The other diplomatic row- Mexico verses Top Gear

It shouldn't come to any surprise for seasoned viewers of the BBC's TV show 'Top Gear', whose presenters  have once again managed to hit the diplomatic spotlight with a few choice remarks about Mexico (Top Gear is basically presented by 3 middle aged men, all non-PC, who review,  drive and generally make laddish  comments about, well cars or 'automobiles').

The row caused The Republic of Mexico's Ambassador to the UK, Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza,  to brand  the show "xenophobic" and "racist" after Richard Hammond (one of the co-presenters) said the following , when they discussed a Mexican sports car, the Mastretta.

Hammond said: "Why would you want a Mexican car? Because cars reflect national characteristics don't they?Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat."

Jeremy Clarkson, the lead presenter, apparently further upset the Ambassador by referring to Mexican food as "refried sick" (I actually like chili con carne, but there you go) and later cracked a joke on the situation (after the complaint by the Ambassador) on the next show, by saying that there would be no further complaints because the Mexican Ambassador would "be sitting there with a remote control like this" (Clarkson pretends to slump in a chair snoring).

The Ambassador has now written to the BBC as thus:

"The presenters of the programme 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...These offensive, xenophobic and humiliating remarks serve only to reinforce negative stereotypes and perpetuate prejudice against Mexico and its people."

The BBC did of course apologise and explained :

"Our own comedians make jokes about the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn make jokes about the Italians being disorganised and over dramatic, the French being arrogant and the Germans being over-organised,"

Which I think is fair enough- I also wait for the complaint by the Italian Ambassador, The French Ambassador and the German Ambassador- the programme itself is supposed to have banter and is done within a humorous context. In any case  explaining English humour, e.g. irony, is sometimes a laborious task . It is not that Mexicans have any racial prejudices of their own or any breakaway provinces which do not want to be part of Mexico...

The BBC's apology  is not the end of the matter, apparently. A Mexican citizen based in Britain is planning to sue ,or has at least got some legal chaps doing some ground work, the BBC under the equality laws and if any litigation was successful it could mean a payout of £1,000,000 ($1,600,000) as a rough estimate. One would like to ask, given that offence was caused, apology and explanation has been given, why a 30 year old design student,  by the name De La Torre (who clearly represents the other 100,000,000 Mexicans) would want to pursue this matter, not withstanding  the potential payout if the action was successful.  But please note, that I would suggest that this legal manoeuvring is has nothing to do with this sign, naturally :

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Clearly this is all about the honour of one's country and  defending it against these terrible British racists, who don't know the difference between a tacos  and an enchiladas, not lots of $$$$$$$. I am sure if this litigation is successful, that any money would go to the poverty stricken and poor of Mexico, rather than as a self-enrichment exercise for one person, otherwise  I'd be claiming Mexican citizenship and joining the equality rights bandwagon for all the  cash  I could get out of the Kingdom. It would be better than the day job.

Discuss.