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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to hope that the next Doctor Who is female and not understand why this would be so terrible?

452 replies

findingme · 04/06/2013 10:05

My first AIBU - I have used advanced search and can't see an existing post on this so apologies if there is. I don't want to link to DM so please just google "Female Doctor Who" to look at the recent articles about this in the DM and newspapers.

It seems that it is a possibility and I can't understand why anyone would think this is a bad idea. AIBU?

OP posts:
treas · 04/06/2013 10:07

No - just No

Original poster
findingme · 04/06/2013 10:12

but whyy? Confused

OP posts:
Fakebook · 04/06/2013 10:15

Because Doctor Who is and has always been a male and not everything has to be a fight for feminism. It's just a bloody TV programme.

Triumphoveradversity · 04/06/2013 10:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dawndonna · 04/06/2013 10:17

Moffat backed Davis in saying No to a female Dr. Who, it would therefore seem unlikely, although not impossible.
Personally, it's tradition, so I'm not sure it'll work. It's always been seen as a male domain and I suspect that with regard to the fanbase, there would be too much of an uproar, were the next and supposedly final (debate a seperate issue) doctor to be female.
Personal opinion, I'd rather not, but that's possiblly because I'm 54!

needaholidaynow · 04/06/2013 10:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DreamingofSummer · 04/06/2013 10:19

In the very first episode Dr. Who (William Hartnell) was introduced as "Grandfather" by Susan Foreman (Carol Ann Ford).

For me that fixes him as male.

TooTabooToBoo · 04/06/2013 10:19

What Fakebook said.

It's just a tv prog.

livinginwonderland · 04/06/2013 10:22

Has to be male! Doctor Who wouldn't work as a female, and like Dreaming said, he was introduced as Grandfather.

Birdsgottafly · 04/06/2013 10:23

Dr Who, is English and male and if possible, has got a sexy aura about him.

Apart from keeping the programme true to its roots, a female wouldn't have fitted into the historical story lines that have been shown.

I was outraged when it looked as though the Daleks where going to join forces with the Cyber Men, i was delighted by the line "How many are you?", CM "5 million", Dalek "We are four, you will be exterminated".

Sad i know, but some of us have taken note of the details, from the beginning and want it to stay "pure".

noblegiraffe · 04/06/2013 10:23

I heard the argument that Dr Who is a role-model for young boys and so should stay as a man.

Because of course young boys are lacking in role models who save the day.

It has got a bit samey, lately. A woman Doctor (with a hot young male companion??) might make it a bit more interesting.

needaholidaynow · 04/06/2013 10:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

treas · 04/06/2013 10:24

It is not as though there aren't any positive female characters already in the series - they are all now class as "feisty", and that's getting dull.

SoupDragon · 04/06/2013 10:24

Do you think The Doctor is transgender then? It makes no more sense than having the next James Bond as a woman.

NynaevesSister · 04/06/2013 10:28

It would mean introducing new 'canon' into the Dr Who universe, to explain that regeneration doesn't just build a new body, but changes the chromosomes of that body.

To my mind, something superficial like skin colour, hair colour, size, doesn't really change who you are.

Changing actual entire chromosomes though does. I can't see any reason the show Doctor Who couldn't continue with another timelord in his place. But I would find it really hard to accept such a deep genetic change as still being 'The Doctor'. And the big problem is, the only other timelord we know of that's left is the Master.

As a woman, the TV show Dr Who was inspirational for me growing up. I started with Jon Pertwee and Sarah Jane, but obviously Tom Baker was the main doctor for me. Sarah Jane though was what the show was about - she was really inspirational to me and a great role model. Women were always equal in the show, and ignored it when other characters tried to treat them differently. It doesn't need a female doctor to make it more feminist. It does need some better female role models. They had the best one, Martha, a doctor herself crushing on The Doctor. That was ... not fitting with her character or the show. IMO.

noblegiraffe · 04/06/2013 10:28

River Song was great, she wasn't 'feisty', she was practical, capable, and clever. And slightly psychotic.

But of course she had to be in love with the Doctor. And created to kill him. What a shame.

Original poster
findingme · 04/06/2013 10:29

I don?t consider it a feminist issue. I just read an article (not the DM one) that I came across on an indie news site when I was reading up about something else, and it just got me thinking. I have a friend who recently posted on her FB that she wanted a female Doctor so it was in my mind from there. I wouldn?t even call myself a fan. I watch it when it?s on but I don?t know the depths of the programme and haven?t done any research into the backstory so I can only presume that there was a lot of misinformation if the article I read. I did notice that some of the main newspapers have also done articles so will read those later. I thought I could be being Unreasonable but then wasn?t sure why. Please could someone link me to a recent article (this year) that isn?t DM that I could read?

OP posts:
Colyngbourne · 04/06/2013 10:30

YABVVVU -

The Doctor is a male - that is the premise of his character and identity.

Birdsgottafly · 04/06/2013 10:31

I don't think that the Doctor has a gender, as such, but he has had a wife and daughter, which i think needs to be explored more.

How would you explain the Doctor as having regenerated as male, for so long? I can only see the get out that woman's status has changed, so he has had to stay male, but i don't want this to reflect life.

Also, he is a Time Lord and most other "beings" of similar status have been female, so it's been a good mix.

It is science fiction and needs to not be changed, what next? Why hasn't he cured world hunger?

ShadeofViolet · 04/06/2013 10:31

YABU.

Startail · 04/06/2013 10:31

Because Women have to fancy the Dr. and Men, boys have to want to be the Dr.

Women and girls don't want to be the Dr. We understand how lonely and sad he is.

treas · 04/06/2013 10:31

Love for there to be a companion from a different time or even planet. Mind you why does the main companion have to be female? What's wrong with two male characters flying around in a time travelling box?Grin

DreamingofSummer · 04/06/2013 10:32

I love River Song.

I'd also love it if they gave her her own time-travelling series but I expect Alex Kingston is too much in demand

ChunkyPickle · 04/06/2013 10:33

Ohh NynaevesSister - you absolutely couldn't have a different timelord - the point is that this is the one that destroyed everything, with a terrible past he refuses to talk about - if you used a different timelord it would be far more damaging than a female doctor I think.

Personally, I don't actually see an issue with a female doctor, I don't think it hurts the canon particularly (any more than 100 other things they've done).

I do think they need to stop throwing women at the doctor though - really, he's how old, he's seen so much, yet they keep throwing 'feisty' young girls at him?! At least River had some life experience on her!

Birdsgottafly · 04/06/2013 10:34

With respect OP, people who are not fans, need to butt out.