Source: The London Times

Every blog needs a large-scale project. The Art of Reviewing will explore reviewing as an art form and as a valuable element to understanding society.  During this project, I will profile specific reviewers of merit.  Several specific cases also explore other facets of reviewing.

Jeremy Clarkson.  Depending on whom you talk to, mentioning his name usually follows adulation or vilification.  The tall, shaggy-haired presenter of Top Gear and Driving columnist for the London Times, brings a sensational edge to the staid world of automobile reviewing.

Prone to bombastic statements, dismissive of anti-pollution legislation, and a worshipful acolyte of Ferrari, Clarkson is an equal opportunity offender.  Reading his reviews in the Times and watching his segments on Top Gear reveal someone madly, obsessively in love with the car and the combustion engine.

His review on the Spyker C8 is evidence of that:

Besides being solidly entertained, Clarkson offers pertinent information on each vehicle (horsepower, design, handling, etc.) and a few choice zingers.  The segment is also miniature of art, showcasing the cars in a worshipful fashion but never descending into the empty visual posturing of noted car commercial auteurs Michael Bay and Tony Scott.