Top Gear rapped over Mexican stereotypes
By Ian Dunt Follow @IanDunt
A Top Gear episode which branded Mexicans "lazy", "feckless" and "flatulent" has been criticised by the BBC's editorial complaints unit.
The corporation upheld the complaints against the programme, made not least by the Mexican ambassador to the UK, saying they reinforced negative national stereotypes.
Presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond joked that Mexican food was like "sick with cheese on it" and that the Mexican ambassador would not complain because he would be asleep.
The ambassador, Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, was evidently not asleep because his subsequent complaint, which criticised the programme for being "outrageous, vulgar and inexcusable" led to an apology from the show's producers, who said the section in question involved ad-libbing on the part of the presenters.
The remarks' "tone and cumulative effect seemed to give the impression of reinforcing, rather than ridiculing, the stereotype" the BBC has found.
The decision to find against the show runs against a judgement made by the corporation last February, when it defended the humour as part and parcel of Top Gear's appeal.
"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 complaints department found.
"The Top Gear audience understands this clearly and treats these remarks accordingly."
The section in question was cut from the US edition of the show, where the high level of Latino viewers would have almost certainly triggered an angry reaction.
