Jeremy Clarkson and special needs

[Serennos]

AIBU to think that there is something very wrong with Jeremy Clarkson thinking it is okay to say that a Ferrari's smiling face makes it look as though it is a 'simpleton', and say it should have been called 'Speciali Needs'?

Fuming on behalf of my ASD brother - luckily his obsessiond do not extend to Top Gear!

I agree with vetnursegirl. People with ASD are not "simpletons" - so there is no need to be fuming on his behalf!

Jeremy Clarkson does push it to the limit of what is acceptable....it's as if he's a child or teenager always pushing to see what he can get away with. And he gets away with quite a lot, because nobody wants to tell him off.

YANBU

He is a twonk but that's not news surely?

If the BBC can do whatever they did to Brand and Ross over singing a song about shagging a girl ( Brand was sacked and Ross suspended I think?), is it not reasonable to suppose that if enough people make a fuss about the Clarkson dimwit and his comments, he might also get told off? I would start a FB group or write a Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells letter on that basis alone. Hit him in the wallet the big eejit.

I think the only person who is a simpleton is Jeremy bloody Clarkson

People say this shit in RL all the time

I think getting angry at Jeremy Clarkson misses the real problem: It is our society that treats people with special needs with utter contempt.

We hear people do it every day. We are all part of it and all need to challenge people when they do it.......but doing a Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells at JC solves nothing.

Indeed smallwhitecat but they don't so you may have to communicate your outrage to them.

Do you mean the fella from Mock the Week? Frankie Boyle or Doyle?

JC comes accorss as rather simple to me somethimes.... at best an very overgrown schoolboy...

yanbu. completely agree with SWC.

The problem is I can choose not to have Top Gear on in our house, but if Clarkson's 'jokes' lead to the term special needs being used a playground insult, and make bullying seem cool, then it doesn't matter whether I personally have watched it for it to affect my family. We don't live in a bubble.

I agree Riven

Shows how deep the prejudice is against disabled people, it is so entrenched in our narrative.

Its sad.

I really really fancy JC so imo YABVVU

Maybe what he needs is a good woman to give him a good kick up the arse and turn him into a new man.
Those beer goggles must be rose-tinted.

Give em back I like my beer goggles It could be worse I could fancy James May....

He is very uncomfortable around women

Its the public school boy in him

i have a son with asd.

we both love top gear.
JC is an arse. i think he revels in his political incorrectness.

But on the whole i dont find hi offensive.

When you live with SN everyday you learn to let some things wash over you. otherwise you will spend your entire life angry and fighting the world.

I'd have James May before JC. I'd rather poke my eyes out with a wooden spoon before having either but still, anything other than JC.
And I say that having once had a sex dream about Gordon Ramsey, just to give you an idea of my obviously low standards.

I quite like top gear - oh the shame.

I'd contact Clarkson directly tbh. He consistently says stuff that is close to the edge about just about everyone and every group. He gets away with it because he's consistently outrageous.

However, he doesn't just dish it out - he will accept when he goes too far and will hold his hands up. He does also have the ability to take the piss put of himself so isn't threatened or surprised when people think he's a tosser. Don't complain to the BBC - complain to clarkson (via his agent maybe?) I actually think he might listen.

I remember him ranting in a newspaper column about people bring paranoid every time personal data discs were lost (was it child benefit that list them?). Anyway he published his bank account details to show how safe it was and how everyone was over reacting. His column the following week had to admit that someone
had used his bank details to give a donation to
Greenpeace. I snorted.

I missed the speciale joke. It probably wouldn't have particularly set off alarms with me - partly because Clarkson doesn't really single anyone out - although I agree it's a fine line that is often crossed - especially in relation to learning disabilities.

God ds1 would love to go on Top Gear. He wouldn't pay the slightest attention to the presenters but he'd love the cars. Clarkson should prove his decency towards people with LD's by taking ds1 for a spin round the track

seriously, bring it to his attention - send him this thread.

I told David baddiel when I thought he was being offensive about people with LD's.

'It could be worse I could fancy James May'

I married someone very like him...

MrsTurnip - did David Baddiel reply to you?