Why I Support Jeremy Clarkson

 

Jeremy Clarkson has been sacked from BBC due to a physical altercation with a senior producer.
http://transmission.blogs.topgear.com/2015/03/25/bbc-releases-statement-on-clarkson/

Translation: Clarkson fired for busting a producer’s lip.

How I imagine Jeremy is feeling at this announcement:

Now, we don’t know the full details over what prompted the fists to start flying and likely never will.  However this issue has divided people into two groups:
Clarkson Supporters
People that don’t understand why we would ever support Clarkson in the first place
So, I’m going to try and explain why I support an sexist offensive violent racist with xenophobic tendencies.

We live in a world where people are just looking for something to be offended at.  In the nerd world lately, there’s been the outcry over the new Wonder Woman look.  No, really, people got upset about that. 

There was the whole big mess over the Batgirl alternate cover being offensive.

Personally, I find it creepy and disturbing, but perfect.  Maybe it didn’t fit the story properly, but it is an amazing image.

Just go through your Facebook news feed, and you can find all sorts of stuff that people are getting upset about.

So, how does this relate to Clarkson?  Well, to put it simply, in this world of rampant offense and out of control political correctness, Jeremy just doesn’t give a fuck.

That attitude is a breath of fresh air.  Especially from an entertainer.  It opened up areas of humor that people otherwise wouldn’t touch simply out of fear.

Now, lets take a little look at some of Jeremy’s offenses and how I can justify them.

He’s sexist

He’s racist
Apparently he was caught saying the original version of the eeny, meeny, miny, moe rhyme.  The one that contains the N word.  You know, the one that anyone over the age of 35 has likely said at least once in their childhood.  I have.  I don’t anymore, but I have.
He made that comment in Burma regarding the bridge they built.  That one, I honestly don’t know why it even came out.  That should have been caught during editing and cut.
Lets see, who else has he offended:
Vietnamese
Germans
Mexicans
Japanese
Americans
French
I think pretty much ever race and nationality except for maybe Canada.
In spite of all of this, though, he still gets support from his co-workers

He and co-presenter, James May, have both promoted drinking and driving

That’s gin and tonic being consumed while over international waters in the North Pole.

So, with all these faults, why do we love him so much?  Short answer, he’s entertaining.  Longer answer, he says and does the kind of things that people secretly wish they could get away with, but are too frightened by the thought of offending someone.  He is just an alpha male.  The confidence he has to do and say what he does attracts people.  It also pushes people away, but those are typically people he doesn’t want around anyway.  He is who he is.  He doesn’t hide any side of personality.  He just puts it all out there and let the chips fall where they will, and its damn fun to watch.

Right, so having said all that, do I think that Jeremy should not have been fired from the BBC?  I’m not sure.  If there was little to no provocation to the fight, then yes.  If he was pushed, provoked into it, then he and the producer should either be fired or suspended.

What got most of us really fired up, was the BBC’s decision to just end the latest (last) season of Top Gear over this.  This simply punished the fans of the show for Jeremy’s actions.

All in all, Top Gear as we knew and loved it is over and gone.  Will James and Richard leave the BBC as well?  We don’t know.  If they do, then there is hope for a new version of the show we love.

If you still can’t understand how being entertained by a loud offensive brute is possible, I feel sad for you.

If the things I’ve said are offensive to you and have hurt your feelings, or you think I am just completely wrong and likely just like Jeremy in my attitude, well….