Low Blow by the Brits?

[monsoon]

Top Gear is a very popular show in the UK. It can be seen here in the USA on BBC America. There are rumors there will be an American version of this show on one of the networks here, but I doubt it will be as interesting. In any case, this is part of an episode where they come to "America" and drive from Miami to New Orleans. This is what happened in Alabama. One of the presenters is decidedly anti-American so maybe this could be considered a bit unfair. On the other hand, maybe there is a point to it. You be the judge.

[EvanK]

An American version in the works, with Adam Corolla *gag* as the host. Part of what makes Top Gear so great are the snarkiness of the presenters in the British version. It is a very popular show here in the states, which is why NBC wants to make an American version. It's not going to be the same. I just worry that when the American abomination appears, they will take the British version off BBCA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_(U.S._TV_series)

Some things the United States should just leave alone!

[Justadude]

Given the right combination of political and cultural insults, it's possible to incite strangers to violence in almost any place (though it seems like some key events were edited, particularly having to do with the owner telling the camera crew to leave). These guys must have a major cultural-superiority complex not to perceive the irony in using stereotypes to provoke locals, then painting THEM as the bigots.

[suburban george3]

Given the right combination of political and cultural insults, it's possible to incite strangers to violence in almost any place (though it seems like some key events were edited, particularly having to do with the owner telling the camera crew to leave). These guys must have a major cultural-superiority complex not to perceive the irony in using stereotypes to provoke locals, then painting THEM as the bigots.

[Charlotteman]

I must agree with the sensibilities of the Brits here. This video deftly captures the backwardness and intolerance of the American South.....I can totally understand why British people are amazed by redneck American culture.

The behavior of those Alabama yahoos can widely be seen in Florida as well. At age 40, I finally had my fill of it and moved to the West Coast.

If Americans are offended by this portrayal of American culture, they should check out the South for themselves sometime. I have personally experienced that kind of harassment for expressing even the slightest diversity.

[suburban george3]

I must agree with the sensibilities of the Brits here. This video deftly captures the backwardness and intolerance of the American South.....I can totally understand why British people are amazed by redneck American culture.

[Charlotteman]

^^I must respectfully disagree with your main premise here. I haven't seen this sort of barbaric behavior anywhere but in the American South. Of course we all know it occurs everywhere, but not to this extreme.

The Brits didn't invent bullet holes in the Welcome to Alabama sign. And the Brits didn't verbally taunt the yahoos, they just appeared with their painted slogans.

Some of the things I've been publicly harassed about in the South (by strangers): wearing a feather earring, having long hair, being gay, wearing Indian moccasins.......And I'm talking about being publically humiliated, shouted at, overtly pointed at etc.

This is all about intolerance and backwardness folks. Backwardness resulting from poor education. I don't miss the South at all (except for the food!)

[cpeakesqr]

Maybe if they do an American Version, we could return the favor.. drive thru the U.K. with cars painted with sayings like "The French are best" and "American Men do it better" and "Off with the Queen's head!"

[Justadude]

IMO, it's juvenile to simply provoke people's passions for no purpose other than to mock them. It might provide a fleeting moment of self-righteous humor, but it pushes the boundary of hypocrisy and bad taste... and leaves an unnecessary trail of harsh feelings in its wake. Imagine being the next openly-gay couple to pull into that gas station, unaware that a TV crew has just provoked a homophobic mob to the point of violence. What humor are gay Alabamans supposed to see in this?

But what's truly offensive is the clear association being drawn between this behavior and the general culture of the American South. Clearly you cannot go just any old place in Alabama and end up with a mob chasing you just for being gay... at least, not any more easily than you could do it in Belfast. So there's a certain strain of cultural antagonism behind the whole skit, which as a Southerner I have little choice but to react against. You don't see the Bible Broadcasting Network sending a crew to provoke Liverpool hooligans and then using the footage to paint the British as mindless thugs.

[atlrvr]

Just southerner's get riled up? Hmmm....perhaps some people should spend some time in Boston showing visible support of Yankees. Ride the T away from Fenway after a game wearing a Yankee's jersey, and say that only southerner's act disrespectfully....you WILL BE taunted, threatened, and generally maligned

[Charlotteman]

Yeah picking on the South is a little unfair, since in reality American Gun Culture sweeps thru all 50 states. Private gun ownership is perhaps the most confounding thing that Europeans try to understand about America. Isn't one of the video's emphasis on guns?

Not only do people get shot in Alabama, people also get shot in Boston, they get shot in Des Moines and they get shot in Anchorage. And there are backward/intolerant areas all over the States too.

Big news that most Americans are unaware of is British Knife Culture. People routine carry knives for self protection, and every weekend London experiences several knife deaths by hooligans and criminals. So if it ain't guns, maybe it'll be knives, or any other deadly weapon man can come up with.

I agree with the Europeans though. Guns are just too deadly to be a commonplace thing.

[Gusterfell]

Just southerner's get riled up? Hmmm....perhaps some people should spend some time in Boston showing visible support of Yankees. Ride the T away from Fenway after a game wearing a Yankee's jersey, and say that only southerner's act disrespectfully....you WILL BE taunted, threatened, and generally maligned

[satalac]

i did see this and laugh. i'm also from the south and have friends and family is all parts. if you search hard enough, you can get this kind of reaction from anywhere in the world. i'd hardly say that this is a representation of the south however. to believe that is due to ignorance of yourself, not of those in the south. to see a video, which they likely shot hours upon hours of film just to get what they wanted, and make a judgment on an entire region of a country is a bit irresponsible. this video is for a car show who's purpose in to entertain. it was quite an entertaining piece and i love top gear and the hosts.

[Lowerdeck]

Hmmm....perhaps some people should spend some time in Boston showing visible support of Yankees.

[Charlotteman]

On Friday Aug.15, the small town of Harrold, Texas approved a plan to allow teachers to carry concealed guns into the classroom. The British show should do an expose about it. America's sickness should be exposed all over the world.

[satalac]

On Friday Aug.15, the small town of Harrold, Texas approved a plan to allow teachers to carry concealed guns into the classroom. The British show should do an expose about it. America's sickness should be exposed all over the world.

[Justadude]

what did these people find so offensive? The cars were painted with slogans supporting a politician, slogans supporting homosexuals, and slogans denouncing a sport. None of the slogans were illegal, unethical, immoral, obscene, threatening, or provocative in any way whatsoever.

[Gusterfell]

I think it's pretty clear that the video was edited to remove some of the more 'provocative' elements. These gentlemen didn't fill their tanks, pay for the gas, and fix an engine problem in the 2 minutes depicted on the video -- unless they received pit-crew training beforehand. It's clear that the owner had a problem with the men (otherwise why would she have come outside?) prior to reading the slogans on the cars. Furthermore it is never explained why the camera crew suddenly got involved, nor is it clear how truckloads of men suddenly arrived on the scene or what exactly they were expecting to do. Nothing adds up, unless you factor in the high degree of probability that these guys were doing things they didn't want recorded in order to instigate the situation.

[Justadude]

What is unethical about expressing an unpopular opinion? Last I heard we still have the right to free expression in this country.

[erdogs]

It's like I was always told growing up; if you go out looking for trouble, don't be surprised when you find it. These men went into this situation with their own stereotypes of the South and decided to poke the bear. They got what they deserved.

[Gusterfell]

In any case, the fact that it was obviously a staged incident with TV crew on hand would be enough to upset anyone. I don't think anyone, anywhere would appreciate being the target of this kind of prank.

[suburban george3]

So the appropriate response is to give the pranksters exactly the reaction they want, and reinforce negative stereotypes about yourself? I'm sorry, but civilized people don't threaten others with violence simply for pulling a childish prank.

[Justadude]

So the appropriate response is to give the pranksters exactly the reaction they want, and reinforce negative stereotypes about yourself? I'm sorry, but civilized people don't threaten others with violence simply for pulling a childish prank.

[Gusterfell]

Nobody is advocating violence. You state right there in your comment that the entire episode was predicated on negative stereotypes -- since when is it ok to go around making fun of people based on negative stereotypes? Would you defend bunch of rednecks going into the ghetto driving pimped-out Cadillacs painted with slogans like "Hip-hop is garbage" and "Shut down the NBA" and, for that matter, "Man Love Rules Ok"? I'm sure they could bring along a TV crew and record plenty of examples of people reinforcing negative stereotypes, but nobody would find it funny because that kind of stunt is fundamentally unethical. Its only purpose is to exploit those at the bottom of the socio-economic food chain for the amusement of the self-righteous.

[Miesian Corners]

^^I must respectfully disagree with your main premise here. I haven't seen this sort of barbaric behavior anywhere but in the American South. Of course we all know it occurs everywhere, but not to this extreme.

The Brits didn't invent bullet holes in the Welcome to Alabama sign. And the Brits didn't verbally taunt the yahoos, they just appeared with their painted slogans.

Some of the things I've been publicly harassed about in the South (by strangers): wearing a feather earring, having long hair, being gay, wearing Indian moccasins.......And I'm talking about being publically humiliated, shouted at, overtly pointed at etc.

This is all about intolerance and backwardness folks. Backwardness resulting from poor education. I don't miss the South at all (except for the food!)