Top Gear Versus the American South
22 Comments Published by Joel February 12th, 2007 in Cars, TV. Share ThisDuring a trip through Alabama, the Top Gear crew painted slogans on each other’s cars, to see which of the three hosts would be attacked by Southerners. I’d tell you what the slogans say, but that’d run half the fun of this clip.
22 Responses to “Top Gear Versus the American South”
- 1 Pingback on Feb 12th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
- 2 Pingback on Feb 13th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
MAN LOVE RULES OK
I honestly believe that in certain parts of ENGLAND now, people have started to mate with vegetables.
They went into the stunt trying to get a reaction. What did they expect would happen?
I pretty much concur with Arlo, and would add that they are also cowards for cleaning off the paint after things got sketchy. But it’s true that America didn’t comport herself well, either–throwing rocks at guys who are obviously trying to get you to act like a dumb redneck isn’t exactly subverting stereotypes.
What if I drove a mini through London with “Fix your yuck-mouth limey” plastered on the side.
I have a feeling I would hear the term “bloody wanker” quite often that day.
Oh, the whole thing is a clusterfuck. That’s why I loved it.
Really, though, we should go over to the UK and do that. The Top Gear boys know they’re twats – I’m sure they’d think it’s funny.
You think we’re stupid violent hicks? Well, we’re not! We’ll prove it by acting like stupid violent hicks.
I would have written “God Hearts Faggots!”
hehe, that clip was great, I think a desecrating of the rebel flag somehow would have also been well received
This was just assholes being assholes and calling it comedy. British bigotry is no more attractive than any other kind.
I watched this last night. The most poignant part is right at the end of the episode when they drove through New Orleans. They were astonished that it still looks like a war zone, 18 months on.
Also: “Man love” is something to get rock-throwing-angry about? Christ.
Please forgive the blatant plug but I made a video along similar lines.
Mississippians With Modems
Wish I’da been around when they came through. I’da throwed more’n rocks. yeehaw.
>> What if I drove a mini through London with “Fix your yuck-mouth limey” plastered on the side.
>> I have a feeling I would hear the term “bloody wanker” quite often that day.
I’m from London, what’s “yuck-mouth” mean? Even if, and believe me it’d be a big IF, you were called a “bloody wanker”, you wouldn’t be physically assaulted!
>> They went into the stunt trying to get a reaction. What did they expect would happen?
The reaction only high-lights what absolutely backwards bigots certain people are. It’s the same as BORAT. The fact that they got a reaction is what makes good TV, and something to laugh about. I personally hate “Top Gear”, and admittedly the guys are wankers for doing it, but it’s still pretty funny.
I think the whole thing was staged using paid extras or actors. I cannot believe that in the 21st century such a situation would occur.
I expect they mocked up the whole thing in a deserted fuel stop and played it out to a script written by someone who has watched Deliverance too many times and thinks it reflects real life in the southern states.
If this violence had been real the ‘locals’ would never have allowed them time to escape or even use jump leads to start the engine.
An insulting, naive and condescending piece of television that made me quite ashamed to be the same nationaility as the so called stars of theis series.
I cannot believe that with almost 60 years of television, universal education, the internet etc etc that any southerner would throw rocks at a democrat or a gay or a Brit even with the childish scrawls on their cars,
I doubt it would be paid actors and such, however, I’m pretty sure the presenters and crew would have had a security/bodyguard team following them, and they saw the cameras were there recording, which is why the locals may have laid off a little. While they were trying to provoke reaction, which was stupid, the southern Americans didn’t represent themselves and their contry well, by falling for it.
>> What if I drove a mini through London with “Fix your yuck-mouth limey” plastered on the side.
Many people have said “What if I went through England with … on the side of my card”. The fact is, we would do nothing. British culture is very different from Southern American culture, we couldn’t care what is written on the side, it just wouldn’t bother us. Sure, if your lucky, you might have a person or two sware at you, but no one would cause a fuss. In fact, there will be many people who will agree with any message you put on a car. You only way to cause a fuss is to put a racist message on the side of a car and then drive through a community of people it is aimed at, but then the Police would be very quick to move you away and have you remove it.
I’m from the UK and like many Brits have visited the US to find that the people there are friendly and welcoming. I love Top Gear but these guys could get a violent reaction out of a buddhist monk if they tried. So take it as this – We know you’re not a bunch of inbred rednecks and like everyone else we’ll laugh at something if we see it’s funny.
I’m sure you could find a similar angle if you wanted to film over here. No harm done.
“I cannot believe that in the 21st century such a situation would occur.”
A friend of mine flipped a car on a Friday night in a small Kentucky town. He pulled himself out of the car and luckily was just scraped up a bit. Instead of helping, the locals came out and stood around the car laughing. They thought it was a hoot.
I can’t prove that this wasn’t staged, but I’ve seen enough crap like this below the Mason-Dixon line that I’d believe it. The sad thing is, this reinforces the majority of negative stereotypes about southerners. My favorite comment somebody left on google video was “I hope they get shot”… thus reinforcing all of this crap is true.
This was a pretty damn very Episode and I love Top Gear!!! That region of Miami where they bought the cars is 100% like that!!!!
Im a US Viewer as well and will keep watching.
It’s funny how the lynching aspect gets the most attention and not the substantial damage caused by the hurricane.
If I was a politician I would hight the film to deflect attention to the damaged cities.
Top gear what positive people they are. They are always trying to make Americans look bad wheather there from the northern, southern, and western part of the USA. There are asshole everywhere in the world but, that does seem the case with the south does it. Where all stupid and want to hurt everyone, no it is not like that at all. You cannot say it wouldn’t make you made if someone comes over to your country and makes fun of you everytime they are here. I had a friend that was station, in the uk, and told me that some people are down right rude to them if they think your an American. I have heard about the football games over there. How you get voilent about each team, hurt people that have one. So don’t get mad at us because, some guys tried to piss us off. For one your not any better.
I believe some people are missing the point.
Rocks were thrown not out of any kind of reaction–bigoted or otherwise–to a few words painted on cars. I believe that the rock throwers were enforcing a reasonable and quite natural law: poke me in the chest and you might just get your arm broken.
On the other hand, if America is ever again invaded, where do you think it will NOT receive the First Strike?
Peace!