Found some old Top Gear clips glorifying the Confederate Flag

Kinja'd!!! "marshknute" (marshknute)
01/23/2019 at 17:59 • Filed to: None

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I recently stumbled upon two old Top Gear clips glorifying the General Lee, complete with the obligatory Stars n’ Bars on the roof.

The first comes from a very old news segment (back when Richard Hammond was a teenager) featuring examples of cars with ridiculous mods, including a Vauxhall Cavalier turned General Lee.

Jeremy says with zero sarcasm, “This is fair enough. This guy’s obviously a fan of the Dukes of Hazzard and the General Lee car, with the Confederate Flag. Nothing wrong with it at all,” and Hammond agreeing, “Nothing wrong with that.”

Unfortunately, it’s part of a compilation video, so I don’t kno w what year the clip is from, but clearly a very early season judging by the small audience and prepubescent Hammond.

The second example comes from S01E03 of Top Gear Australia, during a cheap car challenge, when host Warren Brown actually creates his own General Lee out of an old Toyota Camry.

Yes, BBC Worldwide actually paid to create and film a General Lee for a comedy show…in 2008...the same year President Obama was elected.


DISCUSSION (4)


Kinja'd!!! Spridget > marshknute
01/23/2019 at 18:29

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On the scale of  offensive things these guys have done, this is so far down the list it isn’t worth talking about.


Kinja'd!!! ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > marshknute
01/23/2019 at 19:44

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Wait...

So people who aren’t American might not have fully realized all the social connotations within our country of what that flag represents, and may in fact have only been aware of it through their viewing of an old US TV show that certainly did not seek to educate its audience on the complete history and impact of said symbol?

Not entirely sure what point you’re attempting  to prove here.


Kinja'd!!! marshknute > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
01/23/2019 at 20:01

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I think think you pretty much summed up my reaction to both of these clips. I don’t find them outrageous so much as curious. You could never get away with that kind of nonchalance here in the States.

Although I am surprised that the BBC allowed the TGAU example considering how liberal and aggressively  PC of an organization it is.


Kinja'd!!! duurtlang > marshknute
01/24/2019 at 13:49

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Would not happen in 2019. Back then then conf. flag was a throwback to the Dukes of Hazzard show, nothing more. The historical connection was utterly lost on non-americans. Especially the negative connotations. Probably still is.

Had I not frequented websites like this with lots of Americans I would have equated it to nothing more than that 1980s show either.