Comments on: Top Gear and those insensitive remarks http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/ PRESS CONSULTANT, JOURNALIST, GHOSTWRITER, POLITICAL AND PR BLOGGER. Thu, 24 May 2012 15:30:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Culf http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-15006 Culf Sun, 04 Mar 2007 08:13:36 +0000 http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/#comment-15006 Thanks. The accident was pretty funny, actually. I was having a sun bath, when wind tipped an parasol over. The iron bar was attached to the parasol and was catapulted then feet and onto my unsuspecting forehead. Even then I knew it'd be worth it, just for the story of it. Thanks. The accident was pretty funny, actually. I was having a sun bath, when wind tipped an parasol over. The iron bar was attached to the parasol and was catapulted then feet and onto my unsuspecting forehead. Even then I knew it’d be worth it, just for the story of it.

]]> By: Ellee http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-14803 Ellee Fri, 02 Mar 2007 12:43:42 +0000 http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/#comment-14803 Culf, Thanks for you comment, I hear what you say. I have no doubt that the Hamster's team mates are very fond of him and did not mean the remarks to sound offensive. Your accident sounds pretty awful too. Culf, Thanks for you comment, I hear what you say. I have no doubt that the Hamster’s team mates are very fond of him and did not mean the remarks to sound offensive. Your accident sounds pretty awful too.

]]> By: Culf http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-14781 Culf Fri, 02 Mar 2007 09:26:40 +0000 http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/#comment-14781 This is the way those lads treat eachother. They had a pact that, should one of them die in a car accident, the show would go on, and in the next episode, Clarkson would look at the camera and say "As you all probably know Richard Hammond/James May died in a car crash last week.... ANYWAY, here's the new jag!" As Clarkson said, it was a joke, and then suddenly, it wasn't. Him and James were really worried about our dear Hamster, and tried being nice to him. When that didn't failed to get any reaction from the comatos Hammond, Jeremy reconded that it was because he was thinking "It sounds like them, but they're being nice, so it can't be." He then said "Look, mate, the reason you're here is because you're a crap driver." Which caused Richard to smile. That was the first reaction they got from him, and that says a lot about their friendship. They take the mickey all the time, that's their way. I was actually surprised at how easy they were going on him during the show. I'd expected more teasing. My friends are exactly the same, so I know what I'm talking about. I once got hit with an iron bar in the forhead, and got the biggest lump ever on my forhead, TWO black eyes and a concussion. When my friends heard of it, they were first concerned, then then they started laughing and joking about how that could only happen to me. It never bothered me for a second, because I know they care, even if they joke about it, just as Richard know that James and Jeremy cares, even if they tease him. This is the way those lads treat eachother. They had a pact that, should one of them die in a car accident, the show would go on, and in the next episode, Clarkson would look at the camera and say “As you all probably know Richard Hammond/James May died in a car crash last week…. ANYWAY, here’s the new jag!”
As Clarkson said, it was a joke, and then suddenly, it wasn’t. Him and James were really worried about our dear Hamster, and tried being nice to him. When that didn’t failed to get any reaction from the comatos Hammond, Jeremy reconded that it was because he was thinking “It sounds like them, but they’re being nice, so it can’t be.” He then said “Look, mate, the reason you’re here is because you’re a crap driver.” Which caused Richard to smile. That was the first reaction they got from him, and that says a lot about their friendship. They take the mickey all the time, that’s their way. I was actually surprised at how easy they were going on him during the show. I’d expected more teasing. My friends are exactly the same, so I know what I’m talking about. I once got hit with an iron bar in the forhead, and got the biggest lump ever on my forhead, TWO black eyes and a concussion. When my friends heard of it, they were first concerned, then then they started laughing and joking about how that could only happen to me. It never bothered me for a second, because I know they care, even if they joke about it, just as Richard know that James and Jeremy cares, even if they tease him.

]]> By: Tim Ireland http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-10644 Tim Ireland Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:50:01 +0000 http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/#comment-10644 Tch. Well, if you're not going to answer this question, you may as well delete it. Tch. Well, if you’re not going to answer this question, you may as well delete it.

]]> By: Tim Ireland http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-10419 Tim Ireland Mon, 05 Feb 2007 21:54:34 +0000 http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/#comment-10419 Ellee, what is your view on the continued and often gleeful use of variations of the word 'mong' on the Guido Fawkes website? Ellee, what is your view on the continued and often gleeful use of variations of the word ‘mong’ on the Guido Fawkes website?

]]> By: tyger http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-10413 tyger Mon, 05 Feb 2007 21:14:30 +0000 http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/#comment-10413 I didn't think Tories dug PC? I guess times change. I didn’t think Tories dug PC?

I guess times change.

]]> By: Disillusioned http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-10289 Disillusioned Mon, 05 Feb 2007 02:52:23 +0000 http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/#comment-10289 I cannot believe that this was even being discussed. Good PR for the charity by complaining, but surely that's all this is about. Nobody can really have taken the comment seriously and if they did well then they really need to get over themselves and stop being so mental about everything. I cannot believe that this was even being discussed. Good PR for the charity by complaining, but surely that’s all this is about. Nobody can really have taken the comment seriously and if they did well then they really need to get over themselves and stop being so mental about everything.

]]> By: Joe http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-10250 Joe Sun, 04 Feb 2007 23:01:14 +0000 http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/#comment-10250 It's obviously early closing time where Hendrix lives... That comment will soon be irrelevant, for those who that comment confuses and read this as comment 21 there were some obscene and unfunny comments above by a certain Hendrix which Ellee will not want to retain, I'm sure. It's interseing that we've begun this whole discussion with one frame of refernce, but that frame has broadened over time. That's a good thing really. I'm usually seen as very PC by my friends, but I think that sometimes we can take it too far. Sometimes we can all take offence where none was intended and even where we shouldn't be looking to spot it in the first place. I think this was a case in point. As has been said, a very close interpersonal dynamic obviously plays between Jeremy and Richard and we were priveleged to glimpse it and maybe we shouldn't judge it in wider societal terms. Maybe we should just see it as an icebreaker which brought Richard Hammond back in to the thick of Top Gear, a caring welcome home by friends to friends. Who are we to tell them how they should express that? When we laugh it is partly as a release, it is a discomfort calming mechanism. It is how we excorcise our demons. Sometimes Jokes are close to the line. Are we not grown up enough as a society to know the difference between banter and genuine offence? And more importantly isn't it patronising of us to assume that people with brain injuries can't? With so much real hatred in the world, why pick on a man who calls a spade a spade, but deep in down in all of this, has shown he really does have a big heart? It’s obviously early closing time where Hendrix lives…
That comment will soon be irrelevant, for those who that comment confuses and read this as comment 21 there were some obscene and unfunny comments above by a certain Hendrix which Ellee will not want to retain, I’m sure.
It’s interseing that we’ve begun this whole discussion with one frame of refernce, but that frame has broadened over time. That’s a good thing really. I’m usually seen as very PC by my friends, but I think that sometimes we can take it too far. Sometimes we can all take offence where none was intended and even where we shouldn’t be looking to spot it in the first place. I think this was a case in point.
As has been said, a very close interpersonal dynamic obviously plays between Jeremy and Richard and we were priveleged to glimpse it and maybe we shouldn’t judge it in wider societal terms.
Maybe we should just see it as an icebreaker which brought Richard Hammond back in to the thick of Top Gear, a caring welcome home by friends to friends.
Who are we to tell them how they should express that?
When we laugh it is partly as a release, it is a discomfort calming mechanism. It is how we excorcise our demons. Sometimes Jokes are close to the line.
Are we not grown up enough as a society to know the difference between banter and genuine offence?
And more importantly isn’t it patronising of us to assume that people with brain injuries can’t?
With so much real hatred in the world, why pick on a man who calls a spade a spade, but deep in down in all of this, has shown he really does have a big heart?

]]> By: hendrix http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-10243 hendrix Sun, 04 Feb 2007 21:38:00 +0000 http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/#comment-10243 and another thing in the thingy above (the story bit) it said this could happen to any of us how many times have you found your self on the way to work in a fucking jet car? huh? and another thing in the thingy above (the story bit) it said this could happen to any of us how many times have you found your self on the way to work in a fucking jet car? huh?

]]> By: hendrix http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-10242 hendrix Sun, 04 Feb 2007 21:36:28 +0000 http://elleeseymour.com/2007/02/02/top-gear-and-those-insensitive-remarks/#comment-10242 It was A joke you see you lot are all fucking anal It was A joke you see you lot are all fucking anal

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