Today I'm neither Angry nor Happy about....

[Gary the Enfield]

I see that Jeremy Clarkson's in hot water again. I have no problem with that, it serves him right for being a tedious, boorish prick. However, he's in bother for apparently referring to an Asian guy as a 'Slope'. Well, this is a new one on me. What's a 'Slope' and what's the connection that makes it so offensive?

Probably something to do with his eye shape.

[TANGODANCER]

I see that Jeremy Clarkson's in hot water again. I have no problem with that, it serves him right for being a tedious, boorish prick. However, he's in bother for apparently referring to an Asian guy as a 'Slope'. Well, this is a new one on me. What's a 'Slope' and what's the connection that makes it so offensive?

Probably something to do with his eye shape.

"Silly Little Opium Peddling Easterner."....apparently....

[bobo the clown]

Nah. It's a reference to a "slant eye" .... though I'd never heard that before all this fuss.

[William the White]

American troops slang during Vietnam war - for both their allies and their enemies.

Always used in a derogatory way. Clarkson is just a turd that isn't worth polishing.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Asserting a definite etymology seems to be something of a slippery slope - there are a number of plausible suggestions including one that the Americans picked it up from their Australian allies in Vietnam. While clearly some sort of racial slur it doesn't seem a very good one.

[Lord Kangana]

I'd heard the Opium-based one before, not exactly like that, but nonetheless, I think it's linked back to when we nicked their tea off them in the name of "free trade". And made them all junkies. Or something, I forget the details.

[malcd1]

I see that Jeremy Clarkson's in hot water again. I have no problem with that, it serves him right for being a tedious, boorish prick. However, he's in bother for apparently referring to an Asian guy as a 'Slope'. Well, this is a new one on me. What's a 'Slope' and what's the connection that makes it so offensive?

This is the clip from the show and yes I think it is racist although I have never heard the terminology before.

[Montreal Wanderer]

I see that Jeremy Clarkson's in hot water again. I have no problem with that, it serves him right for being a tedious, boorish prick. However, he's in bother for apparently referring to an Asian guy as a 'Slope'. Well, this is a new one on me. What's a 'Slope' and what's the connection that makes it so offensive?

This is the clip from the show and yes I think it is racist although I have never heard the terminology before.

Thanks, Malcd1. He wasn't simply calling an Asian person a slope (it was a new epither for me as well), he was making a bad (and doubtless racist) double entendre as an attempt at humour which to my mind is not quite so bad. Along similar lines would be the American Admiral in December 1941 shivering in Pearl Harbour and noting there was a nip in the air. We have become much more sensitive to these issues as we become more aware of political correctness (or have it forced on us). This is probably a good thing.

[Worthy4England]

I see that Jeremy Clarkson's in hot water again. I have no problem with that, it serves him right for being a tedious, boorish prick. However, he's in bother for apparently referring to an Asian guy as a 'Slope'. Well, this is a new one on me. What's a 'Slope' and what's the connection that makes it so offensive?

This is the clip from the show and yes I think it is racist although I have never heard the terminology before.

Thanks, Malcd1. He wasn't simply calling an Asian person a slope (it was a new epither for me as well), he was making a bad (and doubtless racist) double entendre as an attempt at humour which to my mind is not quite so bad. Along similar lines would be the American Admiral in December 1941 shivering in Pearl Harbour and noting there was a nip in the air. We have become much more sensitive to these issues as we become more aware of political correctness (or have it forced on us). This is probably a good thing.

Clearly on the right thread - I'm struggling to be either angry or happy about this.

[William the White]

I see that Jeremy Clarkson's in hot water again. I have no problem with that, it serves him right for being a tedious, boorish prick. However, he's in bother for apparently referring to an Asian guy as a 'Slope'. Well, this is a new one on me. What's a 'Slope' and what's the connection that makes it so offensive?

This is the clip from the show and yes I think it is racist although I have never heard the terminology before.

Thanks, Malcd1. He wasn't simply calling an Asian person a slope (it was a new epither for me as well), he was making a bad (and doubtless racist) double entendre as an attempt at humour which to my mind is not quite so bad. Along similar lines would be the American Admiral in December 1941 shivering in Pearl Harbour and noting there was a nip in the air. We have become much more sensitive to these issues as we become more aware of political correctness (or have it forced on us). This is probably a good thing.

Clearly on the right thread - I'm struggling to be either angry or happy about this.

A run of the mill racial slur dressed up as a double entendre from Jeremy Clarkson... It's so routinely banal it is barely worth contempt...

[LeverEnd]

He'll be patting himself on the back for being both controversial and clever at the same time. Hammond will be doubly impressed and his man-crush will deepen. Yawn.

[Dujon]

Ruddy 'eck we are degenerating into a mob of sensitive new age prats. The last time I looked the Koreans called us Europeans 'Long Nose'. The local aborigines call us 'White Fellas'; in the latter case we are not allowed by the local cognoscenti to call them 'Black Fellas'. Where does it all end?

[Montreal Wanderer]

Ruddy 'eck we are degenerating into a mob of sensitive new age prats. The last time I looked the Koreans called us Europeans 'Long Nose'. The local aborigines call us 'White Fellas'; in the latter case we are not allowed by the local cognoscenti to call them 'Black Fellas'. Where does it all end?

Just the same in America where terms like Honkey are in common parlance and white people don't tend to get offended. Conversely.... well you know the rest.

[CrazyHorse]

Presumably he's got a new book or DVD out and the publicity around this is timed to perfection.
Fuelled in no small way by the very people who despise him. The man's a genius.

[CrazyHorse]

The real shame here is that now the world has been given another derogatory term to abuse someone with. Like there aren't enough to choose from already.
Much like Anelka and his mate using that hand gesture, giving it publicity just gift wrapped the abuse and gave the dickheads another stick to beat the Jews with.

[William the White]

Ruddy 'eck we are degenerating into a mob of sensitive new age prats. The last time I looked the Koreans called us Europeans 'Long Nose'. The local aborigines call us 'White Fellas'; in the latter case we are not allowed by the local cognoscenti to call them 'Black Fellas'. Where does it all end?

Well, that's me all over... but not any more. All I needed was a fine Aussie no nonsense specimen to help me man up. They'll all be black fellas to me now, even the slopes...

[bobo the clown]

Ruddy 'eck we are degenerating into a mob of sensitive new age prats. The last time I looked the Koreans called us Europeans 'Long Nose'. The local aborigines call us 'White Fellas'; in the latter case we are not allowed by the local cognoscenti to call them 'Black Fellas'. Where does it all end?

Well, that's me all over... but not any more. All I needed was a fine Aussie no nonsense specimen to help me man up. They'll all be black fellas to me now, even the slopes...

You've got it Willy.

[Prufrock]

Ruddy 'eck we are degenerating into a mob of sensitive new age prats. The last time I looked the Koreans called us Europeans 'Long Nose'. The local aborigines call us 'White Fellas'; in the latter case we are not allowed by the local cognoscenti to call them 'Black Fellas'. Where does it all end?

With people not being wankers to each other?

Call me an idealist...

[Bruce Rioja]

Ruddy 'eck we are degenerating into a mob of sensitive new age prats. The last time I looked the Koreans called us Europeans 'Long Nose'. The local aborigines call us 'White Fellas'; in the latter case we are not allowed by the local cognoscenti to call them 'Black Fellas'. Where does it all end?

With people not being wankers to each other?

Call me an idealist...

Idealist wanker

[Athers]

Watched that Top Gear at the time and didn't even register it..