In case you missed it: Jodie Whittaker was named the 13th Time Lord in Doctor Who. She’s the first female to be cast after 26 seasons. That’s 54 years, by the way!
While fans rejoiced over the news, some (mostly men) weren’t pleased with Jodie’s upcoming role. And their reasons are quite confusing.
In an editorial on The Sun, Adam Ponstans wrote that the decision to cast a female is “boring, silly, and out of date.” His argument is that BBC is merely using Jodie as a publicity stunt to boost ratings. He furthered this, saying that the network is “[getting] on their sci-fi high horse” by replicating Star Wars’ female leads Princess Leia, Rey, and Jyn Erso.
I’m still digesting what he wrote, to be honest. If he thinks there’s nothing wrong with Star Wars’ leads, then why complain about Doctor Who?
Many male fans are also questioning this transition, insisting that the Doctor should only be a man because of his personality. (So women aren’t allowed to act boyish?) One even noted that it’d be okay if the 13th Doctor was an “effeminate black man” and not a woman.
Some are even asking why there’s no male Wonder Woman because that’s what equality looks like for men. Hey, go count how many male superheroes there are before you say that you feel discriminated by a woman.
One netizen also did the math and said that BBC is saving cash by casting a woman.
But the worst kind of sexism hurled toward Jodie came from The Sun and Daily Mail Online’s headlines. The two publications thought it was a good idea to publish the actress’ nude photos from past roles after the announcement. This is a classic example of only caring about a woman’s body more than her work. Ugh, sick people.
Meanwhile, fans have come to Jodie’s defense and argued that the Doctor is capable of taking on any gender. Some just poked fun at the misogynists who are whining about the role.
We don’t know about you, but it’s about time a woman took on this role. If it was never specified that Doctor Who should solely be a man, then why should anyone stop Jodie from doing it?
Screengrab from BBC
Follow Preen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Viber
Related stories:
Jodie Whittaker on Being the First Female Doctor in ‘Doctor Who’
Men Like Donald J. Trump Need to Give Up Toxic and Fragile Masculinity
Cinema Hosts Women-Only Screening of ‘Wonder Woman’ and the Men Are Hating It
Why It’s So Hard to Fight Everyday Sexism
Why Misogyny Is Alive and Kicking in the 21st Century