People are trying to ban Top Gear from BBC2
 

Top Gear should be banned call
By Tom Evans, last updated April 12 2005

A transport pressure group yesterday demanded the end of the popular BBC2 programme ‘Top Gear’, claiming it promotes irresponsible driver behaviour. It wants a replacement show called Third Gear, which would promote “sensible driving in sensible vehicles.”


The group, Transport 2000, which is chaired by sometime Monty Pythoner and latter-day globetrotter Michael Palin, said that the programme had an obsession with big and “unnecessarily powerful” cars and ignored the interests of women drivers. It said the alternative programme would encourage responsible motoring based on less environmentally damaging cars, considerate and safety-conscious driving, and exploration of alternatives to the car. The group particularly took aim at the show’s flamboyant main presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, who is also a ubiquitous newspaper and magazine columnist. They claim his “distinctive image... is in danger of encouraging a ‘yobbish’ attitude on the road. “ Jeremy Clarkson: In the firing line


Transport 2000’s Steve Hounsham said: “Everyone is talking about how to reduce car use, cut climate change emissions and make the roads safer but, to quote in perhaps its own language, Top Gear effectively sticks up its fingers to this… If we must have Jeremy Clarkson on the television, let's give him something useful to do, such as trying out public transport or road-testing new bicycles. Perhaps he would like to drive a bus; he'd find it just as much fun as a Ferrari."

The group lists Top Gear’s mortal sins in full:

- “Following complaints made to the BBC, the programme team was sent back to Oxford twice to refilm a piece about the closure of the High Street to through traffic because it failed to present a balanced view of the scheme.

- To test the claims made for a 4x4, the programme really did try to take the vehicle to the top of a mountain in Scotland, “through a sensitive peat bog causing substantial ecological damage.”

- “In an infamous episode”, Jeremy Clarkson tore up on camera information from Transport 2000’s website presenting the dangers of speed.

- In a race against colleagues using public transport and plane, Clarkson drove a Ferrari more or less non-stop from London to Switzerland and was stopped by police for speeding on the way.

- Clarkson deliberately drove a car into a tree in a car park in Somerset to test the strength of the car in a crash. The programme ended up apologising and paying compensation to the local parish council for the damage caused.

Despite this multitude of crimes, ‘Top Gear’ has proved a smash-hit ratings winner since it was relaunched in its new hour-long, high-budget format in October 2002, and it is one of the most popular programme on BBC2. The BBC has defended the programme, saying "none of the [Top Gear] presenters advocate or encourage dangerous driving, and high performance cars are always tested in a controlled and safe environment."

"The programme regularly features discussions of issues across the whole gamut of motoring. It does review fast cars but it has also recently featured the new Smart car, as well as a series of items on restoring cars and a second-hand car challenge. To say Top Gear encourages just a macho or yobbish attitude simply isn't true."

"Half of its regular audience of 3 million viewers is women. A recent example [of discussing green issues] would be in December 2004, when an engine was featured that was half electric and half petrol powered."

http://cars.msn.co.uk/CarNews/TopGearApr05/Default.asp

Bunch of Assclowns if you ask me... :roll:

Seriously how many viewers out there are gonna go "Ohhh lets go powerslide like Jeremy" it never happens....Assclowns... :roll:

I think it's a repost or all these "save the world" groups say the same damn thing over and over...

Yeah, I read about this.

Good to see that the BBC is defending top gear, and not buckling to pressure and cancelling the show.

The automotive parody site 'sniff petrol' also has a funny article on this:

www.sniffpetrol.com

Says you and we all know you have an unbiased view on the show.


Which grew back ten fold a few weeks later. Knocking down some peat will actually kick it into overtime. Don't believe me, take a look at the BWCA and what happened after straightline winds knocked down thousands of trees.

Speed cameras are a scam and everyone knows it. You say it's for safety, yet accidents have dropped one bit. Millions were made in the process though.

Millions of other people hit trees every year as well. Are they bad too?

You know whats sad? Spending the better part of your life trying to get everyone to drive like you and shut down a TV show. There are people starving to death out there, do something about that. At least that way we'll listen to you.

Re: People are trying to ban Top Gear from BBC2
 

I see a very good piss take feature coming up shortly.

^^ lol :lol:
its all because of clarkson ..... lol .... poor dude ..
we all know he cant protest .... lets see what he comes up with this time :lol:

They really are a bunch of losers, who should try to relax and stop winding themseleves up over nothing.

I sure everyone want to see reviews of JC test driving push bikes. Oh and i would be really interested in a bus, i have always wanted one :roll:

I dont think they'll ban it with the current viewing figures and 'following' the porgramme has. Well, thats what I'd like to think. We ought to start a petition to keep TG, get in there first kinda thing...

They could couple it with a new cooking program about how to use blunt steak knives :P

CSI ---> create better and smarter theives and muderers
American Idol ---> more day dreaming teenagers
Desperate Housewives ---> ummm...no comment
The Bachelor ---> brings out a stupid/ugly/moneyseeking side of women
The Bachelorette ---> See above
Joe Millionaire ---> one of the most stupid things ever brought to TV
Fear Factor ---> proves that if you have money, u can ask ppl to eat testicles if you want

... etc etc
__________________________________________________ ___________
Now, how is Top Gear so bad? :mrgreen: