UPDATE: Jeremy Clarkson was suspended by the BBC on Tuesday for allegedly throwing a punch at one of the producers of "Top Gear." Now, not only has the latest incident placed Clarkson in boiling hot water, but apparently the remainder of the "Top Gear" Season 22 has been cancelled as well, despite having two more episodes remaining in the program.
During one of Jeremy Clarkson's past encounters with controversy, BBC director of television Danny Cohen warned the popular "Top Gear" presenter that "no one person is bigger than the BBC." While we're sure Cohen was not making an empty threat, it is hard to imagine that BBC would actually take this measure. Both Jeremy Clarkson and the BBC have agreed to make no further comments surrounding the suspension at this time.
Jeremy Clarkson is suspended by the BBC following what is described as a "fracas" with a producer. Now, BBC announced that the newest episode of "Top Gear" will not air on Sunday. We have yet to know the fate of the three remaining episodes from this season's Top Gear.
BBC refrained from offering further details of the incident other than Jeremy Clarkson threw a punch at the unidentified producer. That said, we can imagine the root cause of the tussle-- Jeremy Clarkson unapologetically wishes to run a TV show that will entertain the fans while the producer is pressuring Clarkson to deliver a show that is more politically correct.
In February 2011, BBC apologized for "Top Gear" when Jeremy Clarkson and the two co-hosts made a joke that called Mexicans "lazy" and "feckless." At the time, Clarkson claimed that he never knew the program was watched in Mexico.
Then, in January 2012, Indian diplomats were offended by a 90-minute India Special by Top Gear when Clarkson installed a toilet on the back of a car. According to Clarkson, the addition was "perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots." Later in October 2012, Clarkson was under controversy once again when he described a camper van to people with facial disfigurement.
In May 2014, Clarkson was once again in headlines when he recited a nursery rhyme "Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe" in an un-aired piece of video footage. The old nursery rhyme featured a racist taboo in one of its lines. In July 2014, Clarkson was once again reprimanded for using the derogatory term "slope" during the filming of the "Top Gear" Burma Special.
Is Jeremy Clarkson wrong for his offensive remarks? Absolutely. Should Clarkson hold responsibility for his behavior? Absolutely. Should BBC suspend Jeremy Clarkson and put the "Top Gear" Program on hiatus? Maybe not.
"Top Gear" is facing a dilemma as the program will always be under scrutiny as long as Jeremy Clarkson opens his mouth. On the other hand, Clarkson's personality and his tendency to bluntly express his opinions is also why the program is popular in the first place.
Moments after BBC announced Jeremy Clarkson's suspension, fans created a petition called "Bring Back Clarkson" to protest against the BBC's decision. The reaction to the petition has been astonishing as more than 50,000 signatures were received in mere hours. The link to the Change.org petition can be found here. However, the page will not load possibly due to the abnormally high amount of traffic.
Stay tuned as we learn more about the Jeremy Clarkson incident the involved punching a producer.
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