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Should the Next 'Doctor Who' Be a Woman?

Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "Jennifer Finney Boylan writes in the NYT that for those who did not get beaten up in high school, 'Doctor Who' is a beloved British sci-fi series about a character called the Doctor who is able to regenerate into a new body whenever a mortal would die or whenever an actor grows tired of the gig. The Doctor has been played by 11 different men since the show went on the air in 1963 and with Matt Smith, stepping down this Christmas, many fans had hoped that this time, a dozen cycles in, the Doctorship would finally go to a woman. 'Maybe it was the election of Barack Obama that made it seem, fleetingly, as if there were no more glass ceilings, for offices from president to pontiff,' writes Boylan. 'Whether the 45th president is a woman (Hillary Rodham Clinton?) or a Latino (Marco Rubio?), it still feels, on a good day, as if we've entered a time when there are fewer limits on what men and women can aspire to.' But unlike presidents or popes, we may not get that many more chances at a glass-shattering Doctor. According to long-held Doctor Who mythology, the character's 13th regeneration could be his last. 'As the producers think about whom they want to take on the role next, they should keep in mind the way people's hopes are lifted when they see someone breaking the glass ceiling, even when it's for something as seemingly trivial as a hero on a science-fiction program. Equal opportunity matters — in Doctor Who's universe as well as our own.'"

16 of 772 comments (clear)

  1. Really? Political correctness? by gelfling · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why not a vegan tranny black lesbian Muslim in a wheelchair?

    1. Re:Really? Political correctness? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's what they said about daleks and stairs. Didn't stop them.

    2. Re:Really? Political correctness? by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The Doctor: "You know the definition of a vegan don't you? They're people too insensitive to hear a carrot citizen of Denigula VI scream."

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      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    3. Re:Really? Political correctness? by 1s44c · · Score: 5, Funny

      The next James Bond should be Jessica Alba. Now that would breathe new life into a tired out francise.

      Leave Dr Who alone.

    4. Re:Really? Political correctness? by niado · · Score: 5, Funny

      Having breasts does not make you interesting.

      ( ) - Strongly Agree
      ( ) - Agree
      ( ) - Disagree
      (*) - Strongly Disagree

    5. Re:Really? Political correctness? by niado · · Score: 5, Informative

      BS. Guys just do different types of/more exercise because that's the societal norm. If you asked a female to do the work every time you needed something carried or a jar opened you'd be a wimp too. Sure testosterone plays a role, but almost any woman can get strong if they eat and train right. And by strong I mean sincerely fuck up 99% of the male population. Why? Because most people don't exercise to their potential.

      This is very disingenuous. Of course many women could become stronger than the average man if they were involved in an Olympic-class workout/diet regimen, but even a very large, very strong woman will have difficulty matching a man's strength, if he's even doing casual strength-conditioning.

      Sexual dimorphism is not caused by "societal norms", it is caused by genetics and specifically testosterone.

  2. WHAT AND CALL IT NURSE WHO ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That is just absurd !!

    1. Re:WHAT AND CALL IT NURSE WHO ?? by FooAtWFU · · Score: 5, Funny

      They'd need to be careful. A female playing the Doctor would risk being objectified. Then it would be Doctor Whom.

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  3. No by davidbrit2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, because that means Samuel L. Jackson would be out of the running. (Admit it, you'd watch that.)

    1. Re:No by oodaloop · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Hand me my sonic screwdriver. It's the one that says bad motherfucker on it!"

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      Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
    2. Re:No by Vermonter · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Say 'exterminate' again, I dare you!"

  4. Only a silly uneducated Yank would write this by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 5, Funny
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    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  5. Re:and how do you resolve the paradox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    It has already been established in canon that they can.

    "See that snake. The mark of The Corsair. Fantastic bloke. He had that snake as a tattoo in every regeneration. Didn't feel like himself unless he had that tattoo. Or herself a couple of times. Oo hoo! She was a bad girl!"

  6. Re:Time Lord by LordLucless · · Score: 5, Funny

    The clue is in the title. Who ever heard of a "Time Lady"?!

    Um, everyone who ever watched season 16?

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    Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
  7. How about a new SF series then? by ggraham412 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Surely a science fiction concept with a female lead can be developed outside of the current Dr. Who franchise. Or, a spin-off series featuring a female timelord can be developed in parallel, like Star Trek did with Voyager. The can have separate adventures and then guest star from time to time on each others' shows. Seems like you get more audience that way. Why is there a need to take an established character and turn it into something completely different?

    Dr. Who will always be Tom Baker in my imagination anyway.

  8. Re:Ever notice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yes indeed. Everything, and I mean everything must be co-opted to support the feminist cause or it has no right to exist.