Is this Cameron's Sepp Blatter moment?

[ahinton]

..er the only non credible element of that thinking ahinton is that Broon could engage in anything so cooperative and impossibly long term .... on the other hand if it involved any kind of denial or masking of his complicity he's yer man ....

Whilst I accept your point here, how I imagine the said cynic might interpret the way in which this could have come about is that a Tory would first have approached Broon with this idea and, since said idea was coming from a Tory, Broon would at first have refused to have anything to do with it, so the Tory would simply have passed some funds and/or other benefits to him and asked him to keep quiet about it/them and then Broon would have accepted it/them and carried on with the plan notwithstanding his ignorance of its significance and intent.

[french frank]

Those who live there would point out that Clarkson lives a good mile outside the town; and Cameron lives in Dean, which is a different place entirely (just follow the only perfectly tarmacked unclassified road in Oxfordshire and you can't miss it.)

Actually it was quite a good day for Chipping Norton - the Christmas lights were switched on!

I should have said 'the Chipping Norton Set' (a media cliché), referring also to the McMullan's revelations about the tumbling-haired ex-newspaper person (who possibly also lives somewhere else). I realised afterwards the chronology was erroneous since I was referring to the day I watched McMullan's evidence, not the day when the rest of the world heard it.

If I read Clarkson's motivation, his intention was not to (pretend to) pour scorn on the strikers, or have a laugh at their expense, but to create a good joke for himself and his friends when the protests flooded in. The BBC was complicit.

[Chris Newman]

We seem well and truly to have departed from all connections with David Cameron and Sepp Blatter here, do we not?...

I wondered when someone would notice that.

[french frank]

We seem well and truly to have departed from all connections with David Cameron and Sepp Blatter here, do we not?...

Have we? Wasn't the OP also about Clarkson and the BBC?

[Anna]

At midday it was announced the number of complaints had risen by 10,000 over the weekend, making a total of 31,000. The number of complaints immediately after the broadcast on the 1st was 100. Now, how many people who complained: a) saw the programme, b) have only read selected extracts of his remarks, c) have viewed the entire transmission or d) neither of the above but who don't like Clarkson and would gleefully see him get axed? N.B. I am not defended Clarkson I am merely commenting on the possible power of an organised Twitter campaign which could be a worrying trend for the BBC. This number of complaints is evidently a record, far much higher than the Ross/Brand affair

[Pilchardman]

This number of complaints is evidently a record, far much higher than the Ross/Brand affair

I thought that was itself above 30, 000?

[Anna]

I thought that was itself above 30,000?

Apologies if I'm wrong, I got those figures at lunchtime, can't remember, it was either The Guardian or The Telegraph.

[kernelbogey]

[...] how many people who complained: a) saw the programme, b) have only read selected extracts of his remarks, c) have viewed the entire transmission or d) neither of the above but who don't like Clarkson and would gleefully see him get axed?[...]

News reports online (e.g. The Guardian) quoted the remarks (including the 'balancing' remarks etc) in print and provided links to video, also including the 'balance' joke. I believe I heard an extract on the radio (possibly on R4 PM). This wasn't just (if at all) a 'Twitter campaign'.

In audio only it wasn't possible for me to perceive that the remarks about shooting the strikers were made in jest. In video, Clarkson's body language could be interpreted as 'ho ho I'm only joking', but I have to say he played it pretty straight. And note he said 'I'd have them all shot'.

Furthermore if you consider complaining and go to the BBC's complaints site, to which you are directed, you found a statement that there have been complaints about Clarkson's remarks, immediately followed by an easy to complete on line complaints form. In other words once the process has started the Beeb more or less provides a band wagon onto which you are invited to jump. QED.

[Lateralthinking1]

Another way of looking at it is that Unison accepted his apology before the weekend. Hence this is not in the slightest being union driven. It is a response from the general public.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

really Lat! how trusting of you ..... i should think all sorts of organisations are suggesting complaints although i am also sure that there are many outraged individuals out there as well ...

[Anna]

Another way of looking at it is that Unison accepted his apology before the weekend. Hence this is not in the slightest being union driven. It is a response from the general public.

Indeed it is Lat. But, my only query was why have the complaints suddenly escalated and whether there is a 'Get Clarkson' element behind it. Nothing more than that (personally I care neither if he stays or goes, he's obviously just some grammar school oik! (Oh, that was a joke)

But, this Twittering can have serious overtones (re the riots organised via Blackberry) and, the apparent awful child abuse case now in Kent where vigilantes were organised via social networking and proceded to cause criminal damage in some sort of collective outpouring of grief, rather like tieing a bunch of garage flowers to a lamp post for a road victim you have no knowledge of and pre-judging the situation merely because you want to take part in some sort of group hug and an emotional experience. Sorry, going off topic

[Chris Newman]

Another way of looking at it is that Unison accepted his apology before the weekend. Hence this is not in the slightest being union driven. It is a response from the general public.

I would agree. More people are seeing things in a post-2008 light. For years in pub banter I have expressed my dislike for Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson's views, etc. on the basis of my long-held environmental beliefs, believing that the programme and its main presenter set unacceptable examples in a world where over-frivolous use of natural resources is not morally correct and indeed often encouraging dangerous driving. I find the programme as childish as some of those weird Japanese television game shows. I was always pooh-poohed by friends as being out of touch and unrealistic. Suddenly, I discover I am not so alone after all. Those who heard his comments on the radio rather than watched it on television clearly took his apparent humour seriously.

I still do not know why James Cameron leapt so quickly to Clarkson's defence. He appears to have done this before most of the issue has blown over and as I suggested in the thread title left himself open to criticism. He was lucky that he was ignored as Clarkson took most of the flack.

[Lateralthinking1]

Anna and Calum - Fair points. Ish.

Personally, I don't understand Twitter. I can read on the internet what is happening to a celeb but it is never clear to me who is doing the saying - the celeb or the follower. I wouldn't know how to have my own Twitter profile or even know how to Tweet.

YouTube has apparently changed radically to much upset but I still seem to be able to type in "Nigerian music of the 1970s" and get the same videos. I'm happy enough with it. As for Facebook, I keep getting locked out followed immediately by an invitation to join. I then follow the process and it says something like "you are not who you are" or "a warm welcome" followed by "duplicate account - no access permitted". I've given up.

Clearly I now have a lower IQ than the so-called feral underclass but I can still see trees and a bit of lawn. I feel mainly that is all I need.

Chris - To be serious, I completely agree with you.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

and dvd sales are ....

[Serial_Apologist]

Indeed it is Lat. But, my only query was why have the complaints suddenly escalated and whether there is a 'Get Clarkson' element behind it. Nothing more than that (personally I care neither if he stays or goes, he's obviously just some grammar school oik! (Oh, that was a joke)

But, this Twittering can have serious overtones (re the riots organised via Blackberry) and, the apparent awful child abuse case now in Kent where vigilantes were organised via social networking and proceded to cause criminal damage in some sort of collective outpouring of grief, rather like tieing a bunch of garage flowers to a lamp post for a road victim you have no knowledge of and pre-judging the situation merely because you want to take part in some sort of group hug and an emotional experience. Sorry, going off topic

Ah, so that's the reason I haven't been hugged for the past six months.

(btw what Kent event was it you were referring to Anna?)