Is Chris Harris an 'a' hole
Discussion
I like Chris Harris, almost the same age as me and his autobiography was a trip down memory lane.
What I can’t get my head around is that he appears to be quite wealthy with a nice town house in Bristol and a nice pad in the Forest of Dean. He’s happy to spend fortunes on cars normally monthlies of 1000s but at the same time gives the impression of having no money or at least not having made anything out of his career. He’s also privately educated so I think at least in part he has to be a bit careful about slagging off influencers as he comes from a position of financial privilege and it’s only because of that that he can indulge himself in his passions and try and make some money from it.
But he is an authority on cars and can drive, although I find the podcast unrelatable .
What I can’t get my head around is that he appears to be quite wealthy with a nice town house in Bristol and a nice pad in the Forest of Dean. He’s happy to spend fortunes on cars normally monthlies of 1000s but at the same time gives the impression of having no money or at least not having made anything out of his career. He’s also privately educated so I think at least in part he has to be a bit careful about slagging off influencers as he comes from a position of financial privilege and it’s only because of that that he can indulge himself in his passions and try and make some money from it.
But he is an authority on cars and can drive, although I find the podcast unrelatable .
To broaden it out to other motoring reviewers who rankle, I'm starting to get really annoyed with with the holier-than-thou attitude of EVangelist Robert Llewellyn on 'Fully Charged'. His reviews are dogs**t poor, he's no helmsman at all, and often he won't even mention simple stuff like boot capacity. It's all about ramming the EV message down your throat, and everyone/everything else is scum. Sorry Kryten, but it's wearing very, very thin.
(Also on that channel there's Jack Scarlett, who isn't a bad reviewer but he totally loves himself).
(Also on that channel there's Jack Scarlett, who isn't a bad reviewer but he totally loves himself).
I think he’s good at what he does - but have to concede that what he does is largely irrelevant to me.
I’m a keen motorist for the overall enjoyment of it, rather than the figures of it and ability to go sideways. While he conveys a fair bit of decent info, what he is after in a car is very different to me (and I’d wager most people).
He’s a great driver and very knowledgeable. We can take that for granted. As opposed to Clarkson, who, despite his many flaws, overt opinions, technical incompetence; he was to me, very good at conveying the feel and personality of a car. The enjoyment over the technical. He told a story. I don’t need technicals, I can read about that. I want to know how much I might enjoy something.
I think Meaden and Catchpole are both a good medium between the two. I know it’s subjective, but it’s about what resonates with the viewer.
I’m a keen motorist for the overall enjoyment of it, rather than the figures of it and ability to go sideways. While he conveys a fair bit of decent info, what he is after in a car is very different to me (and I’d wager most people).
He’s a great driver and very knowledgeable. We can take that for granted. As opposed to Clarkson, who, despite his many flaws, overt opinions, technical incompetence; he was to me, very good at conveying the feel and personality of a car. The enjoyment over the technical. He told a story. I don’t need technicals, I can read about that. I want to know how much I might enjoy something.
I think Meaden and Catchpole are both a good medium between the two. I know it’s subjective, but it’s about what resonates with the viewer.
EmailAddress said:
If people wish to view what some describe as blaggers, does that not legitimise the creations of said blaggards.
A different category perhaps, but detractors sounds more like snobs.
Journalistic depth and integrity when it comes to product reviews mostly comes under the category of entertainment after all. It's hardly war reporting.
Simply focusing on aspects not traditionally commented on does not make their inclusion invalid.
Don't get me wrong, there are various extremes of influencers / youtubers etc. Some I quite enjoy, some are pretty much "point the camera at the bits the press release said were new, and say the car is awesome". I agree the landscape of how we consume content has changed forever, but I like a reviewer to know what they're talking about - they should know more than the person watching...A different category perhaps, but detractors sounds more like snobs.
Journalistic depth and integrity when it comes to product reviews mostly comes under the category of entertainment after all. It's hardly war reporting.
Simply focusing on aspects not traditionally commented on does not make their inclusion invalid.
I'm more on the motocyling end of the automotive spectrum, and seeing 'reviews' of bikes, on track, by those that can't ride or add anything to the review that I can't read from the manufactuerer shouts of stealing a living imo...
Terminator X said:
slopes said:
I think a lot of his chopping and changing is in an effort to keep his profile up and hence earn money, especially since Freddie pulled the rug out from under his and Paddy's feet.
Lol strange way to describe it when the crash almost killed him.I have always liked Chris - he's unfiltered.
I can also see why he has an issue with influencers - he's built his job up over a long period of time and using hard graft- he was putting out content when most influencers were watching In the midnight Garden.
I like both Chris and Catchpole - they convey the character of a car well and I could enjoy a beer in a pub talking about the Garagistas and whether Bill Towns was a better designer than Tom Karen, because there is something pleasurable in complete nerdery.
I do switch off when he's wiffling about another 911, especially if it's a Singer or whatever, but that's just me and my Beetle aversion.
I can also see why he has an issue with influencers - he's built his job up over a long period of time and using hard graft- he was putting out content when most influencers were watching In the midnight Garden.
I like both Chris and Catchpole - they convey the character of a car well and I could enjoy a beer in a pub talking about the Garagistas and whether Bill Towns was a better designer than Tom Karen, because there is something pleasurable in complete nerdery.
I do switch off when he's wiffling about another 911, especially if it's a Singer or whatever, but that's just me and my Beetle aversion.
Richard-390a0 said:
Has it ever been confirmed if the crash was actually during filming or Freddie f*cking about at lunchtime when he shouldn't have been as has previously been rumoured?
I suspect as it's been reported Feddie got a big payout plus TG was cancelled I doubt it was Freddie just "f*cking about"WestyCarl said:
Richard-390a0 said:
Has it ever been confirmed if the crash was actually during filming or Freddie f*cking about at lunchtime when he shouldn't have been as has previously been rumoured?
I suspect as it's been reported Feddie got a big payout plus TG was cancelled I doubt it was Freddie just "f*cking about"Red9zero said:
WestyCarl said:
Richard-390a0 said:
Has it ever been confirmed if the crash was actually during filming or Freddie f*cking about at lunchtime when he shouldn't have been as has previously been rumoured?
I suspect as it's been reported Feddie got a big payout plus TG was cancelled I doubt it was Freddie just "f*cking about"Doofus said:
Red9zero said:
WestyCarl said:
Richard-390a0 said:
Has it ever been confirmed if the crash was actually during filming or Freddie f*cking about at lunchtime when he shouldn't have been as has previously been rumoured?
I suspect as it's been reported Feddie got a big payout plus TG was cancelled I doubt it was Freddie just "f*cking about"FiF said:
There are a very few motoring journalists who can meet some essential requirements for the job.
a) Write well.
b) Actually drive, as opposed merely being able to make a vehicle physically move from A to B somehow.
c) Not afraid to say when they've driven a lemon.
There are others but those are the top 3 in my opinion.
Chris Harris meets all 3 and is all the better for it. Like all of us he has some faults or characteristics. Some would say being opinionated makes him an a-hole, I would totally disagree, he is not that.
On influencers and some motoring journalists they're nothing more than the car industry equivalent of those glamour models who pointed at the prizes on the Price is Right and similar game shows.
Carry on Chris.
I agree with this, there really are not many car journalists left and car manufacturers are much happier with influencers because they sell a lifestyle that they want to be associated with rather than a car for enthusiasts. a) Write well.
b) Actually drive, as opposed merely being able to make a vehicle physically move from A to B somehow.
c) Not afraid to say when they've driven a lemon.
There are others but those are the top 3 in my opinion.
Chris Harris meets all 3 and is all the better for it. Like all of us he has some faults or characteristics. Some would say being opinionated makes him an a-hole, I would totally disagree, he is not that.
On influencers and some motoring journalists they're nothing more than the car industry equivalent of those glamour models who pointed at the prizes on the Price is Right and similar game shows.
Carry on Chris.
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