Greek Londoner's are incensed at a recent article by Jeremy Clarkson in The Sun in which he describes Greece as a toilet, is this the last outrage to get Clarkson the boot?
By John Kaponi
The BBC Top Gear and Sun columnist Jeremy Clarkson has angered the Greek population of the United Kingdom with racist and insensitive comments made in his weekly newspaper column in the Saturday edition of The Sun, were describes Greece as a "toilet".
In an article "Holiday ad cuts a'tache" Clarkson refers to a recent campaign by the Greek National Tourist board in London, were a women is pictured with Clarkson referring "and a girl who didn’t look all that Greek either. She didn’t have a moustache for instance".
Clarkson referred recently to lorry drivers murdering prostitutes and was given a warning by the BBC, but to insult an entire nation in this manner is way off the mark.
The London Daily News has formally written to the editor of The Sun and a formal complaint is being made to the Press Complaints Commission which has strict guidelines over accuracy:
"i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including pictures.
iii) The Press, whilst free to be partisan, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact."
Had these comments been made about Muslims or African-Caribbean’s there would have been calls for Clarkson immediate dismissal in any case The Sun has not made any remedy to date.
The London Daily News calls for Clarkson to be sacked from The Sun for making these comments.
I am greek and i just happened to read this article and some of the comments here. I just wanna thank you neil campbell for your comment, you mentioned everything thats on my mind but cant put into words. you are totally right, honestly (well, i think you exaggerated about some things in your comment, but still). and for the love of god people (greek people, to be specific), calm down. i have no idea who this Jeremy Clarkson is (i neither watch Top Gear, nor read the Sun), but its obvious that what he said was a joke (although, he's kinda right -- all of my friends depilate their mustaches :p ). and even if it wasnt a joke, well, he has the right to say his opinion. it is called democracy. (ring a bell?)
Akis Haralabopoulos
Date Added: Saturday 15 November, 2008
Really, lets not give Jeremy Clarkson so much credibility.
His gift to humanity is talking and writing about cars someone else designed and built. If only Clarkson would read a few things about Socrates (like the ability to question, get answers and think laterally) or studied pretty much any area of science, the humanities, architecture and philosophy he might think different about Greece. Greece no doubt has its own share of contemporary problems but which nation doesn't? It would be disrespectful to those living in the UK to say anything harsh of the UK. If any one out there thinks they can find the perfect country to live in keep it a secret....otherwise it will not be perfect for long.
There is not much point taking Clarkson seriously. Clarkson probably enjoys watching the furore he has created and the publicity has has produced for his programme.
George Rakkos
Date Added: Friday 14 November, 2008
Seriously? All of you actually took time out of your day to get upset about something that Jeremy Clarkson said? The guy is a motoring Journalist and tv persona. Do not forget that. I've been watching his show constantly for the past 5 years and i seriously "love" the guy as a presenter. Besides that his opinion matters to me as much as that of a chair. Trying to reason with something that he said is like trying to "move the moon out of its orbit with the engine of a food blender" to say it in his own words.
Not to say that i don't think that his comment is annoying but what the hey. Its not like David Miliband said it.
Anyways ALL of you get your knickers untwisted and relax. For the Brit's in the audience come to Greece have a frappe and a tiropita by the see and get some color for heavens same (will probably produce some vitamin A and make you a bit livelier you over-rained-on bunch).
And Jeremy if you happen to read this do not fret my friend we all know you're an attention wh#re and we love you none the less.
OH! Brit's, we seem to be #8 on your list of favorite vacation destinations, so go to http://www.gnto.gr/?langID=2 and lets try and fix that shall we?
neil campbell
Date Added: Friday 14 November, 2008
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! what a storm in a teacup made by the humourless and overly proud.
i thought id add a comment as someone who actually lives in greece as opposed to people living somewhere other than the motherland... funny thing about oi ellenes, the further they live from greece the prouder they are!
The man made a joke, some of which was true but the best humour is always that which contains truth... Mania.k and your other mad commenters, get down off your high horses with your pathetic outrage.
Greece is, by tangible measures, a toilet.
not a literal one but certainly a metaphorical one.
it is a country with no architectural beauty outside of the ancient ruins. I know, its the turks fault, but its not, even today, delapidated houses arent restored to their former grandure, their torn down for yet another concrete tower block monstrosity that will never be repainted or maintained,or in many cases even finished! how many times have you seen a multistorey building where 2 or 3 floors are finished and the rest left as unfinished shell? probably not a lot, you dont live here. ever been to kalamata? thessaloniki? exarchia? omonia? ever been to beroia, xalkida or, in fact any greek town thats not on kriti? (oh, forgot just how filthy it is in iraklio)
yes, it is a country with great weather, some great people and some stunning views (generally ruined by rubbish and cigarette butts) but as for infastructure. architectural asthetics and standards its the worst place in europe!
shall we list a few of the problems?
yes, i think I shall.
it is a country where employees rights are so over the top everyone and i mean EVERYONE, sits all day smoking cigarettes and drinking coffes because they cant be fired! and you know im talking about in OTE offices (the greek BT), the banks, national and private, DEH... sod it, EVERYWHERE (oh, and i include cafes for children to play in!)
infastructure? the electricity company cant supply enough power, so during summer theres power cuts. its also constantly on strike, and by that i mean they turn off the power to huge areas when theyre on strike, in the evenings for up to 6 hours at a time, its important to note these strikes dont affect business just ordinary greek people and their children.
roads? there are precisely two decent roads in greece, i dont mean decent as good to drive hard and fast as there are many of them, but decent for the average person, well surfaced and well lit, modern even, they are attiki and egnatia odos. the rest are just a joke, the romans built better roads!
trains? outside of Athens? dont make me laugh! which they dont, they make me tear my hair out.
seatbelts? optional. deodorant? also apparently optional.
University? well,... if you get in theres no timetable for you to finish, you can take 15 years to complete your degree if you wish and heaven forbid you have a degree from another country, which i assume you all do, dont come back because its worthless here unless you go to a greek uni to do a conversion qualification. you may have studied english at oxford but the guy who took 8 years to do it at piraeus has a more worthwhile english degree, you may and my friend has studied medicine at harvard then Johns hopkins and come back to find he cant get a job because his degree isnt recognised and he cant practice medicine! why, im not sure but i think the money he has to pay to do the 1 year conversion may have something to do with it!
In greece, men believe they are all the second coming, noone is more important than themselves. you have men and women who cant take care of themselves at 30 because mama tha kanei ola until your married and then in most cases she still will afterwards.
women, they're their to take care of the menfolk.
wages are awful, black money is everywhere. corruption is rife, your legal system...? no trial by jury unless in most cases and is neither unbiased, fair or uncorruptible (average joe gets nicked with some weed plants gets prison time, famous man with large amount of cocaine gets fined), children arent disciplined even when its for their own safety (why is it that once theyve grown out of their car seats greek children dont wear seatbelts, is it because parents are too lazy to make them because the children dont want to and will resist.)
greek tv is proposterous, i mean, star news anyone? it is to tv journalism and news what the daily star is to print! i wish i was joking. all anyone cares about here is how much the bills go up and what celebrities are doing (oh, and if its beach season then its important to show as many nubile young things, semi naked as possible and thats not just star).
why is it i can turn on the tv at 5 in the evening and see a naked women, not semi naked like on the news, but, if its a film being shown at an innaporpriate time, a fully naked woman?
you can try and hide behind your inpenetrable language but i watch tv here, i here the way you talk about the Mauvroi including obama, I watch lakis, hes no better than clarkson by the way its just hes not as funny, the way you all regard the turks, the albanians, blacks ive never seen a black working anywhere other than on the streets selling knock offs or themselves!
the Gyftakia? dont talk racism when your from a racist society. great greek childrens joke "little gypsy goes into the shoe store and asks for a size 38. next month goes in and buys a 39, next month goes and buys a 40. next week goes back and asks for 37. "why the smaller size enquires the shopkeeper, what happened?" "little gypsy cut his toenails"
another greek joke, why do turkish boys always grow moustaches? so they can look like their mothers!
but thats ok, because only greeks will understand it.
so, enough with your sanctimonious claptrap. the problem with the world today is truths can no longer be pointed out without it being racist, jokes must be run past the pc censor and everyone takes offence at every PERCEIVED slight...
oh, and greek women are hairy... as are spanish and italian, northern europeans arent so hairy, to point it out isnt racist, its observational!
thats also why theres so many waxing parlours here and theyre always full!
im off now, to smoke a cigarette in a public place, ignore some stop sings on the raod, have a coffee, tell some racist jokes, then drive home drunk with my un seatbelted child in the back! as they say, when in rome...
Mania Koutsogiorgou
Date Added: Thursday 13 November, 2008
The comments by Jeremy Clarkson are UNACCEPTABLE!
Nobody has the right to talk like that for any nation on the earth. That kind of comments nobody has the right to say it even as a JOKE.
Enough is Enough with this attitude towards Greek Nation. Is not the first time that Greeks receive that kind of comments from English.
Until now we tolerate this attitude but as mentioned above ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !!
You shoud take an action about this issue IMMEDIATELY!!!!. If I had the power I would even dismiss him from the association of Journalists.
Mr Clarkson should deal with his country problems(drinking problem, crimes by youngsters, nudity, lack of hygience etc..) than to make embarrasing comments for a Country who do not know nothing about!
He must learn the term RESPECT not only for the other nations but first for his own nation (regarding the comments about the lorry drivers)
Media is a very powerful tool and you should consider TWICE who you let to use it.
Tha Tha
Date Added: Thursday 13 November, 2008
I wouldnt expect anything more from a so-called intellectual homo. He called Greece a toilet. when greeks were using toilets and public baths, english homos were fighting to eat their own excrements.
He also said that Greek women should have a moustache, we can all understand why... ( you'd love that you silly homo).
I have to add, English women are the ungliest in existance, something that is common truth. Take a walk to your museums and see what you have stolen. Sorry for the use of unproper language but I am very harrased.
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