Monbiot on Top Gear
Discussion
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbio...
"The issue is made all the more potent by the fact that Top Gear has a political agenda. It's a mouthpiece for an extreme form of libertarianism and individualism. It derides attempts to protect the environment, and promotes the kind of driving that threatens other people's peace and other people's lives. It often creates the impression that the rules and restraints which seek to protect us from each other are there to be broken."
oh good god, it's only entertainment!
(it also shows supercars being driven sideways, when if the average owner tried that, he'd be backwards in a hedge before you could say "dab of oppo". And even if the section on electric cars was staged, so what, they concluded that the cars tested were expensive, had a poor range, and were likely to require some sort of expensive battery replacement at some point. (all of which points would stand up in a court of law compared so say a similarly priced BMW 320d for example).
Please, lets not have TV return to just showing the facts, i can look outside the window for that. I want my TV to be entertaining and thought provoking, and yes, guess what, sometimes they are going to slightly "distort" the truth to make the program more watchable.......
i really hope i never get stuck in a lift, or sat on a train next to Monbiot. Now that would be something to complain about ;-)
(and also demonstrates why "environmentalist" cannot ever compromise, no, they want total control otherwise you're killing their children!)
(it also shows supercars being driven sideways, when if the average owner tried that, he'd be backwards in a hedge before you could say "dab of oppo". And even if the section on electric cars was staged, so what, they concluded that the cars tested were expensive, had a poor range, and were likely to require some sort of expensive battery replacement at some point. (all of which points would stand up in a court of law compared so say a similarly priced BMW 320d for example).
Please, lets not have TV return to just showing the facts, i can look outside the window for that. I want my TV to be entertaining and thought provoking, and yes, guess what, sometimes they are going to slightly "distort" the truth to make the program more watchable.......
i really hope i never get stuck in a lift, or sat on a train next to Monbiot. Now that would be something to complain about ;-)
(and also demonstrates why "environmentalist" cannot ever compromise, no, they want total control otherwise you're killing their children!)
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 6th August 15:52
car crazy said:
When i read the thread title i thought you mean't he was the star in the car this sunday
i did too.

that guy is such an idiot, topgear does not have a political agenda and doesnt make me want to drive to endanger peoples lives, however if i see this man crossing the road my foot may slip on the throttle.

well if i had the balls
C2james said:
car crazy said:
When i read the thread title i thought you mean't he was the star in the car this sunday
i did too.

that guy is such an idiot, topgear does not have a political agenda and doesnt make me want to drive to endanger peoples lives, however if i see this man crossing the road my foot may slip on the throttle.

well if i had the balls
k about how oppressed they are 
His militant approach of 'if you disagree with anything entitled Green then you're a baby killing planet destroyer' is indicitive of the communistical approach people like him have. Environmentalism of this variety, the type which seeks to supress any evidence which may provide any balance or a counter argument and ridicules anybody who doesnt agree is, in my opinion the modern slightly cooler version of communism.
I probably didnt explain what i meant very well there but hopefully somebody got it! LOL!
I probably didnt explain what i meant very well there but hopefully somebody got it! LOL!
"The issue is made all the more potent by the fact that George Monbiot has a political agenda. He's a mouthpiece for an extreme form of enviro-socialism and ecomentalism. He derides attempts to protect personal freedoms, and promotes the kind of bad science that threatens other people's ability to ascertain facts rather than opinion and thus, other people's lives. He often creates the impression that the freedoms and responsibilities which seek to define us from each other are there to be removed."
martin84 said:
Why would somebody who isnt interested in cars, purposely watch a program he doesnt like to then waste his time writing about said program he doesnt like? I mean seriously doesnt this guy have anything better to do?
Ok stupid queston i admit.
He's obviously run out of falsified "science" to peddle in his column.Ok stupid queston i admit.
The guy is an utter bell-end who likes the sound of his own voice far too much.
If he's that worried about saving a carbon, why doesn't he try holding his breath for long periods of time? The t
t.Oh, if you're reading again George, I think you're a grade 1, class A cock socket.
Now put that in your leftist comedy rag.
martin84 said:
Why would somebody who isnt interested in cars, purposely watch a program he doesnt like to then waste his time writing about said program he doesnt like? I mean seriously doesnt this guy have anything better to do?
Ok stupid queston i admit.
There are a lot of phers who watch top gear just to come on here and slag it offOk stupid queston i admit.

Whatever your opinion of The Guardian/Monbiot - he has a point IMO.
I watch TG as entertainment and I enjoy it although I think the formula is getting a bit worn...
The problem is that it does often attempt to present 'facts' and give 'opinions' which are based on staged/faked or otherwise tampered-with 'testing'.
Whenever this occurs, they hide behind "oh we're just offering entertainment" argument (the same argument bigots use when they tell racist jokes, really).
It's clear that, in particular, Clarkson seems to think that's not just a TV presenter but a "motoring journalist" - and that changes things because journalists deal with facts and objective opinion - and entertainment TV presenters do not.
We all know the BBC isn't exactly a stranger to the concept of wrapping political agendas inside programming and TG is MASSIVELY popular and syndicated worldwide and so it's a valuable delivery mechanism (witness the number of people who talk about TG and often believe every word it tells them!)
I'd personally be a happier if they just concentrated on the 'cocking around' and stopped trying to offer serious buying advice or commentary on issues of importance.
Anything above and beyond getting across the channel in a pickup-truck or buying a cheap luxobarge and discovering it's eaten your kids inheritance isn't required, really - and if they want to be 'journalists' I suggest a chance of job entirely...
I watch TG as entertainment and I enjoy it although I think the formula is getting a bit worn...
The problem is that it does often attempt to present 'facts' and give 'opinions' which are based on staged/faked or otherwise tampered-with 'testing'.
Whenever this occurs, they hide behind "oh we're just offering entertainment" argument (the same argument bigots use when they tell racist jokes, really).
It's clear that, in particular, Clarkson seems to think that's not just a TV presenter but a "motoring journalist" - and that changes things because journalists deal with facts and objective opinion - and entertainment TV presenters do not.
We all know the BBC isn't exactly a stranger to the concept of wrapping political agendas inside programming and TG is MASSIVELY popular and syndicated worldwide and so it's a valuable delivery mechanism (witness the number of people who talk about TG and often believe every word it tells them!)
I'd personally be a happier if they just concentrated on the 'cocking around' and stopped trying to offer serious buying advice or commentary on issues of importance.
Anything above and beyond getting across the channel in a pickup-truck or buying a cheap luxobarge and discovering it's eaten your kids inheritance isn't required, really - and if they want to be 'journalists' I suggest a chance of job entirely...
Edited by johnpeat on Saturday 6th August 17:04
Irrespective of whether Monbiot may have a 'point'. We watch Top Gear for fun and normal people dont take it too seriously. And nor do the trio presenting it take themselves too seriously either. The fact is Monbiot hates cars and personal mobility and freedom, and if it wasnt Top Gear it'd be a different show or anything which goes against his personal beliefs. No doubt next week he'll find something else he thinks 'corrupts' the public in some way and claim it should be removed. What Monbiot wants is a return to the dark ages with virtually no travel, i recall the Guardian's green blog once said 'the only Green journey is the one which is never made' and until he gets that he wont shut up.
martin84 said:
Irrespective of whether Monbiot may have a 'point'. We watch Top Gear for fun and normal people dont take it too seriously. And nor do the trio presenting it take themselves too seriously either. The fact is Monbiot hates cars and personal mobility and freedom, and if it wasnt Top Gear it'd be a different show or anything which goes against his personal beliefs. No doubt next week he'll find something else he thinks 'corrupts' the public in some way and claim it should be removed. What Monbiot wants is a return to the dark ages with virtually no travel, i recall the Guardian's green blog once said 'the only Green journey is the one which is never made' and until he gets that he wont shut up.
YOU watch it for fun perhaps but I've no idea what 'normal people' are and I suspect neither do you so I fail to see how you could have any idea how they 'take it'.You clearly have an agenda with Monbiot and seem unable to engage in discussion of the issue without that tainting your view - that's your problem but you're sidetracking the issue.
End of the day, TG blurs the line between entertainment and fact and that's really not a good thing - regardless of who points it out and whether they're guilty of the same thing or not.
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