speed and glamour

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Tue, 2003-10-21 21:28

speed and glamour

top gear have got a new mag out, aimed at the 15 - 21 year market... top gear turbo, reasonably priced for pocket money sized pockets at 1.95.

Issue two of Top Gear Turbo screeches into newsagents on 15 October priced £1.95. The magazine for lads (and lasses) who love cars comes with two stunning double-sided posters featuring the mighty Mercedes SLR McLaren and fantastic Ford GT, along with a double-whammy of high-velocity Vauxhalls - the VX220 Turbo and the championship-winning Astra British Touring Car.

articles such as -

REASONABLY PRICED CAR
Who's slowest, who's fastest and who tried to cheat. We've got all the goss.

THE STIG
Top Gear's super hero driver wrecks a Roller!

Am i the only one who feels a bit uncomfy with this? With joyriding on the increase, more and more young kids ending up in morgues after being stuffed in dykes and wrapped round trees in shitty battered souped up fiestas and astras, is it a good idea to glamourise it even more, by poking it at this age group?

Or am i being a miserable fart? Should kids that are interested in motors read this stuff?

Wed, 2003-10-22 14:15

sheepshank

I totally agree with all of you. Boy racers make me very angry for all sorts of reasons, and as a society we should be saying it's unacceptable behaviour. Instead they're encouraged by idiots trying to flog crappy magazines. Trouble is, whichever way you argue against it, you look like a 'miserable fart.' Sigh. [%sig%]

Wed, 2003-10-22 15:01

freda

up with farts in this instance!

Tue, 2003-10-21 21:35

mississippi

The BBC are exploiting the youngsters, and are showing no reponsibility at all. Nothing wrong with a car mag but it shouldn't be aimed at the age group who do most of the joyriding. It sends out the wrong messages. Essex Chronicle last Friday reported three kids (14, 15 and 16 yrs old) from Sth Ockendon stole a car and crashed it at speed killing the two youngest and the third is critical. Mass media have a lot to answer for and shouldn't be glamourisings speed in mags aimed at kids.

Tue, 2003-10-21 23:39

freda

I hate it. Poor kids. I am not really keen on glamour full stop whatever it is and means. Fun to die for.

Wed, 2003-10-22 00:01

pais

I reckon it's exploitation, but although it sounds like an exciting read for boys everywhere it might be a bit upmarket for joyriders who wanted to be thought of as outside the boring mainstream. I suppose kids could claim they'd stolen a copy if they wanted to appear cool in front of their mates when caught looking at it. Kids get killed in fatal car crashes so often, so many people know a family where a teenager has been killed that way, it's a horrifying fact of the impact of our lifestyle. Most of us drive cars... it's normal... we like it... and kids like to have fun and do dangerous stuff too... and we passively condone the exploitation of children of all ages in our consumer-led society... how can we start to change these things? Perhaps a letter to Top Gear is in order, expressing grave concerns about the glamorisation of speed and danger to a vulnerable, impressionable group? Or would that just give them extra publicity?

Sun, 2003-10-26 21:57

Elfy

Last week I was on my way home from a bar up town and I saw this kid, who looked no older than 12, wheeling of a moped down the street... what he didn't realise was that there were two coppers 10ft behind him on either side and a car following him down the road. The thing that got me was he looked so relaxed about what he was doing. Near where I live it's not un-common to see them riding these 'peds at quite a speed, with no helmet on! The sad thing is, one false move and they're under a bus.

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