TOO SOON!

He's also super racist. =(

What on earth, and on what evidence, do you base your absurd comment?????

Let's see: during the incident in question, he called the produced a "lazy irish cunt" (and as much as everyone thinks it's fucking hilarious, racism against the Irish is still racism)

Then there was the "slope on a bridge" incident.

Not to mention the "catch a nigger" quote, or the mexican incident or the Indian special, during which Clarkson built a toilet into the back of a Jaguar, claiming it would be "perfect" for tourists because "everyone" who visits the country suffers diarrhoea, sparked a complaint from the Indian High Commission.

Nah.. no evidence at all.

You are mistaking stupidity for racism. If you have never used a derogatory epithet, even once in your life, then well done. But I am sure you have thought of one; we all have. Clarkson, on many occasions, does not temper his speech with forethought. However, his attempts at humour do not qualify him as a racist. True racists hide in the shadows or stick with like-minded people. Oh, and btw, his Jaguar-toilet comment was funny. I imagine that because I thought so I am, based on your criteria, also a racist.

Um...when you make derogatory 'jokes' about other races, it's racist.
When you make nothing BUT derogatory 'jokes' about other races, you're a racist.
I love Clarkson, but come on buddy, he's definitely acted racist the entire run of the show. I always put him down to being a character...kind of like Colbert but low brow...but that doesn't make his actions any less racist or less offensive to those he intended to offend with them....it just made his racism funny because it came from a ridiculous idiot.

Simply, racism can be funny, but that does not make it less racist.

I think the previous drama over Clarkson have been quite overblown tbh. The slope thing was ignorance from the production as much as it was Clarkson. I'm not convinced he even said nigger, and comedians have made India (and others) the butt of more tasteless jokes without complaint. Frankly, I have found him more disagreeable when it comes to his dismissal of speeding and climate change, attitudes which in my opinion may well have done far more damage than making off-hand remarks about the work ethics of Mexicans.

I think a lot of "Clarkson" is a bit of an act. Likewise with Hamster and May, they are playing caricatures. Unfortunately for Clarkson, I think he ended up caricaturing himself to some degree. It has been difficult to determine where Clarkson the person ended and where Clarkson the personality started. Perhaps even he wasn't sure where the line was.

Anyway, I think the decision to sack him (or rather, not renew his contract) is right. Sadly, because of the previous threats (empty?) to get rid of him following each blunder, Clarkson's dismissal will be seen as a coup rather than the fair application of the same rules we all expect to be judged by.

I'll be interested to see what happens to Top Gear. My guess would be that Clarkson has not been exiled, but suspended for an undisclosed period. I'd start watching the show again if they brought in new hosts, and I'd probably keep watching if the show wasn't quite so blokey with quite such predictable characters making staged goofs every show.

I think most racists are stupid.

I have used derogatory epithets in my life. The difference is, I realised when I did it that it was stupid and wrong, and I don't get paid massive sums of money to do so on tax payer funded TV.

Clarkson is a boorish right wing oaf. When he was talking about cars, he was at least entertaining, but on any other subject he hadn't a clue. He was the right wing Russell Brand.

And yes, he was racist, and in that awful, insidious fashion of those who don't think they're racist.
"it's just that nonwhite people are so clearly inferior it would be dishonest not to point it out. After all, Britain is so great, blah blah"

The worst part was, as @newtboy pointed out, he was so good at it, it felt like a caricature, and it was genuinely funny.

Let's face it.. they did everything, and the shows were becoming more and more contrived, obvious and staged. It was about time it stopped.

The problem with Clarkson is similar to the problem with Al Murray the Pub Landlord. There are people laughing at him because they find the caricature of a racist, sexist moron saying stupid things funny - and they often are funny. There are also people laughing, saying "he's so right!" Clarkson does not have the advantage of being a comedian, and i reject the notion that he is one - he never has been one and could never front a decent comedy set under its own merit. If you want to see a comedian that correctly applies context and frames sexist/racist comments, see Al Murray.

If you find the idea of a man saying "catch a nigger by the toe" funny and somehow feel you're missing out if it isn't said, then we're never really going to see eye to eye. You can wave your hands and pass the buck about whether or not you think he said it all you like, the fact is that Clarkson has been caught red handed doing plenty of stuff like that so that guilt can be reasonably assumed given that it sounded very much like it. Add on top of that the apology - coming from a man who takes a piss on rules and convention, it's an admission of some degree of guilt.

Perhaps if he skirted other issues better, people wouldn't assume he was a fucking idiot. And i'm sorry to say, quite an entertaining idiot. take for example the falkland number plate - what sort of colossal moron believes it was a coincidence? I enjoy many parts of the show, but that doesn't mean i can't think he's completely irresponsible for being racist and for downplaying personal vehicle contribution to global warming when it is undoubtable to anyone who studies the subject appropriately.... which he owes it to the viewers and to the future of fucking humankind to do, considering the reach of his show.