There is currently a controversy in the UK surrounding comments made by Jeremy Clarkson, presenter of the tv show Top Gear. I won’t repeat them here – I think they were in bad taste and it depends upon how far you think the person behind a poorly-considered joke should be punished when gauging the outcome – suffice to say they have attracted over 21,000 complaints to the BBC, who broadcast them.
I’m not the first to post the follow video in response and I won’t be the last. But Stewart Lee’s brilliant, edgy response to Clarkson and his approach captures what this kind of comedy means and the distinction between fiction and reality (it’s potentially offensive and not suitable for work).
It reminds me a little of using ‘LOL’ or a smiley face in online posts. You can more or less say what you want, as long as you suffix it with 🙂