Top Gear US Special - Miami to New Orleans
By EuroSaint
@EuroSaint (41)
Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
June 4, 2012 7:43am CST
Some time a go a saw BBS-s Top Gear US Special, where the hosts of the show took a trip from Miami to New Orleans.
In that show they were given a challenge by their producers, to decorate each others cars with slogans not really common to that part of US. Slogans such as: Hillary for president, NASCAR sucks, Man-love rules etc.
In a gas station during a little break, they were greeted by an angry mob, who threw rocks at them and chased them on the highway. Also they said they were very likely to get shot.
My question is to the people who live around these parts, or have been there.
Is it really that bad there, that one might get shot over such things?
or they just made it look extreme for the interest of the show?
Here is the clip of that show:
http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/southern-discomfort
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2 responses
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
4 Jun 12
I remember this one..they had to buy used cars for the trip,representing American Driving tastes..Hammond got a pickup truck,May got a Caddie,And Clarkson..was it a trans-am? I too would be interested to hear was the portrayal of local response to their "Custom paint jobs" in any way accurate,or was it played up? most of the response seemed to be presented due to the sound crew,as the cameras were shown to be moving in the direction of "Away" at the time..
@PageTurner (2825)
• United States
4 Jun 12
Hello EuroSaint
I remember that episode. It was one of my favorites.
However, at the time, I had the feeling that some of it was orchestrated. I lived in the Southeast USA most of my life, and while I am ashamed to say that there are a good many haters, I don't think that it is any more than anywhere else in the world. While I have lived most of my life in the South, I have been to many places around the world, and lived in a few others, and I have found 'rednecks' and haters everywhere. In fact, the biggest redneck racists I've ever encountered are in the northern part of the USA.
I think that the show made a caricature of the states through which it traveled. Mind you, I'm not saying they wouldn't attract attention and that some people would treat them poorly, but I don't think that is something only found in that area of the world.
@EuroSaint (41)
• Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
5 Jun 12
I agree, haters can be found everywhere, but the response to the actions differ.
The episode reminded me of something that happend in my country few years ago.
I live in Estonia, republic now, but used to be occupied by russia (soviet union).
A group of young tourists from moscow, drove here with their cars, on the side of the cars were written: The master are back!
Implying on the fact that they ruled over and raped us for decades. And it was meant as a deliberate provocation, not a joke.
Locals of course were mad but nobody attacked them or threw rocks at them.
And comparing those two incidents, made me ask this question.
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@PageTurner (2825)
• United States
5 Jun 12
In both cases, the messages written on the cars were meant to provoke a bad response. However, I think that in your case, the wounds were too recent and it is more likely that there would be a bad outcome. In the Top Gear case, some of the phrases written were more a stereotype, and not really all that serious. The South is not as backward as it is often presented on the television. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but on the whole, people will respect other people, even if they differ in opinion.
@EuroSaint (41)
• Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
6 Jun 12
That was my original opinion too, that the situation was made more dramatical for the show.
Thanks for confirming it:)
I totally agree with your notion that, the south is often presented as a really backward area.
I once actually tried to look for some positive shows/docs/programs on the south, didnt find much:P
Most of the results were full of the typical stereotyping, hicktowns and triggerhappy gunmen etc.
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