Friday, December 02, 2011

Apologetic Execution

I'm not the greatest Jeremy Clarkson fan going, it has to be said. In fact, I'm probably first to join in the laughter whenever he gets slagged on Mock the Week or QI etc, but with this latest news story over the "execute the strikers" comment I find myself firmly on his side. Do people really now live their lives just waiting to be offended? It seems so as this is the latest of many occasions where offence has been taken where none is intended. When being hounded across a concourse, Mr Clarkson said to reporters, "Listen to what I actually said." And so I have, and to anyone with half a brain, there are several good reasons why it shows great stupidity to be taking offence from his remark. Firstly, the context of statement is within a joke! So, for goodness sake, can't everyone please just stop taking themselves so seriously that they can't take a joke. It's not as if any of the strikers have actually been taken out and executed in front of their family (at least I think that should have been a bigger news story if it has happened), so it's not as it the joke could really have been insensitive even it it had been aimed at the strikers. And leading on from that, the joke wasn't even aimed at those taking offence. Just as Clarkson said, if you listen to all of what he said the gist is:
  • The Strike is great as it's so much easier to get about in London, but I'm at the BBC and I have to be balanced, so no, the strikers are bad and should be shot.
Have you listened? Have you the wit to understand? Yes, the butt of the joke is the BBC! He's saying the BBC is a ludicrous enough organisation that it forces you into giving, possibly un-held viewpoints, purely for the sake of being balanced. i.e. if it were not for the BBC policy he would not be expressing that view. So the worst point about all this to me is that Jeremy Clarkson is having to apologise because he might face legal action due to other people's ignorance, stupidity and lack of understanding of either language use or humour. A great pity as some of those are the ones teaching today's children....or they would be if they were not on strike.