I think he is fine while he sticks to cars. He's quite funny in a petulant "Just William" kind of way. But what he did last night was a giant humour failure; if that's what he thinks his funny he's so against the zeitgeist that the Ross / Brand solution might be appropriate.

He has talent or he wouldn't be where he is. I remember a programme he did about his father-in-law and how he won the VC that was quite riveting.

I saw that too, and it was an interesting programme - though I felt a bit sorry for said FIL having such a prat marry his daughter...

I dunno, perhaps FIL was also a prat. I think it's quite possible for a prat to be a hero.

True. It may even help in some circumstances.

Case in point: Field Marshal Montgomery.

Hate him. Used to just despise him, but after that 'other people have to work for a living' business, I've stepped up the loathing. Can't say any more for fear of swearing in your journal.

Edited at 2011-12-01 03:39 pm (UTC)

Please don't be afraid to swear....

I think Clarkson has a bad case of persona-inflation. The richer he gets the more cartoony he becomes. I suspect he may be hiding great gulfs of fear and loathing- as is often the case with obnoxiously right-wing men.

he's basically Alan Partridge!

Got him!

And so it is! :)

What a vile man.

He represents a whole collection of things I instinctively dislike.

As I hardly ever watch TV, I'd only ever really paid attention to him on the radio. He's rather good - i.e. sincere and interesting - especially when he talks about childhood - on radio.
One friend, who is a motoring journalist who know him quite well, said something that absolutely chimes with what you said above, about him having this increasingly fatuous and cartoony persona about which he is actually quite ashamed around people who know him privately.

The fact that the idiotic comments were actually scripted and okayed by the producer, suggest to me the production team need a kick up the jacsi, frankly.