Monday 1 August 2011

Conflict on this weeks Top Gear - no clear message?

Whilst watching tonight's Top Gear, I was not surprised but disappointed to see them parking in disabled bays. I know why they did it; because it provided a clear frame and looked good on camera. Additionally, there were empty bays at the time of shooting so visitors could still park. However, what disappointed me is the message they're sending out to their viewers, too many disabled drivers and passengers struggle daily to find accessible parking spaces and in too many instances do we come across people who are "just nipping in for 5 minutes" and prevent us from parking and getting on with our day.

Top Gear's audience demographic centres on 16 - 32 male viewers who tend to be easily influenced, subliminally more so. Seeing presenters and celebrities that they admire, going ahead and parking in these spaces makes it socially and culturally acceptable. This is never going to improve so long as shows like Top Gear carry on this sort of behavior.

Clarkson and May park their cars in disabled bays





Whats almost comical and definitely in direct conflict with their earlier actions is their piece on amputee Veterans who are competing in off road racing. These are the same people who will later go onto struggle with finding the very same spaces the presenters parked in. They were quick enough to praise the soldiers and how they're overcoming their disabilities and quite right too. But they're earlier influencing of the public's relationship to disabled people and the lack of respect and appreciation for the needs of those same people is only going to make those soldiers lives even more difficult, after promoting the support they need.

The BBC should reign Top Gear in over this hypocrisy, behaving one way because it suits them and then playing up the populist pro-veteran card whilst its respectfulness is in stark contrast with what they did previously.

3 comments:

  1. Well spotted Greg, you are quite right to highlight this, it would be interesting to hear what Mr. J. Clarkson has to say on the issue.

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  2. Yes I think so too. I might write a complaint to the BBC and see what they have to say. Any response will probably consist of the normal "we're taking everything into account and all efforts have been made".

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  3. why complain... oh right yeah because the PM is going to see it and shed a tear. your not going to change anything. i park against the law all the time and dispute every case. fuck disabled people, i can park where i want xx

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