back to article Mexico demands apology for Top Gear outrage

Mexico's ambassador to Britain has fired off a letter to the BBC demanding an apology for the antics of its Top Gear presenters, Reuters reports. In a studio discussion of the comparative merits of sports cars from Germany, Italy and Mexico, Richard Hammond suggested they reflect the national characteristics of their makers. …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Weren't the ambassadors from Germany and Italy insulted, too?

    Or did they have better things to do than watch Top Gear?

  2. Ru
    Heart

    A common confusion...

    Actual Mexican food is quite dissimilar from 'Tex-Mex', a meat'n'carbtastic US product which is what most people seem to think of as Mexican. Sick and cheese is not an unreasonable description of that, I guess. Funny thing about food in relatively poor countries; it isn't wall-to-wall ground beef, because most citizens just can't afford it.

    1. Oliver Mayes

      Never been there myself

      But my father worked in Mexico quite a bit and always told me that out of all the places he had been in the world (quite a few as he was an engineer who was sent to install hardware at sites in a different country every week for more than 30 years), their food was the worst he had ever encountered. This was in 'real' Mexico too, not the tourist towns. Apaprently a cheap hotel he was staying in served chilli soup at breakfast, which he described as just stupidly hot chilli sauce mixed with warm water.

      1. Shakje

        I've only been to Tijuana

        which, as a tourist town, I would expect to be a bit more Western mainstream (not that it really bothers me much), but the food in the markets really didn't make my hangover any better.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          In the Yucatan

          I found the market stall fare to be pretty tasty in the Yucatan. Still enchiladas and refried beans on the whole mind, but without cheese and with fish on the menu too. Don't know if it might be because of that region's traditional closer links to the motherland or not. Hop on a bus and go a bit further south though and you're into Belize which is worlds apart. Lobster curry, yum!

      2. Daniel B.

        @Oliver Mayes

        Sure, if your dad stayed at a cheap hotel in a small town, I would also expect crappy cuisine. The poor man's version of Mexican food is pretty crappy by Mexican standards, especially the "soup" which is basically water with a couple of peas.

        The best food you'll find will be in either Central Mexico or the Southeast (Yucatán Peninsula); Northern Mexico's food will be good, but it probably will look more US-ish. Oh, and BTW, nothern states don't eat much tacos, and are the ones that actually make burritos.

        1. rciafardone
          Grenade

          Thats the point dude.

          In Italy good and bad food does not depend on the prices on the menu, this means that even in the cheapest restaurants you can find culinary jewels. This goes even more so on small "poor" towns, and yes there are poor town in Italy.

          In England of course, food is kind of gray everywhere no matter the conditions, not bad, not good just meh.

  3. ici.chacal
    Alert

    Hmmm...

    I can't decide whether Jeremy and chums ought to slightly tone down their derogatory descriptions of other groups of people or nations, or whether said subjects should get a life and quit moaning when, at the end of the day, it is nothing more than harmless comedy banter...

    1. The Indomitable Gall

      Ok then....

      Let's see if I can get past the moderatrix with this next message....

    2. The Indomitable Gall
      Joke

      Invective

      ici.chacal is a ignorant lazy waste of space who probably won't complain about this message because the word "ignorant" has so many letters he won't be able to read past it. And his cooking tastes like dining out off the refuse of a paper factory.

      Now, if this makes it through the mods and you get to read this, do you feel it is acceptable under the label "banter"...? Particularly given that I don't know you -- is it ever really possible to give a gentle ribbing to someone you've never met?

      1. alexh2o

        Not quite..

        I see the point you're trying to make, but there is one small difference. A 'personal' attack is never accepted - where you specifically target an individual or tiny group. A generalised insult to a wider group, because there's no direct attack, is an accepted form of comedy.

        Now if a Mexican TV show described the British as "Lazy, yobish chavs who just race Vauxhall Nova's round a Tesco car park, smacked up on crack and Special Brew"... Would you demand an apology? Or would you just chuckle and agree, knowing that they just played on a stereotype in jest?

        1. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

          Re: Not quite..

          >A generalised insult to a wider group, because there's no direct attack, is an accepted form of comedy.

          Mmm. Not always, if you think about it. Plenty generalised insults to wider groups made here don't get past moderation.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Grenade

            Maybe but...

            But what gets accepted and rejected I suspect is based on whatever is the current social taboo which changes over time.

            So if it a negative commant about people of the Jewish faith, muslims or gays, then you can expect your comment to be excised.

            Insults about the Irish, Scots, Welsh, Brits in general, "yoof", Members of Parliament, rich people and personal attacks on Lindsey Lohan are pretty much fair game.

            Apart from Lindsey Lohan (who deserves all the crap she gets), they are all generalisations about a group. It's either right to criticize a group in general terms or not. I don't see the distinction.

    3. Peter H. Coffin

      Tone it down? Why?

      They're equal-opportunity instigators with choice words for the skills and habits of the residents of nearly every country in the world. The only countries that they've discussed that they seem to have anything resembling respect for the populations of seem to be Iceland and Finland. They've even insulted Lichtenstein and they probably spent all of an hour there. I mean, who the hell *bothers* to insult Lichtenstein unless there's a particular unilateral agendum to do so?

  4. Jim 59

    Bad

    Even as a politically incorrect viewer, I was rather taken aback by the Mexico outburst. And what's almost as bad, it wasn't remotely funny, and terribly rehearsed. Jezza's humour is often great, especially in his books, but it let him down here.

    I have been to Mexico and like it very much indeed. A bit short on British restaurants though. Funny we have plenty of Mexican outlets here.

    1. Annihilator
      Stop

      @Jim 59

      Really? You were taken aback? By Jezza's humour? The majority was said by Hammond, the food criticisms were by May - Clarkson barely said a word other than repeating the "sleep a lot" bit.

      The bandwagon can currently be found outside the Daily Mail's office, maybe you should go there and complain about Speedy Gonzales - something which apparently is quite popular in Mexico. Meanwhile I'll be complaining about the Austin Powers movies.

      1. Daniel B.

        @Annihilator

        "The bandwagon can currently be found outside the Daily Mail's office, maybe you should go there and complain about Speedy Gonzales - something which apparently is quite popular in Mexico."

        Don't know about Speedy Gonzales, but Speedy Gonzalez isn't "popular" in the way you might think; it has its fair share of criticism for being a corny stereotype of Mexicans as seen by "Gringos" similar to the black aboriginals with a bone in their hair of 40's animation.

        1. MGJ

          Gringos

          That's right, because all white folk sing 'Green Grow The Rashes O'; not a lazy racial stereotype at all...

      2. Anonymous Coward
        FAIL

        @Annihilator

        "The bandwagon can currently be found outside the Daily Mail's office, maybe you should go there and complain about Speedy Gonzales"

        Go to the Daily Mail to complain about racial stereotyping or the Top Gear presenters being bigots? You are joking aren't you? It seems like your opinion is the one that's far more likely to be represented by that rag of a newspaper, they'd happily have Clarkson's bowel movements on a plinth in the editors office if he'd send it to them and casual racism is practically corporate policy.

      3. Jim 59
        Go

        Jezza

        Clarkson writes the script for Top Gear. Whoever spoke the words, he wrote them. Hence my calling it "Jezza's humour". And that bandwagon is outside the Guardian office, not the Daily Mail.

    2. mr-tom
      Go

      Agree entirely

      I love Top Gear. I love the humour and that it can get away with being politically incorrect, but I was very uncomfortable with the Mexico comments.

      Jokes about Germany invading Poland or lorry drivers murdering prostitutes benefited from being clearly intended to be humour and from containing a small grain of truth.

      Mexico on the other hand came across as abuse rather than humour (my interpretation, perhaps) and as wholly untrue.

      Maybe they were just trying too hard to be funny. Perhaps the format is getting stale, after all.

      I was also curious as to what the car was actually like - let's face it, there's enough batshit crazy startups out there that manage to build highly entertaining (in one way or another) cars that there's no good reason why this should be any different.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Coat

      British cuisine???

      I didn't know one could put the words British and restaurant in the same sentence.. ;)

      Mine's the one with the salsa stains

      1. Bod

        British cuisine

        Most dishes in (British based) Indian restaurants are British cuisine (bearing little resemblance to real food in India).

        Chicken Tikka Masala is indeed our top dish.

        We should have curry chefs representing our country and not mockney muppets like Jamie Oliver.

        1. Ivan Headache
          Headmaster

          British Cuisine?

          Sorry. Only France has Cuisine. Britain has cooking.

          You'll be saying America has cuisine next.

          1. The Unexpected Bill
            Coat

            Ding!

            I'll let you know just as soon as I've checked on what's in the microwave.

          2. Steven Knox
            Headmaster

            American Cuisine

            "You'll be saying America has cuisine next."

            Well, since French is an official language of Canada, they must have cuisine as well. And since Canada is part of the North American continent...

            Furthermore, even if we accept your vulgar abbreviation for the United States of America (proper abbreviation USA), you should know that there are regions of the USA where French is the first language of many if not most of the residents (some parts of Loiusiana, nothern Maine, et al.) So based on the language argument, we do indeed have cuisine here.

            1. Tom 13

              Put a sock in it

              you over-sensitive weenie. You must be French and not American. Americans can take a punch like that and roll with their British cousins.

            2. amanfromearth
              Grenade

              @Knox

              You are an idiot. This is a British Website, and over here the abbreviation for your poxy country is "America". Get over it..

          3. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Cuisine?

            No, We southern north american's (USA people) don't have Cuisine or Cooking. We have Fixin's. Sort of like cooking, but often we forget the heat part.

            Now the northern north american's (Canadian people) have some Cuisine mixed with Cooking. I really don't have an opinion on that.

          4. W. Keith Wingate
            Joke

            Actually the food stateside is quite good....

            .... as long as you stick to decent Mexican places like Frontera Grill....

          5. Petrea Mitchell
            Joke

            Re: Cuisine

            "You'll be saying America has cuisine next."

            You insult us, sir! Where would the world be without the cheeseburger, I ask you?

    4. Vincent Ballard
      WTF?

      Mexican restaurants in UK?

      Name three places in the UK where you can get pollo con mole poblano and I might believe that there are lots of Mexican outlets there.

  5. Captain Underpants
    Badgers

    Hmmm

    Part of me thinks that the lads have once again been numpties in their estimation of how funny those remarks are, but a greater part of me suspects that even complaining about them is to mistake them as mattering. I mean, the only way those comments could be a serious issue would be if someone watching the program took them seriously as a statement of fact about Mexico - and if you have a viewing population treating everything they see on Top Gear as fact, there are bigger issues than the specifics of what Clarkson & co actually say...

    1. Cosmo

      Re Hmmm

      I dunno... Top Gear seems to win a lot of awards for being the Best Factual Show! Maybe a lot of people do take it as gospel...

      1. Captain Underpants
        Badgers

        Yeah, but check what other shows share that dubious honour with it

        Well, I take your point to a certain extent, but then you pop along to http://www.nationaltvawards.com/past-winners and see that recent award-winning "Factual shows" have included Loose Women, GMTV, Big Brother and Wife Swap. At which point I conclude that someone organising the awards has confused "factual" with "non-scripted".

        1. Goat Jam
          Paris Hilton

          Non-scripted?

          Top Gear?

  6. Cosmo

    The only thing that's lazy...

    ...is the Top Gear script writing. It's starting to get faded and tired now.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    ... and if they don't get one ?

    What then?

    Will they release a book ?

    'I'm the Real José Stigmanosa' ?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Those characteristics are still better than

    Being a mid-life-crisis attached to an arsehole, aren't they mr hammond?

    1. sabroni Silver badge

      as for Jeremy..

      ..doesn't even have the mid-life crisis attached....

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    What?

    What is the matter with us? It sometimes seems we are a nation of insecure, ignorant twunts. We slight other nationalities at the drop of a hat. It's always quite awkward and embarrassing when some guy starts ranting about "cheese eating surrender monkeys" (yeah like Napolean) or fat Germans (look who's talking about being fat).

    As far as "it's only entertainment and humour" goes, is the BNP writing their scripts? Can they not afford to hire funny people?

    1. Sweep

      Cheese eating surrender monkeys

      Napoleon was Corsican

      1. The Indomitable Gall

        Corsica...

        Napoleon Buonaparte was born one year after Corsica was signed over to France by the republic of Genoa. So he was technically French, as well as being Corsican.

        And his army had a hell of a lot of people from the mainland in it, too.

    2. Joe Montana
      WTF?

      Entertainment...

      It's all intended comedy... And "political correctness" is ruining so many things...

      Clarkson and co insult each other far more than they insult other countries, and it's quite obvious to anyone watching that it's all intended as a joke.

      It's people who take offence at what is clearly a joke who are are insecure and ignorant.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Yeah, they've been great but...

        ... don't you think they look tired?

  10. Jord
    Thumb Up

    The Mash did this better

    http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-%26-entertainment/sorry%11o-dagoes%2c-says-hammond-201102023504/

    "...Hammond should have said a Mexican car would be full of cocaine and you would eventually find bits of it hanging from a bridge"

    Priceless

  11. Doug Glass
    Go

    I saw that!

    The rotten brown-tooth dissing the greasy beaner. Colonial trash just looooove it.

  12. Wommit
    Paris Hilton

    It really doesn't matter

    James May once called Top Gear a sitcom. And so it is. It involves expensive cars and cheap sets. The presenters, while then may know a little about cars, seem to be employed as comedians.

    So if Top Gears opinion really does matter to any external country or government then they are giving that opinion far more credence that it really deserves.

    Do they take Tom & Jerry's opinion so seriously?

    1. Anonymous John

      Sitcom.

      usually known as Last Of The Summer Petrol.

  13. Andrew Garrard

    Chalk one up to the "crossed a line" category

    I'm generally happy to be amused by their blathering, on the understanding that I'm supposed to be laughing as much at the hosts being stupid as laughing along with anything they said. But the Mexican thing was a bit much - I remember thinking "er..." at the time. Perhaps if it was a one-liner rather than a full conversation. I trust they'll end up going there and finding they actually like the place after all.

    True, anyone taking serious offence is probably having a sense of humour failure, but the same could be said of the lads for spouting it in the first place. There's a difference between a racist joke (for which I hope most, these days, laugh at the stereotype and the people saying it rather than at the actual people of the race in question) and just having a rant. Still, I hope this doesn't blow up more than necessary - TG is amusing, in its place.

    It's not like it purports to be factual. I'm beginning to worry about some of the blatant nonsense spouted by QI.

  14. tony72

    Top Gear Mexico Special

    I'm not at all PC, but I have to say I thought that outburst was a bit OTT as well. And I know this is Top Gear we're talking about, but still I would have been interested to hear /something/ about the car.

    Anyhow, instead of an asking for an apology, I think the BBC should send the lads to Mexico to shoot a Top Gear special there, I imagine the locals would enjoy the chance to meet them now...

  15. Tom 7

    I'm looking forward to

    top gear catapulting caravans over the great wall of mexico.

  16. Neil Charles
    Stop

    They did cross the line this time

    I like Top Gear and I like Clarkson most of the time, but this was unnecessary and a bit uncomfortable to watch as each presenter in turn chipped in.

    Substitute Nigeria for Mexico and swap the racial sterotypes and that show never gets aired, the recording's leaked and everybody gets fired. It was Bernard Manning humour at best.

    I think the line is drawn where your target can't give as good as they get, so banter with the Aussies, the French and the Germans is ok, but having a sustained go at poorer nations really isn't.

    1. Ken 16 Silver badge
      Troll

      "having a sustained go at poorer nations really isn't"

      so leave the Delorean alone too, Top Gear and cancel Terry Wogan's, viciously satirical, Ireland mockmentary.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.

    To Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza.

    Obviously these guys have run out of creative ideas and are left with nothing else but misdirecting attacks against their competition.

    Congratulations. It appears Mexico is on its way up in the sports car manufacturing.

    Anticipate the fight and the victory.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    I don't really care

    and I suspect I'm not alone.

    1. The Fuzzy Wotnot
      Happy

      Yes you do, my old son!

      You logged in, fired up the page, clicked the comments link, located the comment box, even chose a non-default icon and told us you don't care!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        FAIL

        No

        It's not "I don't care about the story".

        I just don't care if the Mexicans are offended. That's not the same thing.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Stop

          Re: NO

          What did he fail at?

          Not being bloody psychic, try to be more specific in future.

          Or were you deliberately being vague just to troll?

  19. Jon 20
    Megaphone

    Where's the value in an apology?

    > remarks only serve to reinforce negative stereotypes

    Perhaps that's worth an apology, perhaps not.

    > perpetuate prejudice against Mexico and its people

    I seriously doubt that. I found the sketch very entertaining and there was more like a light chuckling on my part, but I don’t for one minute hold prejudice for Mexico or its people as a result of having watched the sketch. I didn’t hold prejudice against Mexico in the first place.

    I'm an IT geek. Hell, I'm guessing most people on TheRegister are. I still found IT Crowd funny when it came out, even if I did see parallels with my life.

    They were “reinforcing negative sterotypes” and I think I fall into the sterotype quite nicely. But just because I find myself in the group of people at the butt of the joke doesn't mean I feel a need to take offence and demand an apology.

    Certainly, after Jeremy’s previous revelation that all truck drivers are murderers, I’m pleased to see that all truck drivers have been locked up.

    I think if the Mexican Ambasador feels the comments would "reinforce negative stereotypes" then he acknoledges that there are already negative sterotypes to be reinforced. I would suggest he should ask the newpapers to make additions to his comments to include his defence of the opinions of Mexico. How proud a people they are, their levels of productivity, the positive reviews of the vehicle from reviewers with less "bigoted feelings", demonstrations of the cars quality in such tests as Euro NCap.

    An apology is just words that would have no impact on preventing what he acknowledges are existing sterotypes. If he is the ambasador, what was he ALREADY he doing to change the opinions of the likes of the TopGear viewers and why hasn't he shown in what way TopGear was wong in their statements?

    (I'm not saying TopGear were right, it just sounds like a harlf hearted response from an ambasador to only ask for an apology and then disappear from view again)

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Heart

    fuck mexico

    I'm just going to bend over and spread 'em == PC bollocks and the Beeb should just close. They're so scared of their own shadow they might as well be a sandbox in a street of houses full of cats -- anything pees on them and they completely revamp....

    TG just discussed in public what the Americans already knew -- they're lazy, catapulting drugs into the USA, no real contributions to anything.

    Now -=- good Mexican food is another matter. But some does look like a regurgitated Donner Kebab after a night on the piss in Liverpool

  21. The elephant in the room
    Thumb Down

    Cynical

    I'm guessing this was done deliberately for the benefit of what may be Top Gear's biggest audience - the USA. The level racism in US import shows never ceases to surprise me - like UK TV in the 1970s.

    1. Peter H. Coffin

      benefit?

      You seriously think they're catering to an audience that *threw rocks at them* and they've previously granted praise no higher than "Well done, fat man from Kentucky"?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        The title is required, and must contain letters and/or digits

        Top gear is immensely popular in the US. So much that they tried to do a US specific version to captialise on its popularity.

        Besides, Try painting "Cockneys all are @rseholes" on a 4x4 and go and drive through the east end of london, and see what happens. If you got through that with people only throwing rocks at you, you would be lucky.

        1. amanfromearth
          FAIL

          don't be silly ..

          <irony> there aren't any cockneys left in london now we have this multicultural paradise

          </irony>

  22. Nick Galloway
    Thumb Up

    Truth in journalism

    Whilst the Mexican ambassador might object to the stereotype, does he have some good counter claims to demonstrate the statements are incorrect!?

    Correspondingly, Top Gear specialises in offending people, so one should be proud to have been noticed by this unholy trio. I mean look at their 'stars in a reasonably priced car'. They tend to get derided in person by the carefully honed, openly offensive remarks by Clarkson.

    The ambassador should remember, things you laugh at tend to get remembered fondly, even if for all the wrong reasons. I hope the 'boys' keep up the good work. I mean the next thing you know the BBC will be apologising to the Japanese for Stephen Fry's comments...!

    1. The Indomitable Gall

      The difference...

      The stars in the reasonably priced cars have agreed to the abuse and are being paid for it.

    2. ian 22
      Pint

      Statements ARE incorrect

      You need only consider the effort put into digging smuggling tunnels beneath the Mexico/USA border to know Mexicans are not lazy.

      As for the ambassador, why is he spending his time watching Auntie Beeb when Mexico produces so many excellent telenovelas? Instead of simply complaining, he ought to have made a positive contribution by promoting Sabado Gigante.

      If Mexicans are anything, it is thin-skinned. And they do make excellent beer!

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well....

    ... the programme was broadcast on Sunday, and the complaint appears to have been made today. Not suggesting anything, merely pointing out the delay! ;-)

    And, personally, I like Mexican food, even the refried bits.

    1. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: Well....

      'Refried' is a mistranslation y'know - means 'well fried' rather than 'twice fried'.

      I bore myself. Also, I cannot type 'fried' without first typing 'friend'. As you were.

      1. Wommit
        Joke

        Re : Sarah Bee

        "I bore myself. Also, I cannot type 'fried' without first typing 'friend'. As you were."

        Ah, zo, Tell me Mz Bee, You tink dat all fried food is your friend? Umm?

        No, no, lie down get comfortzable. Close you eyes. Wot does you see? A great big pile of hot greasy chips? How about fried eggs and zauzages? De Englisher breakfaust?

        Now Mz Byy, put down zat frying pan.

        Mz Bee...

    2. taxman
      Boffin

      Re: Well

      The critical path would appear to be - Seen Sunday, letter posted Monday, recieved Tuesday, news(?)papers Wednesday.

      That is an assumption that a letter was posted. Perhaps it would be better to think it was hand delivered, that would be more acceptable given the time frame.

  24. Steve Evans

    Well...

    I couldn't help but be amused that it took until Tuesday for the reports of a complaint to surface on the BBC news site... I hope that delay was caused by the BBC, because if it took the Ambassador 2 days to complain about something which occurred on Sunday evening it really doesn't help the lazy/sleeping stereotype of his country!

    Anyway, I found Top Gear funny. Political incorrectness is such a rare thing these days, it's quite refreshing. We're English, we take the piss out of things, and we expect the piss to be taken right back! After Clarkson's fantastically funny VW advert with the "Berlin to Warsaw on one tank" tag-line I braced for a Polish protest, but do you know what, there wasn't one. There were however a couple of good "reply/reaction" videos made on Youtube by some Poles! Brilliant, they've got the idea!

    I've even heard rumours that some Germans may be replied in a humourous style via youtube too!

    So with the Germans displaying evidence of basic humour, it's quite lucky that Mexico has seized the moment and stepped forward to accept the humourless baton.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Coat

      The delay

      was due to the Mexicans taking two days to find and download an unlawful bittorrent of the programme, seeing as it has only been lawfully aired in the UK so far.

      Thieving gits.

    2. Svantevid
      Happy

      German humour

      "So with the Germans displaying evidence of basic humour,"

      ---

      They can surprise you:

      "There was no secrecy about the positions of the German guns. The British knew where all of them were. On fine days, gunners like Albert Mister, attached to a British 6-inch gun anti-convoy battery at Fan Bay, watched through their field-glasses while the Germans built gun emplacements across the Channel.

      From their daily reconnaissance flights, German Intelligence also knew the exact position of all the British batteries. To deceive the German pilots, dummy guns made of lathe and plaster were placed near the new guns. They failed in their purpose. One day a German plane came over and derisively dropped a wooden bomb on them."

      .

      Brilliant.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Megaphone

    BBC Fail

    The BBC knew this would attract complaints. (I'm neutral)

    And even if the Ambassador had not been sitting in front of the TV...

    HELLO, iPlayer !!!!!

  26. Robin Bradshaw
    Thumb Up

    Just maybe...

    I cant help get the feeling that the top gear team were annoyed that QI managed to get the japanese ambassador to complain about the unlucky/lucky man, who survived two nuclear explosions and thought to themselves, there might be a bit of sport to be had in this. Thus the direct poking at the ambassador.

    It would appear they have succeeded in their game.

    1. peter_dtm
      Coat

      oh yes

      go for it

      just how many ambassadors can each of the TG presenters insult well enough to provke a complaint

      TG producers - please - a series long competition .. please

      better get my coat - don't think I got a job at TG ..

  27. Aaron Em

    Too bad...

    ...they didn't instead evaluate the car on the basis of how useful it'd be to sicarios looking to hit a rival cartel's jefe de plaza, blasting a bunch of civilians en route because, hey, gotta warm up the ol' AK before you get to the target, right?

  28. NoneSuch Silver badge
    FAIL

    ...and now for something completely different...

    From bbc.co.uk

    "On 12 January 2011, the Mexican government unveiled a new database giving a total of 34,612 people killed over the past four years. This total included suspected drug gang members, members of the security forces as those considered innoncent (sic) bystanders. The total was a jump of some 4,000 on the previous total. The new list showed that 2010 was the bloodiest year so far, with 15,273 drug-related murders. Government officials have stressed that the vast majority of those killed are linked to the illegal drugs trade. "

    With almost 35,000 people killed in northern Mexico because of drug trafficking you would think they would be putting their efforts into fixing that annoying problem rather than mobilizing Mexican bureaucracy for an apology over comments from a pokey motoring show on BBC2.

    Complete fail.

    1. Daniel B.

      Au contraire!

      In fact, that is the reasoning for giving this so much attention! If you got the sheeples more worried about these things, they'll ignore the *other* news, like the military murdering families that had the gall of overtaking a military convoy, or killing kids 'coz the patrolling soldiers were too drugged to notice they weren't narcos. Oh, my favorite: murdering students, then claiming they were "sicarios".

      Check out "Kalimba", "Salvador Cabañas" and hell, even "Daryl Cagle" to see big non-stories being overblown in Mexican media.

      Note: I didn't find Cagle's drawing to be offensive, but Top Gear's comment did seem Over the top.

      If yoou don't think there is a line in certain type of humor, try asking "Are you from Malvinas?" to someone from Falklands.

  29. Dough

    Stewart Lee says it how it is...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgABbHPdwH4&feature=related

  30. tony trolle
    Heart

    and from a "Brit" over the pond.

    thinking a reference to no space for lawn mowers or ladders would be closer to the mark.

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Private Eye

    Top Gear is the televisual equivalent of Private Eye. Everybody loves to read what the Eye has to say about others, no matter how nasty or potentially liable, but as soon as they find themself in the pages of that organ they threaten legal action or at the very least cancellation of their subscription.

    Hardly an episode goes by that Top Gear doesn't paint a potentially offensive stereotype of somebody. Germans, merkins, Australians, truck drivers, and so on. However the Mexican ambasador hasn't complained about any of those.

    1. Not That Andrew
      FAIL

      Have you actually read Private Eye?

      Have you actually read Private Eye? Generally it's only offensive about politicians, solicitors, bankers, bureaucrats, newspaper editors and newspaper proprietors. In other word people who thoroughly deserve any offensive remarks. And unlike Top Gear it actually carries factual content.

  32. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Hmmm

    Get a sense of humour is all I can say.

    Just to be neutral I am Scottish - feel free to take the piss - water off a ducks back.

    1. Sir Runcible Spoon
      Joke

      Sir

      Shouldn't that be 'piss off a ducks back' then ?

      Oh the endless worldpay.

  33. Tony 32
    Megaphone

    Viewing figures must of been dropping

    What a great way to get "Top Gear" on the front pages and more people to tune in

  34. Cyclist
    WTF?

    So...?

    Once - just once - wouldn't it be great if an ambassador on the receiving end of one of these jibes got his mush in the papers by saying something along the lines of "Yeah we saw it. It wasn't that funny tbh but it was only a few words on a tv prog. We've got better things to worry about than this sort of nonsense".

    It would be, but I won't be holding my breath for it. Everyone seems desparate not just to be offended these days, but to want to tell us how offended they are.

  35. eldel
    FAIL

    TG without the satire

    Is truly awful. They now have an 'American' version. Not the 'americanised' UK one with the prices in $ - but reusing the old scripts (or situations at least) with 3 merkins. But to avoid annoying the advertisers they can't say anything rude about the cars and to avoid being sued they can't say much about anyone either. Which leaves it dull and boring. I managed to sit through 2 episodes (to make sure that the first wasn't just an aberration) before deciding that enough was enough.

    My wife described it as 'watching a warm-up act with 3 failed stand-ins'.

    Very very bad. To be avoided.

    BBC America on the other hand is at last showing the uncut (and bleeped) UK versions and is raking in many many viewers. I get people at work who aren't car types at all commenting - though mainly along the lines of 'how do they get away with saying that?' :-)

    1. Gene Cash Silver badge
      FAIL

      British jokes without... the British...

      They completely recycle the scripts. They even made British Agincourt jokes against the French, but being American hosts, it made absolutely no sense.

      Syffy is doing "Being Human" and it's a wreck. You can barely tell who's the vampire and who's the werewolf. MTV did "Skins" and got "iddn't dat child porn, Martha?"

      American TV is just so totally horrid, except for BBC America and Discovery Channel. We need a "facepalm" icon.

  36. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Simpsons did it

    and corny Southpark line aside, Brazil - Gay Money, Irish - Drunken Fights, Indian - Shop owner... not new, just good for the ratings

  37. Dr. Mouse

    Fair and Ethical Comedy...

    There is only one fair and ethical way to do comedy:

    Either everything is fair game or nothing is.

    If you are going to take the mick out of Christians, you should be prepared to take the mick out of Jews, Buddhists, Muslims and all other religious groups. If you are going to take the mick out of the Germans, you should be prepared to do the same for the French, Americans, British, Mexicans and any other nationality. If you are not prepared to do so, or at least accept others doing so, you should never have made the first joke.

    The same goes for laughing at those jokes: If you find one funny, you should not be offended by another.

    I just wish Top Gear could find a way to loose it's "factual" status. It is a comedy, centred around the banter between the hosts, with a few cars thrown in. As Clarkson said at an awards show recently, there hasn't been a fact on Top Gear for years.

    And, as with any comedy: If you are easily offended, don't watch it.

  38. Alicia

    Personally

    I was a little uncomfortable watching the conversation, but imagine if the Mexican ambassador *hadn't* asked for an apology. That would reinforce the stereotype, absolutely.

    It's all politics baby!

  39. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Stereotypes

    I am Dutch and have spent most of my life living in Europe. A couple of years ago I moved to Mexico. Frankly I couldn't care less about Top Gear's food likes and dislikes. However, their stereotypes about Mexicans being lazy need some serious fact checking. For example, stores in Mexico are open around 362-363 days a year. Most people only have 6-10 days vacation a year. In my experience, I have never worked as hard as I do now, just to keep up with my Mexican co-workers. This may come as a surprise to many, but Mexico has changed quite a lot since the end of the XiXth century when most those country stereotypes where set. That is why it is quite hard to find Frenchmen in Paris wearing a béret while holding baguettes under their arm on Sundays or English men wearing a bowler hat. The world has changed, update your facts.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Grenade

      sigh

      Most people don't actually think that Mexicans are really like this.

      Of course, most people aren't in such a rush as to take something so seriously and to be offended on behalf of people who aren't actually offended. Fortunately, I know that most Dutch and Mexicans have a sense of humour, unlike you and the Mexican ambassador.

      With your level of inability to not take things seriously, I have to wonder if you are really Dutch, or if it's just a typo for Deutsch...

    2. Kubla Cant

      re: Stereotypes

      Are the Dutch stereotyped as having no sense of humour?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Grenade

      but...

      Amsterdam is still full of drugs and prostitutes.

      So I guess some facts remain the same?

  40. Ubuntu Is a Better Slide Rule
    Pint

    The German Car

    ..was surely labelled a "Teutonic Panzer", I assume ?

    Prost !

  41. Cunningly Linguistic

    Given the...

    ...shit that's going on in Mexico I would have thought Mexicans and their ambassador would have more important things to be concerned with.

  42. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    Enough with the lazy!

    Now if they had said the car is likely to kill thousands while smuggling narcotics, it would have been less offensive.

    And it's an alien because there's no chupacabra!

  43. Alan Brown Silver badge
    Grenade

    Insulting mexico....

    ...From a group of comedians who possess all the organisational skills and competence that made British Leyland great. (And THAT was the best line in last Sunday's program.)

    The mexican ambassador could have done a lot worse than to use the same line in his complaint.

  44. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    New diplomatic

    New sport for bored diplomats? Watch the Beeb find something stupid but lightly amusing, then complain?

    Sponsored by our Australian friend?

  45. Steve Evans
    WTF?

    OMG!

    I just went to show a friend the source of all the scandal and guess what... Top Gear Season 16, episode 2 is no longer available on iplayer! Episode 1 is still there.

    If it does reappear I guess it will be about 3 minutes shorter.

    Looks like the BBC have finally lost the last vertebrae in their increasingly floppy spine!

    1. Steve Evans

      Re: OMG

      Oh, correction, it's back again, and the comments are still there... Looks like there was either some wonderfully timed technical hiccup or two arms at the BBC can't quite agree on what to do!

  46. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Mexicans do wear big hats

    At least all the ones in the Mariachi groups I've seen busking, singing songs of how wonderful Mexico is and how they long to go back

    If they themselves project this stereotype then surely they only have themselves to blame.

  47. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    There are 2 ways to be noticed by people

    1 - Be truly remarkable so that people will naturally notice you.

    2 - Punch people in the face.

    Top Gear staff opted for the latter.

    I myself stopped watching Tog Gear ages ago as, in addition to the point stated above, everything is staged and thus not really teaching you anything (I won't even mention the star of the day pointless banter). Hence I couldn't find any redeeming value to the show, and found that sipping a cuppa while mining my navel for colourful fluff was a better use of my time, especially since it also saves on electricity bills.

  48. JP Strauss

    Gee

    Look, if it was your country's prime minister making those statements, it's one thing, but if you are insulted by a group of guys who are PAID to be rude and off-colour, then you should probably just recognise it for what it is.

  49. Maryland, USA
    Thumb Up

    reminds me of the Sarah Silverman shtick

    American stand-up comic Sarah Silverman (I'm paraphrasing from memory): "Mexicans are upset that I said I thought they smell bad, So I gently explain to them, "You can't smell yourself."

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