13 votes

Doctor Who: Fans hail Jodie Whittaker in female Doctor's first appearance

8 comments

  1. [8]
    eladnarra
    Link
    It's been really nice to see the reception of her as the Doctor after all the (sadly predictable) internet squabbling. That negative Daily Mail review though... ooph. "Relentlessly irritating?" It...

    It's been really nice to see the reception of her as the Doctor after all the (sadly predictable) internet squabbling.

    That negative Daily Mail review though... ooph. "Relentlessly irritating?" It also spent what felt like half the review basically complaining that Jodie Whittaker doesn't look "striking" enough:

    She barely belonged in today’s world of female icons as radical, powerful, and striking as Beyonce, Lupita Nyong’o, the assassin from Killing Eve, or the Dragon Queen in Game Of Thrones.

    With her Northern accent and short blonde hair, The Doctor by contrast looked more like Leanne Battersby, not remotely strange enough to be an extra-terrestrial.

    She had none of the fascinating oddness of the heroines in The Bridge, Black Earth Rising, The Handmaid’s Tale, or Stranger Things.

    Looking normal and having a Northern accent aren't allowed? Quick, someone hop in the TARDIS and tell them not to cast Eccleston in the first season of the reboot. :D

    (EDIT: Although I guess I shouldn't expect much from the Daily Mail, haha.)

    8 votes
    1. [4]
      Algernon_Asimov
      Link Parent
      I do wonder whether they deliberately cast a woman without over-the-top feminine physicality (no big boobs, wide hips, or long blonde hair), and then styled and dressed her in a masculine way...

      I do wonder whether they deliberately cast a woman without over-the-top feminine physicality (no big boobs, wide hips, or long blonde hair), and then styled and dressed her in a masculine way (short-ish hair, no obvious make-up, wearing trousers) in order to minimise the transition. Even that Daily Mail review picked up on this: "Whittaker’s femininity and sexuality were pared down so far both she and her character were virtually neutral".

      But, regardless of her physical appearance (body, make-up, clothes), her acting is spot-on. It's hard to criticise Whitaker when she's so obviously channelling previous actors' characterisations in her performance. I imagine she would have done a lot of research for this role, studying hundreds of previous episodes to be able to make sure that her performance is as close to perfect as possible, in order to minimise the inevitable criticism of being a woman in a man's role.

      Also... the people who were upset about a woman being cast as the Doctor may simply have not watched this episode - so we won't see negative reviews from those people.

      2 votes
      1. [3]
        eladnarra
        Link Parent
        Personally, I think it's more likely that it just turned out that way; I remember hearing an interview where Whittaker talked about wanting a practical outfit that she could easily run around in....

        I do wonder whether they deliberately cast a woman without over-the-top feminine physicality (no big boobs, wide hips, or long blonde hair), and then styled and dressed her in a masculine way (short-ish hair, no obvious make-up, wearing trousers) in order to minimise the transition. Even that Daily Mail review picked up on this: "Whittaker’s femininity and sexuality were pared down so far both she and her character were virtually neutral".

        Personally, I think it's more likely that it just turned out that way; I remember hearing an interview where Whittaker talked about wanting a practical outfit that she could easily run around in. (I know I'm not comfortable being active in a skirt). And I honestly didn't think her overall look as the Doctor is particularly "masculine" - her hair seems like a fairly stereotypical cut for women, and the wide-legged, cropped trousers look like a lot of what I've been seen while shopping for myself.

        Also... the people who were upset about a woman being cast as the Doctor may simply have not watched this episode - so we won't see negative reviews from those people.

        True! Although I do hear that hate watching is a thing...

        1 vote
        1. [2]
          Algernon_Asimov
          Link Parent
          Put that look on a bloke and tell me that! At best, her look is androgynous. That might work for a Doctor who changes genders, and has spent all their previous regenerations being male, and is now...

          And I honestly didn't think her overall look as the Doctor is particularly "masculine"

          Put that look on a bloke and tell me that!

          At best, her look is androgynous. That might work for a Doctor who changes genders, and has spent all their previous regenerations being male, and is now female for the first time in a long time (or ever!). However, it's certainly not a feminine look, by any means.

          Although... I did wonder why, when she regenerated, she regenerated into a form with partly dyed hair. How does a newly regenerated Doctor already have regrowth? :)

          1 vote
          1. witchbitch
            Link Parent
            Science-magic, naturally. Honestly, having seen a lot of Whittaker's other work? This is just her choosing to wear what she likes. This is what she always wears in her work. Not a conscious choice...

            Although... I did wonder why, when she regenerated, she regenerated into a form with partly dyed hair. How does a newly regenerated Doctor already have regrowth? :)

            Science-magic, naturally.

            Honestly, having seen a lot of Whittaker's other work? This is just her choosing to wear what she likes. This is what she always wears in her work. Not a conscious choice of anything symbolic, this is literally just "...but this is what I always wear".

            2 votes
    2. [3]
      Kiloku
      Link Parent
      I remember reading that part of the reason that Eccleston only lasted a season was that the producers were asking him to mask his accent. He refused to do so.

      I remember reading that part of the reason that Eccleston only lasted a season was that the producers were asking him to mask his accent. He refused to do so.

      1. eladnarra
        Link Parent
        Wow, really? I knew he didn't leave under the best of circumstances, but I can't remember any proposed reasons. If that's true, it's a shame. I always loved the line he says to Rose when she...

        Wow, really? I knew he didn't leave under the best of circumstances, but I can't remember any proposed reasons.

        If that's true, it's a shame. I always loved the line he says to Rose when she remarked upon it: "Lots of planets have a North."

        2 votes
      2. Algernon_Asimov
        Link Parent
        That doesn't ring true. Christopher Eccleston would have walked into the auditions with his accent. It wouldn't have been a surprise that popped up later. The producers would have discussed his...

        That doesn't ring true. Christopher Eccleston would have walked into the auditions with his accent. It wouldn't have been a surprise that popped up later. The producers would have discussed his accent before they even signed him up. It's part of the audition process: "Can you read this dramatic scene? Can you do this comedic bit? Can you read these lines with a different accent?" (I've done my fair share of auditions in the past.) If they had a problem with his accent, it would have come out during the audition process.

        1 vote