The Summer 2017 WHTM pledge drive is on! Donate generously to enable our continuing coverage of whiny baby-men! Thanks!
By David Futrelle
A tragic day for whiny baby-men — the BBC just announced that the next Doctor Who will be a lady. Naturally, these sensitive souls took at once to Twitter to make their displeasure known. And to make jokes about Doctor Who turning into Nurse Who amirite fellas high five!
Here are some of the best of the worst Tweets I’ve seen so far. I can’t decide which are my favorites — the ones lamenting the loss of a crucial male “role model” or those suggesting that a female Doctor Who makes as much sense as a male Mary Poppins (which would be perfectly fine to me, by the way).
https://twitter.com/thomasdeeacon/status/886723202168344576
I'm actually quite shocked at the decision to cast a woman the should call it Nurse who now lol 😂😂
— Rhys (@rhysjordanstew1) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/Gapehorner/status/886609824242438144
https://twitter.com/DelDiablo007/status/886613308639514624
https://twitter.com/DelDiablo007/status/886629727745826816
"Doctor Who" what's the deal? Pushing the "gender fluidity" narrative now? Remember when entertainment wasn't social engineering propaganda
— Dan (@NotoriousDano) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/Amen1924/status/886681803167236099
https://twitter.com/spcwriter/status/886664276877991936
https://twitter.com/Erin_Danielle77/status/886639647387942912
The BBC have literally just ruined all the heritage and history of Doctor Who making the new Doctor a woman
— Aydin Osman (@Aydin_Osman96) July 16, 2017
Doctor Who officially ruined. Time Lords being women not an issue, 50 years of tradition out the window is. What next 007 being Janette Bond pic.twitter.com/Hj3buVMx8s
— Ewan McColl (@TheMcColl) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/hucksworld/status/886682969833865217
https://twitter.com/williamparslow/status/886700469648842752
https://twitter.com/GreavesyX/status/886613123666513920
#DoctorWho So patronising to women to be chosen due to political correctness. No room for merit and talent if PC comes first.
— Holomatrix (@Holomatrices) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/BasedKielbasa/status/886647001885978625
https://twitter.com/MJDebio93/status/886691678647705600
https://twitter.com/racerdog45/status/886677551770476545
Women have their own heroes like RIpley, Buffy and Wonder Woman, there is no need to take away role models for men #notmydoctor
— P. J. Lowry (@PJ_Lowry) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/thomasoldham/status/886712069021683712
https://twitter.com/Keef44002574/status/886700034934362112
https://twitter.com/Electromoth/status/886674967106125824
I remember when Ripley, Leia, Buffy, Xena et al. trailblazed great women characters. But now, feminism seems pleased with mere pandering.
— Bradley Yellop (@bazz83) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/winklewilly89/status/886689221418856448
https://twitter.com/revjackashcraft/status/886693656647913473
https://twitter.com/__AlexN_/status/886631666915172352
https://twitter.com/Blackbirds1632/status/886655183224229890
#doctorwho The regressive left are going crazy over the choice, next they will want a transgender to take the role as the Doctor.
— Rust (@Rust_NoMask) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/amusedphysicist/status/886655148235161600
No, I don’t understand what that last one means either.
Are you still friends?
I’m sure he would. He’s the sort who starts most sentences with “Well, Actually…”
I think I’m gonna crawl into a hole and never come out again. I can get wifi from under the bed. That sounds nice.
I left shortly thereafter and am not talking to him right now. I just don’t wanna think about him, or all that bullshit, for the rest of the day!
The ‘role model’ argument about Doctor Who cracks me up. The Doctor has committed genocide more times than I’ve had halloumi, shot other Time Lords to save his already-dead friend, consistently lies about his name and age, stole a vehicle that he still refuses to return, replaced a students’ cut-off leg without informing the child’s parents, basically kidnapped Agatha Christie, definitely kidnapped Ian and Barbara, hangs out with the military whenever he needs some dirty work doing (so he can claim not to ‘use guns’), and has been hanging out with the daughter of his best friends (and former companions) in some very suspect ways.
Coal Hill Academy’s safeguarding policies seem lax, to put it mildly.
Now, if all the above sounds like a good night out to you, then fair-dos; but the sort of persons who are sniffily declaring ‘their son has lost a positive role-model’ clearly have never really watched the show – if they did, then fingers crossed, they’re about to GAIN a good role model.
It’s always easy to bring down intergalactic dictatorships when you know if you get killed, you’ll come back – and you’ve sent your companions in first!
An aside from the main topic:
There have been a ton of supportive articles in the UK papers, and while that’s nice, many of them have left me with that awkward feeling you get when someone is being really on-message about a topic they clearly know nothing about.
One, for instance, said Jodie Whittaker was in ‘Joe Cornish’s cult zombies-versus-hoodies film ATTACK THE BLOCK’ – a film that hasn’t a sniff of the undead, but plenty of aliens.
I’m like, I really like what this article is trying to do, but that slight mistake makes every other point you make slightly suspect in my eyes.
Is there a word for that feeling?
Oh shit, it’s gatekeeping, isn’t it?
I reminder the wilderness years when the programme was off air between 1989 and 2005. It was awful. With no role model, boys like me just wondered around aimlessly, bumping into things.
There was a brief respite with the 1996 TV movie; youth crime rates dropped significantly and exam results shot up for a week.
It was such a relief though when the show resumed in 2005; and boys everywhere could get back to stoving a caveman’s head in if he was slowing us down a bit.
@Alan
You’ve hit the nail on the head (or the caveman, whichever is closer) with that post!
It also occurred to me that – and I have no evidence for this other than the personal and anecdotal – that the ‘dads’ think the Doctor is a great role model until their sons start dressing like him. Then, apparently, bow ties aren’t cool. Or trench coats. Or question mark umbrellas…. Or pink suits with cat brooches… Or celery…
My grandma knitted me the long scarf (and my grandad sacrificed a trilby). My dad didn’t seem to mind. He made a few comments about “you’ll break your bloody neck” and asked for his tyre pressure gauge back (sonic screwdriver) but that was it.
ETA: I often look like I’m cosplaying Doctor #9; but that’s just because I’m a shaven headed Northerner with a penchant for black clothing.
My role models were the daleks. ^^
@Alan:
Lots of planets have a north!
(That one line kind of defined Eccleston’s take on the Doctor for me. I’m sure the BBC was removing tooth-marks from the scenery for months afterward.)
The saddest thing about the “get your own role model, ladies!” argument is that so many people apparently think that you can only look up to someone if they’re the same gender as you.
SF/fantasy/superhero tales are full of heroes who have killed lots of people and done a bunch of shady things. So that part doesn’t phase me at all.
@ jenora
There’s a huge controversy amongst some of my friends over Jodie Whittaker’s appointment. Is she from Huddersfield; or is she from Dewsbury? She’s actually from a village called Skelmanthorpe but both sides are trying to claim her. It’s got the stage where people are arguing about the pre-1974 council boundaries.
I’m from Bradford so I don’t have a dog in this fight. I’m happy to go with ‘West Riding’.
@WWTH
Agreed, and the moral complexity of what some of the Doctors do isn’t necessarily a bad thing; but the Doctor relies on lots of maguffin to be able to do the things he does. The moral imperative is there, but the actual work is done by the companions. Look how long it takes him to escape the confession dial when he hasn’t got a companion around to do the hard work!
Slightly more seriously, the Doctor is supposed to be an alien, a mystery, a catalyst for change.
The companions, on the other hand, are the bog standard humans (usually) thrust into a greater world with opportunities to react well or badly. These, IMHO, are the role models, and there’s so many good ones, as well as a few shockers. I loved Rose, but I was actually very taken with the vastly-underrated Mickey Smith, whose story arc is one of my favourites. I would love to see him and Martha get spin-off series on Big Finish, either individually or together.
And Donna. So pleased that Catherine Tate’s done some more with 10.
In my Dr Who imaginings, and there have been many since the 1980s, I have never tried to be ‘the Doctor’ – but I’d have loved it if the Doctor rocked up outside the pub and I helped out with an adventure. Which might be why I enjoyed the ‘Decide your Destiny’ books so much!
@jesalin
You AND the Time Lords, if Faction Paradox were to be believed.
The more these bozos piss and moan, the more I want to watch the 13th Doctor. Exactly what about time travel do those whiny turds think requires a penis?
Also, regarding Time Lord vs lady, There is a Hindu goddess who is among the Puri Trinity but she is still called “Lord Subhadra” (granted she is also called “Devi Subhadra”, but still).
Also “lord” is apparently no longer exclusively male, as shown by the Queen of England holding the title “Lord of Mann”
The Rani, who I did think Missy might be for a while, is, on every fan site I’ve encountered, is referred to as a Time Lord.
Which, now I come to think of it, was rather a late addition to the canon anyway; I think it was meant to contrast the Doctor’s peaceful but generally ineffective people with the War Lords, the time-travel race that the 2nd Doctor was trying to deal with.
BTW, the Rani is now Siobhan Redmond, and I definitely think that she would be awesome on TV. Just saying…
@ Violet
This lady is Lord Lieutenant of Bristol.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/03/06/12/3E01D2BD00000578-4285964-image-a-78_1488803899162.jpg
aaaaaaa
thiiiissssssss
Just like Lord of the Rings. Legolas and Aragorn and the big punchy men weren’t the role models. Samwise and Frodo were! Normal people in impossible circumstances! Gandalf isn’t a rolemodel, he’s a frickin’ wizard, Harry. Normal people can’t magic or stab or shoot their ways out of problems – nor should they.
flails
I said this to ex-friend! He somehow thought that was an argument for his position. “Women can look up to the Doctor as a man, so why does he have to turn into a woman?” etc, etc, SJW joke.
http://pm1.narvii.com/6226/f206d6318e86454c50603c85a182c22dce3f2f81_hq.jpg
Hey all! Been meditating on my poor and yes, sexist, snobbishness and found this article on Pitchfork that actually articulates the same sentiment that was guilty of falling into: http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/719-in-defense-of-fangirls/
There were a couple of thoughts I had on the article that I felt might open up some interesting discussion:
1. Vulnerability in fandoms — I actually get a kick out of paranormal romance. They’re fun to breeze through on a lazy day and offer some fascinating escapist fantasy that tickles the “Ooh la la!” section of the ol’ noggin. That’s not something I’ve ever actually told anybody because… well, I’d be opening myself up to the same kind of “Pffft, really?” that I’ve sadly cast about in the past. And I can certainly remember times I’ve been that guy around a table of schoolyard chums thinking “Hold up, I like that band/movie/actor/franchise….” and I felt like there was something wrong with me for liking that thing. It’s not a good feeling, yet the pull of peer pressure is powerful and if one isn’t careful, one might end up doing that thing to another and perpetuating that kind of shaming cycle.
And we shouldn’t have to feel that way. For me, the paranormal romance thing falls into “guilty pleasure” territory, but it’s still something I should be able to say without glances askance. And somebody who is really into it should be able to enjoy it that way too.
2. Opening doorways — What’s tough (at least tough for me) to keep in mind is that we all start somewhere. You like one thing, that one thing leads to another and you find you like it even better. Along the way, that first thing might sound trite in comparison and it might be “that thing” that you kinda remember liking a decade ago but on reflection actually came off kinda silly. Or you might still get a kick out of it. For me, “that thing” is The Real Ghostbusters. Definitely got me into the broader sci-fi realms, and although I consider it one of the smarter shows that is still humorous after so many years, to many others, it’s just a stupid kid’s TV show meant to sell stuff. Sure, it’s a kid’s TV show, but one show leads to another and soon you’re into Star Trek, which may bring you to broader novels etc. Twilight is not my thing (setting aside the abuse elements that shouldn’t make it anybody’s thing), and it won’t be a fangirl’s only thing either, so reducing them to that single fandom isn’t fair.
3. On Gatekeeping — I’m the kind of person who tends to bow to another’s scholarship on a subject. I did Tae Kwon Do for a year when I was in my 20s and one of my instructors was the 13-year-old daughter of the Dojang’s owner. She was the black belt, I was the yellow belt, so I listened to her every word. But one of my classmates never seemed to listen to any of the instructors, let alone her and he was at my rank. I overheard the instructors discussing how frustrating he was, and ultimately he didn’t stick around too long. While a martial art is more structured than a fandom, I’m of the opinion that somebody who has taken the time to amass a knowledge of the subject matter is worth listening to like an instructor. Where I see the gatekeeper issues coming in is where that individual is telling other people how fans should behave and what opinions they should have because of that knowledge. I haven’t run into a lot of gatekeeping issues myself, so I could be missing something key; if there are other insights around the thread, I’d be interested in hearing them.
4. Privilege — This is something I actually hadn’t considered but is inescapably true. I have had the luxury of time to devote to reading and TV watching in a way that others who need to focus on the challenges of day-to-day life may not have. That’s why I found my high school English classes so important; that was actually where I was exposed to a lot of the concepts underpinning my personal political core. Granted, not every book was Cat’s Cradle or Handmaid’s Tale, but there was enough that my public education provided me to see their warnings and lessons play out in real time. There’s an attitude I’ve seen prevalent in STEM, from whence I came, where English is that thing the educational system foists on science and math nerds to trip them up for no reason. But I swear, if more of the odious “rationals” I’ve had the displeasure of seeing on YouTube actually read and understood Vonnegut or Atwood, I doubt they’d be as vehemently glibertarian as they come off.
Support your local English teacher, everybody. Their job is critical to becoming fully-rounded people.
5. Understanding and articulation — Through all this, there’s certain things I’m not going to understand, at least not initially. In North America, Pokemon has been an ongoing franchise for two decades. I was in that demographic for fandom, yet I couldn’t understand what people saw in it. Whenever I asked, I tended to get the same shrug and “I dunno, I just like it.” Fair enough, there’s no need to justify liking something to other people. But I will remain curious what aspects of it appeal to you. Is it the collectibility? The universe? The creatures? The characters? What about it draws you to it? I’m curious and there’s language out there to articulate it and I think we as a society need to hone that vocabulary a little more. Would certainly go a long way to my understanding.
Long comment, but in the absence of a new post from Dave, I figured I’d share. 🙂
@Scildfreja
That’s one of my favourite things about modern Who, the fact that the structure of each series is as much about the companion as it is the Doctor. I actually liked the idea that Martha walked away; that Donna walked back but on her own terms (HATE the way that series ends, though); that Strax, Vastra and Jenny are doing their own thing; that Jack and Sarah-Jane get their own shows because they’re cool enough without the Doctor.
This is one of the reasons I got so onboard with the other Who media, like the books and audios; the Doctor was the nudge needed to give so many others their own adventures, from Bernice Summerfield and Jago & Lightfoot to River Song and Alonso Frame (not sure how aware you are of Big Finish, but Jack Harkness and Alonso are getting it on in a story called ‘One Enchanted Evening’)
Very thoughtful stuff, @Gussie Jives. You’re a good egg.
on #Gatekeeping, I run into it a lot. I don’t contribute a lot into conversations with my friends when they’re nerdin’ it up on a favourite sci-fi franchise or what-have-you. Every time I say anything I’m inevitably corrected if I make the slightest error, and if I’m not wrong on something they’ll interrupt and divulge some wonky secret about the topic (which isn’t secret, it’s inevitably something they’ve said a dozen times before).
Not an unusual experience, of course, but I mention it because gatekeeping can often be invisible to the gatekeepers. Their behaviour just encourages silence in anyone not aggressive enough to push themselves in, without the time or energy to learn all the details, or without the emotional endurance to weather the punishment that comes from ever saying something that’s not in-line with the interpretation of the gatekeeper.
To the person doing the gatekeeping, they’re just sharing something they’re interested in, and everyone is listening quietly. Lots of people will just think they’re being respected for their knowledge. That just encourages them to do it more, and encourages them to “fight back” if their position as “wise elder Star Wars Nerd” or whatever is challenged. So it’s somewhat self-reinforcing.
Gosh, that struck a little close to home I guess. No I’m not bitter and angry I have no idea what you’re talking about and yes i’m very comfortable underneath the bed thank you very much!
@Dan, that’s awesome D: I wish I had the time to follow it more closely!
@Scildfreja
I think you just very accurately described a conversation I had with someone in the pub the other night. Unfortunately, I was the talky one, to the extent that he finished his pint before I started mine.
Really, really hoping that comment I made above about ‘how aware you are of Big Finish’ comes across as helpful curiosity rather than knobby ‘I-know-more-about-this-than-you’ism.
@Scildfreja
Eeesh, that gets obnoxious very fast. You’re definitely right that they may not know they’re doing it, but it’s an ego move for sure.
@DanHolme, you may have had a lovely conversation that you both enjoyed! He might have really enjoyed what you were saying! That is a thing too! It can be hard to gauge someones’ level of interest in what you’re saying. You need to be aware of how they behave when interested and when disinterested, and be especially aware that some people have been brought up to perform engagement and interest, even if they’re dreadfully disinterested. (The opposite is also true – some people are brought up to perform disinterest even if they’re actually interested).
Humans! What a mess. I usually try to coax responses out of people to help gauge their interest if I’m not sure.
and I did not know about Big Finish or the like! I took it as helpful curiousity. Thank you!
@Scildfreja
Thank you for the reassurance; the chap I was with can get a bit intense himself, and we continued to have several other interesting conversations, so I’m probably okay, but there are times I have felt I need to rein myself in a bit.
Big Finish are an amazing audiobook/play company doing tonnes of Who, and other retro sci-fi, adventures – every ‘classic series’ Doctor who is still alive is doing new adventures, as did John Hurt when he was still with us! You can download, though some of their stuff turns up on Radio 4 extra if you want it to free (I get the impression you’re based in Canada, but I’m sure you can get hold of it). Anyway:
http://www.bigfinish.com
I saw, on another thread, that your cat had been poorly – I hope they’re bouncing back! Our youngest has recently worked out how to get onto the roof, and has nearly worked out how to get down without giving me palpitations!