Top Gear

[Oli 1]

I see your point but I think you are making too much of a generalisation. I think political correctness has gone a little over board but I do think Ross and Brand were out of order. They forgot the line between decency and comdey. Brand is a sensationalist so such thigs are expected, if not always welcome. But Ross is a 48 year old family man who should know better. He's been approaching the edge for sometime and has stepped over. He shouldn't go in my opinion because he's good despite his ridiculous salary. I hope this gives him a reality check. If it doesn't, then he should go.

I think people have got the whole issue confused anyway. Many younger people are upset about Brand and Ross coming under such fire because they perceive the incident as one where the word 'f*ck' was used. What's the problem with that? Everyone says it these days. But this is to miss the point. Andrew Sachs was severely dissrepected by their behaviour. It was distasteful in the extreme.

Also, the controller of Radio 2 should have stayed, the individual responsible for letting this be aired should be sacked.

You are right though; there are a big bunch of bigots who roam the land bitching about this sort of stuff only to make incredibly stupid racist remarks.

Not sure how much of that I agree with, and I am sick this morning so I'm not going to try and engage my brain.

To be continued.

[monza gorilla 1]

You are northamptonshire/buckinghamshire's answer to James May, aren't you?

That position is already taken, thank you.

[Max Mosley 2]

I am sick this morning so I'm not going to try and engage my brain.

Was it Ross or Brand who gave you that line?

Well, I actually agree more or less. Ross & Brand might have gone over the top given they work at the BBC, I'm not sure - certainly it doesn't seem appropriate for Radio 2 - but plenty of folk make more offensive jokes with impunity. Earlier on I was listening to Eminem parodying Christopher Reeves, who had recently said Eminem's lyrics were unacceptable: ''I won't stand for this, and Chris-Stiffer-Reeves won't sit for this neither''. It's an extreme example but I do think most jokes can be hurtful to someone, if they take them the wrong way. Personally I try not to make jokes that might be too hurtful but they are pretty pervasive if you think about it.

The hilarious thing about political correctness is that it's always hypocritical. As you say, this hullabaloo about Ross & Brand is the only thing to have knocked racist stereotypes about immigrants off the front page of the Mail for years. The BBC is doing a public service and setting the agenda. It also seems to me that the fuss is sexist because if a woman joked about sleeping with Brand no one would care; it's also sexist because it buys into the idea that Sachs has a right to be offended by his granddaughter having a sexlife; and it's ironic (I should know) that Sachs is a national treasure only for parodying the Spanish so brilliantly.

Perhaps I'm being daft about this again. Wouldn't be the first time.

[dribbler 6]

Odd, isn't it. I found the incident to be distateful. I can say that honestly and having listened on Youtube before all the hype. And yet a friend of mine told me about one of the jokes that Frankie Boyle couldn't get aired on Mock The Week but made reference to during his live act at Bedford (could you confirm please, Russ?). It's sick in isolation, yet ridiculously funny too. I'm being careful here because I appreciate the sensitive nature of the joke. I think I'm laughing at the shocking nature of Boyle but I'm not sickened because I know he has a little girl and he's seeing just how far we can open our minds. Can we laugh at this without suggesting we condone the act that is proportedly associated with it? Yes, sane world, I think we can;

Things Not To Say At A Dinner Party,

"If we're all here, where's Madeline?"

[Max Mosley 2]

Frankie Boyle was said by the Guardian to be the most offensive comedian in Britain last week - great publicity for him no doubt. I think the Mail brought up one of his other jokes as another example of the Beeb's

. Anyway, I do agree with you that the Sachs joke was a little distasteful tbh.

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer 4]

I think the biggest crime is that Brand is simply not funny... got sick of seeing his stupid grinning chops on every other programme/film/ad....

[Oli 1]

Odd, isn't it. I found the incident to be distateful. I can say that honestly and having listened on Youtube before all the hype. And yet a friend of mine told me about one of the jokes that Frankie Boyle couldn't get aired on Mock The Week but made reference to during his live act at Bedford (could you confirm please, Russ?). It's sick in isolation, yet ridiculously funny too. I'm being careful here because I appreciate the sensitive nature of the joke. I think I'm laughing at the shocking nature of Boyle but I'm not sickened because I know he has a little girl and he's seeing just how far we can open our minds. Can we laugh at this without suggesting we condone the act that is proportedly associated with it? Yes, sane world, I think we can;

Things Not To Say At A Dinner Party,

"If we're all here, where's Madeline?"

It frankly sickens me that you had to put such a preamble in for such a bland joke. But then I am a proud member of this Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2341822074

The issue seems to be that the BBC is responsible to its licence payers. It really seems to be about time the licence fee was abolished and the BBC became ad-funded. It no longer has any editorial control or freedom of speech. The bland programming it's forced to churn out to satisfy those who crave mediocrity is not serving the BBC's original aims.

Right now it's riding on its reputation. But that's not going to last forever.

[Oli 1]

I think the biggest crime is that Brand is simply not funny... got sick of seeing his stupid grinning chops on every other programme/film/ad....

Out of interest, who are your favourite comedians?

I'd agree with those who say Jonathan Ross isn't funny, and those who believe Brand is horrendously over-exposed. When he's on form though, he's very good indeed.

[monza gorilla 1]

And yet a friend of mine told me about one of the jokes that Frankie Boyle couldn't get aired on Mock The Week but made reference to during his live act at Bedford (could you confirm please, Russ?).

Confirmed. And bloody hilarious. And totally unbroadcastable.

Ross is an oxygen thief. Brand has a future. In d#ckens adaptations.

Edit: Gah!! Can't even type d#ckens without the typing police interfering. That's D!ckens. D1ckens. Dlckens. B@stards.

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer 4]

Out of interest, who are your favourite comedians?

Maure of course

Jimmy Carr, Dara O'Briain, Morecambe & Wise, Ronnie Barker, Bill Bailey (who was born in the same town as me).

Used to like Eddie Izzard (saw him live several times) but he lost his mojo once he got into films and Billy Connolly (a few years ago), but he has just become a bit of a grumpy old man now.

[Oli 1]

Maure recycles a lot of his material I find.......

[mikathegreat2 2]

I think the biggest crime is that Brand is simply not funny... got sick of seeing his stupid grinning chops on every other programme/film/ad....

He also has a bad taste in clothes!

[dribbler 6]

Edit: Gah!! Can't even type d#ckens without the typing police interfering. That's D!ckens. D1ckens. Dlckens. B@stards.

****ing funny.