Article by Colin Baker on the new Doctor
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"I have been shocked by the reaction of some people who would describe themselves as fans of the programme to the casting of a really good actress in the role. Some of them I know and am sad to see them vowing to 'never watch the programme again'.
It is not an unfamiliar position in fandom (and I know I risk being a troll magnet in saying this) to mistake being a fan of something to owning it. A true fan of a football team supports their team even in defeat and as they slide down the leagues. I do not believe such catastrophe awaits Doctor Who and expect a renaissance – not that one is needed. Peter Capaldi was magnificent and was a refreshing contrast to the youthful trend that preceded him (who were also superb I hasten to add).
Let’s hope the disgruntled can be convinced in the end. But if we do lose some fans we will gain many more when it’s not just little boys in the playground (or bigger boys in the acting profession) saying: 'I want to be the Doctor one day.'" - Colin Baker
What I dont like about this post by him is that he assumes the only people who take issue are little boys and trolls. Then again why should he be any different to the masses of SJWs who wont listen to any reason and substitute their own perception for others opinion.
Maybe some people just dont like the BBC pushing a political agenda on them? Maybe some people would rather see Whittaker get to start a new character in the who universe? No cant be any of that, its just sexism.
Ford Fairlane:
Why is casting a woman in the role some damn "political agenda"? It hasn't got s*** to do with politics and more to do with the fact that times have changed since the white male-dominated times the program was created in over 50 years ago. And since the Doctor's an alien, that mean he or she could be of either gender. Tired of people making these stupid-a** claims casts someone who's not a white male or male is some damn "political agenda". Um,no it's not. Black people and women exist in this world too, and IRL, it's already been shown that white men no longer have a damn claim on running everything and always being the lead in a TV show simply because they're white males anymore. Everything ain't about white boys and whatever the f*** they want any damn more. And since white men dominated the media until barely 40 years ago, you don't have any damn cause for complaint at all---you can't even make a case for it. Folks whining about the change (usually white males,of course) about a person of color or a woman being cast in a popular classic TV role that's always been played by a white male just hate the fact that the white male hegemony is being challenged again in a small but significant way, that's all. Get the hell over it---times have changed. If y'all can't keep up with it, that's just too damn bad. Hell, the actor who played the sixth Doctor is an old white dude, and he hasn't got it problem with it, so why the hell should you? He's not behind the times, he's more with it than some of these whiners on here. "Waah,waah,f***ing waah, the Doctor's not gonna be played by a man this time,waah, waah, wahh!" Whatever---just STFU with that bull**** already. Those of who don't like it, dont watch---and let us who do like it watch in peace, gotdammit.
White Male dominated times? OMG LMAO, You must be very young, having lived in those years they weren’t that different than today and white males certainly weren’t dominating everyone unless you were living in South Africa!
And since the Doctor's an alien, that mean he or she could be of either gender, Okay can you name any other aliens that have changed gender? Yup, thought not. Bye.
The Master already changed gender, and in Trek DS9 there was a symbiant character who'd been male in the past but who was played by two females. It happens in sci-fi, back in the day there was even a Trek TOS book that had most of the crew changing sex (it was terrible).
Which is unlikely to stop certain obnoxious white fanboys from losing their shit and trying to ruin the show. The same idiocy we've seen when "Ghostbusters" and "Star Wars" had female leads.
Timelords only began to change gender only very recently, it never happened once in the original run from 1963 – 1989, of which the current show is still connected to.
It’s not just white fanboys annoyed too, but that’s for you exclude women and other races to fit your sad racist narrative.
It never happened during Classic Who, but I suppose the theoretical possibility was always there. But then the official line was "It's a kids' show" and nobody in all of time and space had sex or thought about gender issues. That officially changed when the show was revived and aimed at an adult audience.
Personally although I'm all for diversity and am sick of the fanboys whining about "PC bullshit" every time they see a prominent character who isn't white and male, but I'm still dubious about a female Doctor. A lot of people will dislike a female who behaves with the Doctor's characteristic superiority and thoughtlessness, and I myself will be ticked off if they make the Doctor any nicer or more feminine. Well, people who are familiar with Ms. Whittaker say she's extremely talented, and that's the most important thing. We'll see.
How do you know it didn't happen in classic who? Romana turned into a little silver dude for about a minute and the Master was a lizard being for a point to stay alive. At no point was their gender officially spelt out.
This Doctor like all others will rise or fall on the strength of the stories.
If Romana was a little silver dude for a minute, then it proves that Time Lords could change sex all along and the nay-sayers need to shut their traps! Hah!
As to the lizard, didn't the Master go around possessing living things for a while rather than actually regenerating? Because the argument is over changing sex during the regeneration process, which was never ruled out on the old show.
EDIT: Bummer, it looks like the nay-sayers haven't been shut up after all. If THIs is the picture of the "little silver dude" Romana turned into during the weird multiple-regeneration scene...
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BoIvU1wRI-U/Ug4sxyFfc2I/AAAAAAAAow8/NF5i2rn_a1I/s1600/romana-blue.jpg
Dud... that's not a dude. That's a small woman.
It ain't human so even with the actor playing it being female the gender of that species Romana turned into hasn't been officially spelt out. Do you know how that silver species reproduces? How many genders it has? How they tell those genders apart? As I said the gender of that little silver 'dude' was never offically spelt out, even with the female actor.
Look at the Sontarans, it isn't PC to say they are monogendered and asexual, because that is what they are. That is official, folk want to say they are male that is up to them but it has never been said that they are officially physiologically male.
Different species don't have to play to human rules.
Excellent points, especially the last.
SOME people don't want to admit that Time Lords aren't human and don't have to play by human rules, even though we know they're anatomically different under the superficial resemblance when fully dressed (two hearts). We know that Time Lords were children once (well, at least once), but for all we know they reproduce by depositing eggs and milt in the sea.
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Neil Armstrong was a full grown human on the moon, he played to human rules. To my knowledge he didn't suffer from a 5-alpha-reductase which would mean he was born appearing female and when puberty hit testicles descended like what happens in that town in the Dominican republic.
But guess what, other species on earth also change gender when hormones are added - types of fish and so guess what an alien species may also possibly be able to do so too.
Outside butt hurt tell me where they have said the Doctor can't change gender?
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There is no reason to change The Doctor into a female, other than the weak "just because" excuse.
I agree completely.
Do you watch the show or just troll?
The Doctor IS NOT HUMAN, just because the character in a fictional show is played by a human it doesn't make it so. Human's can't regenerate, Time Lords regenerate and they are not from Earth they are from Gallifrey. They are another species just like say....Fish. The two hearts is a give away.
And just because the Doctor has always been male, keeping it that way 'just because' when there are other options is as much a weak ass excuse.
As long as regeneration follows the rules for that species got no beef with it as long as the stories work.
As for astronauts on the moon, yes they were aliens to the moon but their physiology should follow the rules for their species ie humans no matter where they are.
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No Epithelial regeneration is not replacing every cell on a genetic level at one go.
The Doctor is not a human male, the doctor isn't human. I think what you are trying to say is the doctor is humanoid. But that doesn't matter as the physiology is Gallifreian, the two hearts are a big give away on that front. Just like Sontarans, they are humanoid but guess what they don't have gender!!!!
Humans can be alien on other worlds but their physiology follows the same rules as everyother human's.
So if a Time Lord can pick a species variation on regeneration they can damn well pick a gender one.
Though if we go by your idea - some humans actually do change gender without medical intervention. Babies born that look like girls or hermaphrodites then at 12 they grow penis.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/guevedoces-dominican-republic-dont-grow-penises-until-age-12-what-we-learned-studying-353544
As for rules - lets leave the ultimate say about the Doctor to the person who really can decide and who you'd listen to - the co-creator with a penis. You know Sydney Newman. He was for the Doctor becoming female in the 1980's
Here is a cut from the letter he wrote to Grade.
“At a later stage, Dr Who would be metamorphosed into a woman.
“This requires some considerable thought – mainly because I want to avoid a flashy Hollywood ‘Wonder Woman’ because this kind of hero(ine) has no flaws – and a character with no flaws is a bore.”
Jonathon Nathan Turner played with the idea after Tom Baker left but Sydney Newman being okay with it means there is no wiggle room for you - the guy who is responsible for putting the show on the screen didn't have a problem with a woman as the Doctor.
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Do you know anything about science?
Swapping one cell for another would mean they would be genetically identical as the one before. That means the Doctor would still be William Hartnell.
Time Lords are NOT HUMAN. The Doctor even says it
Look up the last episode of Terror of the Zygons - Classic Who,
Broton (Zygon Leader): You admire our technology, human?
The Doctor: Well, I'm not human; and I've seen better.
And someone who is deficient of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase are born with gentilia which appear female or intersex, then puberty hits and then they grow a set of functioning balls and penis.
And the guy who put it on the telly says - 'Why not make it a woman'
As for if they don't need gender why look like a man -how arrogant is that? The Doctor can look like anything the Doctor wants. Not the way you want so you feel comfortable.
So your argument is invalid on all levels and hogwash and go cry in the corner because the Doctor has a blonde bob and a Yorkshire accent now. Deal with it or don't watch.
There's no rule saying that the Doctor is male, or that Time Lords can't change sex when they regenerate, or that they bear any sexual resemblance to humans for that matter. You WISH there was a rule but there isn't, and the show's writers have ignored your preferences and opinions.
So stop embarrassing yourself.
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You know, most trolls like to think they're smarter than everyone else, and they try to reflect that in their posts by being at least superficially clever. But you're not even trying, you're just repeating your one stupid point about a nonexistent "rule" over and over again, which leads me to the sad conclusion that you don't have the IQ points to do any better.
There there, poor thing, you'd better turn off the computer, or you'll miss your ride on the short bus.
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Oh you poor dear!
When you finally make it to your special "school", you can ask the special ed teacher to explain to you what "rules" are again, and how one person who's in charge of fuck-all doesn't get to make them.
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I've gotten tired of messing with that tiny thing you call a "brain".
So kiss my ass, and then go stick your head in a Fry Daddy.
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Okay, you are on the wrong forum.
I get that you are into dressing up as a baby and probably want someone to put you in a time out after acting like a brat but go find a forum for your needs and not here.
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"White Male dominated times"
Apparently sleepingtiger is unaware that Doctor Who was produced by a WOMAN when it started 50 years ago (try googling Verity Lambert), and half the cast was female back in 1963. They could have easily made the show revolve around the main character's GRANDMOTHER if they wanted to. They choose not to.
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No it isn't.
(sigh)
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So to you Romana didn't truly exist outside herself and is actually a separate persona that the Doctor had?
Right you mean that secret side of the Doctor that always wanted to be female, like say Bruce Jenner wanted to be Catlin for years?
Rigggghhhtttt.
You actually watch the key to time story?
Deal with it the Doctor is alien so it is nothing but pure arrogance to think that physiology is the same as a humans. And you stamping your feet and sticking your fingers in your ears won't change that fact that THE DOCTOR now has boobies.
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>>>"I have been shocked by the reaction of some people who would describe themselves as fans of the programme to the casting of a really good actress in the role. Some of them I know and am sad to see them vowing to 'never watch the programme again'. <<<
Colin's behind the times. Many of us STOPPED watching Doctor Who long before the "first female Doctor" was announced, so you can't accuse us of "sexism" (although the Moffat shills try to do so anyway)
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If you stopped watching long ago then why are you here bitching about the latest decision in a show you have given up on? Move on. Get a Life.
So people should only ever take an interest in things they watch? He or she couldn't gave simply heard the news and wanted to take a look at what people were saying, say this bullshit and voiced their opinion?
If you don't like what someone has to say, try taking your own advice instead trying to attack people like a few other who nutters around here.
You're the nutter attacking people here. Now you're defending the long-time troll.
shareShow where I've attacked people? I've defended myself, but I've never attacked anyone. Typical trump supporter making shit up to fit their bias.
And if that guy is a troll, isn't that another reason to not engage him? Where's your logic trump drone? No, you're the loser that attacks people. Anytime someone says anything you don't like you start calling them names like a child.
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ReelReviews:
No,he isn't--only these whiny haters who can't stand the thought of a woman taking over a role dominated by only white men up until this point have got issues with it.
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Said by a whiny hater who can't stand the thought of a woman taking over a role dominated by only white men up until this point.
Damn, you are S-L-O-W.
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Presidents of the US and prime ministers of the UK were all white men, until fairly recently. There was never any "rule" saying they all had to be white men, any more than there's a rule saying the Doctor has to be played by a white male actor. They just were, until it was decided otherwise.
Look dude, when I say you don't have the smarts to be good at trolling, I mean to be informative rather than cruel. Because yeesh, what a lame argument.
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You say the Doctor is a fictional character, you say? As in not real?
Hmmm that means that the Doctor can do or be anything as long as it follows the internal logic of the story being told. The Doctor being female fits the logic they've set down.
Deal with it or don't watch. Either way you digging your heels in this way shows your issues.
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You have many issues pal. Many, many, many issues.
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No I'd have you up for animal abuse for doing that to a horse.
You have issues, you claim to know the show but don't get what regeneration is, don't care that the person who created the show said it was doable for the Doctor to be either gender and are now going on how Jodie Whitaker is playing a completely different character because it fits your safe little space.
Grow up.
And if you want to think of it this way - in any incarnation, have you ever seen the Doctor's genitals? Is the shape of them ever discussed? I know 10, 11 and 12 mentioned being a husband but outside that were the genitals discussed. If not think of it as a possible reverse ladyboys situation, looks one way but is another. Because you can't be sure that any of the previous 12 were packing a vagina between their legs.
And the actors genitals don't count. Because there is a rich history of actors being one gender and playing another - look at Shakespeare, men played women all the time, Linda Hunt won an oscar for playing a male in 'The Year of living Dangerously' So don't say the actor's gender= the characters
TimeLords didn’t change gender until the PC mad NuWho and that was only a few years ago. Before that Doctor Dude had a granddaughter, got married and romanced a female companion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf0oXY4nDxE
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