Sunday, 6 February 2011

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Steve Coogan: Top Gear's offensive quips about Mexicans aren't funny or true

Comedian Steve Coogan outraged by driving show's stereotyping of Mexicans

Jeremy Clarkson has taken heat in the past for his controversial remarks

Steve Coogan has attacked Top Gear for its 'offensive stereotyping' of Mexicans.

Though 'a huge fan of Top Gear', Alan Patridge comedian Steve feels Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May's recent jibes about Mexican cars were lame and racist. 

'Some of the Lads' comments again, in case you missed them,' rants Steve. '"Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus, with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat" (Richard Hammond). Mexican food is "sick with cheese on it" (James May).

'Jeremy Clarkson added to the mirth by suggesting that the Mexican ambassador (a certain Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza) would be so busy sleeping he wouldn't register any outrage. (He wasn't and he did.)'

Steve, 45, says there is not a shred of truth in Top Gear's offensive 'comic' cliches.

'I can tell you from my own experience, living in the US,' writes Steve in The Guardian. 'Mexicans work themselves to the bone doing all the dirty thankless jobs that the white middle-class natives won't do.'

The BBC say in a statement: 'The show has explained they were making comic use of a stereotype - a practice with which regular viewers of Top Gear will be familiar.

'It is something that has been done in the past with the Germans, the Americans and the Italians, so Mexico was not singled out for special treatment in this case.'