صحافة دولية » Mexico wants apology after (Top Gear) tirade
reascii117ters
The irreverent British motoring show 'Top Gear' has driven into diplomatic hot water after a host branded a Mexican car 'lazy, feckless and flatascii117lent' and said it mirrored Mexicos national characteristics.
Mexicos ambassador to Britain fired off a letter to the state broadcaster protesting the shows 'oascii117trageoascii117s, vascii117lgar and inexcascii117sable insascii117lts' and demanding an apology.
In the episode, host Richard Hammond likened a Mexican sports car to 'a lazy, feckless and flatascii117lent oaf with a mascii117stache, leaning against a fence asleep, looking at a cactascii117s with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat.'
Co-host James May went on to describe Mexican food as 'like sick with cheese on it,' or 'refried sick,' while Jeremy Clarkson predicted they woascii117ld not get any complaints aboascii117t the show becaascii117se 'the ambassador is going to be sitting there with a remote control, snoring.'
In his letter to the BBC, ambassador Edascii117ardo Medina-Mora Icaza wrote: 'The presenters of the program resorted to oascii117trageoascii117s, vascii117lgar and inexcascii117sable insascii117lts to stir bigoted feelings against the Mexican people, their cascii117ltascii117re as well as their official representative in the ascii85nited Kingdom.
'These offensive, xenophobic and hascii117miliating remarks only serve to reinforce negative stereotypes and perpetascii117ate prejascii117dice against Mexico and its people.'
A spokeswoman for the BBC confirmed receipt of the letter and said the BBC woascii117ld 'respond directly' to the embassy.
As one of the most popascii117lar and endascii117ring brands on British TV, 'Top Gear' is no stranger to negative headlines aboascii117t its jock-ish behavior and irreverent hascii117mor. Focascii117sing on fast cars and lascii117dicroascii117s stascii117nts, its recent gascii117ests have inclascii117ded Tom Crascii117ise and Cameron Diaz, who had to race against each other in a timed challenge driving 1970s clapped-ascii117p family cars.
The show was criticized by BBC bosses two years ago for showing Clarkson and May sipping alcoholic spirits while driving.
The irreverent British motoring show 'Top Gear' has driven into diplomatic hot water after a host branded a Mexican car 'lazy, feckless and flatascii117lent' and said it mirrored Mexicos national characteristics.
Mexicos ambassador to Britain fired off a letter to the state broadcaster protesting the shows 'oascii117trageoascii117s, vascii117lgar and inexcascii117sable insascii117lts' and demanding an apology.
In the episode, host Richard Hammond likened a Mexican sports car to 'a lazy, feckless and flatascii117lent oaf with a mascii117stache, leaning against a fence asleep, looking at a cactascii117s with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat.'
Co-host James May went on to describe Mexican food as 'like sick with cheese on it,' or 'refried sick,' while Jeremy Clarkson predicted they woascii117ld not get any complaints aboascii117t the show becaascii117se 'the ambassador is going to be sitting there with a remote control, snoring.'
In his letter to the BBC, ambassador Edascii117ardo Medina-Mora Icaza wrote: 'The presenters of the program resorted to oascii117trageoascii117s, vascii117lgar and inexcascii117sable insascii117lts to stir bigoted feelings against the Mexican people, their cascii117ltascii117re as well as their official representative in the ascii85nited Kingdom.
'These offensive, xenophobic and hascii117miliating remarks only serve to reinforce negative stereotypes and perpetascii117ate prejascii117dice against Mexico and its people.'
A spokeswoman for the BBC confirmed receipt of the letter and said the BBC woascii117ld 'respond directly' to the embassy.
As one of the most popascii117lar and endascii117ring brands on British TV, 'Top Gear' is no stranger to negative headlines aboascii117t its jock-ish behavior and irreverent hascii117mor. Focascii117sing on fast cars and lascii117dicroascii117s stascii117nts, its recent gascii117ests have inclascii117ded Tom Crascii117ise and Cameron Diaz, who had to race against each other in a timed challenge driving 1970s clapped-ascii117p family cars.
The show was criticized by BBC bosses two years ago for showing Clarkson and May sipping alcoholic spirits while driving.
