Jeremy Clarkson finds himself at the centre of yet another confected ‘racism’ storm, this time over allegations that he used the N-word in a Top Gear recording.
The Daily Mirror has got hold of a tape of Clarkson reciting the children’s nursery rhyme ‘Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe’ while attempting to choose between two indistinguishable sports cars.
When he gets halfway though the second line, Clarkson mumbles. He deliberately avoids dropping the N-bomb.
I’ve watched it a dozen times and at best it’s inconclusive. More to the point, it wasn’t broadcast. It seems someone at the BBC has obtained one of the out-takes and leaked it to damage him.
The Mirror naturally seized on the chance to discredit Clarkson, a star columnist on their deadly rival, The Sun.
They hired an outfit called CY4OR, described as ‘digital forensics’ experts, to analyse the recording. (I wonder if CY4OR is related to C3PO in Star Wars?)
And guess what? After subjecting the tape a thousand times over to hi-tech, spectral analysis, they decided that Clarkson had indeed uttered the N-word. When Clarkson got to the N-word, the presenter made a conscious effort to conceal it. He wasn’t trying to be clever
When Clarkson got to the N-word, the presenter made a conscious effort to conceal it. He wasn’t trying to be clever
How certain? Pressed by Nick Ferrari on LBC radio yesterday morning, the woman who carried out the investigation said she was ‘75 per cent’ sure. [….]
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