Starts today, only in The Sun..... more Stig-related crap
Discussion
A retard with money is a dangerous person for society.
Good luck to Mr Collins, he's doing this country a service.
In fairness, regardless of any contract signed, imagine if you were the 4th linchpin in a team where the other 3 were paid infinitely more and had negotiated a share of the re-sale royalties? It would be very difficult after a while and ultimately you would want your 15 minutes to put something extra in the bank before moving on to other things in your life.
Good luck to Mr Collins, he's doing this country a service.
In fairness, regardless of any contract signed, imagine if you were the 4th linchpin in a team where the other 3 were paid infinitely more and had negotiated a share of the re-sale royalties? It would be very difficult after a while and ultimately you would want your 15 minutes to put something extra in the bank before moving on to other things in your life.
He probably looks at TopGear the same as I do.
Lost all credibility as a car show, 3 main jackasses are laughable at best, current format is getting very long in the tooth, maybe one more series in it before a complete over haul.
So stick it out to the end getting one more season's fee, or do your book deal, get potentially 2-3 times as much, chalk it up to experience and an easy way to have paid the mortgage and f
k off back to racing.
Lost all credibility as a car show, 3 main jackasses are laughable at best, current format is getting very long in the tooth, maybe one more series in it before a complete over haul.
So stick it out to the end getting one more season's fee, or do your book deal, get potentially 2-3 times as much, chalk it up to experience and an easy way to have paid the mortgage and f
k off back to racing.DonkeyApple said:
A retard with money is a dangerous person for society.
Good luck to Mr Collins, he's doing this country a service.
In fairness, regardless of any contract signed, imagine if you were the 4th linchpin in a team where the other 3 were paid infinitely more and had negotiated a share of the re-sale royalties? It would be very difficult after a while and ultimately you would want your 15 minutes to put something extra in the bank before moving on to other things in your life.
Completely agree - given that the image of the Stig is used to make small fortunes everywhere, it must be somewhat gauling to Ben to not see a penny of it. In fact, it smacks of commercial naivety to think that the status quo would prevail. I mean, as mentioned above - while the other three rake the millions, Ben gets very little in comparison.Good luck to Mr Collins, he's doing this country a service.
In fairness, regardless of any contract signed, imagine if you were the 4th linchpin in a team where the other 3 were paid infinitely more and had negotiated a share of the re-sale royalties? It would be very difficult after a while and ultimately you would want your 15 minutes to put something extra in the bank before moving on to other things in your life.
However, if it were me, I would have approached this in a different way though - I am sure that there could have been a commercial agreement that could have been reached to have allowed something. Share of the image sales? Buy into the production company? Something and it doesnt have to be direct increase in pay! Still, done now and it seems that Ben has annoyed some of his friends at Top Gear now - shame it had to come to that.
off_again said:
DonkeyApple said:
A retard with money is a dangerous person for society.
Good luck to Mr Collins, he's doing this country a service.
In fairness, regardless of any contract signed, imagine if you were the 4th linchpin in a team where the other 3 were paid infinitely more and had negotiated a share of the re-sale royalties? It would be very difficult after a while and ultimately you would want your 15 minutes to put something extra in the bank before moving on to other things in your life.
Completely agree - given that the image of the Stig is used to make small fortunes everywhere, it must be somewhat gauling to Ben to not see a penny of it. In fact, it smacks of commercial naivety to think that the status quo would prevail. I mean, as mentioned above - while the other three rake the millions, Ben gets very little in comparison.Good luck to Mr Collins, he's doing this country a service.
In fairness, regardless of any contract signed, imagine if you were the 4th linchpin in a team where the other 3 were paid infinitely more and had negotiated a share of the re-sale royalties? It would be very difficult after a while and ultimately you would want your 15 minutes to put something extra in the bank before moving on to other things in your life.
However, if it were me, I would have approached this in a different way though - I am sure that there could have been a commercial agreement that could have been reached to have allowed something. Share of the image sales? Buy into the production company? Something and it doesnt have to be direct increase in pay! Still, done now and it seems that Ben has annoyed some of his friends at Top Gear now - shame it had to come to that.
The real mistake was that the producers did not change the driver in the overalls each season. Sticking with the same guy for so long was the ultimate mistake.
andy400 said:
Do we know how much he was paid as the Stig?
Rumour has it £70k a year for a few days here and there - so not bad as a part time job. Problem is that Clarkson raked in over a million from his production company and has significant other earnings and the Hampster is pushing a couple of million from sponsorship and TV deals. I guess it could be seen as a kick in the teeth. Don't know, but its not great. Collins' problem is that he isn't the star, the Stig is.
Anyone can be the Stig - he's totally replaceable without anyone knowing, or at least he was.
He knew that the only way he could get a bigger slice of the pie was to break his contract and publish a book about it. Coincidentally, exactly what Perry McCarthy did (albeit it was less significant then)
If he didn't like the arrangement and the fact that Clarkson et al get more money, he shouldn't have signed up to it in the first place or he should have left.
Breaking his anonymity smacks of sour grapes.
Anyone can be the Stig - he's totally replaceable without anyone knowing, or at least he was.
He knew that the only way he could get a bigger slice of the pie was to break his contract and publish a book about it. Coincidentally, exactly what Perry McCarthy did (albeit it was less significant then)
If he didn't like the arrangement and the fact that Clarkson et al get more money, he shouldn't have signed up to it in the first place or he should have left.
Breaking his anonymity smacks of sour grapes.
It's been a while since I read his book but I'm sure Perry McCarthy took the role of The Stig on the understanding that after a couple of seasons he'd be unmasked and then take a role as a regular presenter. When the character proved popular the Powers That Be were reluctant to do this so he left. BC on the other hand knew exactly what he was letting himself in for so I'm afraid if he is upset about the situation he's only got himself to blame.
Muzzer said:
Collins' problem is that he isn't the star, the Stig is.
Anyone can be the Stig - he's totally replaceable without anyone knowing, or at least he was.
He knew that the only way he could get a bigger slice of the pie was to break his contract and publish a book about it. Coincidentally, exactly what Perry McCarthy did (albeit it was less significant then)
If he didn't like the arrangement and the fact that Clarkson et al get more money, he shouldn't have signed up to it in the first place or he should have left.
Breaking his anonymity smacks of sour grapes.
Sorry, I dont agree. Put a different person in the car being 'tested' every week, and your lap times become meaningless, therefore the leaderboard becomes meaningless, therefore the whole 'Stig' feature becomes meaningless. He doesnt actually feedback on the car, other than posting a hot lap time. Anyone can be the Stig - he's totally replaceable without anyone knowing, or at least he was.
He knew that the only way he could get a bigger slice of the pie was to break his contract and publish a book about it. Coincidentally, exactly what Perry McCarthy did (albeit it was less significant then)
If he didn't like the arrangement and the fact that Clarkson et al get more money, he shouldn't have signed up to it in the first place or he should have left.
Breaking his anonymity smacks of sour grapes.
Additionally, the BBC (and proably Clarkson) has made a mint on Stig image rights products. I'm sure Clarkson proabbly gets a cut of anything TG related, does the an who actually is the stig getting a cut? I doubt it.
Some Greed going on at Top Gear, just this guy is getting his face in the trough about 6 years too late.
I'd do the same if I was Collins. Can't imagine it being a particularly rivetting read though:
- Chapter 1. I turned up at an airfield a few times a year and drove around as fast as I could in some fast cars.
- Chapter 2. I turned up at the same airfield a few times a year and coached some famous people to drive around as fast as they could in a not particularly fast car.
- Chapter 3. I went to a Chrismas party at Clarkson's house where I drank his beer and smiled at his wife.
- Chapter 4. Err that's about it really.
- Chapter 1. I turned up at an airfield a few times a year and drove around as fast as I could in some fast cars.
- Chapter 2. I turned up at the same airfield a few times a year and coached some famous people to drive around as fast as they could in a not particularly fast car.
- Chapter 3. I went to a Chrismas party at Clarkson's house where I drank his beer and smiled at his wife.
- Chapter 4. Err that's about it really.
Corsair7 said:
Muzzer said:
Collins' problem is that he isn't the star, the Stig is.
Anyone can be the Stig - he's totally replaceable without anyone knowing, or at least he was.
He knew that the only way he could get a bigger slice of the pie was to break his contract and publish a book about it. Coincidentally, exactly what Perry McCarthy did (albeit it was less significant then)
If he didn't like the arrangement and the fact that Clarkson et al get more money, he shouldn't have signed up to it in the first place or he should have left.
Breaking his anonymity smacks of sour grapes.
Sorry, I dont agree. Put a different person in the car being 'tested' every week, and your lap times become meaningless, therefore the leaderboard becomes meaningless, therefore the whole 'Stig' feature becomes meaningless. He doesnt actually feedback on the car, other than posting a hot lap time. Anyone can be the Stig - he's totally replaceable without anyone knowing, or at least he was.
He knew that the only way he could get a bigger slice of the pie was to break his contract and publish a book about it. Coincidentally, exactly what Perry McCarthy did (albeit it was less significant then)
If he didn't like the arrangement and the fact that Clarkson et al get more money, he shouldn't have signed up to it in the first place or he should have left.
Breaking his anonymity smacks of sour grapes.
Additionally, the BBC (and proably Clarkson) has made a mint on Stig image rights products. I'm sure Clarkson proabbly gets a cut of anything TG related, does the an who actually is the stig getting a cut? I doubt it.
Some Greed going on at Top Gear, just this guy is getting his face in the trough about 6 years too late.
I don't blame Ben Collins for getting the most for himself out of the deal but to suggest that he should be earning similar to the 3 irreplaceable presenters is ludicrous
Corsair7 said:
Muzzer said:
Collins' problem is that he isn't the star, the Stig is.
Anyone can be the Stig - he's totally replaceable without anyone knowing, or at least he was.
He knew that the only way he could get a bigger slice of the pie was to break his contract and publish a book about it. Coincidentally, exactly what Perry McCarthy did (albeit it was less significant then)
If he didn't like the arrangement and the fact that Clarkson et al get more money, he shouldn't have signed up to it in the first place or he should have left.
Breaking his anonymity smacks of sour grapes.
Sorry, I dont agree. Put a different person in the car being 'tested' every week, and your lap times become meaningless, therefore the leaderboard becomes meaningless, therefore the whole 'Stig' feature becomes meaningless. He doesnt actually feedback on the car, other than posting a hot lap time. Anyone can be the Stig - he's totally replaceable without anyone knowing, or at least he was.
He knew that the only way he could get a bigger slice of the pie was to break his contract and publish a book about it. Coincidentally, exactly what Perry McCarthy did (albeit it was less significant then)
If he didn't like the arrangement and the fact that Clarkson et al get more money, he shouldn't have signed up to it in the first place or he should have left.
Breaking his anonymity smacks of sour grapes.
Additionally, the BBC (and proably Clarkson) has made a mint on Stig image rights products. I'm sure Clarkson proabbly gets a cut of anything TG related, does the an who actually is the stig getting a cut? I doubt it.
Some Greed going on at Top Gear, just this guy is getting his face in the trough about 6 years too late.
If so, you're spectacularly naive.
Collins did a good proportion of the Stig work but there were certainly others.
To address your other point, if Clarkson made a mint on the Stig image what's that got to do with Collins?
The whole point of the Stig is that he's a faceless character. Ben Collins isn't the Stig - any man dressed up by the BBC in a white race suit, helmet and boots is the Stig.
For Collins to pipe up after 6 years and think "Hang on, that's me - I want a cut of that action" smacks of greed and desperation. If he didn't like not getting a cut of the image rights he should have re-negotiated his contract or walked away.
He would have had to walk away because he's a nobody and he knew it, hence breaking his contract anonymity clause.
Muzzer said:
He knew that the only way he could get a bigger slice of the pie was to break his contract and publish a book about it. Coincidentally, exactly what Perry McCarthy did (albeit it was less significant then)
It was PCs book that got him the Stig gig. He only added the Stig stuff when it went to paper back and after he bailed out to take up a Bentley works drive - which they backed out of at the 11th hour.Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff