Burn the Heretics!

Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been rapped by the media watchdog for describing a car as "a bit ginger beer" - Cockney rhyming slang for "queer".

Ofcom said there was "no justification" for the comment.

Clarkson was discussing a Daihatsu Copen during an episode of the BBC show last year.

He referred to it as "a bit gay", adding: "It's a bit ginger beer."

Ofcom said use of the word "gay" was not necessarily offensive.

It referred to the Oxford English Dictionary definition of "gay" as "foolish, stupid and occasionally inappropriate, disapproved of and lame".

But the watchdog said: "In this edition of Top Gear, the presenter's use of a Cockney rhyming phrase made clear he intended to give a particular meaning to use of the word 'gay'... ie not to restrict its meaning simply to foolish or stupid, but clearly linking the reference to homosexual people.

"This, in Ofcom's opinion, meant that the use of the word became capable of giving offence. In the context, there was no justification for using the word in this way."

Well, perhaps not. But there's no justification for much of the rubbish that's spouted on popular television programmes. All sorts of inane trash is spouted by the various identikit morons who seem to present all the reality TV shows and so on. At least Clarkson is interesting, and different from the common mould of primetime presenters. Indeed, I would say that Clarkson represents "diversity" in a world dominated by mundane cretins. But, hey, that counts for nothing. He said "gay"! Burn the heretic!

Ofcom said the complaint had been resolved because the BBC had already warned the production team and producers not to repeat the offence.

Interesting how a thought crime is described in terms traditionally reserved for real crime.

The BBC's own investigation upheld complaints about Clarkson's use of the word "gay" during the episode screened in July last year.

So, you can be virulently racist, or Christianophobic. Just don't stray from the path of political correctness. Then you too can work for al-Beeb!

Note: For the avoidance of doubt, the image accompanying this post depicts a Daihatsu Copen motorcar. Not a homosexual.