The New Doctor Who Star Is a Woman, and the Internet Cannot Handle It
Last night the BBC made its long-awaited announcement about who would be the next actor to play the Doctor on Doctor Who. It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times, depending on whether or not you are deeply invested in the idea that women can’t be space aliens.
Because the 13th Doctor will be played by actress Jodie Whittaker.
Meet the Thirteenth Doctor #DoctorWho #Doctor13 pic.twitter.com/txHGz9tJEe
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) July 16, 2017
How bad ass does she look when she takes off that hood? The doc is in.
Jodie Whittaker is an actress from the acclaimed ITV crime drama Broadchurch. (Broadchurch stars two former Doctors, the new Doctor, and a ton of other Doctor Who alums. Broadchurch showrunner Chris Chibnall will also be taking over as the new Doctor Who showrunner.)
Whittaker also starred in Attack the Block, a truly excellent sci-fi comedy about a teen street gang that has to fight off an alien attack. Attack the Block also introduced the world to John Boyega, star of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Whittaker is an excellent actress with a lot of great work on her resume. She is also the first woman to play the Doctor in the decades-long history of Doctor Who. As one might expect, the Internet has become a shower of tears from the enraged sexists of the universe, who insist that the Doctor cannot be a woman.
Let the tears commence.
https://twitter.com/Thetaspodcast/status/886617887036907520
https://twitter.com/RealCovfefe_/status/886619715904339968
https://twitter.com/Twit2ooh/status/886638574967427076
You have got to be joking, would they make Sherlock Holmes into a woman. Have just killed the show obviously BBC wants it scrapped again.
— SHEILA ANN HACKETT (@SHEILAANNHACKE1) July 16, 2017
Nothing against women but I prefer a male doctor with a strong female companion who keeps him in check. Massively dissapointed #DoctorWho
— Christof De Pagie (@CDepagie) July 16, 2017
Making Dr. Who a woman is not enough.
She must also be non-white (and presumably a disabled, lesbian, transgender Muslim). https://t.co/MBRqBS2TOp
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) July 17, 2017
That would actually be awesome. There’s no reason the Doctor has to be white. Casting a non-white actor would have been even more progressive. And the weird thing is that Doctor Who is supposed to be progressive and inclusive. It’s like the people complaining have never actually seen it.
Dancing in the streets.
Of course, the not-sexist part of the Doctor Who fan community has been bathing in those tears like a wonderful spa day.
I took Daily Mail comments from people angry about a possible Female Dr Who and turned them into episode titles for the new series pic.twitter.com/k586EeVpld
— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) July 15, 2017
If you think The Doctor changing gender is unrealistic I have some bad news about aliens, time travel and regeneration. #DoctorWho
— Ryan S. Taylor (@RSTStatusReport) July 16, 2017
Lot of folks who have never cared about Dr. Who before are suddenly very concerned. Maybe we should announce that climate change is a woman.
— Carol Ray Hartsell ™️ (@carolrhartsell) July 16, 2017
Cue a million think pieces from the alt-right about how women can’t be 900 year old aliens. #Doctor13
— Catherynne M. Valente (@catvalente) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/thewhoaddicts/status/886661297621934080
This one is actually just really sweet:
My daughter watching the #DoctorWho announcement. #doctor13 #DoctorWho13 pic.twitter.com/eX0w1rW4E9
— Jenny Trout (@Jenny_Trout) July 16, 2017
This is not the first time a Time Lord has regenerated into a different gender, either. The Time Lord known as the Master previously regenerated into a woman played by actress Michelle Gomez. She went by Missy, short for Mistress, and was spectacular in every way.
The Time Lord called the General has been a white man and a black woman. None of the others even blinked at the change.
What do you think of the new Doctor? Let us know in the comments.
