What a bunch of whiners.. obviously deficient in the humor gene.


Top Gear insulting, says charity

The handling of Richard Hammond's return to Top Gear has been branded "insensitive" and "insulting" by a charity for people with brain injury.

Headway said it had been inundated with complaints particularly over comments made by presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

At the start of Sunday's show, Mr Clarkson asked Mr Hammond if he was mental, while James May offered him a tissue in case he started dribbling.

The BBC said the show was not intended to cause any offence.

Headway chief executive Peter McCabe said: "This has created such anger among members of Headway. It really was offensive and insulting to all those people living with brain injuries.

"I think the whole way the show handled the issue was wrong. They should not have shown the crash.

"It just glamorised fast driving and gives the impression people can make a full recovery from head injuries.

"That is not always the case."

Complaints

The charity said it had received 50 complaints via the telephone helpline and through email from members and has now announced it will be making a complaint about the programme.

Mr Hammond, 37, was left fighting for his life in September following the crash in when his jet-powered car came off a runway near York at 280mph.

The BBC Two show featured footage of the crash.

A BBC spokesman said: "Top Gear's audience is familiar with the irreverent tone of the programme and this was typical of the type of exchanges that take place between the presenters. It was certainly not intended to cause any offence.

"The item showing Richard's crash could not have been a clearer illustration of the dangers and excitements of speed."

(lol)

The programme has also fallen foul of Brake, the national road safety charity.

It said it was "shocked and appalled" by Mr Clarkson's comment that "speed kills" just after pointing at Mr Hammond following clips of the crash.

Jools Townsend, from the charity, said: "Clarkson's comment was highly irresponsible and offensive to anyone who has been bereaved or injured at the hands of a speeding driver.

"A shockingly disproportionate number of young male drivers are dying on our roads and it is highly irresponsible for the BBC to allow Top Gear, with its target audience of young males, to openly make light the deadly act of speeding."
Story from BBC NEWS:

 

so sick of this crap. If you don't like it don't watch it. But don't tell other people what they can and can't watch on the air. Like FCC decency fines, absolute bull****.

 

I agree

 

I think it was made worse because after Clarkson said, "speed kills", Hammond looked over himself checking to see if he wasn't dead.


the whiners obviously didn't see both Clarkson and May struggling to keep tears in check after the crash footage was shown.

 

Well, speed does kill! Sheesh, what a bunch of pansies complaining about sensitivity.

Glamorised fast driving? I don't know what crack they are on (wait a tick, I could pop off and say something horribly politically incorrect), but I dunno, the car enthusiast group is generally somber and reverent about dangerous crashes, I know I'm sad and brought to humility, because hey! that could be us. Yea there's a few weirdo's that enjoy and delight in it, but a majority of the audience:
a) Realized that he was very lucky to have survived that, I've seen cases at far lower speeds that haven't been as fortunate.
b) It brings a little humility.
c) Some people in the light of extremes, have to use comedy to help comprehend, its natural. I laugh at all the times I've cheated death, and a lot of people I know do too.
Not all people need to go see a pysch and go to group home therapy.

Between this and Boston's furor, since when did it be common sense to allow every conceivable opinion a chance to come to fruition?

 

It is unfortunate that these people are getting so bent out of shape about the show. I agree with the person above, if you dont like the show, then dont watch it.

Why is it always the case that when one person/group gets offended they have to ruin it for the majority that has no problem with it?

 

TopGear=Realtalk.
Heck they beat up Lexus and I still love the show!

 

i find it amusing that Headway is getting mad at TG for giving people HOPE that you can recover from brain trauma. some charity.

we realize some people don't, but some people don't recover from getting shot/sick/cold/flu/hungry yet we still see everyone taking it out on everything.

also, Brake is being just downright puritan (in the automotive sense). Is that the kind of organization that denounces ALL forms of racing as heresy? i mean honestly, "A shockingly disproportionate number of young male drivers are dying on our roads and it is highly irresponsible for the BBC to allow Top Gear, with its target audience of young males, to openly make light the deadly act of speeding." did they miss the fact htat the film was made ON A CLOSED OFF RUNWAY, with medical personell standing by?

 

Any links to the clips for that episode?

 

They like IS a lot. They just don't like SC,RX,GS and some other lexus.

 

Well if there's hope without the charity's efforts, it might affect their fund-raising and ability to pay themselves big salaries.

 

I've always liked that show and learned a lot from it.

 

Oh man, the stupidity..........
It was fairly abvious to me it was a bit sarcastic how they brought it.

 

Well, free speech is one thing, but it is a fact beyond debate that alcohol and speed, especially with immature or unskilled drivers, are the top two killers on the road today. I basically have to agree with the comments about BBC and top gear being irresponsible. If you are a bird or a mouse you don't go around glorifying hungry cats.

 

I used to think Top Gear was good until I read a story about how they messed with the results of one of their competitions....

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBmX4k38A7c

And here's one of the participants stories about what really happened:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/TopGear.html