Anon’s concern that “many people seem incapable of distinguising between mindless entertainment and serious, informed journalism or debate” reveals a contempt for the public which is all to common amongst the environmental movement. Those dirty, stupid proles don’t deserve democracy. And his call for ‘responsibility’ is also revealing of the puritanical and censorious nature of environmentalism.

Of course Top Gear is just a TV program, and Clarkson just a TV presenter. The problem is that the shrill tones made by the likes of Anon and Monbiot elevate him. As we say in the post, If we want to know why Clarkson is the last bastion of resistance to dull orthodoxies such as environmentalism and political correctness, don’t watch Top Gear, read Monbiot.

Monbiot’s attempt to arrest John Bolton was a pointless stunt designed to create attention for himself, same as Clarkson blowing up brand new cars to sell DVDs.

Like smashing up a brand new car to sell his DVD? Every episode of Top Gear is now a bunch of 40-something adolescents acting like children and providing absolutely no useful information. In fact, they are misleading and deliberatley provocative – I suspect purely in the name of entertainment which is all it is. Problem is – so many people seem incapable of distinguising between mindless entertainment and serious, informed journalism or debate. I actually, against my better judgment, enjoy Clarkson’s humour sometimes, particularly on HIGNFY. But the fact that someone with his influence and viewing figures is so grossly irresponsible is unforgivable.

“Monbiot may have done some brave things in the past”

If you read the news you would know Monbiot recently attempted a citizens arrest on former US government official John Bolton for his part in instigating the war on Iraq.

Enough – there is probably better use of my time than trying to explain this here.

Monbiot may have done some brave things in the past, but the experience only seems to have weakened his spirit and faith in humanity. Maybe he didn’t recover from his experiences quite as fully as has been reported on Wikipedia.

Clarkson remains popular because he represents something entirely more positive.

From Monbiot’s bio on Wikipedia:

“Working as an investigative journalist he travelled in Indonesia, Brazil and East Africa. His activities led to him being made persona non grata in several countries[8] and being sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia in Indonesia.[9] In these places he was also shot at,[10] beaten up by military police,[10] shipwrecked[10] and stung into a poisoned coma by hornets.[11] He came back to work in Britain after being pronounced clinically dead in Lodwar General Hospital in north-western Kenya, having contracted cerebral malaria.[12]

In Britain, he joined the roads protest movement. He was attacked by security guards, who drove a metal spike through his foot, smashing the middle metatarsal bone. His injuries left him in hospital…”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monbiot

So yeah, Clarkson is a real hero…

Don’t get me wrong, I hate Bush and the neocons just as much as anyone else, including Monbiot. However, holding the anti-Bush position does not excuse the man from his persistent stupidity.

Keep up the great work!