And so it begins, the age of censorship....

[LouSCannon]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7707641.stm

Now I know what sort of things might be said 'I hate Jeremey Clarkson so he deserves to be slated' but people are so caught up in their little worlds they don't see the bigger picture here.

Eventually the trend will grow to pretty much everything.

I for one found the comment amusing and took no offence, does this mean I cancel out one of the complaints?

Did you know the Brand story only got TWO complaints when it was aired? It was the Daily Mail who led a campaign on Brand, and are now pulling up his lines from his sketch shows and DVDs, to what ends I don't know....

Yes they were out of line, but their intended audience didn't seem to mind?

Now the precedent has been set is every comedian a target, surely every person in the UK can find one comedian they don't find funny, so does this mean we're not allowed to laugh at anything anymore?

[Capo]

I do think that was out of order. Clarkson is no different to the others, constantly pushing the boundries in an attempt to sound funny.

[LouSCannon]

Have you ever heard Jimmy Carr's stand up? Been to the Edinburgh festival and watched the new emerging comedians? How about good ol' Roy Chubby Brown? Or the example one journalist used with Monty Python sketch that had a character eating his mother and then throwing her up in to a grave?

There's always going to be something that offends someone, and it's people's right to complain, but following the media onslaught and publicity around other examples this is now going to grow in to yet another example of over exaggeration that would have gone unnoticed by the intended audience.

Using the Brand fiasco as an example, 2 complaints when it was aired, yet over the past weeks they have had 30,000. Now how many of those 30,000 complaints are from people who were actually straight out offended and how many are from people who just don't like Brand or Ross?

This is going to be exactly the same, and so will the next one and the next....

[scrapps]

I agree with you LC its all getting out of hand.... yes the Brand thing was a bit beyond and now clarkson has upset a few people.(well a few truckdrivers).
But if we keep censoring comedians and what can be said its going to be a dull world to live in...they even blanked out the name of the dog in the dambuster movie last time i watched it:thumbsdown: ffc its what the dog was called (fact) you can't keep re writing history so as not to offend:scratch: can you ?

[PDL]

I love Top Gear but JC does have a hatred for bikes & bikers, so I would suspect all 200 complaints have come from the Honda riders association.

Simple rule - put your head above the parapet then expect to be shot at.

[Paivi]

Just about bloody time too. Why does everybody have to be so offensive these days to be considered funny? BBC should stop pandering to the yobs and look after those who are after more intelligent humour, too.

[Mostro69]

Hang on, hang on, let me get my mug of tea, I want to watch the rest of this thread unravel...

(I'll just throw in at this point that I'm in favour of Jonathan Ross, Russell Brand, Jeremy Clarkson, Jimmy Carr and everyone else out there using the rights of liberal speech and making a success of outspoken comedy.)

[scrapps]

Just about bloody time too. Why does everybody have to be so offensive these days to be considered funny? BBC should stop pandering to the yobs and look after those who are after more intelligent humour, too.

ok so what can these comedians make jokes about ? :scratch: don't offend anybody or thing in your answer.......;)

Mmm must get a cuppa to.....

[Scootaboy]

(I'll just throw in at this point that I'm in favour of Jonathan Ross, Russell Brand, Jeremy Clarkson, Jimmy Carr and everyone else out there using the rights of liberal speech and making a success of outspoken comedy.)

Gets my vote!

[LouSCannon]

Just about bloody time too. Why does everybody have to be so offensive these days to be considered funny? BBC should stop pandering to the yobs and look after those who are after more intelligent humour, too.

That's not the point. It's free speech and people are free to pick and choose what they want to listen too. Just because something offends you doesn't mean it grants automatic right to ban it.

If that's your mentality go and move to a communist state.

[Mostro69]

If that's your mentality go and move to a communist state.

LouSCannon, be nice, Paivi had the freedom of speech to express that thought.

[LouSCannon]

LouSCannon, be nice, Paivi had the freedom of speech to express that thought.

Are you trying to censor me?!!?

Help help I'm being oppressed!!!

[Mostro69]

Are you trying to censor me?!!?

Help help I'm being oppressed!!!

:cens:

:spin:

[LouSCannon]

I've actually gone to the BBC website and lodged a formal complaint about the complaints made about Top Gear.

The complainers are causing me undue stress... I wrote a cracking statement! :)

[PDL]

Just about bloody time too. Why does everybody have to be so offensive these days to be considered funny? BBC should stop pandering to the yobs and look after those who are after more intelligent humour, too.

You said BLOODY how offensive is that!!! Oh crap I said it too, dohhh and I said crap oh no.

[Robbie583]

I found on the BBC website that you can also send positive feedback about programmes, as well as complaints. So I've sent praise for Sundays Top Gear, as personally i found it very funny.

[gremlin]

I must admit I've found it all a bit bemusing, yes I think the terrible two got less than they deserved, picking on a frail old man isn't big or clever and if you or I had done it no doubt we'd be facing charges. I must admit I don't very often laugh at crude humour although the odd David Allen Cohen record has had me in stitches, especially the ones where he's changed the words to well known songs, watching people at parties humming away to a tune and then realising it's not what they thought is priceless. Roy Chubby Brown can be downright offensive but he's rarely on mainstream TV, he uses just about every 'ism there is. Out of the cossie he's a sweetie, and cousin of a friend and I really like him. Usually his material is only on DVD so if you don't like you don't buy it.
For those who have a reputation for being crude, or offensive in any other way there is always an alternative, ie the off button, if people didn't watch them they'd soon be taken off the screens. Isn't that all the censorship we need.

[jerry]

Get rid of Clarkson off Topgear as he hates bikes ..let bike friendly May and cuddly Hamster run the show.

[gremlin]

Unfortunately Top Gear wouldn't work without him. I had to laugh at an MCN article where he branded us all thick, then found he couldn't master a twist and go. I actually like Clarkson, yes he can be a complete knob but he also says it like it is most of the time. I don't think he's as anti as he makes out either, but he's set his stance and can't be seen to change it. He just likes to be contraversial and if one person takes a stand he takes the opposite for the hell of it. Most of the time he does sail close to the wind but he isn't hugely offensive, he just says what a lot of people are thinking.

[LouSCannon]

I didn't want to focus on Clarkson, as my problem that sparked the rant was with the direction of the media at the moment...

That said I do like Clarkson a lot, as Gremlin pointed out you never pretends to be something he's not, will admit when he's (In his opinion that is) wrong. Such as his rant in his coloumn about ID theft and it being rubbish. So he printed his details and someone set up a Direct Debit to a famine charity in his name. Fair play he came out and said he was wrong and I think he left the donation running.

He's also done a hell of a lot with Top Gear. It's basically all him and the exec producer (Andy Wilman) who have done all the work and drive the program forward, so even if I didn't like Clarkson that alone I'd be impressed with just because I like Top Gear.

You might not like his views, but I admire his values, no bull and family first.

[craigie]

The 'media' will jump on anything for money; dead kids/global recession/hamster eating, the thing is it's because people buy it so the 'moral' majority gets f*cked while they think they are doing the f*ckin.
Bunch of namby pamby w*nks complaing about media personalities when there are a few more pressing concerns in our society.
PC b*llocks

[Mand]

Get rid of Clarkson off Topgear as he hates bikes ..let bike friendly May and cuddly Hamster run the show.

and there was me thinking that Topgear was about cars........

silly me.

I like Clarkson and not ashamed to admit it! Jezza for PM!

[gary tompkins]

Hmmm..

Clarkson is a tool but Top Gear wouldn't work without him. The trucker comments were a tad OTT and probably would have slipped through, unfortunately the Ross/Brand farce got everyones backs up so (in the current climate) it wasn't really a very smart thing to say. He could have had a dig about eating Yorkie bars & been just as funny.

The BBC must be wondering what's next - bad carma usually arrives in three's

[jerry]

I like top gear and Clarkson is a real comedien ....but there is too much focus on Unreal cars .