It is time: the arrival of a woman doctor who is even more consecutive than you thought
Yes, Jodie Whittaker is the perfect choice like the 13thth Incarnation of the doctor, The Time Lord at the Center for the Long Running BBC Series “Doctor Who”.
Yes, it is long time that the series has selected an actor to play the doctor who is not a man. Most importantly yes, it was selected for “the right reasons”.
There is difficult resistance and a gentle resistance to change. Together, they form a wall; One is simply more penetrable than the other. The bros nerd flooding the BBC with rabid sexist tweets and e-mails are hard resistance personified. They also appear on the point each time as a established arena opens up to players who are not white and male.
Unfortunately, this is typical of the science fiction fandom in particular, a space filled with people frequently marginalized for their love of the genre, even now that it has been completely integrated; A space where stories of lives pose that everything that is possible is possible prosperous and inspires; A space filled with stories of female characters that lead rebellions, govern interplanetary alliances and beard stars. Even now, the multiple ironies of the misogyny of the Nerd are lost on its perpetrators.
But a gentle resistance, manifesting itself in the form of well -intentioned fans wondering if the BBC pushed an actress in the role to appease a base of fans who claims a woman doctor during the best part of the decade, can be damaging in itself. Sweet resistance throws away during progress in real and virtual kingdoms; It serves another obstacle to progress.
“Doctor Who” is a fiction, and his hero is an extraterrestrial being with two hearts who travels in space and time in a police box (alias a telephone booth), but such a reaction is important. Wondering if this stage in the future occurs for the right reasons is the cousin of the flour mouth of “This is not the right time”. It may be the least sinister of the two, because instead of leaving people with the frustrating replica of “if not now, when?” We can answer: “The decision has been made, so treat it or go down from Tardis.”
Whittaker’s hypothesis on the role is historic, and it also breaks a science fiction border in the greatest sense that the doctor is a creature of intelligence first and above all. In science fiction and fantasy, women can have brains or muscles, but rarely both in the same package. Female logicians and scientists are generally protected by male characters. When women have physical power, it is explained as part of a supernatural force or technological upgrade. Think of River Tam of “Firefly” or Wonder Woman (however, for a while, Diana de TheMyscira was secretary of justice League.)
When female characters are the muscle, their sex tends to be sterilized. Vasquez or Ellen Ripley “extraterrestrials” are examples. The beauty of the Doctor and Whittaker as a doctor is that it can embody supreme intelligence, guts and muscles at the same time and always (probably) a woman.
The doctor is a detective, a daring, courageous and powerful being who can only be shaken by the greatest ills of the universe, and her – her! – Fights with a little more than his senses and a sonic screwdriver. The doctor fights for balance in the universe because she has offended the concept of cosmic balance many times. She has a lot to clean.
People are free to wonder aloud if the granting of the role to a woman is reactive as opposed to creation. But in doing so, they should also realize that they question the skills and capacity of Whittaker. By posing that its genre has more than its relevance for a role, they play in the idea that a role which has been played by different actors since 1963, each bringing unique personality traits to this role, can only be played by a man.
Here is the thing, ladies and guys – social progress is almost always responsive. This is true in political systems, it is true in popular culture and it is certainly true for geek culture. The zealots of “Star Trek” took place 22 years ago when Kate Mulgrew was interpreted as vice-admiral Kathryn Janeway, captain of the Starship USS Voyager. Neither the world nor the universe trek imploded, and this fall the hikers will welcome another spacecraft at Philippa Georgiou by Michelle Yeoh, who will direct the Starship Shenzhou of the USS Shenzhou in “Star Trek: Discovery” on CBS and its streaming service CBS All Access.
And the successful normalization of social progress in pop culture often transmits the cause of social change in the real world. Example: the rise of Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen Degeneres, then “Will & Grace”, which all gave representations of LGBTQ life in American houses via popular talk shows and grand listening programs. Their success has helped to alleviate the path of equality of marriage.
We vot our identity more than our personal interest, and when we see ourselves in very loved cinema and television characters, we see in our turn a greater possibility for the world in general.
The Whovians have become more insistent for the BBC to select an actress to take control of the Tardis since the Fans of Fans 10th Doctor David Tennant left the role. Tennant was able to replace with the newcomer Matt Smith – the youngest actor to assume the role – and once Smith finished, the Scottish veteran Peter Capaldi.
Women have always played an important role in the “Doctor Who” universe, but over the decades, they served as a doctor’s Platonic companions.
The current showrunner of “Doctor Who” Steven Moffat, who took over for the previous executive producer Russell T. Davies in 2009, was never going to make the doctor. Indeed, when a campaign to launch a woman of female time struck a fever field after Smith abandoned the franchise, Moffat responded by throwing Capaldi – a formidable actor, yes, but also a fantastic indulgent replacement for a showrunner who declared himself Super -Whovian since he was a child.
Given the doubtful history of Moffat with developing female characters, it is perhaps a good thing that he will not develop the first woman of Time Lord of the franchise. Moffat, however, designed the song of the favorite fans river (Alex Kingston), a human with Time Lord Dna who appears throughout the series to wreak havoc and save the day.
During his mandate, Moffat also introduced the female characters of Time Lord to recognize the possibility that a gallifreyan is a woman, a notion that should not be as controversial as it is. So, in a sense, although he cannot be entrusted to a woman lord of time in the ecosystem of “Doctor Who” while he was at the helm, Moffat deserves the merit of having put the cobblestones for the next showrunner, Chris Chibnall, to open this path.
And unlike Moffat, Chiball is the right person to exist a female woman. He worked with Whittaker on the criminal drama “Broadchurch”, which he created; Whittaker plays Beth Latimer, mother of the young murder of the first season, Danny. Due to his work spent with Chiball, Whittaker has become a favorite on the side to assume the doctor’s coat. Another was the Whittaker co-star “Broadchurch”, Olivia Colman.
The two women are incredibly talented. Whittaker, however, crosses a wider and more extreme variety of psychological tones than Beth. Chibnall wrote this versatility in its role, and playing the doctor, a being who waits between playfulness and sweet empathy and severe intimidation – often in the same episode – requires this level of installation with regard to emotional dexterity.
As I said before, Whittaker is perfect. And yes, his arrival is late. Because there are so many reasons why the Whittaker casting like the new doctor was the right choice for the BBC to make, but ultimately, This That’s really why it’s important.
If we want social change to be proactive, we must sow this idea early and in the imagination of our youngest. On television, we accept the idea that women can set up dragons, lead teams of spaceships to the most distant from the universe and now defend themselves time and space itself. It’s today. What is possible for our collective tomorrow?
