Banter On: Jeremy Clarkson
How this 'Top Gear' Host Gave a Bottom Feeder Response
If you haven't read this story yet, here’s a good synopsis from Manori Ravindran’s story in Variety.
All caught up? Great. Here’s the lackluster and cold response he had to the backlash of his words:
Jeremy Clarkson's nonchalant response that starts with "Oh dear. I've rather put my foot in it" is insensitive to the magnitude of his words and shows how little he regrets what he wrote. The fact that he wrote such misogynistic and violent words about Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is incredibly problematic and, to be honest, disgusting. However, we can't look at this through the lens of solely analyzing Clarkson's violent fantasies about hurting someone. We also need to take into account that what he did write was ultimately approved and sent to print with The Sun without acknowledging any of the ramifications. These chauvinistic, extreme fantasies Clarkson wrote of are most likely just the tip of the iceberg to where his mind actually went, and while they are horrible to read, the thoughts of small-minded men like him are far too common. A publication printing those thoughts, tabloid or not, should never be common.
You only get one chance to address a public relations crisis, and Clarkson's knee-jerk lackadaisical reaction worsened this crisis. You never want to put out two statements because that means your first one was ineffective and most likely made things worse. When giving that initial apology statement, you must remember that people want you to take responsibility for your actions. They want you to be empathetic and remorseful and show that you are aware of your mistakes and what you will do about them. Until Clarkson does that, I don't see the heat letting up. If Clarkson wants to save his already questionable reputation, he must go back to the drawing board with his communications team and apologize publicly.
Unfortunately, as we've seen with many men put under the “canceled microscope,” this may not affect his professional future at all. Though if we've learned anything from the crises this year, he will lose any brand partnerships or dissolve upcoming opportunities due to his remarks.
I would never be Jeremy Clarkson’s publicist, especially based on his general demeanor and his obvious hatred of women that most likely stems from some form of early trauma (Perhaps you should try therapy, Jeremy. Or smiling more.) However, if I were in the shoes of Jeremy Clarkson's publicity team, this is what I would do:
The statement's first line is the most important; with that, Clarkson made the biggest mistake. He made the statement all about himself. When you're putting out a public apology for a situation such as this one, the first line is never about you; the first line is about the victim or the person that was hurt. Clarkson's statement should have apologized to Meghan Markle and women in general. Within the first part of his apology, I would recommend that after apologizing to Markle, first and foremost, he has to own up to his mistake. Clarkson needs to acknowledge that he knows what he did was wrong and how hurtful and violent his comments were.
Then, Clarkson must explain why and how this happened while expressing concern and sympathy for Markle. He would need to support the context within why he decided to write about the violent fantasies he had about her and further acknowledge why none of that was okay.
Last, Clarkson would make a statement about what he is committed to changing, what his actions are for the future, and what he will do to make things right.
As much as public figures who feel the heat from these very public mistakes would like to hide under the covers and send a half-assed tweet about being “more careful,” this will not go away. And the longer he waits to fix it, the bigger this fire will burn.