To: tolerance, understanding and democracy: please return to sender

Hey,

Stumbled into this one recently, and initially wasn't going to post it, but then decided to have my name associated with some controversy, so here I am.

Don't know how many of you watch Top Gear, but this is a recent episode.

<Edit: Video removed from host>

Sorry.

LOL:laugh4: , I should watch Top Gear more often.

Yes, that was classic.

Watch as tourism and foreign investment in Alabama plunge (further?).

Althought the New Orleans ending was a bit more moving. Even Clarkson looked a bit put off by the devastation.

OMG, that was hilarious!

And there I was, thinking hicks in pick-up trucks and ready to crash onto the scene at any time were just a movie cliche. :skull:


Ah, I feel like going on a rant about the deep south now, but I'll just quote this YouTube commentary instead: I've seen what happens when someone wears a Rangers shirt and walks into a Celtic pub.

Heh, I wondered if someone was going to post this.

It certainly doesn't paint the south in a very good light.

Wow, how lame. Aussies and Brits shouldn't try to offend Americans, they just embarrass themselves (where the hell are these guys from). "Country and Western is Rubbish? :laugh4:

~:eek: Oh dear, I want to shoot them myself. :juggle2:

Haha, the lady called them out! And who tries to put diesel into their car?

I thought that was quite endearing, actually.

It's a prime time show, so they couldn't write 'Country and Western is ****'.

Ah America, the most democratic and free country in the world :bounce:

haha, that was awesome.

I thought the slogans were brain-dead. If they really wanted to get one another shot I am sure they could have done better.

They should try this out in Britton. I know they aren't much into interaction with strangers but I am sure there is a place or two in London where you might get dragged from your car and beaten for some inane slogan painted on your car.

Has it ever been a difficult task to find the violent streak in the human race?

I'll wait until this airs on aussie tv (we're half a series behind) but thanks for the tip :thumbsup:

Racist slogans might do it in the UK...

But "Drum'n'bass is rubbish", or "Cameron for PM", or "Man Love Rules" isn't going to get it done.

Irony meters turned up too high.

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Originally Posted by Fisherking

They should try this out in Britton. I know they aren't much into interaction with strangers but I am sure there is a place or two in London where you might get dragged from your car and beaten for some inane slogan painted on your car.

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Or in Ireland for that matter. Wouldn't dare fly St. George's cross over there. I had an argument with my ol' dad after watching that. He thinks this kind of behaviour is the reserve of interior Americans. I just think all rural folk are backwards and prone to bigotted outbursts. :yes:

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Originally Posted by Justiciar

Or in Ireland for that matter. Wouldn't dare fly St. George's cross over there. I had an argument with my ol' dad after watching that. He thinks this kind of behaviour is the reserve of interior Americans. I just think all rural folk Humans are backwards and prone to bigotted outbursts. :yes:

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fixed it for you :2thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by BDC

Althought the New Orleans ending was a bit more moving. Even Clarkson looked a bit put off by the devastation.

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I thought that too, then after they'd given away 2 of the cars for free & switched back to the studio it turned out a lawyer turned up & threatened to sue because Clarkson had claimed his car was an '89 when it was a '91, (but the suit could be made to "go away" for $20k). Then a pickup full of armed men appeared to told them to get off their street...I wish I could remeber Clarkson's quote early on in the show saying what he thought about the US.

Anyway, loved the show, the best parts had to be driving along with the shower unit on, & turning up with the cow on the roof. :laugh4:

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Originally Posted by Fisherking

I thought the slogans were brain-dead. If they really wanted to get one another shot I am sure they could have done better.

They should try this out in Britton. I know they aren't much into interaction with strangers but I am sure there is a place or two in London where you might get dragged from your car and beaten for some inane slogan painted on your car.

Has it ever been a difficult task to find the violent streak in the human race?

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Nope, it's just Americans. It's a proven fact that Europeans are superior to Americans in every way. And it's not just rural small-town folk, that could have been Senators Hatch, Cornyn and McCain rolling up in the back of that truck (the pitbull was a nice touch).

I get the joke, but frankly, if this is what you guys do for yourselves for entertainment, you've got issues. Go ahead and mastrubate yourselves silly about how base and ignorant Americans are and how superior you all are. Last I checked, we haven't burned down a discotech with 300 immigrants inside (how's the Gothenberg police coming with that investegation, anyway?) We don't paint swaztikas all over Jewish cemetaries either, but I guess that's high-brow racism, cause it happens in France.

Don... its a BBC program ie UK not France or Germany hell half of the UK seem to want us out of Europe entirely so take that rant to another thread...

It's a common thread I see coming from over there, and Gothenberg is in Sweden, not Germany. I can't believe you'd allow a stupid Merican (a GWB voting one at that!) correct you on Geography.

My point is you all have plenty of rubbish in your own back yard, yet you insist on delighting yourselves as to how superior you are to America. We have 310 million people over here. Yes, you're going to find a few hayseeds. Its seems to be a favorite European pasttime to seek them out and hold them up as the evdientiary archetype (yes some of us dumb 'mericans know what dem words mean) of Americans and therefore, we all fall in somewhere along those lines.

And just for the record, the only time I've ever been accosted on the street (walking home from dinner, minding my own business) was in tolerant old Amsterdam, where a young Dutchy felt the need to follow my wife and I home screaming F-ing Americans, we're gonna f-ing kill you.... all the way back to my hotel. Also had 2 waitresses refuse to wait on me later that week. Now, there were also some very friendly, very nice people in Amsterdam. My point is, you find all kinds in all places.

These "Americans are such a bunch of dumb hicks" moments say more about you then they do about us.

And if these guys wanted to really show they had balls, and not just make Americans look like a bunch of ignorant, violent apes, they could have shown some real cojones and gotten 3 seats, in the bleachers at Fenway Park on a Saturday afternoon. They then would have arrived at the ballpark dressed head to toe in Yankee gear and made disparaging comments about the Red Sox for the rest of the day.

Then I would be impressed with their bravery. Now, I'm just stung by the vision you Europeans seem to have of us, and it's one that comes up frequently.

Don i think you are only helping the sterotype along here by Ranting about it - its a joke hell you should see some of the Top Gear jokes when Clarkson was driving through France - they were not trying to be "tough" its a Car show ffs they were being funny and making a joke i dont think they ever expected it to be taken seriously which is what the hamster tried to tell the people at the garage

don if you want us to stop tarring you with one brush stop doing the same to us

oh and

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and Gothenberg is in Sweden, not Germany.

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/Sarcasm no really is it? /Sarcasm off

I was talking about Europeans and France and Gemrany are no1 and 2 of the Sterotypical Europe you seem to think we live in

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Originally Posted by Tom_Hagen

* squak, whine *

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Oh lighten up. These guys are simply British Don. They are taking the piss. It's what they do, it's in their genes. Just tune into auntie Beeb any day of the week and you'll see where these guys are coming from. British humour and all that.

Now that I've learned from Sir Moody that these guys drove down France I'm just dying to see that show and find out what they came up with. :2thumbsup:

Just relax, half the people in this thread have already mentioned that these guys would get the same kind of result in either Glasgow, Britain itself, any rural area, or with any dumb humans anywhere.

Squawk. Whine.

You have a point, Luigi. I can actually take a joke. It's just after 40 or 50 times, you start to wonder if it's a really a joke. Every 6 months or so, there's a thread about just how stupid and regressed Americans really are, and yes, like a sucker, I get into them every time. I guess I could prove how sophisticated and intellectual I am by laughing along and agreeing we're all a bunch of dumb fools, but I just can't seem to do that.

Anyway, we're not going to cross this divide. Europeans are going to continue thinking Americans are knuckle-dragging monkeys, and you're going to claim it's just a joke whenever we protest. God knows we make plenty of anti-European jokes over here, so I suppose it's fair enough, and it all washes out in the end.

I don't think the Hillary or Country Music comments would have been that dangerous. The guy with "Manlove rules" was in serious trouble.

I think the station owner got pissed not because of the comments themselves, but because she didn't like being laughed at as a dumb redneck (listen to her verbal barrage, she's actually pissed about the cameras and the "You think we're laughable, huh?" comments.

The klan arriving (and I have little doubt it was them or some associated group of like-minded individuals that arrived) was an interesting twist. I'm surprised they were dumb enough to throw rocks at a camera crew, but hey, they're klansmen....

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Originally Posted by Don Corleone

I don't think the Hillary or Country Music comments would have been that dangerous. The guy with "Manlove rules" was in serious trouble.

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I think none of these comments got or would've gotten them into trouble itself.

It was the deliberate provocative nature of it all that did it. These hicks aren't that stupid. They understood full well that three cars with 'vote Hillary', 'Country and Western is rubbish' and 'Nascar sucks' is a direct provocation. At them. And that it serves no other purpose than to start something.

No hick (well, few) will shoot anybody for simply supporting Clinton. They do respond when they are provoked. And when somebody pulls up into their town, their turv, to make a fool of them and their ways they'll respond allright.
This was also what I meant when I refered to walking into a Celtic pub (catholic football club) wearing a Rangers shirt (protestant football club). Few people will be beaten up simply for wearing the wrong football shirt. But when you deliberatly do so as a provocation, you know you'll be running for your life pretty soon.

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Originally Posted by luigi VI di Fatlington

I think none of these comments got or would've gotten them into trouble itself.

It was the deliberate provocative nature of it all that did it. These hicks aren't that stupid. They understood full well that three cars with 'vote Hillary', 'Country and Western is rubbish' and 'Nascar sucks' is a direct provocation. At them. And that it serves no other purpose than to start something.

No hick (well, few) will shoot anybody for simply supporting Clinton. They do respond when they are provoked. And when somebody pulls up into their town, their turv, to make a fool of them and their ways they'll respond allright.
This was also what I meant when I refered to walking into a Celtic pub (catholic football club) wearing a Rangers shirt (protestant football club). Few people will be beaten up simply for wearing the wrong football shirt. But when you deliberatly do so as a provocation, you know you'll be running for your life pretty soon.

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I didn't get your reference. I thought you had your American sports mixed up (the Celtics are the Boston basketball team, the Rangers are the New York City hockey team). :laugh4:

The Old Firm.

A little bit of info on the Celtic-Rangers rivalry, Don.

I was a bit lazy I guess. I'll quote myself and rephrase it properly.

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Originally Posted by luigi VI di Fatlington

Ah, I feel like going on a rant about the deep south now, but I'll just quote this YouTube commentary instead: I've seen what happens when someone wears a Rangers shirt and walks into a Celtic pub.

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I could go on a rant about the deep south here. But wouldn't people respond like this in a similar manner elsewhere? You'll find the same sort of lower class people responding to provocation with physical threats everywhere. Fists, not wit, are their means of defense.

This tv-show could find themselves in the same situation without ever leaving the UK. Take for example this clever quote which I took from the same YouTube page as the video: I've seen what happens when someone wears a Rangers shirt and walks into a Celtic pub..
These presentators could simply walk into a catholic Glaswegian pub wearing an emblem of protestantism to achieve the same result. Or I could drive down to Orange or Marseille, paint some fine references to pied-noirs or harkis on my hood and get myself into trouble really quick.

So no matter how ridiculous the agression of these trigger-happy hicks is, there's really no point in turning this into a dismissal of the South at large.

See? :beam:

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These presentators could simply walk into a catholic Glaswegian pub wearing an emblem of protestantism to achieve the same result.

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Actually that wouldn't be funny. Death or serious injury would be nearly inevitable.

No one would be that mad. Not that you have to go as far as Glasgow. I remember walking down the Kings road (in Chelsea) behind a beefy skinhead in a West Ham top, with a pit bull on a lead. He was merrily shouting out "Chelsea are ****. Chelsea are ****." (Shakespeare lives!)

Now, at the top of the Kings Road you are about as likely to meet a Chelsea headhunter as you are to meet a Wildebeest. In fact you have to get a long way down before that is much of a risk, (the mad fans, not the wildebeest) but before that bit, only a part of the way down the road, there is a pub, the Trafalgar, which is as close to rough as it gets around there. (Ie what anyone else would call "normal".)

Aha, I said to my wife, lets see what he does when he gets near the Trafalgar.

Wisely, matey shut up, and crossed the road to boot. Otherwise he would have got a beating.

So there you go Don, you could get you head kicked in on the Kings road if you annoyed people enough.

Whats interesting is that the video has now been removed from the site.

For violations of the user agreements.

rant away Don , but don't you think this.....

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We don't paint swaztikas all over Jewish cemetaries either, but I guess that's high-brow racism, cause it happens in France.

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......is an incredibly stupid statement ?

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And who tries to put diesel into their car?

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:dizzy2:
Hey Vlad , its a big world outside your bedroom .
diesel in cars like OhmyGod whatever will they think of next , its like just soooo kinda ridiculous :jawdrop:

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Originally Posted by Tribesman

rant away Don , but don't you think this..... ......is an incredibly stupid statement ?

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I don't, but I'm not surprised to see you jump on this particular bandwagon.

Perhaps I'm projecting, but in the mindset of the average European, I see a superiority complex that I believe is unfounded. You seem to believe that Americans are more ignorant, more given to predjudices and are less civilized than the rest of the Western world.

This television program may have been a joke. Goofball's thread on Evolution last August may have been a serious attempt at sociology. But at the end of the day, for every example you cite against us, I can find one to act as a correlary in Europe (and if I looked hard enough, I'm sure, Canada. Don't forget that Navaros is Canadian).

I do take people in this country to task for making jokes about Europeans, and by the same token, I'm not going to sit back and play the good little Neanderthal for your entertainment, just to prove I can take a joke. I can take a joke. I can take 5 jokes. But when it becomes an endless litany, I'm going to take you to task on some of the messes in your own backyard.

The fact is, about every 4 or 5 months, there's some act of anti-semitism or the like over in Europe (desecrated Jewish cemetaries are just one example). I don't think you're any worse off than we are. God knows we have plenty of bigots over here. But I don't think you're any better, either, and if I can challenge your pre-conceived notion that you are, I will.

LOL... It's amazing how people get so offended by that clip. On another forum people were just freaking out about it.

Personally, I think the guys on the show (and I'm a big fan of Top Gear despite the fact that I can't watch it) were just having a bit of fun and didn't realize what violent reaction they'd get. Yeah, they SAID that they'd expect a violent reaction, but saying it and believing it are two different things.

It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that they got the reaction that they did. Most of the people "of that type" (figure that one out for yourselves) do NOT respond well to criticism and do NOT like to be laughed at.

And guess what, that's EXACTLY what the boys from TG were doing to them.

In short, they underestimated the total lack of humor that we Americans have. Sure, we like to laugh, but only at OTHERS. Not ourselves...


PS- I grew up in a small "hick" town. This is pretty much EXACTLY how I'd expect it to go down.

Double post-

Don, aren't you projecting the EXACT same stereotypes by saying that Europeans all feel superior to Americans?

I didn't say all. But I do see a pretty common thread. I'm not getting violent.

Humor that makes no sense isn't funny. In every act of humor, there are underlying preconceptions that are spoken to, and those preconceptions may be accurate or inaccurate. Italians do tend to drive rather aggressively. Scandanavians do tend to be rather stand-offish, at least compared to the rest of Europe. Think of every ethnic joke you've ever heard. Then think about the stereotypes you associate with the people that are the butt of those jokes. The jokes are funny because they play off those stereotypes.

Europeans can go around making jokes about how stupid, ignorant and benighted Americans are, and say they're just jokes. But at some point, you must truly hold this view of us in your group psyche, or the humor would be lost, the joke would be a non-sequitir. As you all get the humor, clearly I must be at least tangentially correct on this. At some level, you do think we're barbarians over here.

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Originally Posted by Tribesman

rant away Don , but don't you think this..... ......is an incredibly stupid statement ?

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If he had meant it in the literalist "there have been zero incidents of such an occurrence in the United States throughout its history" sense, possibly.

However, since you are well aware that he was hyperbolizing to make his counter-point (i.e. that anti-semitism is far less of an issue in the USA than it has been -- at least historically -- in Europe and that Europe sneering at Americans was a bit of the old pot/kettle thing) your assessment is a bit harsh.

Don, I don't find it too surprising that Euros laugh at this stereotypical representation.

We have far too many of our own people who hear a southern accent and associate it with a Gomer Pyle-style intellect. Urbies are always confident of the in-bred stupidity of the rurals, that stereotype has a long history. Heavens, The Romans named an entire rural Italian province Bruttium.

They designed it to provoke but to be honest guys throwing rocks and "getting the boys" is, I think far more than they expected. They did try to explain it was a joke, and to be honest the really funny thing would have been if nothing happened.

Which might well have been what they were expecting.

As to the whole football thing. We have a saying.

"Don't talk about religion, politics, or football."

I think though that if you went to Cornwall with a St. George's Cross Flag and a slogan saying, "All Cornish are pointy-heads" you'd be ignored.

The Catholic-Protestant thing is a bad comparison, considering we've only recently wound up a religious war.

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I don't, but I'm not surprised to see you jump on this particular bandwagon.

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interesting , so you don't see that line I quoted as being an incredibly stupid example to use :inquisitive:
So you follow with ......

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The fact is, about every 4 or 5 months, there's some act of anti-semitism or the like over in Europe (desecrated Jewish cemetaries are just one example).

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The fact is jewish cemetaries get desecrated over there too . One in particular springs to mind , smashed up headstones and daubed with nazi graffiti 7 times in one year .
Then again if you think that anti semetic violence , vandalism or other general nasty stuff happens about every 4-5 months in Europe then you don't read any the annual reports on anti-semitism that lots of different groups compile about Europe , or the ones about the US .

Anyhow , what is this "particular bandwagon" that I am jumping on ?

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Originally Posted by Tribesman

interesting , so you don't see that line I quoted as being an incredibly stupid example to use :inquisitive:
So you follow with ......
The fact is jewish cemetaries get desecrated over there too . One in particular springs to mind , smashed up headstones and daubed with nazi graffiti 7 times in one year .
Then again if you think that anti semetic violence , vandalism or other general nasty stuff happens about every 4-5 months in Europe then you don't read any the annual reports on anti-semitism that lots of different groups compile about Europe , or the ones about the US .

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No, in fact I don't read a lot of reports. I simply know that periodically, CNN or MSNBC or God forbid, FoxNews has a story on about some act of anti-semitism in Europe. They appear to come about every 4 to 5 months, but if you say it's less frequent than that, I'll allow you that. Despite what Neo-cons over here would have you believe, my layman's perspective is that this is approximately the same rate as acts of bigotry against Jews here in the US.

Yes, America has similar attacks. You must have missed where I said just that in the post I addressed to you. Please, allow me:

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Originally Posted by Don Corleone

The fact is, about every 4 or 5 months, there's some act of anti-semitism or the like over in Europe (desecrated Jewish cemetaries are just one example). I don't think you're any worse off than we are. God knows we have plenty of bigots over here. But I don't think you're any better, either, and if I can challenge your pre-conceived notion that you are, I will.

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To me, it sounds like I'm saying I view us on roughly compatible terms when it comes to bigotry and acts of violence. Interesting that you overlooked that. Or is that you don't like being lumped in with your trashy cousins across the pond?

One question:
Why are you talking about Europe when this is a British program?

Also I believe they where making fun of rural southerns, not all Americans. I do not believe those slogans would have the same effect in say, New England, or West of the USA.

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They appear to come about every 4 to 5 months, but if you say it's less frequent than that, I'll allow you that.

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Ah I see , you misunderstand .
Now rewrite that bit I quoted and change the word less to more .:yes:

hehe...nice discussion guys.:2thumbsup:

I know that you have travelled Don (or whatever your name is this week ~;) ) but the fact remains that citizens of the USA, as a general principle, do not.

That's why 'Mericans are percieved as un-worldly. The Europeans need only travel for a couple of hours and could cross several national frontiers in the time it takes you to drive upstate.

If you stay in your homeland then you get a skewed perception of the outside world. Not everyone, but enough to make a difference.

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Originally Posted by Tribesman

Ah I see , you misunderstand .
Now rewrite that bit I quoted and change the word less to more .:yes:

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I bet you're a real joy at parties. :dizzy2:

Okay, perhaps incidents of bigotry occur more frequently than every four to 5 months. They may happen less. Did you miss the part where I said this is an informal survey and that the barometer I'm using is how many times it gets conveyed to my conciousness over my morning coffee & Cheerios? Translation: I'm not running around keeping statistics on these things. My only point is that based on my informal viewing habits of major American media, incidents of violence/bigotry in Europe appear to be on par with the USA. Not more, not less.

And I would like you to stop and consider something. I will allow that the American news media tends to be incredibly America-centric. So do you really think every act around Europe you hear of is going to be played out on CNN? We hear of a subset of the more eggregious crimes, such as the Holocaust memorial in Germany (or was it Poland, I cannot remember).

In any case, I've clearly touched a nerve here. So to my European friends, I apologize and I politely withdraw my objection. You're right, we are every bit as crude, ignorant and uncivilized as you believe us to be. Now, let's drop this and get on with laughing at how dumb we Americans are, shall we? :laugh4: :laugh4:

Ooops, double-post.

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Originally Posted by The_Doctor

One question:
Why are you talking about Europe when this is a British program?

Also I believe they where making fun of rural southerns, not all Americans. I do not believe those slogans would have the same effect in say, New England, or West of the USA.

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Aaaah, I understand now, Doctor. Thank you for clairfying. So because I was born in Boston, I'm actually not intended as the butt of these sorts of jokes. But my wife and my daughter, having been born in North Carolina, well, we know all about them, right? Thank you for clarifying.

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Originally Posted by The_Doctor

One question:
Why are you talking about Europe when this is a British program?

Also I believe they where making fun of rural southerns, not all Americans. I do not believe those slogans would have the same effect in say, New England, or West of the USA.

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Don should hear some of the songs sung by football supporters against those of rival clubs.

To Ipswich Town, Norwich City, or any other clubs of perceivedly "hick" regions.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Oi can droive a tractorr
Oi can't read and Oi can't wroite but it doesn't really matterr
'Cos Oi'm a Norwich City fan and Oi can droive a tractorr

My father is my mother
To the tune of The Addams family
My father is my mother, my sister is my brother
'Cos we all shag each other - it's the Norwich family

To Liverpool, or any other cities with chronic unemployment problems. Liverpool especially as their pet song is "You'll Never Walk Alone".

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

You'll Never Get A Job
To the tune of You'll Never Walk Alone
Sign on, sign on
With a pen in your hand
And you'll never get a job
You'll never get a job

Sign on, sign on...

To Australians

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Convict colony
To the tune of Yellow Submarine
In the town where I was born, lived a man who was a thief
And he told me of his life, stealing bread and shagging sheep
So they sent him in the nick, and a magistrate he went to see
He said, send him on a ship to the convict colony

Pointing at Australian fans or players
You all live in a convict colony, convict colony, convict colony...

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Originally Posted by Don Corleone

Aaaah, I understand now, Doctor. Thank you for clairfying. So because I was born in Boston, I'm actually not intended as the butt of these sorts of jokes. But my wife and my daughter, having been born in North Carolina, well, we know all about them, right? Thank you for clarifying.

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Is this breaking news? Are you saying that the UK, a proud and soveriegn nation is now under the heel of the Europeans?

Shhh don't tell anyone :laugh4:

I think that quite a bit of the pretty strong reactions to this comes from the fact that some of you guys are not familiar with Top Gear. Driving cars, and making fun, is what the show is all about. They don't discriminate: they make fun of the French and their cars, of central/east European cars and car-makers, of everybody who has anything to do with cars.
They also praise stuff, not just diss it.

Try to watch a few random episodes, and then, when you have an idea what the show is about, then, if you still feel you're entitled to be offended and all that, be my guest.
Lighten up, guys.

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Originally Posted by Don Corleone

Europeans can go around making jokes about how stupid, ignorant and benighted Americans are, and say they're just jokes. But at some point, you must truly hold this view of us in your group psyche, or the humor would be lost, the joke would be a non-sequitir. As you all get the humor, clearly I must be at least tangentially correct on this. At some level, you do think we're barbarians over here.

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Of course I have never ever seen, heard, read a post, article, movie made by Americans for Americans that makes fun of hill billies, even the ones that live in Beverly Hills...

I for one am not offended because I have straight teeth.

I must point out now the link to the video shows that youtube has terminated the video due to its violation of the terms of use violation. I smell censorship here

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

I for one am not offended because I have straight teeth.

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Oh my God, I know I'm alone in this judgement, but really: Strike is the smartest guy on this board. :laugh4:

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Originally Posted by luigi VI di Fatlington

Oh my God, I know I'm alone in this judgement, but really: Strike is the smartest guy on this board. :laugh4:

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No I think so too

*Prods the Americans with a stick*

I hear they eat their young.. :inquisitive:

yep...It's true.:shame: Ever tried roast baby rump? It's good. Nice and tender, almost like veal, only better.

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Originally Posted by Xdeathfire

I must point out now the link to the video shows that youtube has terminated the video due to its violation of the terms of use violation. I smell censorship here

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Or possible copyright protection :bounce:

To try and salvage some good from this thread...

Isn't the "joke" (the underlying assumption) of the video that tribalists - sometimes known as "hicks, fundies, brutes, rurals", and so on, by their voluntary or involuntary isolation from the broader national or global society of humans, are unsophisticated in speech and comprehension, prone to perceived insult, easily incited to violence, et cetera, et cetera?

Or is the joke simply "my tribe (of sophisticated, urban, hip members) is superior to your (dull, violent, incompetent) tribe?

Either way, the joke is older than neanderthal v h.sapiens, no? But it still strikes a primitive humor chord in our psyches, this millenia later (unless it's our tribe being skewered).

Conclusion: it must be a necessary "itch" requiring scratching periodically, given its frequent appearance - as noted by most posters here.

Any other opinions?

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Originally Posted by KukriKhan

Conclusion: it must be a necessary "itch" requiring scratching periodically, given its frequent appearance - as noted by most posters here.

Any other opinions?

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Didn't see the video - it was pulled from the site when I went to view it.

However such humor is as old as it comes. Given that I find british humor to be funny at times and at other times just stupid - I can't see any major problem with having an episode that bashes my southern upbringing. Hell I at times make crude redneck references about my own family.

I would image from some of the comments in the thread that it borders on the stupid humor that I normally just turn off.

ROFLMAO!

When dealing with the lowest common denominator of human nature, (i.e. trying to pick a fight & being surprised it worked) only shows the supreme stupidity of the one initiating the process.

You can start a fight anywhere you look hard enough. The fact that they had to go so far from home only shows their own idiocy (or the wish to pretend it doesn't happen at home).

I knew people in the army who thought it was great sport to go to the Brits on the Queen's Birthday and slander her in order to start a fight with them. It always worked…big surprise there.

The clip was funny, but it was more laughing at them than the reaction they got. Go insult a football team or anything equally dumb in any drinking establishment on any continent and see what happens.

There are equally stupid you can do in Europe to get beaten up or killed and maybe the police would help. Dress as the Pope and spend the day in Derry, or Dress as *that H guy from the 30s & 40s* and go for a walk in Munich…lots of possibilities there!

In the end, WHO CARES!

If its any consolation, Clarkson is disparaging about everything outside England, the only time he says anything positive about things "foreign" is when its a good car.

The people on the show have one overriding dislike, which is something of a theme, & its caravans. If someone could find a clip of when they went camping that may help anyone upset about the US show get a better perspective on them.

Found it, or at least a bit of it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viRKiLPCElM

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Aaaah, I understand now, Doctor. Thank you for clairfying. So because I was born in Boston, I'm actually not intended as the butt of these sorts of jokes. But my wife and my daughter, having been born in North Carolina, well, we know all about them, right? Thank you for clarifying.

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Your welcome.

These jokes were aimed at Alabama, not America as a whole.

Besides the funniest bit was Clarkson with his shower in the car thing.

How about this:

Isn't it a measure of civilisation if a person can laugh at themselves? The ability to view things in perspective, and appreciating the humour not necessarily in the person, but the action, no matter who is the perpetrator.


Isn't that the level at which one can see his own shortcomings, but laugh about them instead of covering them with insecurity and aggressiveness?

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Originally Posted by SwordsMaster

How about this:

Isn't it a measure of civilisation if a person can laugh at themselves? The ability to view things in perspective, and appreciating the humour not necessarily in the person, but the action, no matter who is the perpetrator.


Isn't that the level at which one can see his own shortcomings, but laugh about them instead of covering them with insecurity and aggressiveness?

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Yes, I think so. Having those abilities (view a wider perspective, appreciate one's own shortcomings, etc) seems absolutely necessary to the peaceful co-existence of the urban environment. Folks all packed together in cities must develop those skills/outlooks, or risk daily warfare (ala today's Baghdad, for example).

Then again, that would be the view of someone who values the superiority of the civilized (city-based) lifestyle, would it not? And further: can you see (in the wider perspective) how that assumption of the superiority of civilization over crude tribalism can, over some generations, morph into a sneering, haughty, arrogant sense of self-satisfied superiority? This, I think, is what "bugs" the tribals, the hicks, the rurals, from whose ranks those city-dwellers sprang originally 2 or 3 or 20 generations ago, when their less-sophisticated lifestyle is mocked.

"Ha-ha-ha, dumb hick can't operate a computer."

"Ho-ho-ho, city-slicker can't milk a cow."

Works both ways. Tribalism: not just for breakfast anymore. :)

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Originally Posted by BDC

These jokes were aimed at Alabama, not America as a whole.

Besides the funniest bit was Clarkson with his shower in the car thing.

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Originally Posted by Papewaio

Of course I have never ever seen, heard, read a post, article, movie made by Americans for Americans that makes fun of hill billies, even the ones that live in Beverly Hills...

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Originally Posted by Louis VI

Oh lighten up. These guys are simply British Don. They are taking the piss. It's what they do, it's in their genes. Just tune into auntie Beeb any day of the week and you'll see where these guys are coming from. British humour and all that.

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Hmm, I woke this morning, reread the entire thread. :oops:

Would appear at first glance I was in an even nastier mood yesterday than I thought. I give myself no points for style, no points for humor, but I scored a perfect 10 on tenacity, no?

I'm sitting here flirting with the idea of claiming somebody hijacked my computer, but as I was ranting for over 8 hours on this subject, somehow I think that would strain the bonds of credibility, even for you mushminds.

I apologize for being so ornery and for reading more into this than was there. Truth be told, I personally tease my wife about crap like this all the time. Specific apology to Tribesman, with whom I started flirting with the personal attacks, and to Doctor, to whom I started to act a tad confrontational.

What can I say folks, I don't do anything halfway. When I'm a funny guy, I'm pretty funny, and when I forget to take my funny pill, I can be a real wanker. Forgive? :shrug:

Oh, no need to apologise or call yourself a British anagram of Newark.

Underneath it all, you do have a point about the stereotype of the dumb, trigger-happy American. It is used way too often. And to my never ending irritation, by people who would never make stereotypical assumptions about Blacks or Muslims. Refined euro-intellectuals indeed. :furious3:

Any other day I would've been with you about this. Just not in this thread, about these guys, who take the piss for a living. This was all just a good laff'. ~;)

I did not see the youtube clip, but I did watch the original programme. As always, it was entertaining in a puerile way. Whilst you can easily offend sections of any society (and Clarkson has built a career on this) there was one bit that I though could only happen in the USA. Apparently, after giving away one of the cars through a charity once they arrived in New Orleans, they were approached by a lawyer complaining that the car they had represented as being a 1991 model was in fact a 1989 model and threatening to sue them for misrepresentation unless they paid $10000. Only in America! (unless Clarkson made it up).

I believe this should lighten the mood a bit:

"Going out for an English"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG-pmg_CCeI

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Originally Posted by luigi VI di Fatlington

Oh, no need to apologise or call yourself a British anagram of Newark.

Underneath it all, you do have a point about the stereotype of the dumb, trigger-happy American. It is used way too often. And to my never ending irritation, by people who would never make stereotypical assumptions about Blacks or Muslims. Refined euro-intellectuals indeed. :furious3:

Any other day I would've been with you about this. Just not in this thread, about these guys, who take the piss for a living. This was all just a good laff'. ~;)

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Not sure about others, but I believe everyone is judgemental and discriminative, it is just that some don't voice it. Mind you, it doesn't have to be race, class or sex, it could be anything. If I don't like someone's smell, I will discriminate them just the same...

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Then again, that would be the view of someone who values the superiority of the civilized (city-based) lifestyle, would it not? And further: can you see (in the wider perspective) how that assumption of the superiority of civilization over crude tribalism can, over some generations, morph into a sneering, haughty, arrogant sense of self-satisfied superiority?

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That is the thing, if you have an open-minded view of the world, this cannot happen. You will be able to appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of both lifestyles. It does happen in the opposite direction though.

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

I for one am not offended because I have straight teeth.

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:laugh4:

:2thumbsup:

EVERYONE has stereotypes against them.

Nobody is special in that respect.

Most likely, a lot of us (in the org) are nerds. We're the black sheep of the new millenia. Lots of times nerds are treated unfairly or shown in a negative light. Fortunately, our weak forearms and pasty complexions prevent us from reacting violently... :2thumbsup:

Now then , since this clip was from Clarkson who slags everyone and everything off (didn't he once say that Wales should be seperated from the UK and burnt) .
How about some more mainstream depictions of deep down south rednecks from America itself ?
OK leave aside Mississippi Burning since that is fact based , how about Deliverance for example or Southern Comfort , Easy Rider maybe , how about the Beverley Hill Billys (since Pape already mentioned that one)?
Anyone want to take offence at any of those ?.




Onto Don don't be silly , no need to apologise , but heres a thought for you .
You wrote that the media you get is centred on US news , yet every now and again you get a story from Europe such as you mentioned . Do occurances like that not get coverage in the US media when they happen in the US (unless its something like a Neo Nazi shooting kids at a Jewish school or a Muslim who is not a Muslim but a Christian shooting workers at a Jewish centre) ?

Considering as you noted

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The klan arriving (and I have little doubt it was them or some associated group of like-minded individuals that arrived) was an interesting twist.

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that those people claim that your media is run by the Jewish worldwide conspiracy , don't you think it would get more coverage ?

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Originally Posted by Don Corleone

Last I checked, we haven't burned down a discotech with 300 immigrants inside (how's the Gothenberg police coming with that investegation, anyway?)

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I know that it's just a rant, but I'm quite certain that the Gothenburg fire has been coming up before (big deja vú).

So I can inform you that the 4 Iranian youths that was the arsonists has been convicted, either in 1999 or 2000.

And it was almost 400 people in there, were 63 of them died :no: . That the arrangers did cram in about twice as much people than allowed and blocked emergency exits didn't exactly help to keep the numbers down.

I'm curious though, did the US media push it quite big as a racist deed and then did mention the rest in this size if at all?

Do you remember why you know about the Gothenburg fire and remember anything about it DC?