In my time as a blogger I have come in or some fairly serious criticism for being, of all things to accuse me of, “anti-American.” The irony is that here in the UK, due to my somewhat unusual accent in these parts, people often think I might be an American living here in the motherland for a while, lost on this little island searching for the safety of cable TV, fast food and somewhere to buy a pickup truck so I can… pick things up… because surely that is what one does with a pickup truck? My friends also enjoy making fun of me for being “so American” or worse than that, a “wannabe American.” It seems that I can’t ein either way.
I am, of course, not at all anti-American. For heavens sake I own a cowboy hat, a TiVO, and I love Starbucks! Well okay, I don’t love Starbucks, but the bit about the cowboy hat and TiVO were true. Heck TiVO even records NASCAR for me when it doesn’t clash with the seemingly unending amounts of CSI it constantly records.
With all that in mind then, perhaps you Americans will forgive me for laughing until there were tears in my eyes, at an episode of a popular British motoring TV show called ‘Top Gear’ that I have just finished watching.
The episode was actually shown on British TV last month. It followed the three presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, as they took a low budget road trip from Florida to Louisiana in September 2006.
The road trip episode is available, probably illegally, on YouTube. However, before any American watches this it is only fair to warn them that the presenting trio are famous for being somewhat snobby and gloriously un-pc. The humor (spelled without a U in the interest of anglo-American relations) is therefore, shall we say, “edgy” in parts, even perhaps NSFA (not safe for Americans).
Presented on YouTube in 7 parts (below) you will quickly find out that the trio had to buy a car each in Miami with just $1000 budget for each vehicle. They then put the vehicles to a series of amusing tests before embarking on the road trip itself.
In Alabama they’re instructed to decorate one another’s vehicles in such a way as to invite trouble. With the cars decorated with slogans like “Hillary for President”, “Country and Western is Rubbish”, and “Man love rules OK” the trio do indeed find themselves in trouble very quickly. In fact, I have to say that I was surprised how badly the production team underestimated what kind of trouble that might cause in an Alabama hick town.
There is also an amusing task of eating only roadkill. This leads to an entertaining moment where the trio ponder how to “peel” a cow which Jeremy Clarkson has found dead on the roadside.
All in all the program was, in this humble Englishman’s opinion, fantastically funny. Several times I laughed out loud. The road-trip comes to an end in New Orleans where they were supposed to sell their cars. However they decided to give them away because of the devastation that was still everywhere a year after Katrina.
As they drove through New Orleans looking at the vast scale of utter destruction still very much evident Clarkson asked. “How can the rest of America sleep at night knowing that this is here.” It was a question that I had asked myself some 6 months earlier when I spent time in Katrina ravaged Mississippi.
I’m not sure if there is any network in the States that shows ‘Top Gear’. But I’m interested in finding out what Americans make of this episode of the program that pokes a little fun at the big country.
Would Americans be offended or could they see the funny side? They surprised us by loving Borat, so perhaps I’m doing our American friends a disservice in even suggesting that this show would leave them hot under the collar. Maybe the British accent and playful pompous snobbery could raise a laugh. I just don’t know. But thanks to the wonder of YouTube, you Americans can watch it for yourself and share your opinions here.
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Wrote the following comment on Mar 13, 2007 at 6:24 am
hahahaha
Oh my! that was fun! Much more fun than doing the paperwork I am supposed to be completing here. *blush*
Those Good Ol’ Alabama boys really know how to party huh? Rock on!
*snort*
Wrote the following comment on Mar 13, 2007 at 1:29 pm
I think it actually aired in Feb, not November.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 13, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Simon, you watch NASCAR? I NEVER KNEW THERE WAS MORE TO YOU THAN THAT WONDERFUL BRITISH DRY WIT!!!! :) You closet redneck! Go ahead, put your hat on and give a hardy YEEHAW! You deserve it!! :)
BTW, whose your favorite driver?
Wrote the following comment on Mar 13, 2007 at 2:05 pm
That was hilarious! Especially the ride through Alabama. But, to be fair, I am sure a couple of smart alec American boys could ride around some of the dodgier places of London, or Birmingham, or whatever, with their Fiat painted with slogans that said things like “the Queen is my b*tch” or “Manchester United sucks my d*ck” or “Blair is Bush’s puppet” and very likely there would be a similar life threatening reaction from some of the locals.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 13, 2007 at 2:27 pm
WilVo, you are right, it was Feb. I think maybe the extent of my Americanisation is worse than I thought. I looked at the date 11/2/07 and somehow read that as the 2nd of November. Though in a moment of blondeness I failed to notice the year.
Darrell. Ricky Bobby is of course my favorite NASCAR driver.
I truth I am not a huge fan of NASCAR in the same way I am of Formula 1. But I’ll watch almost any kind of motor racing, and I enjoy the spectacle of NASCAR and the galmmed-up American coverage with the big earphoned commentators.
Now Anthony, though I agree with your point that it wouldn’t be hard for a guy to get beat up in England if he were similarly stupid, I doubt that painting “The Queen is a bitch” would really cause you to get rocks pelted at your car, and “Blair is Bush’s puppet” is the opinion of pretty much the entire nation I think. Heck, if bumper stickers were popular here THAT would be a bumper sticker.
“Manchester United suck my dick” however, well now that one would get you beat up in Manchester, but in Liverpool people would buy you beer for such a sentiment.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 13, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Top Gear is awesome. I had the distinct pleasure of being introduced to it by a friend who I stayed with in London last summer. I won’t be able to check this episode out til I get home from work, but I’m sure it’s good stuff.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 13, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Thanks for filling in the gaps of my cultural knowledge. I was actually wondering if the slogans I came up with would get the reaction I was thinking of. Oh well, I tried, and now I know. When I come to England and I am searching for free beer in Liverpool, I know what shirt to wear now.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 13, 2007 at 4:13 pm
It’s akin to saying “Yankee’s suck” in Boston Anthony.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 13, 2007 at 10:10 pm
This little exchange makes me wonder if our initial tendency when thinking about other people’s cultures is to relate to them as one uniform entity. Can I speak of a general British culture? Is not Great Britain comprised of many local cultures and subcultures with their own sensibilities and values? This would explain why I could wear an insulting Manchester United shirt in Liverpool and get free beer. Likewise, if those guys in the video drove their cars with the slogans in New York instead of Alabama, they probably would have recieved no reaction, or maybe recieved some affirmation instead. So, I will try to remember that just as he United States is comprised of many diverse and often contradictory subcultures, so too Great Britain.
That said, I must confess my surprise that if I wore a shirt that said “The Queen is my bitch” it wouldn’t get under somebody’s skin. I mean, I realize that many people in England may not particularly like the Queen, but still some visitor having the gall to show up and denigrate a national symbol of the place they are visiting has got to be asking for an ass kicking, if only because it is so in your face disrespectful. I mean such a shirt would have to be read by someone as a challenge to national pride.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 13, 2007 at 10:21 pm
I like you in your Cowboy hat.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 14, 2007 at 2:08 am
Anthony. In less than 40 miles from my house you would encounter 4 different accents! We are just like America, only squished into a tiny place where a square metre of our country is like a square mile of yours.
Insulting the Queen might upset people, but I think you might be more likely to get a stern talking to rather than an ass kicking. The kind of people who kick other peoples ass are more likely to do so over more important things to them, like footy.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 14, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Yesterday must have been “Top Gear Day”…my dad sent me this link to James hitting ridiculous speeds in a Bugatti. And I watched the roadtrip series, and it was hilarious. Lots of good Clarkson quotes like “Americans are fat, dumb, and rude” and “I’m convinced in parts of America people have starting mating with vegetables.” Classic.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 14, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Matt, You have got tocheck this clip out! The only depressing thing is that according to Clarkson, I am now a middle aged man :-(
Wrote the following comment on Mar 14, 2007 at 8:10 pm
All I have to say is, “I’m not peeling a squirrel.”
Wrote the following comment on Mar 14, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Looking for a way to upset people in Simon’s part of the UK? Ride the train a few stops north and when you get off yell SCALLY SCUM at the kids lurking about.
;-)
Wrote the following comment on Mar 14, 2007 at 9:05 pm
I just watched them all (had only time for the “if you only watch one, watch this” episode earlier). B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T!!! I’m weeping. Hysterical.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 14, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Well I am appy to see so many Americans enjoy the show for what it is. Good on you on!
Wrote the following comment on Mar 15, 2007 at 2:39 am
I WANT ONE!!! I just watched the episode of Top Gear about the Atom, and dear God I was twisted up with excitement watching that thing. What an absolutely incredible car. Of course, I would probably kill myself if I had one of this things, but still one can dream.
So, Simon, of you were to drive an atom would your face skin be flapping in the wind like the host of the program? Also, could you tell me what 20.000 L translates into American dollars. Finally, yes Simon you have joined us who are among the ranks of the middle age. But, stay in shape, try not to get too out of touch, and hardly anyone will notice. :-)
Wrote the following comment on Mar 15, 2007 at 2:51 am
£20,000 is equal to $38,604. However, you dollar is losing value all the time so by the time you’ve saved up it’ll be more expensive! :-)
Now, that Atom is an amazing car, BUT, what if it were electric… Find out.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 15, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Geez Simon… your accent is getting WORSE! You’re “appy” that so many Americans enjoy the show???? Just you wait Enry Iggins!
Wrote the following comment on Mar 15, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Nice video there in #13, Simon. “I am an alien! Either that or I’m John Merrick…” and “My epiglottis is full of bees!”
Oh, and the car is fun too!