BBC: Apologize for Insulting Mexicans

How We Won

Feb 04, 2011

Earlier we reported that the hosts of a BBC car show had referred to Mexicans as lazy, feckless, flatulent and overweight. In less than a day more than 1000 Change.org members joined people from all over the world demanding an apology. One person of Mexican descent in Britain is even filing a lawsuit against the show. But now the BBC has apologized... well, kinda...

BBC producers at Top Gear have written to Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, the Mexican Ambassador to the UK, and apologized for the comments made about him during the show. But it's not exactly what we would call a full apology. While apologizing, the BBC also said that national stereotyping is part of British humor, and that the presenters did not intend to be vindictive. In that, the state-owned network did apologize for racist insults directed at the ambassador, but did not directly apologize for the insulting comments directed towards Mexicans.

"Just imagine waking up and remembering you are Mexican..."

"You could just go back to sleep again."

A couple days ago, the hosts of  BBC show “Top Gear” (a popular car show) let loose quite an offensive tirade against Mexicans. The show presenters referred to Mexicans as lazy, feckless, flatulent and overweight, among other things. And the icing on the cake is that the Top Gear hosts were confident that people would not complain. Especially the Mexican Ambassador to the UK, who they pre-supposed, would be asleep on the job. After all, all Mexicans do is eat refried cheesy food and sleep against the fence with their coat hanging on a cactus, according to the hosts.

Don't take my word for it. (BBC is busy taking down the videos making waves for "copyright violations." Right, we know why they are really falling over themselves to take it down).

http://juliorvarela.com/2011/02/02/the-top-gear-video-clip-the-bbc-doesnt-want-you-to-see/

We didn't find it amusing or funny. Neither did the Mexican Ambassador in the UK, Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, who was actually paying attention.

"The presenters of the program resorted to outrageous, vulgar and inexcusable insults to stir bigoted feelings against the Mexican people, their culture as well as their official representative in the United Kingdom."

Mexican Ambassador Medina has urged Hammond, the show presenters and the BBC, to apologize for what he says are “offensive”, “xenophobic” and “humiliating” remarks. I urge you to do the same. Tell BBC and Top Gear hosts that this type of humor is unacceptable.

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