With the end of season 11 of the famous series “Doctor Who”, it is revealed in the final minutes of the season finale that the Doctor has regenerated into a woman. The fanbase has had a spectrum of reactions, but the inclusion of women in the show is not only eye-opening, it was also waited on and highly needed.
Today, we see a low percentage of women producers, executives, writers, and so on. The Doctor’s gender change brings to light the issues with gender roles and discrimination and it also shows the effect the feminist movement is having on today’s society.
For those who don’t know, ‘Doctor Who’ is a classic science-fiction series that follows an alien known only as ‘The Doctor’. This Doctor can regenerate into a new body every time they reach close to death. This marks the first time in the show’s 50+ year run that the doctor has regenerated into a woman.
Even though the show was originally produced and streamed in England, it became highly popular in the US, as well.
Sydney Jameson from Odyssey, a website for At Houghton College dedicated to writing articles, claims that the show is so popular due to its characters and its themes. She says that while these characters have complex personalities and are obviously far from perfect, the Doctor’s sidekicks are also regular people, for example a college student, a retail clerk, an office worker. This paired with the exciting plot and jaw-dropping scenes and graphics hook anyone almost instantly.
After 54 years of producing episodes of this show, BBC decided to do something unique: they changed the Doctor’s gender. With Jodie Whittaker picking up where Peter Capaldi left off, many were left either very ecstatic or highly upset. Several have threatened to stop watching, but these people don’t understand why having a female Doctor is so spectacular.
Jodie Whittaker is an English actress who came into the limelight when “Venus” was released. She was also in several other popular movies and shows, one example being Black Mirror, also receiving awards for her roles in these productions.
There have been many complaints and sexist comments directed towards Jodie. Many fans threaten to stop watching and have even gone out of their way to insult BBC and Jodie herself.
Some have complained that by changing the Doctor’s gender, we are taking away a role model for boys.
“One thing I’m passionate about is that I do not want a female Doctor because boys need an intelligent superhero who uses his brains not his brawn. Current popular culture reinforces the toxic masculinity that leads to misogyny and rape culture, and we need to make sure we change that.”, Karen Walsh writes in her article “I am Excited, But I Do Not Want a Female Doctor”.
The point that Karen misses is that boys don’t need just male role models. They need to see both genders on the screen, to know that both are possible of being brave, courageous, smart, wise. By switching the Doctor’s gender, we are not ignoring rape culture or shrugging off misogynistic tendencies. In fact, we are doing the opposite by showing boys at a young age that females can do great things, too.
Female role models in young boys’ lives show that anyone can be a hero and anyone can achieve their dreams. It also encourages them to treat others fairly and it teaches kids about the topic of equality at an early age.
“Watching a woman have to grapple with these huge, Universe-altering scenarios would go a long way toward teaching boys and girls not that “women are great!” or “women are heroes!” but that “women are people.”, Tereso Jusino writes an article to contradict Karen’s called “How Some Women’s Reactions to a Female Doctor on Doctor Who Reveal Internalized Misogyny”.
“The ones who won’t necessarily go looking for women to admire, and whom society teaches that women have little to offer besides nurturing and good looks. You don’t reach those little boys by giving them intelligent, emotionally connected supporting female characters. You give them a female protagonist to root for and stand behind.”, Teresa also points out in the same article.
“Anyone who has seen Jodie Whittaker’s work will know that she is a wonderful actress of great individuality and charm,”, Peter Capaldi, the actor who played the Doctor before Jodie, tells The Telegraph.
Even a former Doctor says Whittaker was made for the role. With her quirky personality and her Yorkshire accent, many fans claim they felt the part belonged to her just by watching the minute long trailer of the upcoming season.
The Telegraph and other websites and newspapers have run polls and researches and a wide majority of the Doctor Who fan base agrees that the gender change was a great idea. Stealing the hearts of many in their hoodie and jacket, the Doctor may not have become a ginger like they always wanted, but they became something far better: a woman.
