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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed by the slap on Dr Who?

51 replies

GoringBit · 30/08/2014 23:57

The Doctor does something that annoys Clara, and she slaps him, hard. There are no repercussions, no criticism of the slap, it's just accepted. It made me so cross; if the roles had been reversed, there would be an outcry - rightly so - but in the context of the program, it implied that a woman hitting a man is acceptable. And this is in a family show, I just think it's really poor. On the other hand, it's fiction and the plot is far-fetched, it's not trying to depict real life.

So it just me? Should I dismount my high horse? I don't think IABU to be cross, but accept that I might be, and am genuinely interested in others' views.

OP posts:
JapaneseMargaret · 31/08/2014 01:03

I don't watch Dr Who so can't comment on that.

But there is something neanderthal/base/animalistic about hitting, full stop.

Surely we humans have evolved past the point of having to whack someone, like some kind of primate, to make our point...?

And if we haven't (as indeed many, many people clearly haven't), then we pretty much need to take a long, hard look at ourselves and our actions.

o0 · 31/08/2014 01:11

Did they write this episode deliberately to make us not like Clara? I seem to be one of the few that do like her but today's Clara was a bit off.

The slap was definitely jarring, seemed not like her and really just out of place in a family show.

The part where she comments about killing people and then crying about it was awful. She then says she was being funny. But it was cruel not funny in the slightest.

Was that written to actually be funny but just missed the mark or were we meant to think how awful of her? Confused

PhaedraIsMyName · 31/08/2014 02:12

Clara was wonderful the very first time we saw her as Oswin the soufflé girl but she's been fairly annoying ever since. She's not as annoying as Martha , who wasn't annoying but was very dull.

redshifter · 31/08/2014 02:35

YANBU

Just normalises it and with increasing male on female violence this is not good.

I saw an episode of Emmerdale last year where a woman slapped a restrained man extremly hard in the face right next to 3 policemen who did nothing. I was shocked then really pissed off about it. No one I spoke to seem to notice the double standard at all.
As someone who has been a victim of domestic violence, this attitude worries, saddens and sickens me.

It is heartening to see all the views on this thread.

IsChippyMintonExDirectory · 31/08/2014 03:44

YANBU I find this's double standard very offensive. Women hitting men is often portrayed as heroic or comical. As someone who's brother was a victim of DV by his ex-gf it winds me up no end. Soldier comment sounds shocking too.

I don't watch Dr Who but I remember when Peter two times Shelley on Corrie and she punched him in the pub and everyone cheered. Also on Friends when Ross said the wrong name at the altar Emily made a fist with both hands and punched him in the stomach. I know those are old though, haven't watched soaps in donkeys so dunno if it happens much anymore.

Personally I'd write a complaint. I know that may seem OTT to some but if the media continues to perpetuate these stereotypes people like my brother will continue to believe they are deserving victims and that their terrifying situation is actually laughable.

redshifter · 31/08/2014 04:07

I totally agree with you chippy

PhaedraIsMyName · 31/08/2014 04:15

That was a rubbish storyline. Obviously if a Dalek is malfunctioning and being good if you fix it, it will be bad again. And if the Dalek can see inside The Doctor's mind obviously the Dalek is going to see the hatred the Doctor has for them. No-one saw that coming?

And I thought Daleks had a collective conciousness so wouldn't the sick Dalek have recognised The Doctor ?

TheSameBoat · 31/08/2014 04:42

Oh God, I HATE the way they make women slap men as if it were acceptable. I hate it because ......

-it sends the message that female to male violence is ok and harmless and that a man who can't take a slap from a woman is a wimp.

-it portrays the woman as a "feisty" bitch and makes her pretty unlikeable

-it belies the fact that most DV goes the other way.

I feel like it's supposed to be comical in a "haha, hit by a girl!" kind of way, which is so insulting to both genders it makes my head explode!

Bulbasaur · 31/08/2014 05:29

Bulbasaur - but if Anna was the villain could she have been punched by Hans and it be ok? Surely this is the point?

Prince Eric stabbed Ursula with a ship.
Merlin kicked a woman's ass in Sword in the Stone
Maleficent was stabbed by a prince

Men have hit and hurt female villains in the past. Though, I suppose the difference is that they were in the heat of battle.

To be fair though, Hans did try to kill Anna, it's not like she disagreed with an opinion of his.

halfwildlingwoman · 31/08/2014 08:07

Erm, I think that, actually, it's OK to hit someone if they plot to marry you and murder your sister, like Hans does, or repeatedly rape and torture people like King Joffrey does. I have no problem with my daughter hitting someone if they do those things.
It is unacceptable to hit someone because they have annoyed you. I think thesameboat sums it up well.
The only time I ever hit someone (I am not proud of this, I was young and stupid) he turned to the equally drunk man next to him and said "See, I told you she was great!".

BuntyCollocks · 31/08/2014 08:14

Also didn't like the slap, and Clara is starting to grate. It really seems like they've made her not like the doctor because he's not her 'pretty boy' anymore.

Fairly sure Rose would have carried on regardless!

Slapping to me seems like lazy writing, it's such a cliche of what women 'do'.

deakymom · 31/08/2014 08:17

we spent the entire episode looking like Hmm Hmm Hmm? im not convinced on the writing its not good enough!

and the slap was pointless yes matt smith got slapped but he acknowledged it was for something he hasnt even done yet!

ive never slapped anyone (that i can remember) around the face, hands yes faces how victorian!

deakymom · 31/08/2014 08:22

the entire thing smacks of lazy writing im reading some of the books and the storylines seem to flow better

is it me or did the doctor run and hide at some point? so the doctor is a coward clara is an insensitive idiot who slaps people the entire scene where he is getting the dalek to be at one and love the universe (or whatever he was trying to do) looked like a cheap and nasty hypnotist video from the 80s a female soldier does a rose and wants to leave with the doctor but he won't take her because she is a soldier (pot/kettle?)

im not impressed

CheesyBadger · 31/08/2014 08:31

Ursula was stabbed with a ship?! I haven't seen any of these Disney moments!

Original poster
GoringBit · 31/08/2014 09:22

Really interesting to read people's views (mostly because they mainly agree with mine Grin). However, I'm just about to get into GoT, so am trying to skip past any replies that mention Joffrey, Hans, Ursula or getting stabbed, (with or without ships).

I think that it is very lazy writing - why bother with, you know, dialogue for Clara, when you can throw in a quick slap. Horrible. And yes, there seems to be a definite shift towards making Clara difficult to like. Anyway, I will write and complain about the slap - not pearl-clutching, simply because if I don't, if nobody does, nothing will change.

OP posts:
specialsubject · 31/08/2014 10:11

interesting that the episode did seem to be aimed at making Clara unlikeable - she is smug, full of herself, vain and just plain not very nice. Perhaps the point is demonstration that it is very shallow only to like people for their appearance, which is clearly her feeling about the doctor.

A new departure - a companion whose departure we will cheer!

the doctor doesn't hit unless necessary - pity, would have done Clara a lot of good!

Also hope Peter Capaldi stops mumbling.

Bifauxnen · 31/08/2014 12:05

Yabu. And the whole " if the genders were reversed" crap is pretty disingenuous. Violence against women is very often served up as entertainment and women are routinely portrayed badly. But a man getting a slap? Unacceptable Hmm

ABlandAndDeadlyCourtesy · 31/08/2014 12:13

Amy slapped both Eleven and Rory on occasion - it's not a pretty boy thing, it's a DW writer thing.

Rose didn't accept Ten straight away, by the way.

Iconfuseus · 31/08/2014 12:38

YANBU.

It isn't fair that female on male violence is portrayed in this jokey light hearted way.

It's not acceptable.

noblegiraffe · 31/08/2014 12:41

Agree about the mumbling, we had to watch with subtitles on last night!

lunar1 · 31/08/2014 12:44

It was a totally bizarre and unnecessary move. I don't like Clara anyway, didn't like her with Matt smith apart from her first episode. I don't like the new dr right now but I'm hoping that is just because of the dynamic between them and he will be better when she goes. I'd love to see Donna back right now.

PhaedraIsMyName · 31/08/2014 12:56

What lunar says. Donna would be a far better companion. I know in the old days Drs were older men with glamorous girl companions but with the new Drs there was little, if any, age discrepancy. Capaldi and Clara are too much like ageing rockstar/ageing Hollywood star and their latest, much younger wife.

Donna was all down to personality. Donna could be any age really and still be a strong personality; Clara's personality seems based on being young, pretty and pert.

HelenaQC · 31/08/2014 13:05

Most things like this sail over my head, tbh, but I was actually quite taken aback about this too.

If he'd slapped her, there would (rightly) be monumental outrage. Yet it's OK for her to slap him?

Nope. This was a big mistake. And I think it's different from other dramas when violence (from anybody to anybody) is shown as part of the story. In this case, there was no row, no fight....just Clara smacking him to make a point, and him not doing anything but hold his face. It was even supposed to be funny, I think.

Maybe Moffat enjoys this sort of thing, because didn't Irene Adler smack Sherlock about a bit?

Oneeyedbloke · 31/08/2014 13:07

YANBU. Totally agree with all who've said this is lazy writing, in fact its worse than lazy. Stephen Moffatt & Mark Gatiss need to stop writing, they're killing Dr Who and it's a shame because it's a great British institution. Moffatt went from brilliant to fatuous on Sherlock, too.

Just one example out of many: alien butler guy scans Clara's mind and 'discovers' "Lots of images of athletic young men exercising. I think they're exercising. I suppose you could call it exercise." Eww, where's the sick bag? Totally gratuitous, paints Clara as slappery ladette character whose mind is full of naked men having sex - and why not, because girls thinking in just the same way as sex-obsessed boys is fine, its empowering, it's feisty, it's EQUAL.

Don't watch Dr Who any more, only saw that bit cos youngest DS still watches, hoping it will come good again. But the exec writers have ruined it, oh stop me now.

ABlandAndDeadlyCourtesy · 31/08/2014 13:08

Mmm, but Adler was a professional dominatrix - still wrong, but a bit more consistent.

Clara is a teacher (and before that a nanny) - her profession is the exact opposite of one where you dish out slaps! Totally inconsistent characterisation.