Let's Hear It For The Boys
Reader Bruce e-mails with a TV viewing recommendation:
I don’t normally send out TV show recommendations, but last night’s Top Gear (BBC America, 7pm, a show normally about high end sports cars) was good, very good, maybe their best. Last night, instead of their usual UK (or Europe) location they were in Florida, where the 3 guys (the hosts) each bought an American junker (late 80’s Camaro, Eldorado, and Dodge pickup truck), and proceeded on a road trip through the south towards New Orleans, with the idea being to see could buy the cheapest car, make it to New Orleans, and sell it for the most money. Halfway through the trip (somewhere in Alabama ?) they opened an envelope from their producer, with directions to paint each others’ cars with some offensive wording (using water based fluorescent art paint) to get the other driver into trouble. The results were: the white pickup truck said (in pink paint) “Man Love Rules”, the Camaro said “Country Western is Rubbish” on the sides and “Nascar Sucks” on the trunk, with the Caddy saying “Hillary for President” on the sides and “I’m Bi” on the trunk. As they rolled down the highway they were getting angry looks and honking horns from the local rednecks. When they pulled into some small hick town for gas, the hillbilly lady who ran the gas station came out and started yelling at them and said she was calling “the boys”, and minutes later a pickup truck load of shirtless good ‘ol boys pulls up and proceeds to threaten and yell at the drivers and pelted the camera crew with rocks – the TV show crew and hosts fled the gas station, but the Hillary Eldorado had a dead battery so the Man Love pickup had to gave it a quick jump start, and off they sped. Once safely out of town they pulled over and frantically washed the painted slogans off.
There’s not much on TV these days that I’d recommend, but I do like this show. Have a look if you get a chance. BBC America plays 2 shows a week on Monday night at 7pm and 8pm, with one of the shows being a repeat of the previous week (much like the Golf Channel did with the Big Break), so the southern road trip might be replayed.
Wow, I'll bet the Brits who produced the show were amazed that the redneck 'Mericans didn't pull out assault rifles and execute the hosts. I'm guessing the rednecks weren't sure what "Man Love Rules" meant until they heard the driver speak with a British accent, then they understood. In reality, I'm willing to bet that the conflict with the gang of rednecks was staged at some level. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Reality TV is like the internet. Rule #1 for both is that nothing is as it is presented. Just because reality TV isn't "real" doesn't mean it can't still be entertaining. This show sounds like it stands a good chance.
Finally, I wonder which car was more offensive. I'm guessing "Man Love" was a distant 3rd, just behind by the "Bi's for Hil." After reading Mark Yost's latest, I'm sure the anti-NASCAR/Country Western car engendered the most hate.
I don’t normally send out TV show recommendations, but last night’s Top Gear (BBC America, 7pm, a show normally about high end sports cars) was good, very good, maybe their best. Last night, instead of their usual UK (or Europe) location they were in Florida, where the 3 guys (the hosts) each bought an American junker (late 80’s Camaro, Eldorado, and Dodge pickup truck), and proceeded on a road trip through the south towards New Orleans, with the idea being to see could buy the cheapest car, make it to New Orleans, and sell it for the most money. Halfway through the trip (somewhere in Alabama ?) they opened an envelope from their producer, with directions to paint each others’ cars with some offensive wording (using water based fluorescent art paint) to get the other driver into trouble. The results were: the white pickup truck said (in pink paint) “Man Love Rules”, the Camaro said “Country Western is Rubbish” on the sides and “Nascar Sucks” on the trunk, with the Caddy saying “Hillary for President” on the sides and “I’m Bi” on the trunk. As they rolled down the highway they were getting angry looks and honking horns from the local rednecks. When they pulled into some small hick town for gas, the hillbilly lady who ran the gas station came out and started yelling at them and said she was calling “the boys”, and minutes later a pickup truck load of shirtless good ‘ol boys pulls up and proceeds to threaten and yell at the drivers and pelted the camera crew with rocks – the TV show crew and hosts fled the gas station, but the Hillary Eldorado had a dead battery so the Man Love pickup had to gave it a quick jump start, and off they sped. Once safely out of town they pulled over and frantically washed the painted slogans off.
There’s not much on TV these days that I’d recommend, but I do like this show. Have a look if you get a chance. BBC America plays 2 shows a week on Monday night at 7pm and 8pm, with one of the shows being a repeat of the previous week (much like the Golf Channel did with the Big Break), so the southern road trip might be replayed.
Wow, I'll bet the Brits who produced the show were amazed that the redneck 'Mericans didn't pull out assault rifles and execute the hosts. I'm guessing the rednecks weren't sure what "Man Love Rules" meant until they heard the driver speak with a British accent, then they understood. In reality, I'm willing to bet that the conflict with the gang of rednecks was staged at some level. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Reality TV is like the internet. Rule #1 for both is that nothing is as it is presented. Just because reality TV isn't "real" doesn't mean it can't still be entertaining. This show sounds like it stands a good chance.
Finally, I wonder which car was more offensive. I'm guessing "Man Love" was a distant 3rd, just behind by the "Bi's for Hil." After reading Mark Yost's latest, I'm sure the anti-NASCAR/Country Western car engendered the most hate.
posted by Nihilist in Golf Pants at 2/14/2008 12:01:00 AM
3 Comments:
I generally enjoy the show also. But if they're even mildly catering to an American audience, they should have a fourth host who is American. It's annoying to hear them always bash all American-made cars and set up comparisons with the weakest models.
It's an ok show. Great cars are evaluated by experts and driven hard. The "Hillbilly" episode turned me off completely though. It's easy to malign 70s and 80s American iron. But ok, lets compare an older American pickup with a British one - oh they didn't make one. How'bout the 80s Camaro compared to an 80s Rover car - HAH! (and I've owned both) I really didn't like to condescending attitude shown towards residents of the southern states. The hillbilly gas station attack was clearly staged. If them ol' boys wanted to trash the Brit poofs, they had more than enough time to do so.
You have to give Amy credit, she's taken an incredably hot body and reformed it into something that a common man, such as myself, can appreciate.
-Shane MacGowan
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