[yokohama11]

He makes fun of himself, his co-presenters and basically everything about the UK and British people constantly (especially when it comes to manufacturing).

For that matter, they've done entire episodes about how terrible the UK is at things, like the British Leyland cheap car challenge.

If he made those comments about anything else, someone would call them offensive. I find that double standard and the concept that you can't make jokes about anything far more concerning than the content of his "controversies" aside from the punching.

[foldr]

I don't see how that's comparable. He's used racist slurs against various non-white ethnic groups and explicitly advocated for discrimination against certain (non-white) ethnic groups. If he's done the same with regard to white people, I'd be interested to hear about it.

[ptaipale]

You never heard him talk about the French?

(Or Germans, for that matter.)

[foldr]

Yes, I have often heard white Europeans making fun of other white Europeans. The idea that it's ok to tell racist jokes as long as you also poke fun at more privileged groups of people simply makes no sense. That being said, Clarkson's xenophobia is hardly any more defensible than his racism.

[ptaipale]

First you say you are interested if he makes fun of white people, and when it is pointed out that he makes fun of white people, it is not interesting because then he is just making fun of "privileged" groups.

Clarkson makes fun of everyone, himself more than anyone else (call that privilege). That is why he is funny.

[foldr]

You don't seem to understand why the two cases aren't comparable. There's a huge difference between making fun of a group that you belong to and making fun of other groups. You can't excuse racism just by making a few digs at yourself.

>and when it is pointed out that he makes fun of white people

He doesn't make fun of white people as such. Making fun of Germans for being German is not the same as making fun of white people for being white.