The Stig Revealed
9/1/10, 08:16 PM
#1
The Stig Revealed
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1692606/
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 12:20 PM
What’s the Stig matter? BBC loses its challenge to keep the Top Gear driver masked
Elizabeth Renzetti
So now all you gearheads can sleep more soundly tonight, safe in the knowledge that Ben Collins has been unmasked as the Stig. (The rest of us will let out a collective mumble of ‘’The Who?’’ and go back to driving our 15-year-old Toyotas.)
The Stig is the dude on the popular car-review TV show Top Gear who drives really fast while disguised as an Apollo-era astronaut. His identity has been a long-hidden secret, and the BBC, the anxious goose that sits on Top Gear’s golden egg, had wanted to keep it that way. Nice way of boosting freedom of expression there, BBC.
The BBC had gone all the way to Britain’s High Court to suppress Collins’s upcoming memoir, which would of course have pulled the helmet off Britain’s most enigmatic driver of cars that go silly-fast. Today the public broadcaster lost its challenge, and the world can know now for certain that the Stig is, indeed, Bristol-born race driver Collins. Now if only we could find Jimmy Hoffa ….
It’s a bit of good news for British book publishers, who often find themselves on the receiving end of injunctions, thanks to privacy-friendly courtroom decisions. Jude Law recently won his battle to get his ex Sadie Frost to cut from her memoir bits that he found unsavoury (as well as pictures of their children). And Andrew Morton’s biography of Angelina Jolie wasn’t even published in Britain, which he attributes not to Jolie’s powers to cast hexes across oceans, but to ‘’the Ice Age of libel chill,’’ which he recently claimed, in a Sunday Times article, is freezing the blood of British publishers. (I’d post the link but it’s frozen behind a pay wall.)
As I’ve written before, London is not-so-fondly known to writers as ‘’the town called sue,’’ although the new coalition government promised, just after its election, to review libel laws.
Well that ruins a little of the show for me. I enjoyed not knowing for sure who was behind the mask. 
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 12:20 PM
What’s the Stig matter? BBC loses its challenge to keep the Top Gear driver masked
Elizabeth Renzetti
So now all you gearheads can sleep more soundly tonight, safe in the knowledge that Ben Collins has been unmasked as the Stig. (The rest of us will let out a collective mumble of ‘’The Who?’’ and go back to driving our 15-year-old Toyotas.)
The Stig is the dude on the popular car-review TV show Top Gear who drives really fast while disguised as an Apollo-era astronaut. His identity has been a long-hidden secret, and the BBC, the anxious goose that sits on Top Gear’s golden egg, had wanted to keep it that way. Nice way of boosting freedom of expression there, BBC.
The BBC had gone all the way to Britain’s High Court to suppress Collins’s upcoming memoir, which would of course have pulled the helmet off Britain’s most enigmatic driver of cars that go silly-fast. Today the public broadcaster lost its challenge, and the world can know now for certain that the Stig is, indeed, Bristol-born race driver Collins. Now if only we could find Jimmy Hoffa ….
It’s a bit of good news for British book publishers, who often find themselves on the receiving end of injunctions, thanks to privacy-friendly courtroom decisions. Jude Law recently won his battle to get his ex Sadie Frost to cut from her memoir bits that he found unsavoury (as well as pictures of their children). And Andrew Morton’s biography of Angelina Jolie wasn’t even published in Britain, which he attributes not to Jolie’s powers to cast hexes across oceans, but to ‘’the Ice Age of libel chill,’’ which he recently claimed, in a Sunday Times article, is freezing the blood of British publishers. (I’d post the link but it’s frozen behind a pay wall.)
As I’ve written before, London is not-so-fondly known to writers as ‘’the town called sue,’’ although the new coalition government promised, just after its election, to review libel laws.
Last edited by Rather B.Blown; 9/1/10 at 08:19 PM.
9/1/10, 09:48 PM
#3
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The guy has an awesome talent and it should be celebrated as such. Hell, he's driven some of the best cars ever made. If the 'mystique' of not knowing the drivers identity is what made you tune into the show- I feel you're really missing the point of putting the car through the road course.
I'm glad they finally put a face behind the helmet. He is probably so releaved he can now discuss his job.
I'm glad they finally put a face behind the helmet. He is probably so releaved he can now discuss his job.
9/2/10, 08:01 AM
#5
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It's a pity a company who created the character doesn't have the right to keep it a "secret" if they choose.
This whole, "we gotta go to court to protect our OWN from attack" is ridiculous.
When is the right to personal privacy ever going to trump the right of media?
Time for Ben Collins to write a book about his 7 year experience as "The Stig" or at least come out with a driving show or a driving class or something.
He will capitalize on his identity now being published however.
This whole, "we gotta go to court to protect our OWN from attack" is ridiculous.
When is the right to personal privacy ever going to trump the right of media?
Time for Ben Collins to write a book about his 7 year experience as "The Stig" or at least come out with a driving show or a driving class or something.
He will capitalize on his identity now being published however.
9/2/10, 08:14 AM
#6
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Now that the mystery is gone I believe that the intrest will be gone too. It is no longer a quest to figure out "what" The Stig was, now we all know. Collins will surelly no longer work for BBC at Top Gear as the Stig or even as their High Speed test driver. I inagine this has caused some bad blood. I would not be supprised it going forward it just becomes a series of guest pro drivers.
9/2/10, 09:24 AM
#8
9/2/10, 01:55 PM
#9
V6 Member
This is what happened with the last Stig too, isn't it? The original Stig had a black suit and helmet, and they had a "challenge" to get a Jaguar up to a certain speed on an aircraft carrier, and he "drove off" and "died." I thought that was the same reason, he wrote a memoir saying he was the Stig as well.
9/2/10, 02:04 PM
#10
NTTAWWT
^yup, this is 2 down. It's really a crappy thing to go back on your word like he did, and rediculous that the BBC couldnt keep him from it, though it was already out. Blue Stiggy anyone?
9/2/10, 08:10 PM
#14
Legacy TMS Member
2 down, however many more racing drivers to go.
This doesn't hurt Top Gear in any way. But, they're gonna run out of colors for the Stig uniform... black, now white... gray/silver?
Red is too... brash.
Blue is too... blue.
Green is unlucky.
Yellow is blinding.
Brown is... wrong.
Purple is... faabulous....
Pink is.. wrong. Unless it's a girl. And even then, might be wrong.
So yeah, it looks like silver/gray/grey it is.
/Of course, I vote Emberlgo, but that's just silly, so strike that.
This doesn't hurt Top Gear in any way. But, they're gonna run out of colors for the Stig uniform... black, now white... gray/silver?
Red is too... brash.
Blue is too... blue.
Green is unlucky.
Yellow is blinding.
Brown is... wrong.
Purple is... faabulous....
Pink is.. wrong. Unless it's a girl. And even then, might be wrong.
So yeah, it looks like silver/gray/grey it is.
/Of course, I vote Emberlgo, but that's just silly, so strike that.
9/2/10, 11:52 PM
#15
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Yep, time for a new Stig! Silver, grey, or... tan? 
Will be interesting to see how TG deals with this and works it into the show. For sure the next Stig (should/probably replacing the current one) may have to sign a contract with a provision that will address this situation. Guess when R.B. beat the Stig in a reasonably priced car, it really got to him. 
Will be interesting to see how TG deals with this and works it into the show. For sure the next Stig (should/probably replacing the current one) may have to sign a contract with a provision that will address this situation. Guess when R.B. beat the Stig in a reasonably priced car, it really got to him.
9/3/10, 06:32 PM
#17
V6 Member
"Red Stig" was the Stig's communist cousin, and "Green Stig" was Stig's vegetarian cousin from the episode where the guys built their own electric car. And "Green Stig died from diesel exhaust fumes already.
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