During the most recent episode of “Amazon Grand Tour,” Richard Hammond surprised everyone with a very strange comment about eating ice cream. In response to a comment from Jeremy Clarkson about not being able to eat ice cream in a car, Hammond replied with:
“It’s alright I don’t eat ice cream. It’s something to do with being straight.”
Both of his costars looked quite confused by the comment, and a conversation about how eating ice cream relates to being homosexual ensued. It is the kind of comment we expect from Hammond’s ex-costar from Top Gear, the always controversial Jeremy Clarkson. James May, also an ex-costar from Top Gear, looked visibly confused.
What followed this episode was an onslaught on social media responses, mainly commenting that Hammond must be deeply insecure about his own masculinity:
https://twitter.com/YouMustBeAnna/status/813673896302047232
.@RichardHammond HELLO I HAVE BEEN EATING ICE CREAM FOR YEARS AND I'M STILL HETEROSEXUAL WHAT I AM DOING WRONG PLEASE HELP
— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) December 27, 2016
Hey @RichardHammond, it doesn't matter what flavour you prefer, ice cream is for everyone!
— Wall's Ice Cream (@walls) December 27, 2016
I wish George Michael was still alive so he could tell Richard Hammond to take his fragile masculinity and shove it up his arse.
— Chris Mandle (@chris_mandle) December 26, 2016
— Simon Waldram Ⓥ (@WaldramSimon) December 27, 2016
The idea that eating an ice cream cone could somehow make a person seem gay, shows just how deeply homophobia is instilled in many parts of society. It also implies that ex Top Gear star Hammond, does not eat ice cream because he thinks it would make him look gay.
He even paraphrased the Seinfeld line:
“Not that there’s anything wrong with it.”
He obviously thinks there is something wrong with it, or he would eat ice cream.
A lot of people made jokes about it on social media, but there is a serious side, as this Twitter Account noted:
Hi @RichardHammond I'm sure you didn't know about the harm your Ice Cream joke caused to LGBT teens. Maybe donate your fee to @DiversityRM ?
— James Cronin (@jamescronin) December 27, 2016
That is the thing with casual homophobia, it can and does hurt people. Young gay teens who have yet to come out may have been watching this show with their family. This would only add to their feelings of marginalization.
In a political climate like this, we need to call out discrimination when it happens. This kind of thing just adds to a narrative about homosexuality, as if it is something to be ashamed of.
After President Obama has done so much for gay equality, by legalizing marriage, we have progressed. However, comments like Hammond’s show that the cultural shame and fear that surrounds homosexuality still runs deep.
Watch the clip here:
Featured image via YouTube.
