A SCOTTISH charity campaigning against domestic violence has called out Jeremy Clarkson for “horrific misogyny”.
The former Top Gear presenter sparked uproar on social media over the weekend after he said he was “dreaming of the day” when Meghan Markle is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain and have excrement thrown at her.
He also claimed everyone his age “thinks the same way”.
It comes following the release of a Netflix series where Harry and Meghan detailed their relationship with the royal family.
White Ribbon Scotland has now posted an extensive thread on Twitter about Clarkson’s “vile” comments, explaining the effects it may have on readers after some attempted to defend the Who Wants to be a Millionaire host’s remarks as a joke.
The charity said: “Some are dismissing this vile piece from Jeremy Clarkson as humour. It's our fault for not getting the joke. He is only referencing something that happened to the mistress of a 16th Century King. When do we stop excusing horrific misogyny disguised as 'clever' humour?
“If this had been said about a woman in your life would you be enjoying the clever humour? No? Then what does it matter that she is a public figure? What would it matter that someone said it about someone you had never heard of? At what point do the excuses make it okay?
“The problem with misguided misogynistic 'humour' is that the writer cannot be sure that the reader understands all the cleverness and the need to interpret it, as opposed to simply taking it as read. The reader may think it is what the writer thinks and they might be right.
“The even more important thought which should run through the writer's head is not 'how clever am I?' but rather 'what will an abuser reading this think?'. ‘Am I simply stoking the misogynistic fervour of those who abuse women?'
Some are dismissing this vile piece from Jeremy Clarkson as humour. It's our fault for not getting the joke. He is only referencing something that happened to the mistress of a 16th century King. When do we stop excusing horrific misogyny disguised as 'clever' humour? 1/1 pic.twitter.com/OKc4uWTBiE
— White Ribbon Scotland (@WhiteRibbonScot) December 19, 2022
“Perhaps if that's not the intent, the thinking should quickly come round to deciding this shouldn't be written or said at all.
“We are all responsible for the filters we run our thoughts through. When are we going to stop incentivising those who would abuse or be violent towards women for the sake of some sick misogynistic moment of humour, then patting ourselves on the back for how clever we are?
“When are we going to be more concerned with whether women and girls can feel safe in our society? Thousands of men have taken the White Ribbon Pledge across Scotland and the UK - we need to live up to it and we need to encourage others to do the same.”
Within the same piece, Clarkson also said he hated Nicola Sturgeon and serial killer Rose Rose West in the same sentence.
Clarkson’s daughter Emily was quick to condemn her dad’s piece and said she stood against everything he wrote.
Viewers of Laura Kuenssberg’s Sunday politics programme on the BBC questioned why Clarkson’s piece had not been raised on the show when the Sun’s editor Victoria Newton was taking part and asked about a series of front pages on the royal couple.
