Observation One Jackson Stone, 2014,

p.1
Observation One
Monday, September 08, 2014
BBCs Top Gear: The One with the Trip to America
The Second Big US trip
The Big US Road Trip

Note: Each observation takes place over the first 30-35 minutes of each of the episodes.
Background Information: Top Gear is an entertainment show about cars that is hosted in the
UK. In this episode the host of BBCs Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and
James May, come to the United States to review different types of cars and complete challenges
along the way.
Figured world: a large community with its own rules on how to act and behave appropriately.
BBCs Top Gear is an automotive show that reviews, races, modifies, and puts different
cars through specific challenges. These topics are my figured world for the assignment one
project. In order to highlight these activities I have chosen three episodes to observe. In all three
of the episodes the British host come to America to go on long driving trips to review different
cars. In the first episode, The One with the Trip to America, the host try to drive through the deep
south in cars that the bought for under one thousand dollars. In the second episode, The Second
Big US Trip, the host drive from San Francisco to Utah in American muscle cars. In the third
episode, The Big US Road Trip, the host drive along the east coast in expensive supercars. One
of the rules of this figured world would to always be respectful of others cars, meaning they
shouldnt try to tamper with each others cars. They also should always be responsible drivers
and not break any of the local laws of the road. The host also need to always to try and be as
informative as possible and try to fulfill their duty as an informational TV show and try to teach
the audience something about cars. The host should also be respectful to the places that they are
going and try not be disruptive to the people that live there. However the host also try to be
entertaining to the viewers and as a result some of these rules get broken.

Actors: an active participant in the figured world.
Jeremy Clarkson: Jeremy is one of the three host of Top Gear. Like the others, he is
from England and has a very stereotypical view of America. Meaning that he believes
most of the southern people are overweight rednecks with guns and arent very smart.
Jeremy also has a very low opinion of American cars. He can rarely be taken serious due
to his constant joking and pranks on the other host and serves as the comedic relief of the
show.

Commented [SJ1]: I like how the actors are clearly
explained here. The readers get full information about
the actors in this figured world. This makes it easier to
connect and understand them.-Xzavier Smith
Observation One Jackson Stone, 2014,
p.1
Richard Hammond: Also one of the host of Top Gear Richard was also born in
England. Richard is often described as being the most Americanized of the three host. He
has an appreciation for American cars and seems to enjoy American culture. Much to his
dislike Richard is often made fun of for his height..

James May: The third host of the show James May was born in England. He is referred
to as Captain Slow because of his lack of aggressive driving while behind the wheel of
a car. Though he doesnt drive as well as the others, James has the most car knowledge
and understands the inner workings of the car. James has a very awkward personality and
is usually at the butt of the pranks and jokes of the other two host.
The Stig: The Stig is an anonymous professional race car driver that travels with the host
of the show wherever they travel. He is characterized by his all white race suit and white
helmet. The host never reveal much about the identity of The Stig. The Stig often varies a
little bit depending on the country that they are visiting. For example the American Stig is
an overweight version that is very relaxed. He often will drive the cars that the host have
purchased during the challenges in order to eliminate the difference in their driving
styles.

Artifacts: Some object or emotion that the community believes has a great importance.
Camaro RS: This is the car that Jeremy Clarkson picked to drive to New Orleans. It took
him a while to find one for his budget of one thousand dollars but he was set on buying a
muscle car. Jeremy later discloses that the rpm gauge doesnt work, there is a loud
banging from the front right side of the car, and that the air conditioning doesnt work.
The radio is also broken and only plays one station which is gospel radio.
Dodge Ram 150: This is Richard Hammonds car. His method of thinking was that in
America everybody has a truck and so to fit in he should drive one too. He finds out
while driving that his car pulls to the right while on the gas and pulls to the left while
braking, his radio wasnt connected, and that his air conditioning doesnt work.
Cadillac Brougham: This was the car that James May bought with his thousand dollars.
It was a very sensible choice because of the soft suspension and a working air
conditioning system which is important for a long distance drive. He does however
complain that the car is absurdly slow and can barely reach sixty miles an hour. There is
also a loud noise coming from the engine.
Cadillac CTS-V: This is the car that James picks to drive from San Francisco to Utah.
Although considered more of a luxury car it still has the horse power to be considered a
muscle car. James isnt sure about his choice at first but comes to appreciate the car a lot
more near the end of the episode.
Dodge Challenger: This is Richard Hammonds choice for driving from San Francisco
to Utah. Because Top Gear had negatively reviewed Chrysler in the past they had refused
to give him one to test. So as a result Richard went to a dealership and bought one
himself.
Commented [SJ2]: The artifacts are explained very
well. I can clearly picture each artifact and make an
opinion about each one with the information given.
Finally, each follow the same formatting so it is easy to
distinguish one artifact from another.-Zachary Esposito
Observation One Jackson Stone, 2014,
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Corvette ZR1: this is the car that Jeremy picked to drive from San Francisco to Utah.
This is a new model of a classic muscle car. Jeremy complains that it is built with cheap
materials but in the end comes to really like it.
Ferrari 458 Italia: This is the super that James picks to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway in
Virginia. This is a very fast Italian made supercar. James really likes his choice of this car
throughout the episode. He even says that he believes its the best Ferrari on the market.
Mercedes SLS: This is Jeremys choice of car for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Jeremy
believes that this is one of the best supercars on the market and he also stays happy with
his choice throughout the episode.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS: This is Richards car for the Blue Ridge Parkway. He is initially
very excited about his choice although the other two host dont like it. He does admit that
is might not have been the best choice because of the fact that it is meant for a track and
not long distance driving. This means that it is missing basic things like cushioned seats.


Communities of Practice: Smaller groups within the figured world that have similar interest
and share similar ways of communication.
The Host: All of them have an interest in cars and are trying to complete the same goal
(get to New Orleans to sell their cars). When they are not able to communicate by talking
in person they usually wire radios to each others cars so they can talk to the others while
they are driving.


Domain: The shared interest that the people of a figured world shares.
Cars: All of the host have a great love and appreciation for cars. They have devoted
their entire careers to reviewing and driving cars for the public. Though Jeremy likes the
experience of driving the car, Richard cares more for the style of the car, and James likes
to learn how they work and the mechanics of the cars, they all have come together to talk
about cars and try to display what they know in an entertaining way.

Practices of the Community: this is simply the activity that the figured world does.
Driving: The way that all of the host review or discuss the cars that they are talking
about is by driving them. Since one of the key points of the show is to go from one point
to another, all of the host pick a car to drive the whole way.
Challenges: Along the way across the United States the host try to determine who picked
the best car for the money. In order to try to determine this the host are presented with
multiple challenges that test their cars capabilities. These challenges help show which of
the cars is in the best shape and help them review their cars while providing a chance for
comedic entertainment.

Commented [SJ3]: Could the crowd be considered a
community of practice? I know from the watching the
show that normally they have a crowd of people follow
them and listen to what they say about each car they
encounter. These people have the similar interest of
watching "The Host's" drive and talk about cars and I
think that could be used in this section.-Zachary
Esposito
Commented [SJ4]: Money could also be a domain.
Throughout this whole episode the hosts are trapped
by the idea of things costing to much and have to make
sacrifices just to be under budget. Money was so key in
some instances that they couldn't get the AC fixed they
bought a fan to cool them down.-Zachary Esposito
Observation One Jackson Stone, 2014,
p.1
Literary Practices: the way that the community writes, speaks, or nonverbal
communication
Talking: The host continually talk to themselves and others during the duration of the
show. They talk to each other while driving by using small hand radios. However,
their accents do bring up some animosity in the smaller southern towns of the United
States. A lot of the talking that the host do is using a phone.
Observation One:
5:00 minutes: The host have announced that they will be coming to America and will be trying
to buy cars for under one thousand dollars. They land in Miami Florida and set out in search of
the cars that they will drive for the rest of the trip. Jeremy and Richard both go to high end
dealerships to try and buy old muscle cars and both are disappointed to learn that they dont have
anywhere close to the amount of money required. James starts out at an old used car dealership
right away. Eventually Jeremy and Richard find very low end car dealerships in a very rough
part of Miami but are still having trouble negotiating a price.
10:00 minutes: Jeremy, with the help of some locals, finds a place that will sell him a car for
under one thousand dollars. He ends up buying a 1991 Camaro RS for $800. He is then the first
one to arrive at the meet up point. Richard who decided to try and fit in and buy a truck. The
truck that he ended up buying was a Dodge Ram150. Both of their cars are in very rough shape.
Richard is the next one to arrive at the meeting point. Both of the host wait for James may to
arrive.
15:00 minutes: Finally after waiting for a long time James arrives to the meeting point in a 1989
Cadillac Brougham. The three then discuss their cars and try to point out the faults of the others
choices. They then decide to go to a raceway ninety miles north of Miami. They seem to enjoy
their drive on the highway and are having fun. Jeremy starts to complain that all of the
Americans are fat and have the potential to start shooting at any moment. Each one then admits
that their car does have some issues. Jeremy reveals that his rpm gauge is broken and his radio
will only play one station (gospel radio) and the air conditioning is broken. Richard says that his
truck is pulling to the right while on the gas and pulls to the left while braking and that his air
conditioning is also broken. James says that his Cadillac can barely do sixty miles an hour and
there is a very loud squeaking.
20:00 minutes: While driving to the raceway James notices that the body alignment is off on
Richards truck. Upon arriving the hosts receive their challenge. Their cars must complete one
lap of the track and for every second over 1:10 they will lose points and for every second under
the time they will gain points. They are then told that is will not be them who is driving their cars
but their professional racing driver The Stig. Jeremys car was first and got a time of one
minute and nine seconds. James car was second and got a time of one minute and fourteen
seconds.
25:00 minutes: Richard Hammond car was third and got a time of one minute and sixteen
seconds. Their next challenge was a drag race in which each person would accelerate to fifty
mph and then brake. The catch was at the end of the track there was river that was filled with
alligators. Jeremy and James were both able to complete the challenge without any difficulties.
Richard however wasnt able to stop in time and ended up having to be towed out of the river.
Commented [SJ5]: I would clearly separate these
observations. As they are now people might get
confused. They run together so someone could
mistake this for one long observation.-Xzavier Smith
Commented [SJ6]: These observations easy to follow.
They cover a lot of information and give clear insight
into the episodes. They also give clear understanding
to people like me who haven't even seen the show.-
Xzavier Smith
Commented [SJ7]: Who is the host? I think it would be
best if you start off your observation with the name of
the host and who they were with when they landed in
Miami. So that the reader can get more of an
understanding on who is buying the cars.-Brenden
Oneyear
Commented [SJ8]: I feel like just italicizing the time
mark isn't enough of a change for most people to notice
the transition between times. Try adding another space
between times, or bold the time itself.-Brenden
Oneyear
Commented [SJ9]: Explain this a little. What does
Ricahrd do to "fit in"? He buys a new truck. But does
everyone else in Miami drive trucks or is he trying to fit
in with a truck driving crowd? Explain who he is trying
to fit in with and why.-Brenden Oneyear
Commented [SJ10]: I feel like this could be added to
the "communities of practice". This happens every
episode and is a recurring term throughout the episode.
This fits with your definition of communities of
practices, in that this is a small group of individual in
you figured world who share common interests.-
Brenden Oneyear
Commented [SJ11]: What is "1:10"? 1 hour and 10
mins? 1min and 10 secs? Please put markings that will
represent the correct amount of time. Also I think this
sentence needs to be reworded a little.-Brenden
Oneyear
Commented [SJ12]: Was Richard Hammond's run
really in the next time? Maybe you could extend the
20:00 time to 10mins long so that all 3 of the runs could
be in the same time zone for ease of reading and
understanding.-Brenden Oneyear
Observation One Jackson Stone, 2014,
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The next morning all of the host set out on an eight hundred mile drive from Miami to New
Orleans.
30:00 minutes: When the host try to set out both James and Jeremys cars dont start. It turns out
that Jeremys fuel gauge was broken and he was out of gasoline and that the battery had died on
James Cadillac. After all of the cars are fixed they head out to the highway. Jeremy again makes
some negative remarks about America and its people. While they were driving James car
breaks down again and they have to pull over to give it a jump. Jeremy buys himself and Richard
small fans for their car and they get back on the highway. It is later revealed that Jeremy had cut
the cord to Richardss fan, so it never worked.
35:00 minutes: While they drive down the highway James Cadillac continues to break down and
becomes a nuisance to everybody else. To celebrate hitting the three hundred mile mark the
producers of the show give each of the host one hundred dollars to buy something for each of
their cars. Richard buys a grill that attaches to the back of his truck, James buys a clothes rack to
hang up his clothes across the back seats, and Jeremy installs a shower to pour water on him
while he is driving. The host then receive their next challenge which is to camp out overnight
and that their supper must be whatever they can find on the side of the road.
Observation Two:
5:00 minutes: The show starts out with the host still in the UK as they introduce themselves.
Jeremy then goes on to review the Fiat 500 Abarth. After driving the car around the track and
discussing the details of the car he decides that he likes the car and it is a great return for Fiat.
10:00 minutes: It then comes time to test the Fiat around the track. The car id handed over to The
Stig and he takes the car around their track. The car is able to do the track in one minute thirty
five seconds, which a relatively slow time for a car. The host then sit down to discuss recent car
news.
15:00 minutes: The host discuss the new Renaults that are entering the market and decide that
they all like them. They then talk about formula one racing and how it is returning to England.
The host then begin the introduction to the challenge of driving through America in new model
muscle cars.
20:00 minutes: Each host introduces the car they chose for the drive from San Francisco to Utah.
Jeremy chose a Corvette ZR, James chose a Cadillac CTS-V, and Richard is driving a Dodge
Challenger. Richard was the only one that had to purchase his car because Chrysler refused to
give one to him. The host set out and almost immediately James starts complaining about his car.
He claims that a Cadillac is supposed to be comfortable and luxurious but the CTS-V has too
much horse power and its unnecessary.
25:00 minutes: The host pull over to compare how they are each liking their cars. Richard tries to
defend his choice but Jeremey and James both agree that they dont like his car. Jeremy also
states that he dislikes his car as well. Then Richard says that he likes the corvette which results in
more teasing from Jeremy and James. Later on while driving Jeremy uses the radio to admit that
his car has started to grow on him and that he is starting to like it. The host then arrive in Reno
Nevada.
Commented [SJ13]: Was Richard Hammond's run
really in the next time? Maybe you could extend the
20:00 time to 10mins long so that all 3 of the runs could
be in the same time zone for ease of reading and
understanding.-Xzavier Smith
Commented [SJ14]: Was Richard Hammond's run
really in the next time? Maybe you could extend the
20:00 time to 10mins long so that all 3 of the runs could
be in the same time zone for ease of reading and
understanding.-Brenden Oneyear
Commented [SJ15]: What did Jeremy review about the
Fiat? What did he not like about the Fiat 500 Abarth?
What improved so that he said that it was a great
return?-Zachary Esposito
Observation One Jackson Stone, 2014,
p.1
30:00 minutes: While James is in a casino Jeremy and Richard take to the streets to test their
cars. Even though is isnt legal they have small drag races in between the lights down the road.
They then start setting off car alarms by revving their engines while next to park cars. They are
then pulled by a police officer who is riding a bicycle. After they claim they didnt realize he was
a real police officer and that their feet slipped on the pedals they get let off with a warning.
Observation Three:
5:00 minutes: The host arrive in the US and introduce their cars. Jeremy has picked a Mercedes
SLS, Richard a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and James a Ferrari 458 Italia. While they all like their
own choices they all think that the others have made mistakes. Most of this is targeted at Richard
Hammond for his choice of a track car that lacks basic comfort.
10:00 minutes: When the host realize that most of the Blue Ridge Parkway is 35 mph they pull
over to discuss a new plan. They then decide to change course and drive up to New York. Once
on the highway they all partake in excessively fast driving and quick maneuvering through
traffic.
15:00 minutes: While in North Carolina they stop at Wilkesboro speedway, the very first oval
track in America. What started out as a short drive turned into a full on race. By the end Jeremy
had destroyed his back tires and needed to find new ones. However the specific tire was
relatively hard to find and they went to two different shops in order to find one that fit the car
with no luck. James and Richard then decide to leave Jeremy behind and go on to the hotel in
Virginia.
20:00 minutes: The show then returns back to the UK and the host discuss how they were feeling
at that point during the trip. They also go on to do car news and talk about new gift ideas for car
enthusiast. The host then intro the segment back into the drive up to New York.
25:00 minutes: When the host wake up they realize that their hotel is connected to Virginia
International Raceway. There Jeremy is able to find new tires for his car. They then take their
cars out for laps on the track. On the track James and Richard have no problem because their cars
are made for tracks but Jeremy has a few issues. The handling on his car is not meant for track
use so he was a lot slower in the corners than James and Richard.
30: minutes: Even though Jeremys car was a lot slower than the other two, he still liked the ride
and said it was a much more fun car to drive than theirs even though its not as fast. Eventually
the Ferrari is able to leave the Porsche behind and they all agree that it is the fastest around a
track. Meanwhile Jeremy has gone through another set of tires. The host then receive a challenge
from the producers.
35:00 minutes: The challenge is to see who can shoot targets the best from the passenger seat.
Jeremy cheats and uses a rifle but still wins anyways. The host then began the drive from
Virginia to New York. On the highway they entertain themselves by short accelerating races.
They then make a small detour through Washington DC but end up in a bad neighborhood so
they leave quickly. The host then pull over at a drag strip to see whose is faster. However
because the track was too wet they couldnt race their cars.

Interview:
Observation One Jackson Stone, 2014,
p.1
(Interviewed a friend who had recently watched the episode)
Q: How did you expect the people of the deep southern United States to react to British accents?
A: I expected them to be a little rude but was not expecting them to go that far.
Q: How has their experience changed your view of the southern United States?
A: It makes me not want to visit the Deep South and a little embarrassed that this is how the
world sees people from the United States.
Q: Explain why you think the hosts acted the way they did.
A: They were just trying to make the show entertaining and took it a little too far.
Q: Tell me what you learned about cars from this episode.
A: Honestly not much. It seemed to be more focused on entertainment than talking about cars.
Q: How do you think the hosts could have acted to better fit in to the community?
A: First off they could have not insulted the people and just tried to keep a lower profile.




Commented [SJ16]: How far did they go? This answer
is very vague as it is now. You should elaborate more
on this to clearly tell how far the southerners went.-
Xzavier Smith
Commented [SJ17]: Could the friend explain with a
little more detail. They catch onto something and then
just stop there sentence. If you asked them to further
their thought then this would be the best question yet.-
Zachary Esposito
Commented [SJ18]: Explain your answers in more
detail. These one sentence answers do not fulfill what
the questions are asking. Ashlyn made us make
questions that would require more then a one sentence
response for a reason. This whole interview section
needs to be expanded on.-Brenden Oneyear