Top Gear in the South: What you didn't see

Jensenman wrote: So I guess that means it's OK to poke the stereotypical Southern redneck racist but not to poke the stereotypical black gang member in the name of funny TV.

Depends. Dave Chappelle has done it, the Wayans Brothers made a movie about it

All this reminds me of the scene in that new Dukes of Hazard movie. The Duke boys had a run in with some Atlanta locals because of the rebel flag on the car.

I too have felt the distress of such latent prejudice, recently whilst attending a automotive event of some magnitude in the northern Florida region, several people, including a relative of the management of the event, spoke out about my lack of compliance of the norm by bringing a "truck" to a car event....I am so injured.

Dr. Hess wrote:

oldsaw wrote:

Salanis wrote:

96DXCivic wrote: Hey now sure there are some idiots in the south but that doesn't mean that there aren't in the North or any where else in the world for that matter. Plus at least southerns are usually friendly.

I'm pretty sure you could drive a "God Wants Fags to Burn in Hell" truck through the Castro District of San Francisco without being threatened by a shotgun toting mob the first time you stop for gas.

Guns and their ownership are not part of that local culture. Not the best comparison, but please try again.

In the proposed example, armed thugs in blue uniforms would arrest the the driver and passenger(s) of the "God Wants Fags to Burn in Hell" truck and they would be incarcerated, or beat, electrocuted or shot while "resisting arrest."

Ive actually seen this type of person show up a number of times on college campuses in San Diego. As long as they obey the same regs that any other protester has to follow they are allowed to do their thing.

Snowdoggie wrote:

mad_machine wrote:

GlennS wrote: I think the idea that there is a large section of the U.S. where you could be hunted down and killed by the general population for having the wrong sexual orientation or political affiliations has a lot more shock/humor value to someone from England.

Exactly, they saw a chance to poke fun at typical american stereotypes.. the type that make it across the pond in such (seemingly) exagerated manner that nobody would belive them to be true

So that means that Southerners can make fun of Brits for killing people over a soccer game? http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/06/world/2-die-600-seized-in-britain-in-riots-over-soccer-defeat.html Just google soccer riots and England. There are more incidents.

Yes, yes they can. The behavior of the men that attacked the TG crew and the rampant hooliganism in england that surrounds football games are both national embarrassments.

very embarissing... but at least our southerners do not go to other countries and kill people at football games by trampling them

That's only because our games typically stay on the national scale... there's no shortage of riots following big games here in the States.

aussiesmg wrote: I too have felt the distress of such latent prejudice, recently whilst attending a automotive event of some magnitude in the northern Florida region, several people, including a relative of the management of the event, spoke out about my lack of compliance of the norm by bringing a "truck" to a car event....I am so injured.

You Aussies are just a bunch of ute-driving, Victoria Bitter drinking lot!

MitchellC wrote: That's only because our games typically stay on the national scale... there's no shortage of riots following big games here in the States.

yes, we are smart enough to keep our idiots at home.. well, some of them anyway

mad_machine wrote:

GlennS wrote: I think the idea that there is a large section of the U.S. where you could be hunted down and killed by the general population for having the wrong sexual orientation or political affiliations has a lot more shock/humor value to someone from England.

Exactly, they saw a chance to poke fun at typical american stereotypes.. the type that make it across the pond in such (seemingly) exagerated manner that nobody would belive them to be true

...except that in my experience, many non-Americans do believe them to be true. I've seen it with my own eyes. Terrible things that nobody would even consider for any European country are regularly considered to be common and normal for Americans (by many non-Americans).

Foreign perceptions of the USA are certainly biased. Back when I travelled the world professionally in the 80's, you'd see stuff like in the Persian Gulf, the locals were watching Dallas regularly, dubbed, of course, and they really thought that all Americans lived in houses like that and drove cars like that. Our media presents the image of the US to the rest of the world. What is on our media today? How do ____ Housewifes and various "reality" shows relate to what is the real USA? Is there any wonder why people in Moslem countries want to kill us all?

aussiesmg wrote: I too have felt the distress of such latent prejudice, recently whilst attending a automotive event of some magnitude in the northern Florida region, several people, including a relative of the management of the event, spoke out about my lack of compliance of the norm by bringing a "truck" to a car event....I am so injured.

I left my shotgun in Alabama, so instead I just drank beer and had a conversation with you. Sorry about all that.

Dr. Hess wrote: What is on our media today? How do ____ Housewifes and various "reality" shows relate to what is the real USA? Is there any wonder why people in Moslem countries want to kill us all?

That is hilarious and scary because I could soooo see that happening.

We also have Cops. Where over-enforcement meets over-reaction.

So we look like a bunch of philandering cry babies who have cops who kick our collective butts about 3 times a day.

I blame MTV for reality shows

Guys I think we are missing the bigger picture here...Hammond says Clarkson was driving a Trans Am in the article when he was actually driving a Camaro RS. Clearly he has trouble remembering his facts

oldsaw wrote: Guns and their ownership are not part of that local culture.

The guns aren't the important part, it's the readiness to hurt someone who hasn't actually done anything.

Those guys travel all over the world, and make a point of mocking every culture they visit. This was the only time I've seen them seriously threatened.

Heck, the insults weren't even personal. That would be like saying you'd get assaulted for having "Rap Music Sucks" written on your car in an urban black neighborhood.

Salanis wrote: The guns aren't the important part, it's the readiness to hurt someone who hasn't actually done anything.

Well then I think it would be quite easy to find examples of people willing to hurt others over stupid things.

Dr. Hess wrote: Foreign perceptions of the USA are certainly biased.

It's the same domestically. Many people think all of NYS is like midtown Manhattan.

GameboyRMH wrote: Yep. I know two black guys who were attacked and verbally abused by a neo-nazi in London. The neo-nazi didn't realize he was outnumbered when he grabbed one of them by the neck. He was left strewn over a bus stop with various bodily fluids leaking out

And fun was had by all.....well almost all

Well, the goal was to get you r co-presenters shot, killed, or arrested. I would say they where all sucsessfull.

And I have an idea that would get you persecuted even quicker, have a picture of General Sherman and the phrase "the south will burn again" (as compared to "...rise again")