Jeremy Clarkson, patron saint of the Great British bore
disgraced “Top Gear" presenter, a man who punched an underling for failing to provide a hot dinner, to strangely beloved guardian of the British countryside and yimby (Yes In My Back Yard) icon. This unlikely transformation is due to the success of “Clarkson’s Farm", a hit Amazon Prime show that begins its third series on May 3rd. In the programme Mr Clarkson struggles to breed pigs, break even and defeat nimbys on the local council.
The show appeals to a much-misunderstood figure in British society: the Great British bore. On a damp Saturday afternoon in April at Diddly Squat shop, dozens of people queued for half an hour to pay £7.20 ($9) for a jar of pesto and £32 for 12 bottles of Hawkstone Lager, Mr Clarkson’s own brand. Is it fair to label people enjoying an underwhelming afternoon in the countryside “bores", your columnist briefly wondered, at which point a man left the queue to inspect the guttering of the farm shop with a little tap.
“Plastic," he nodded. Yes, it is fair! Bores come in many forms. Some are farmers.
Some are petrolheads. Some supported leaving the EU. Some are casual in their bigotry.
Some are climate-sceptic. Some are vociferous nimbys. These are the traditional bores.
But other bores exist. Some are furious that Britain has left the EU, and will never cease to let you know how angry they are. Some are eco-warriors, putting biodiversity before people.
Some bores believe building solves every problem. Somehow, Mr Clarkson manages to speak for all of them. Mr Clarkson’s appeal to the traditional bore is more obvious.
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