The facts: bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-32083181
The physical component lasted 30 seconds. The apparent argument no doubt lasted longer.
I don’t condone this kind of behavior and I agree that BBC did the right thing. However, pretty much any of us could find ourselves in a similar situation if someone pushed the right buttons when we’re having a bad day… … and of course there would be hell to pay. Such is life.
^
One of the accounts that I read on a UK website stated that Clarkson ranted at the producer for 20 minutes before punching him.
The irony of the whole situation is that the producer is likely either going to be out of a job now, or at least work on a less lucrative project in the future if Top Gear folds.
BBC could likely have apologized, sent Clarkson to “Anger Management” or similar, and the extra publicity and controversy would have nearly ensured that the show got even more popular and earned even more revenue.
Which makes BBC’s decision to take the high road and actually do what is right even more remarkable. I’m willing to bet that NBC, etc. wouldn’t do the same.
Which makes BBC's decision to take the high road and actually do what is right even more remarkable. I'm willing to bet that NBC, etc. wouldn't do the same.
Since NBC is in the US…I suspect they definitely would have fired him…otherwise if he ever did it again they could be sued for MILLIONS. Not too sure about England. Believe it or not and employer is REQUIRED to provide a safe work environment for their employees. Many small companies have been sued out of existence for NOT providing a safe work environment.
@MikeInNH: Since no charges were pressed and no one was seriously harmed, it’s hard to see what long-term effects would be experienced except more revenue if they handled the PR right. A lot of people have taken a poke at a coworker and it’s been shuffled under the rug.
I am not disagreeing with the safe workplace requirement. I would not want to work in a place where telling someone something they don’t want to hear might result in mayhem.
Things like this have happened over the years with celebrities, politicians, etc. And a lot of them have been made to “go away” with little or no repercussions. I still think it is rare that a corporation takes the moral high road over revenue. Although this was hardly the first incident with Clarkson–if it was, I’ll bet it would have been hushed up.
“Believe it or not and employer is REQUIRED to provide a safe work environment for their employees.”
+1
And…if an employee does something actionable or illegal while at the workplace, it is possible to hold the employer responsible under the legal principle of Respondeat Superior, which essentially makes a supervisor and/or the company “answerable” for the acts of an underling. (Example: If a doctor or a nurse administers the wrong drug to a patient and the patient dies or suffers an injury, lawsuits can be successful against the hospital, as well as the employee who administered the wrong drug.)
While I can’t speak specifically to the law in The UK, since our code of laws is essentially an evolvement of English law, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Respondeat Superior also applies in the UK.
However, since the incident in question took place at a hotel, and–presumably–after work hours, I am not sure if this legal principle would apply.
I have regularly watched nearly all car programs on TV but could only stomach 2 episodes of Clarkson. He’s an oaf and would never be allowed on Motor Week. If Bill O’Reilly started hosting a car program it would be more civilized than Top Gear with Clarkson.
The popularity of the show has always mystified me. If I was shopping for a new car it’s the last show I would watch.
Hopefully the show will be kept on with more civilized hosts.
@Docnick The point of the show is entertainment, it’s not really a show that you would get useful consumer advice from. It’s definitely not like Motorweek… The old Top Gear (1977-2001) and later 5th Gear were more consumer-oriented than the current incarnation of Top Gear.
Top Gear’s most valuable asset was it’s hosts and their chemistry. Take that away and you’re not left with much. Without them, the show will not do nearly as well.
Top Gear is from the land that also brings us football hoolighans. The on air personality of Clarkson is not surprising through that lens.
“Top Gear is from the land that also brings us football hoolighans.”
That is true, but educated Brits detest and decry the actions of those football hooligans.
That extremely rowdy group is essentially an embarrassment to most Brits.
…like people in the USA have never gone on a rampage of vandalism and bad behavior and partially torn up their city when “their” sports team has lost… or even won.
^
Yup!
“Fan” is most likely just a contraction of…fanatic…
Wow so many comments. The guy was paid something like 1.5 million a year. Not sure if thats pounds or dollars but money isn’t a problem for him. For the BBC though, losing 75 mil might mean that they need to increase their TV license fees. They actually have trucks that drive around Briton checking on who has their TVs turned on but doesn’t have the required license.
I don’t condone the violence but for all the other offenses leading up to this, I think people just need to chill out a little. We have raised a whole generation where we simply cannot be offended. Getting punched is one thing, but we should learn to be offended once in a while. Use the wrong word that was maybe in common usage growing up and careers end. It should instead lead to a discussion.
"They actually have trucks that drive around Briton checking on who has their TVs turned on but doesn’t have the required license. "
They have the same thing in Germany. At least they did, when I left, in 1999
It wasn’t a flat fee, but based on the number of radios and televisions which you reported
I actually remember seeing these guys drive around in the truck, but I’m not sure what technology they were using to determine if a radio or television was in use. I presume they determined a radio/television was in use, then crosschecked that address with a list. And if those guys can show that John Doe was using a television, but hadn’t paid a usage fee . . .
I don’t know what the consequences were, because I actually did report my 1 television and 1 radio. I don’t recall an astronomical fee, so it must have been somewhat reasonable
@db4690: In parts of Europe they used to (in the moldy old days of vacuum tubes) charge taxes based on the number of tubes a radio set had. (Which they call “valves” in Europe) This led to the first “integrated circuits” which were multiple tubes, components, etc. all in one glass envelope to skirt the tax. electricstuff.co.uk/loewe.html
Re. Clarkson, I doubt he will be hurting for cash, but I’ll bet it will sting a bit to not automatically be able to drive and abuse cutting edge cars for free pretty much whenever he wants, and to travel to exotic locations and do so on BBC’s dime.
^
…and, as I said previously, perhaps this incident and its fallout will act as a wake-up call for somebody who has some obvious health problems that need to be attended to.
Clarkson may just wind up lengthening his lifespan if he can “clean up his act”.
A television emits electromagnetic energy that can be picked up by a sensitive directional antenna. If someone can pick up the signal, they know the TV is in use. The TV police can likely even determine what channel you are watching.
^That’s it–I’m wrapping the house in aluminum foil!
(Yesterday, I made a Faraday cage for my phone out of aluminum foil. My stepson thought it was pretty cool how my phone went straight to voicemail when he then called it…)
P.S. cordless phones broadcast on FM frequencies…or at least they used to. I thought I was pretty trick as a kid when I could eavesdrop on my parents’ phone calls!
@meanjoe75fan: Well, those tinfoil hats that paranoid people wear probably work… But none of the paranoids I surveyed responded, and on follow up, I discovered that several had suddenly moved out of state with no forwarding address.
But none of the paranoids I surveyed responded, and on follow up, I discovered that several had suddenly moved out of state with no forwarding address.
WHY are YOU tracking me ?!?!? (At least you didn’t catch on that I moved into the van down by the river!)
P.S. Shiny side out, or you’re just wasting your time…