I will have to admit that I have never watched Top Gear. I acknowledge that others really like this program and have no problem with that, but to me rev-heads are among the least interesting sport personalities and their events hold no interest. So I didn't know that Clarkson had said something to get himself in the soup. I didn't even know there was a controversy.
But, the reference to a re-written Huckleberry Finn caught my attention. To change a literary classic to meet today's literary restrictions is vandalism, pure and simple. It is also profoundly dishonest. What else? I fear for James Ellroy's LA Confidential, which I have just re-read and consider one of America's best in the police/crime genre. Is there any hope for Dashiell Hammett's work?
What sad tossers these historical denialists are. "Get a Life" gets a new life here.

Halduell,
Gee I hope the race baiters don't go waaay back and pick up any of Clarkson's books then!
Or watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19fcN3VaXs4
Or this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6xJzAYYrX8

So much outrage over the use of the "n" word, but our Mad as Hell can use the equally offensive "r" word and we don't bat an eyelid. Complaints to the ABC are shrugged off and we are told it is only a bit of light humour - maybe we shouldn't take ourselves so seriously? So does this mean the race lobby is stronger than the disability one or does it mean there is an underlying difference between the British and Australian cultures?

Yep, and I can remember a *minority* (in ever sense of the word) comedian on/at one of the televised festivals using the line: "what do I have to do to be accepted as an Ozzie, glass someone?"

Now just imagine if similar was said about one of the protected minorities!

Mark Twain's novel was written to reflect the way people spoke at a particular time and place.

Changing it is more "offensive" than any word within it, and is utterly ridiculous considering the tone of the book is anti-racist: the boy befriends a Black slave!

I bet the people editing White authors won't be editing the numerous Black American rappers who use the word in every "song".
No, that's free speech.

Well said ,Binoy; and timely. Its nicely complimentary to L. Maher on 18C yesterday.