Top Gear offend Christians and Muslims
Top Gear has fulfilled its remit on equality and diversity by offending both Muslims and Christians in its Christmas special.
We know that the entire Top Gear team – from Messrs Clarkson, Hammond, May and Wilman on down – are steeped in modern sensibilities. We know, for example, that every item Top Gear runs is first passed through two diversity and three equality committees to ensure that every item in every episode is fair, unbiased and inclusive.
Not only are equality and diversity the bedrock on which Top Gear is built, the whole Top Gear team is dedicated to fairness and the eradication from Top Gear of all subjectivity. There is no room in the modern world for subjective opinion; we must all fight for a fair, objective and carbon-free society as one.
So we were astonished to see that this year’s Top Gear ‘Three Wise Men’ Christmas special could manage to offend so many by showing the boys dressed in the Burkha in order to disguise their passage through Muslim Syria. How could sensible, caring, politically and religiously aware men make such a terrible mistake, and offend so many?
We tried calling Jeremy to find out, but he’s away testing the Reva NXR on the Isle of Wight; Richard is unfortunately at a monastic retreat paying penance for Wipeout and James is busy penning more sensitive words for some of our favourite Christmas music (so far he’s managed Rudolph the Differently-abled Reindeer and O Little Town of Palestinian Joint Rule) Thankfully, Andy Wilman took time out from finishing his new book – Sartorial Elegance and the Producer – to put us straight.
It transpires it wasn’t just Muslims Top Gear offended in the Christmas Special – Christians are mortified too. It seems many Christians have taken offence – absolutely correctly – at The Baby Jesus being portrayed as The Baby Stig.
The birth of the Baby Jesus is not a suitable subject for humour and Christians have made their voices heard. Not that Christian voices are as important, because they won’t blow us up for causing offence. But that’s not the point. They were offended, and that’s what counts.
Which, thankfully, means that Top Gear has fulfilled its remit on equality and diversity by ensuring all are offended equally.
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