Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, 59, in a rather shocking outburst recently attacked Greta Thunberg, a teenage climate activist from Sweden, calling her a "spoilt brat".
In his latest column in UK tabloid The Sun, the remarks Clarkson — who was fired from Top Gear in 2015 for punching a producer — indicated a stark contrast to what he claims to be in his Twitter bio: "A still small voice of calm and reason."
The former TV show host's tirade followed Thunberg's heartfelt appeal at the United Nations Climate Change Summit last week where she called out global leaders for stealing "my dreams and my childhood with your empty words".
Clarkson, known for his controversial comments and reportedly racial remarks to colleagues, termed the 16-year-old's impassioned speech at the global form as "a full-on adolescent meltdown".
He resorted to telling her to shut up, that "this is how the world works", and calling her a child that throws tantrums. He wrote: "I’m sorry Ms Thunberg, but if you’re going to lay into my generation, you must accept it when I lay into you and yours.
"What about the pills you take when you have a headache? What about the clean water that comes out of your tap? What about the food you can buy at any time of the day and night?
"What about the aid missions currently being run in some of the poorest countries of the world, or the drugs that help keep Aids at bay? Think about all the movies you’ve enjoyed. Movies made by grown-ups. And all those comedians who’ve made you laugh.
Also read: Is Greta Thunberg the ‘highest-paid’ activist?
"And then pause for a moment to consider how soundly you sleep at night, knowing that adults are building and servicing and flying Sweden’s fighter planes. To keep you safe," he angrily wrote.
Clarkson's comments, however, did not stop there. He implied that Thunberg was ungrateful and hypocritical. "We gave you mobile phones and laptops and the internet. We created the social media you use every day and we run the banks that pay for it all.
"So how dare you stand there and lecture us, you spoilt brat!"
The TV presenter said she should have been told "that life is tragic" and that there were differences among people.
"Some people are born bright and some are born stupid. Some are beautiful and some are not. Some have rich parents who give them everything but love. Some have poor parents who have nothing to give except love.
"Now shut up and let them get on with it. This is how the world works. It’s how the world has always worked," he retorted. He told her to stop "banging your fists on the table" because she was inexperienced.
"Get back to school as quickly as possible and work hard in your science lectures. Because science is what will solve the problem eventually. Not scowling and having screaming ab-dabs every five minutes.
"So be a good girl, shut up and let them get on with it. And no. You cannot stay out past ten. And you cannot go out in a skirt that short," he concluded.
Back on September 23, Greta Thunberg had said: "We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth - how dare you!"
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