Top Gear now facing potential legal action thanks to insane equality laws

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...onds-jibe.html

Mexican takes legal action against Top Gear after Hammond calls her nation 'lazy, ****less and flatulent'

Top Gear: James May (left), Richard Hammond (centre) & Jeremy Clarkson (right) discuss Mexican cars

A Mexican has instructed lawyers to bring a test case against Top Gear after her countrymen were branded 'lazy, ****less and flatulent' on the hit show. Iris de la Torre, a jewellery design student in London, is bringing the claim under a new equality law. Her lawyers claim it could cost the BBC £1million in damages. They have demanded the hit BBC1 motoring show is taken off the air and an investigation made into the comments. The lawyers, Equal Justice, have previously taken action against Channel 4 over comments about Indian actor Shilpa Shetty, made on Celebrity Big Brother.

MPs have also now demanded that the BBC apologises over the 'ignorant, derogatory and racist remarks'. In a Commons motion, a cross-party group of six MPs said the comments were 'unacceptable and untimely'.

They said: 'This level of ignorance is far below anything expected from anyone in the public eye and illustrates a serious lack of judgment by the programme-makers.' The group wants the BBC to apologise as a 'matter of urgency' before Nick Clegg visits Mexico this month in case the row upsets diplomatic relations. On Sunday night's show, Richard Hammond was discussing a Mexican sports car and suggested that vehicles reflect the national characteristics of the country they are from. He added: 'Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, ****less, flatulent, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat.’

He also referred to Mexican food as 'refried sick' while fellow presenter James May said it was 'like sick with cheese on it'. Host Jeremy Clarkson then claimed the ambassador to the UK wouldn't complain because he would be snoring in front of the television at his embassy. But the ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza did make a formal complaint to the BBC and called on the presenters to make a public apology for stirring 'bigoted feelings against the Mexican people'.

Oh here we go again, can't say anything nowadays without having the word-Nazis (the ones who spout on about tolerance, yet are intolerant of other views including jokes and humour) clamping down on us all. All I can say is thank god for Jeremy Clarkson and co, the man who famously wound the PC crowd up by describing Gordon Brown as "a one-eyed scottish idiot" - the below comments sum this up perfectly;

I am English and England is full of fatties. Oh I appear to of offended myself !! Or shall I grow up??- Jason, Poole Dorset, 3/2/2011 21:49

Indeed, its time people grew up and learnt to take it on the chin.

Thoughts?

[Conservative,]

Jeremy Clarkson is a legend. I love the way he's so outspoken. I think it's ridiculous a bit of good humour can't go by without someone getting offended.

It was blatantly a joke, I don't know how anyone could see it otherwise? It's ridiculous how people can sue for things like this.

[Chippiewill]

There's no such thing as a joke which doesn't offend someone. Mexicans need to learn to man up and take the abooose.

[xxMATTGxx]

I think too many people take the jokes on Top Gear seriously and just watch it for the sake of having to send in a complaint to the BBC or ofcom. I doubt many of them are actually insulted by what is said on the show? I don't find an issue with what was said last week but meh, it's stupid if any action does happen over this.

[Conservative,]

I think too many people take the jokes on Top Gear seriously and just watch it for the sake of having to send in a complaint to the BBC or ofcom. I doubt many of them are actually insulted by what is said on the show? I don't find an issue with what was said last week but meh, it's stupid if any action does happen over this.

I think there's a load of green peace organiser who sit in their little eco-friendly sheds every Sunday watching Top Gear to complain about everything potentially offensive to try and shut down the show because it's "bad for the environment" and "encouraging misuse of precious resources and unnecessary pollution" lol.

[Jordy]

I disagree with the legal action, Top Gear have done nothing wrong and PC has gone OTT.

However I question why Top Gear did this in the first place? They said at the time they were expecting complaints from the Mexican Ambassador for what was said. What's the need to say it then? I'm beginning to think Jeremy Clarkson just said it to cause controvercy rather than because it was funny, he seemed to know the consequences of what he's going to say before he does. It's meant to be a motoring show, not Jeremy Clarkson increasing his presence or going to war with the PC-Police. So to conclude before someone savagely attacks me. Yes he's totally within his right to say it and I disagree with the equality act and any legal action taken over this. But I do question Top Gear and Jeremy Clarkson's intentions, which were bad from the beginning and not relevant.

Edit: I'm just going to get lynched by Top Gear fans anyway but there's my view.

[Chippiewill]

Because they know that nothing will actually happen and that the media will ('Have' now) blow it out of proportion.

[Jordy]

Because they know that nothing will actually happen and that the media will ('Have' now) blow it out of proportion.

Therefore they are just attention-seeking in the media and trying to boost their profile, which is what I'm trying to say.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Clarkson is known to be outspoken against political correctness, and i'm on his side in that battle - if he can show it up for what it is (ridiculous, over-reactionary nonsense) then good for him and good for the rest of us before we all end up in court for being 'offensive'.

[xxMATTGxx]

It seems the BBC have issued a formal apology, not sure if this is correct or if the source is valid.

“The Executive Producer for Top Gear has written to the Mexican Ambassador and apologised for the comments made about him during the show. On the broader issue of comments about Mexicans as people, the show has explained they were making comic use of a stereotype; a practice with which regular viewers of Top Gear will be familiar.

“We are sorry if we have offended some people, but jokes centred on national stereotyping are a part of Top Gear’s humour, and indeed a robust part of our national humour. Our own comedians make jokes about the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn make jokes about the Italians being disorganised and over dramatic; the French being arrogant and the Germans being over organised. When we do it, we are being rude, yes, and mischievous, but there is no vindictiveness behind the comments.

“This stereotyping humour is in itself a factor in the tolerance which the ambassador states is so prevalent in Britain.

“In line with that tradition, stereotype based comedy is allowed within BBC guidelines in programmes where the audience has clear expectations of that being the case, as indeed it is with Top Gear. Whilst it may appear offensive to those who have not watched the programme or who are unfamiliar with its humour, the Executive Producer has made it clear to the Ambassador that that was absolutely not the show’s intention.”