Top Gear is a reality program like Survivor, or Big Brother, or
America's Next Top Model, or whatever. It is not true reality, but
carefully staged reality (oxymoron?) designed to attract viewers. If
the viewers in England didn't find Jeremy Clarkson entertaining for
some reason, they wouldn't watch the program, and he would be out of a
job. The English have a real problem - it is a country full of
ex-Colonial Administers, Soldiers, and Sailors who think it is still
1913. They know they are great, so everyone else must not be so great,
and therefore they often find it necessary to point out the flaws in
America and Americans. Personally, I would love to go to England and
look around.  I love history. No place on earth is so full of antique
machinery, ideas, and people. And to be honest, I don't think the
English can hold a candle to the French and Germans when it comes to
disparaging Americans - we just don't get their programs (since most
of us are too chauvinistic to learn French or German). Thank goodness
we have the Canadians to make fun of.....

Ed