presenter

: Yeah

Clarkson

: …Restaurants were empty…

Female Presenter

: The traffic, actually, has been very good today

Clarkson

: Very light, now Airports, people streaming through with no problems at all, it’s… and it’s also like being back in the Seventies, but it feels at home somehow.

Male Presenter

: Yeah…

Female Presenter

: Do you know anybody who-

Male Presenter

: <talking over="" female="" presenter="" who="" was="" starting="" to="" ask="" same="" question=""> Do you know anyone who’s been on strike today?

Clarkson

: Of course I don’t!

Male Presenter

: Yeh

Clarkson

: What, so we’re Public Service now? No, I don’t. No, absolutely and we have to balance it though, don’t we? Because this IS the BBC…

Both Presenters

: Exactly

Clarkson

: Frankly, I’d have them all shot <laughter off="" camera=""> I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families, I mean How Dare They go on strike when they’ve got these gilt-edged pensions that are going to be guaranteed while the rest of us have to WORK for a living. <if you="" genuinely="" can’t="" see="" the="" utter="" irony="" and="" how="" in-character="" jeremy="" is="" here,="" i="" feel="" sorry="" for="" any="" offspring="" that="" may="" carry="" your="" genes="">

Male Presenter

: <obviously failing="" to="" see="" the="" irony=""> Yeh, well on that note of balancing opinion, of course those ARE Jeremy’s views…

<loud off-camera="" laughter="">

Clarkson

: BUT I’VE JUST-

Female Presenter

: ONLY Jeremy’s views…

Clarkson

: -I’ve just given two views for you! < Male Presenter talks under Clarkson at this point, can’t make out what he says. The point of giving TWO VIEWS is also an important one missed by many>

Female Presenter

: Well we will be talking more to Jeremy later…

</loud></obviously></if></laughter></talking></off-camera>

[Viv 14]

Right, have just viewed the youtube clip in full, and clarkson was praising the fact the streets were empty in the town, before starting his comments. Sorry, doovde, i do like him but not a good day to say all this.

[DC 84]

i've seen what he's said in full but the fact is clarkson is a hardline tory, if they caused world war 3 they'd still be right to him. he hates the working class, especially the midlands and people from there. although he fails to see how much the midlands has given in industry over the last 200 years.

it's ok for him because he's sitting pretty at a top job, by his beliefs the working class and labour aren't entitled to an opinion.

[Viv 14]

Soz, but that ain't balanced. even cameron has now called him "silly".... And i just love how literate the male presenter is with the non stop "yehs"

[Viv 14]

This may be the first time i have ever agreed with dc. Think that is the point we all missed earlier.

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

and all the while missing the point that Clarkson now is a self-caricature, has been for years. Yes his persuasion IS Tory, but does that mean he CAN'T express something in-character? It was VERY clear for anyone with ears that he is being Ironic. Don't think it was funny? Fine, but worth sacking for (the Unions are calling for this WITHOUT the due process they would usually demand for someone they represent, ironic).

Also, how many of these 5000 (which is a TINY number of complaints really, in terms of population percentages) actually saw it? "what Jeremy said something risky?Well i never watched it and read the daily mail but wheres that band wagon" will be the general line of thought here, just as it was with Wossy/Brand (Much as I hate Brand, I saw no reason to complain there either, especially given the victim had called for No Further Action).

Don't even get me started on the presenting quality of those two faceless muppets presenting though, bring back Bleakwoman and ManChiles, all is forgiven.

[DC 84]

i've always thought he was a prick, every chance he gets he slags off the midlands and people who haven't got 3 million pound at least. eventually i've grown tired of it.

[Viv 14]

Heads will roll..

[DarkAngelMJH 12]

It's just people jumping on the bandwagon again like they did with Ross/Brand. I bet only 50 people at that saw the actual show, who actually watches the One Show?

Yeah he shouldn't have said people should be shot but I don't agree with the strikes anyway so.

[Behelzebub 10]

Regardless of what he did or didn't mean to say I still think Clarkson's an overrated twat.

As for the strikes themselves... although it's not an issue that affects me hugely at this moment in time as I'm currently not in work I understand peoples' reasons for doing so. Both my parents were on strike yesterday and my dad in particular is quite strongly opposed to the proposed pensions regulations.

[cxx666 10]

This is gonna prove unpopular, but I happen to think Clarkson is great. He's not a stupid man, knows how to generate publicity and does it very well. The comment was clearly done as a joke, but unfortunately we live in a society where "controversial" jokes or comments are to be hated.

On a side note, I have very little sympathy for the strikes and its days like Wednesday which make me want to withdraw my membership of Unite (I only joined because I felt I was being forced into it when I started my job). Sadly there is a culture in this country of everyone knowing that there is debt and cuts to be made, but thinking they shouldn't be made to the services or policies which affect them. What would the people who went on strike do if they were made redundant through cuts etc? I don't know what the pension situation for them would be there, but I imagine it wouldn't be as good as the one they would get if they just accepted changes had to be made to pensions.

[Viv 14]

Yeh, actually it is just like the ross thing.

[MrDoovdeHaxorz 11]

OK this is getting stupid now. If Russell Brand said something like this, most of the complainers would say it was funny, but hey, that's OK because all he does is harrass celebrities by phone and 'be wacky and offbeat' (while crowbarring long words into sentences, usually in the wrong places, to TRY and sound less stupid), and then scarper before getting his ass fired, right? Maybe next time someone like Harry Hill should voice these things, THEN it'll be seen as a joke, right?

I will put large amounts of money on the fact that around 90% of the 'complaints' this has garnered are from people who didn't watch the show and just decided to join the witchhunt like the pathetic sheep they are. Ironically, for all the calls these fools are making that Clarkson was 'inciting hatred', that's the EXACT thing they are guilty of (I've actually seen these idiots saying "Clarkson should be shot in front of his family" with not a hint of irony, it's like they can't look in a mirror or something).

Oh Well, RIP Freedom Of Speech (believe it or not, it's something we're SUPPOSED to have here) and Sense Of Irony.

[Viv 14]

Our scottish daily record have a headline called "strop gear". and clarkson has left the country now.

[KingTutsWWH 10]

I'm not entirely sure that the vote at the top of this thread is in keeping with the topic. The thread concerns our thoughts on Clarkson's comments on strikers, but the poll asks about our own opinion on the strike... Two very separate things.

I pretty much agree with everything Doovde has said above. I think Clarkson is an arse, but he does make me laugh on occasion. People seem to be unable to detect irony nowadays, and this saddens me. It does not bode well at all for the future of Britain's beautifully subtle comedy.

Interesting that on The One Show this evening, when John Bishop, a veggie of 25 years said "I'd eat my own dog if I was hungry enough", Chris ironically butted in with apologies to qualify this; the BBC doesn't condone this sort of thing etc. As if to say: people need to get a sense of humour, stop taking things so f*cking seriously and are you just saying this to sell your dvd?

[Viv 14]

Someone has just suggested that clarkson was put on the one show on purpose to destract people fm more important political stuff going on. interesting view.