Jeremy Clarkson suspended

doc_speeder wrote:

Driven5 wrote:

doc_speeder wrote: Right. I forgot that spousal abuse has also been completely resolved.

Right...Because if it still happens, that somehow makes it ok.

Huh? WTF? All I'm saying is that all the people that think we've progressed as a society (and I mean USA/CANADA/etc) SO FAR past violence as a means to solving problems are living in a self-righteous little bubble. My first post in this thread was straight sarcasm. As are the rest of them. But none of you are able to pick up on that due in part perhaps to blurred vision from looking out through said bubble. Jeez you guys. Of course it's not OK.

I got your original point, but I think you are wrong. Yes, spousal abuse still happens, but I'm willing to bet it's a whole lot less common than it used to be when it was more or less tolerated. It's not a binary thing, but I agree with Eric's general point that society in general is a lot better off than it was in the "good old days."

In reply to doc_speeder:

A smiley face would have helped detect the sarcasm. It's not exactly a light subject- so it's inherently hard to see sarcasm in the written word.

It's not as if we are pretending to live in the bubble, it's that we would RATHER live in the bubble than the sarcasm world that you posted. I'm far from a "fight first" kind of person.

The smilies...They do nothing!

alfadriver wrote: In reply to doc_speeder: A smiley face would have helped detect the sarcasm. It's not exactly a light subject- so it's inherently hard to see sarcasm in the written word. It's not as if we are pretending to live in the bubble, it's that we would RATHER live in the bubble than the sarcasm world that you posted. I'm far from a "fight first" kind of person.

Me too. I haven't laid a hand on anybody since the 6th grade. And that had to be done. My teacher told me so the next day. And the other dude took the first swing.

I guess my viewpoint is a bit skewed because I've worked in emergency services and seen what goes on VERY FREQUENTLY on "the wrong side of the tracks" I think in some circles, violence has decreased, but my dad is very old school and has never even DREAMED of using physical intimidation with my mom or us kids. I think that there have always been people like him, resulting in offspring like me. But I disagree that on the whole things have improved. I've seen too much to believe that.

Mr Clarkson of course deserves what's coming to him, provided that the whole thing hasn't been blown out of proportion as is frequently the case these days. Society as a whole has become a bunch of whiners IN MY HUMBLE OPINION OF COURSE

I would doubt the frequency of spousal abuse has changed much at all. People are still people, and no amount of public shaming or the like is going to change them. They simply find other means to get it done.

It always amuses me when people think that if we just make it known about problems, they will go away. If you study history, there is nothing new, and people now act the same as people always have. Human nature is human nature. In my lifetime abuse has never been tolerated and I'm getting on up there in years. I'm not saying its not a problem, or that we need to prosecute it, but to say people now are so much better and there is less abuse is simply not true.

Getting back to the subject:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-31869967

BBC News understands that the star phoned BBC head of television, Danny Cohen, to report the incident.

Producer Oisin Tymon, with whom the altercation took place, is not believed to have filed his own complaint.

Interviews are expected to be held with the star and other parties next week, and the show has been taken off-air.

Clarkson has expressed regret over the incident, which his co-presenter James May labelled "a bit of a dust-up".

Jeremy Clarkson: "I am very grateful to everybody"

An online petition calling for the star's reinstatement - set up by political blogger Guido Fawkes - has accrued more than 800,000 signatures since Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Clarkson said he is "very grateful to everyone" who has signed the petition.

Top Gear is one of the BBC's most popular and profitable TV shows, with an estimated global audience of 350 million.

Its success is largely attributed to the contentious host, who has appeared on the show since 1988.

Politicians on all sides have weighed into the affair, with Prime Minister David Cameron - a friend of Clarkson - saying he hoped the incident could be "sorted out".

"It's a great programme and he's a great talent," he said.

A lawyer for Mr Tymon said his client "intends to await the outcome of the BBC investigation and will make no comment until that investigation is complete".

Clarkson's approach to BBC bosses suggests he was trying to pre-empt any official complaint. The incident, at a Yorkshire hotel, is reported to have been witnessed by members of the public, as well as some of the production team.

The presenter, 54, was given what he called his "final warning" last May after claims he used a racist word during filming.

He later apologised for the incident which, although never broadcast, had been leaked to a tabloid newspaper.

Last year, Top Gear was also censured by Ofcom for breaching broadcasting rules after Clarkson used a derogatory word for Asian people during its Burma special programme.

A further incident during shooting in Argentina saw the show's executive producer, Andy Wilman, brand 2014 an "annus horribilis" for his team.

Clarkson, and co-presenters May and Richard Hammond, are due to renegotiate their contracts next month.

In reply to doc_speeder:

Unfortunately, sarcasm (especially in written form) is also much easier to detect when there aren't other people making strikingly similar arguments in an apparently serious fashion. My apologies for missing the full extent of the sarcasm in your original post.

Driven5 wrote: In reply to doc_speeder: Unfortunately, sarcasm (especially in written form) is also much easier to detect when there aren't other people making strikingly similar arguments in an apparently serious fashion. My apologies for missing the full extent of the sarcasm in your original post.

'salright. I guess I need to take the advice I give my daughter. Think, then speak ( in this case type ).

You and me, both.

racerdave600 wrote: If you study history, there is nothing new, and people now act the same as people always have. Human nature is human nature.

We don't throw people into volcanoes as sacrifices to improve weather conditions anymore, chop their hands off for stealing a loaf of bread, or burn/drown women because some bored housewives are envious of how pretty and good at washing clothes they are. We don't put animals on trial and command insect plagues to leave town at the threat of excommunication. A dude can now say he likes to make out with other dudes and receive shrugs of indifference instead of death by angry mob. A woman can say that she cheated on her husband and be shunned, rather than stoned, by the husband's friends and family.

Now we do make scapegoats of people, and put people in prison for life for getting caught with large amounts of pot too many times, and post revenge porn etc...but to call these doing the same thing a different way is to suggest they're anywhere near as horrible as the things they replaced.

Progress moves at a geological pace, but it's real.

In reply to GameboyRMH:

I disagree. The means have changed but the mindset is still there. The crap people say anonymously on the internet make me think we've actually regressed in some ways. But I have an overly pessimistic view of people so my opinion is probably wrong.

In reply to GameboyRMH:

The three strikes laws which you seem to be mentioning actually aren't that stupid....only stupid in the "Now the taxpayer pays to house, feed, care for, etc for the rest of their life" notion. If you manage to berkeley up again after two felonies, I'm lacking a lot of pity. I'd rather see a third strike "reward" be to deport them to somewhere inhospitable.

So, was there ever an official word on what a "Fracus" or "Dust-up" is? Did he punch the producer or merely say mean things to him?

GameboyRMH wrote: chop their hands off for stealing a loaf of bread...

Umm... in some societies, yes they do.

We know he got physical with producer Oisin Tymon (some articles have said more specifically that he punched a producer), but that's all.

Ian F wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote: chop their hands off for stealing a loaf of bread...

Umm... in some societies, yes they do.

Just a few that are still stuck in the stone age...heck there are probably uncontacted tribes still throwing people into volcanoes to make the rains come.

If he comes back, what's the over/under of him getting wheeled out like Hannibal Lecter on the first return show???

gamby wrote: If he comes back, what's the over/under of him getting wheeled out like Hannibal Lecter on the first return show???

Bwahahaha I really hope they do this!

Dr. Hess wrote: So, was there ever an official word on what a "Fracus" or "Dust-up" is? Did he punch the producer or merely say mean things to him?

A bit more info, and context, here (interesting note is that Clarkson is the one that reported it apparently):

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/mar/13/jeremy-clarkson-top-gear-producer-bbc-oisin-tymon

Jeremy Clarkson threatened to have a Top Gear producer fired because there was no hot food available, according to a family who say they witnessed the incident.

Four members of the Ward family from Leeds were staying at Simonstone Hall in Hawes, North Yorkshire, where the Top Gear cast and crew were based, and said that they were shocked at Clarkson’s expletive-laden outburst at producer Oisin Tymon.

“He [Clarkson] said he hadn’t done his job properly, it was ridiculous that there was nothing to eat – obviously there were lots of expletives in between all this – and that he would be losing his job, he would see to it that he would lose his job,” Sue Ward told Sky News.

Ms Ward added that she felt even if the producer was “really inept”, he should have been “told properly, in a proper manner”.

Denise Ward added: “Just the shock of how can someone be so rude. It was just the swearing and the length of time and this poor guy he was ripping into.”

Bob Ward said Clarkson and his co-presenters arrived at the hotel at about 9.30pm and refused a request to have his picture taken with him.

“I said ‘Any chance of a selfie Jeremy?’ and he said ‘No, not with the day I’ve had today’.”

On Thursday it emerged that Clarkson told BBC bosses about the incident that led to his suspension Top Gear.

It is not known if Tymon also subsequently raised the incident with BBC management.

It is not known why Clarkson decided to report the incident himself. Previous incidents such as his mumbled use of the “N-word” in a Top Gear outtake last year, which lead to a “final warning from the BBC, leaked out to the press.

BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie, who was responsible for the investigation into the disastrous Newsnight edition that falsely accused late Tory peer Lord McAlpine of being involved in the north Wales child abuse scandal, is leading the BBC’s internal inquiry into what happened.

It is understood that interviews about the incident will run well into next week.

Clarkson has also changed the biography on his Twitter profile to read: “I am probably a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show.”

I see no problem... Mr. Clarkson publicly... HUMBLY, and SINCERELY apologizes to this individual for his abuse of this person, and pays this person £5,000,000

Or Mr Clarkson can resign... seems fair if he is going to constantly be a whining immature little brat... he should get punished.... like the brat he is..... maybe an astronomical payment will make him remember that his character is for the show... and in public he must behave.

As for the £5,000,000 payment... he can go to a fund me site and ask his fans to pay up for his stupidity...

how many here would kick in $25 to pay his "fine"?

oldeskewltoy wrote: I see no problem... Mr. Clarkson publicly... HUMBLY, and SINCERELY apologizes to this individual for his abuse of this person, and pays this person £5,000,000 Or Mr Clarkson can resign... seems fair if he is going to constantly be a whining immature little brat... he should get punished.... like the brat he is..... maybe an astronomical payment will make him remember that his character is for the show... and in public he must behave. As for the £5,000,000 payment... he can go to a fund me site and ask his fans to pay up for his stupidity... how many here would kick in $25 to pay his "fine"?

No berkeleying way. That guy has more money than I'll ever have. I'm all for giving to charity; Clarkson is anything but a charity case. No matter how much I enjoy his talent.

I see, so it was "talked mean to the producer" and not "punched the producer in the face." Well, that's serious then. Is the producer going to press charges? "You have been charged with talking mean to a producer. How do you plead?"

oldeskewltoy wrote: .....Or Mr Clarkson can resign... seems fair if he is going to constantly be a whining immature little brat...

Two things that this whole situation (and others) seem to indicate:

• TopGear does really seem to put these guys in uncomfortable situations (for TV personalities at least)
• Clarkson seems to be either "gettin' to old" for it, or is "too good" (high felutin') for it.

Dr. Hess wrote: I see, so it was "talked mean to the producer" and not "punched the producer in the face." Well, that's serious then. Is the producer going to press charges? "You have been charged with talking mean to a producer. How do you plead?"

So the report of a member of the public who may or may not have seen all of what happened in a rag of a paper is the truth, the while truth and nothing but the truth.

No, we don't know what happened yet. If he physically hit the guy then he needs to be fired, if it was verbal, then its dependent on past behavior.

Dr. Hess wrote: I see, so it was "talked mean to the producer" and not "punched the producer in the face." Well, that's serious then. Is the producer going to press charges? "You have been charged with talking mean to a producer. How do you plead?"

If that's accurate, that he just yelled expletives at the guy and didn't touch him, then it is ironic that Gordon Ramsay has become such a celebrity doing that sort of thing for a living.