Is Chris Harris an 'a' hole
Discussion
I’m interested in why higher driving ability is seen as a key skill these days. A lot of posters on here have pointed to that as a reason why they like CH above others.
I’m not really bothered if someone can chuck a GR Yaris or an SF90 around a track sideways, i’d rather they convey the representative driving that all of us do for 99% of our ownership. As long as they can talk about driving a car on a public road in different conditions and can show some semblance of ability, which most of us surely have, then the content and how they present is the main driver for me. I like CH, but not because i see him as a good driver or a better driver than say Prior or Catchpole. I just like his presenting style.
The fact he wants to slag off influencers is disappointing, people are earning a living and clearly enough people like to watch it. I agree a lot of them are dullards but you don’t need to say that if you’re a public figure like CH - just do what you do and people will respect that. I guess people like Shmee and STG deserve a bit of stick but they don’t present themselves as car reviewers, but JayEmm and Joe Achilles as examples are actually doing a decent job of just presenting a car and how it drives.
I’m not really bothered if someone can chuck a GR Yaris or an SF90 around a track sideways, i’d rather they convey the representative driving that all of us do for 99% of our ownership. As long as they can talk about driving a car on a public road in different conditions and can show some semblance of ability, which most of us surely have, then the content and how they present is the main driver for me. I like CH, but not because i see him as a good driver or a better driver than say Prior or Catchpole. I just like his presenting style.
The fact he wants to slag off influencers is disappointing, people are earning a living and clearly enough people like to watch it. I agree a lot of them are dullards but you don’t need to say that if you’re a public figure like CH - just do what you do and people will respect that. I guess people like Shmee and STG deserve a bit of stick but they don’t present themselves as car reviewers, but JayEmm and Joe Achilles as examples are actually doing a decent job of just presenting a car and how it drives.
PlywoodPascal said:
bristolbaron said:
We’re all a bit of an A hole in our own ways,
I’m more of a bellend than an a
hole I think.The difference is an a
hole is just nasty, maybe even without regret, whereas a bellend is a nice person who sometimes does stupid or inconsiderate things but will see the wrong and apologise. k all the time without thinking it through. But then you got your assholes. And all the assholes want is to st all over everything. So pussies may get mad at dicks once in a while, because pussies get fked by dicks. But dicks also fk assholes! And if they didn't fk the assholes, you know what you'd get? You'd get your dick and your pussy all covered in st!Jefferson Steelflex said:
I’m interested in why higher driving ability is seen as a key skill these days. A lot of posters on here have pointed to that as a reason why they like CH above others.
I’m not really bothered if someone can chuck a GR Yaris or an SF90 around a track sideways, i’d rather they convey the representative driving that all of us do for 99% of our ownership. As long as they can talk about driving a car on a public road in different conditions and can show some semblance of ability, which most of us surely have, then the content and how they present is the main driver for me. I like CH, but not because i see him as a good driver or a better driver than say Prior or Catchpole. I just like his presenting style.
The fact he wants to slag off influencers is disappointing, people are earning a living and clearly enough people like to watch it. I agree a lot of them are dullards but you don’t need to say that if you’re a public figure like CH - just do what you do and people will respect that. I guess people like Shmee and STG deserve a bit of stick but they don’t present themselves as car reviewers, but JayEmm and Joe Achilles as examples are actually doing a decent job of just presenting a car and how it drives.
I think having some earned driving ability shows an interest in cars beyond simply wanting to get further up the waiting list for the latest toy daddy is going to fund.I’m not really bothered if someone can chuck a GR Yaris or an SF90 around a track sideways, i’d rather they convey the representative driving that all of us do for 99% of our ownership. As long as they can talk about driving a car on a public road in different conditions and can show some semblance of ability, which most of us surely have, then the content and how they present is the main driver for me. I like CH, but not because i see him as a good driver or a better driver than say Prior or Catchpole. I just like his presenting style.
The fact he wants to slag off influencers is disappointing, people are earning a living and clearly enough people like to watch it. I agree a lot of them are dullards but you don’t need to say that if you’re a public figure like CH - just do what you do and people will respect that. I guess people like Shmee and STG deserve a bit of stick but they don’t present themselves as car reviewers, but JayEmm and Joe Achilles as examples are actually doing a decent job of just presenting a car and how it drives.
I always liked his "Chris Harris Drives" content pre-Top Gear. When he landed the TG gig he was clearly asked to play a role where he was the butt of the jokes and would be the Beta to the other two.
He was completely different and back to his usual self on Top Gear's YouTube-only content.
I always thought that Chris Harris and Rory Reid could have formed a decent partnership had the BBC given them a bit of leeway.
But is Chris Harris an ahole? Possibly at times but then that's true of most of us.
He was completely different and back to his usual self on Top Gear's YouTube-only content.
I always thought that Chris Harris and Rory Reid could have formed a decent partnership had the BBC given them a bit of leeway.
But is Chris Harris an a
hole? Possibly at times but then that's true of most of us.We are lucky to have Chris Harris. I suspect like any normal bloke he doesn't enjoy wider fame which the TG job gave him. He has shared a chunk of his personal life with the world and he's done that in a considered way. Yep he is wealthier than most but also he's clearly not rich rich. His autobiographical book explains it all and was to me a very touching read.
I like him. He's very honest. He's my age and he fully admits to being a grumpy middle aged man at times. He isn't vain in the slightest. It must be hard not to let the public into your life and thereby invite some of them to be critical, snippy or rude about you and your life. I wouldn't like it.
CH adds pleasure to my life and costs me nothing. I'd buy him a beer for that.
I like him. He's very honest. He's my age and he fully admits to being a grumpy middle aged man at times. He isn't vain in the slightest. It must be hard not to let the public into your life and thereby invite some of them to be critical, snippy or rude about you and your life. I wouldn't like it.
CH adds pleasure to my life and costs me nothing. I'd buy him a beer for that.
Honeywell said:
We are lucky to have Chris Harris. I suspect like any normal bloke he doesn't enjoy wider fame which the TG job gave him. He has shared a chunk of his personal life with the world and he's done that in a considered way. Yep he is wealthier than most but also he's clearly not rich rich. His autobiographical book explains it all and was to me a very touching read.
I like him. He's very honest. He's my age and he fully admits to being a grumpy middle aged man at times. He isn't vain in the slightest. It must be hard not to let the public into your life and thereby invite some of them to be critical, snippy or rude about you and your life. I wouldn't like it.
CH adds pleasure to my life and costs me nothing. I'd buy him a beer for that.
Completely agree.I like him. He's very honest. He's my age and he fully admits to being a grumpy middle aged man at times. He isn't vain in the slightest. It must be hard not to let the public into your life and thereby invite some of them to be critical, snippy or rude about you and your life. I wouldn't like it.
CH adds pleasure to my life and costs me nothing. I'd buy him a beer for that.
Honeywell said:
We are lucky to have Chris Harris. I suspect like any normal bloke he doesn't enjoy wider fame which the TG job gave him. He has shared a chunk of his personal life with the world and he's done that in a considered way. Yep he is wealthier than most but also he's clearly not rich rich. His autobiographical book explains it all and was to me a very touching read.
I like him. He's very honest. He's my age and he fully admits to being a grumpy middle aged man at times. He isn't vain in the slightest. It must be hard not to let the public into your life and thereby invite some of them to be critical, snippy or rude about you and your life. I wouldn't like it.
CH adds pleasure to my life and costs me nothing. I'd buy him a beer for that.
Well saidI like him. He's very honest. He's my age and he fully admits to being a grumpy middle aged man at times. He isn't vain in the slightest. It must be hard not to let the public into your life and thereby invite some of them to be critical, snippy or rude about you and your life. I wouldn't like it.
CH adds pleasure to my life and costs me nothing. I'd buy him a beer for that.
I suspect Chris Harris would be the first to admit that he can be an a-hole. It's part of his schtick. He did a series of deliberately provocative pieces where he attacked some sacred cow (the MX-5 springs to mind). He pissed Ferrari off by blowing the whistle on their shenanigans, which wasn't him being an a-hole, but is indicative of an attitude of not being afraid to speak his mind even when it upsets people.
I think that sort of a-hole facility is essential for any serious journalist. Summed up by the Philip Seymour Hoffman line from "Almost Famous" of "My advice to you. I know you think those guys are your friends. You wanna be a true friend to them? Be honest, and unmerciful".
I think that sort of a-hole facility is essential for any serious journalist. Summed up by the Philip Seymour Hoffman line from "Almost Famous" of "My advice to you. I know you think those guys are your friends. You wanna be a true friend to them? Be honest, and unmerciful".
Honeywell said:
We are lucky to have Chris Harris. I suspect like any normal bloke he doesn't enjoy wider fame which the TG job gave him. He has shared a chunk of his personal life with the world and he's done that in a considered way. Yep he is wealthier than most but also he's clearly not rich rich. His autobiographical book explains it all and was to me a very touching read.
I like him. He's very honest. He's my age and he fully admits to being a grumpy middle aged man at times. He isn't vain in the slightest. It must be hard not to let the public into your life and thereby invite some of them to be critical, snippy or rude about you and your life. I wouldn't like it.
CH adds pleasure to my life and costs me nothing. I'd buy him a beer for that.
Same, he reminds me of the conversations I have with my mates, who can also be a-holes in some ways, as I'm sure I am too. I too would go out for a beer with him. I like him. He's very honest. He's my age and he fully admits to being a grumpy middle aged man at times. He isn't vain in the slightest. It must be hard not to let the public into your life and thereby invite some of them to be critical, snippy or rude about you and your life. I wouldn't like it.
CH adds pleasure to my life and costs me nothing. I'd buy him a beer for that.
Stick Legs said:
As a connoisseur of old car magazines here is my take:
The old school were print only and had a direct line to the manufacturer.
People like John Bolster, stuffy, old school journalists.
Technically proficient and able to pass the information across but pretty dry.
Then in the 1970’s the American magazines came along with a refreshing style which still conveyed the relevant information but some how ‘brought you along for the ride’. Innes Ireland was similar in his columns where he indulges in a Gonzo-style journalism of reporting his 2 weeks chasing the Grand Prix caravan around Europe in a DBS with wife & typewriter in tow.
You have the eccentrics (Setright) and the wannabes who just ape others.
By the late 1980’s the print template is pretty set and TV had followed suit.
Russel Bulgin was the next journalist to push the art form.
His style has influenced every writer & broadcaster since, especially Mr. Jeremy Clarkson who between 1993-1996 underwent quite the transformation.
Easy to deride as a ‘Bulgin from Wish’ what Clarkson actually did was clever, he used the ‘oh-so-knowing-and-irreverent’ stylings that Bulgin employed and added in a open door so those not in the know could join in.
Where Bulgin would use a subtle nod to the Citroën DS Clarkson would describe something as a ‘Hydropenumatic-heffalump’ which the man on the street found funny even if he wasn’t sure what the point was.
It was a huge success.
Shouty talk & funny analogies became de-rigeur and it is entertainment.
Chris Harris has tried to forge his own path, stripping away the silliness and returning to something of the mid-1980’s CAR magazine style of print journalistic cleverness and integrity on screen.
This is him at his strongest.
https://youtu.be/wl9wGfplgdg?si=0oEZtWwTF_IkIR_C
Very much what Bulgin would be doing now.
Unfortunately for Mr.Harris the man on the street likes shouty words & funny analogies.
Chris Harris then dumbed down his own style in exchange for the TopGear gig.
But now that’s gone he is in the same market as every monkey with a Go-Pro.
I’d probably come across as a bit grumpy from time to time if that happened to me.
The finest motoring writers will always be the Late Great Bill Boddy, Motor Sports founder and also Dennis Jenkinson the magazines roving European reporter, these two, plus John Bolster of Autosport magazine and Roger Bell the Editor ( and race driver ) of Motor magazine The old school were print only and had a direct line to the manufacturer.
People like John Bolster, stuffy, old school journalists.
Technically proficient and able to pass the information across but pretty dry.
Then in the 1970’s the American magazines came along with a refreshing style which still conveyed the relevant information but some how ‘brought you along for the ride’. Innes Ireland was similar in his columns where he indulges in a Gonzo-style journalism of reporting his 2 weeks chasing the Grand Prix caravan around Europe in a DBS with wife & typewriter in tow.
You have the eccentrics (Setright) and the wannabes who just ape others.
By the late 1980’s the print template is pretty set and TV had followed suit.
Russel Bulgin was the next journalist to push the art form.
His style has influenced every writer & broadcaster since, especially Mr. Jeremy Clarkson who between 1993-1996 underwent quite the transformation.
Easy to deride as a ‘Bulgin from Wish’ what Clarkson actually did was clever, he used the ‘oh-so-knowing-and-irreverent’ stylings that Bulgin employed and added in a open door so those not in the know could join in.
Where Bulgin would use a subtle nod to the Citroën DS Clarkson would describe something as a ‘Hydropenumatic-heffalump’ which the man on the street found funny even if he wasn’t sure what the point was.
It was a huge success.
Shouty talk & funny analogies became de-rigeur and it is entertainment.
Chris Harris has tried to forge his own path, stripping away the silliness and returning to something of the mid-1980’s CAR magazine style of print journalistic cleverness and integrity on screen.
This is him at his strongest.
https://youtu.be/wl9wGfplgdg?si=0oEZtWwTF_IkIR_C
Very much what Bulgin would be doing now.
Unfortunately for Mr.Harris the man on the street likes shouty words & funny analogies.
Chris Harris then dumbed down his own style in exchange for the TopGear gig.
But now that’s gone he is in the same market as every monkey with a Go-Pro.
I’d probably come across as a bit grumpy from time to time if that happened to me.
Jefferson Steelflex said:
I’m interested in why higher driving ability is seen as a key skill these days. A lot of posters on here have pointed to that as a reason why they like CH above others.
I’m not really bothered if someone can chuck a GR Yaris or an SF90 around a track sideways, i’d rather they convey the representative driving that all of us do for 99% of our ownership. As long as they can talk about driving a car on a public road in different conditions and can show some semblance of ability, which most of us surely have, then the content and how they present is the main driver for me. I like CH, but not because i see him as a good driver or a better driver than say Prior or Catchpole. I just like his presenting style.
The fact he wants to slag off influencers is disappointing, people are earning a living and clearly enough people like to watch it. I agree a lot of them are dullards but you don’t need to say that if you’re a public figure like CH - just do what you do and people will respect that. I guess people like Shmee and STG deserve a bit of stick but they don’t present themselves as car reviewers, but JayEmm and Joe Achilles as examples are actually doing a decent job of just presenting a car and how it drives.
Jay em is absolutely dire, he waffles on and on, his video re JD Classics and a supposedly Coombs modified E Type, is bloody awful. I’m not really bothered if someone can chuck a GR Yaris or an SF90 around a track sideways, i’d rather they convey the representative driving that all of us do for 99% of our ownership. As long as they can talk about driving a car on a public road in different conditions and can show some semblance of ability, which most of us surely have, then the content and how they present is the main driver for me. I like CH, but not because i see him as a good driver or a better driver than say Prior or Catchpole. I just like his presenting style.
The fact he wants to slag off influencers is disappointing, people are earning a living and clearly enough people like to watch it. I agree a lot of them are dullards but you don’t need to say that if you’re a public figure like CH - just do what you do and people will respect that. I guess people like Shmee and STG deserve a bit of stick but they don’t present themselves as car reviewers, but JayEmm and Joe Achilles as examples are actually doing a decent job of just presenting a car and how it drives.
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Tuesday 11th March 01:14
SS427 Camaro said:
Jay em is absolutely dire, he waffles on and on, his video re JD Classics and a supposedly Coombs modified E Type, is bloody awful.
Both could send a glass eye to sleep. 90% utter waffle. When will they realise they need sub 10 min videos to keep attention. Edited by SS427 Camaro on Tuesday 11th March 01:14
SS427 Camaro said:
Stick Legs said:
As a connoisseur of old car magazines here is my take:
The old school were print only and had a direct line to the manufacturer.
People like John Bolster, stuffy, old school journalists.
Technically proficient and able to pass the information across but pretty dry.
Then in the 1970’s the American magazines came along with a refreshing style which still conveyed the relevant information but some how ‘brought you along for the ride’. Innes Ireland was similar in his columns where he indulges in a Gonzo-style journalism of reporting his 2 weeks chasing the Grand Prix caravan around Europe in a DBS with wife & typewriter in tow.
You have the eccentrics (Setright) and the wannabes who just ape others.
By the late 1980’s the print template is pretty set and TV had followed suit.
Russel Bulgin was the next journalist to push the art form.
His style has influenced every writer & broadcaster since, especially Mr. Jeremy Clarkson who between 1993-1996 underwent quite the transformation.
Easy to deride as a ‘Bulgin from Wish’ what Clarkson actually did was clever, he used the ‘oh-so-knowing-and-irreverent’ stylings that Bulgin employed and added in a open door so those not in the know could join in.
Where Bulgin would use a subtle nod to the Citroën DS Clarkson would describe something as a ‘Hydropenumatic-heffalump’ which the man on the street found funny even if he wasn’t sure what the point was.
It was a huge success.
Shouty talk & funny analogies became de-rigeur and it is entertainment.
Chris Harris has tried to forge his own path, stripping away the silliness and returning to something of the mid-1980’s CAR magazine style of print journalistic cleverness and integrity on screen.
This is him at his strongest.
https://youtu.be/wl9wGfplgdg?si=0oEZtWwTF_IkIR_C
Very much what Bulgin would be doing now.
Unfortunately for Mr.Harris the man on the street likes shouty words & funny analogies.
Chris Harris then dumbed down his own style in exchange for the TopGear gig.
But now that’s gone he is in the same market as every monkey with a Go-Pro.
I’d probably come across as a bit grumpy from time to time if that happened to me.
The finest motoring writers will always be the Late Great Bill Boddy, Motor Sports founder and also Dennis Jenkinson the magazines roving European reporter, these two, plus John Bolster of Autosport magazine and Roger Bell the Editor ( and race driver ) of Motor magazine The old school were print only and had a direct line to the manufacturer.
People like John Bolster, stuffy, old school journalists.
Technically proficient and able to pass the information across but pretty dry.
Then in the 1970’s the American magazines came along with a refreshing style which still conveyed the relevant information but some how ‘brought you along for the ride’. Innes Ireland was similar in his columns where he indulges in a Gonzo-style journalism of reporting his 2 weeks chasing the Grand Prix caravan around Europe in a DBS with wife & typewriter in tow.
You have the eccentrics (Setright) and the wannabes who just ape others.
By the late 1980’s the print template is pretty set and TV had followed suit.
Russel Bulgin was the next journalist to push the art form.
His style has influenced every writer & broadcaster since, especially Mr. Jeremy Clarkson who between 1993-1996 underwent quite the transformation.
Easy to deride as a ‘Bulgin from Wish’ what Clarkson actually did was clever, he used the ‘oh-so-knowing-and-irreverent’ stylings that Bulgin employed and added in a open door so those not in the know could join in.
Where Bulgin would use a subtle nod to the Citroën DS Clarkson would describe something as a ‘Hydropenumatic-heffalump’ which the man on the street found funny even if he wasn’t sure what the point was.
It was a huge success.
Shouty talk & funny analogies became de-rigeur and it is entertainment.
Chris Harris has tried to forge his own path, stripping away the silliness and returning to something of the mid-1980’s CAR magazine style of print journalistic cleverness and integrity on screen.
This is him at his strongest.
https://youtu.be/wl9wGfplgdg?si=0oEZtWwTF_IkIR_C
Very much what Bulgin would be doing now.
Unfortunately for Mr.Harris the man on the street likes shouty words & funny analogies.
Chris Harris then dumbed down his own style in exchange for the TopGear gig.
But now that’s gone he is in the same market as every monkey with a Go-Pro.
I’d probably come across as a bit grumpy from time to time if that happened to me.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
There is even a lost ljk setright on p3.
Edited by PlywoodPascal on Tuesday 11th March 09:24
PlywoodPascal said:
And what is perhaps the next advance in the form (automotive journalism) occurring right before our eyes.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
There is even a lost ljk setright on p3.
As a car mad school boy, “ Motor “ magazine, the superb but short lived “ Fast Car “ magazine and Motor Sport were regularly bought, but I found LJK Setright articles in CAR magazine, really heavy & dull reading. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
There is even a lost ljk setright on p3.
Edited by PlywoodPascal on Tuesday 11th March 09:24
Exasperated said:
marcosgt said:
I can think of worse motoring journalists, but no-one comes close to Henry Catchpole, IMO. His reviews are the only ones I actively look for.
Glad you said this. I greatly respect people like Alex Goy, Steve Cropley, Matt Prior, Chris Harris, Jethro Bovingdon, and many others. They're the A+ tier of journalist who can package and parcel their seemingly endless knowledge into enthusiastic, engaging chunks. However, Henry Catchpole stands (slightly) above them all. His ability to convey enthusiasm, passion and interest is simply unrivalled, and having bumped into him a couple of times, I was happy to verify it's all genuine. What a lovely bloke.Back on topic, no, Chris Harris isn't an a
hole. That's just silly.I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Catchpole at one of the Hagerty evenings. A genuinely passionate, articulate, enthusiastic guy who I enjoyed having a proper car conversation with.
Gassing Station | TV, Film, Streaming & Radio | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff