I saw this clip the other day. I was rather shocked and offended by it. I filled out a complaint on the BBC complaints web page. I received a response to my complaint today. In summary, the letter tells me the BBC has apologized to the Mexican ambassador. Then goes on to tell me clearly the comments were jokingly made in an appropriate British fashion. I seem to be missing the part where they apologize to me for being offensive. Really, this seems more of a defensive letter than an apology letter. This is a customer service fail if you ask me!!!! Read for yourselves, what do you think?
Dear Ms Halladay
Thank you for your feedback about the comments made about Mexicans in the Top Gear broadcast on 30 January 2010.
The producers of Top Gear have apologised to the Mexican Ambassador for the comments made about him during the show. Whilst the majority of the piece on the Mastretta had been discussed in advance with BBC Editorial Policy staff, the comments about him were ad libbed by the presenters during the recording. The BBC’s Editorial Guidelines are very clear about singling out individuals for irreverent/mocking/ comments. Those guidelines were not adhered to and the Top Gear production team has apologised for this. The comments about the Ambassador have been removed from all repeats of the programme.
With regard to the other comments made about Mexicans, these were indeed playing off a stereotype, and that practice is something that regular viewers of Top Gear will be familiar with, as the presenters often make jokes about the perceived characteristics of various nationalities when talking about the cars made in those countries. It is something that has been done in the past with the French, the Germans, the Americans and the Italians, so Mexico was not singled out for special treatment in this case.
Comments made by the Top Gear presenters are clearly exaggerated for comic effect – to imply that a sports car is no good because it will spend all day asleep is self evidently absurd, and not meant to be taken as vindictive. The Top Gear audience understands this clearly and treats these remarks accordingly.
The UK prides itself on being a tolerant nation, but one of the contributing factors towards that tolerance is the fact that jokes made around national stereotyping are commonplace, and are indeed a robust part of our national humour. Typically the most comedic ones are negative - for example our own comedians make material out of the fact that the British are supposed to be terrible cooks, terrible romantics, and forever happy to come second. In fact, some of the more humorous complaints we have received from Mexico are based on stereotypical retorts, with one excellent one in particular referring to the presenters as effete tea drinkers.
In line with that British tradition, stereotype-based comedy is allowed within BBC guidelines, in programmes where the audience has clear expectations of that being the case, as it indeed is with Top Gear. Of course it may appear offensive to those who have not watched the programme or who are unfamiliar with its humour.
Please accept our assurance that it was not the intention of the programme to offend Mexicans but rather to use a clearly unbelievable stereotype of Mexicans to humorous effect.
Thanks again for contacting us.
Regards
BBC Complaints
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
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Kind Regards
BBC Audience Services