Opinions You're Not Allowed to Have About The Thirteenth Doctor

7/24/2017

Written by Kate McHargue

When the news broke that the next Doctor will be played by Jodie Whittaker, it seemed as though a few people were having trouble processing their feelings. In an effort to guide these individuals through this transition and help them find peace, I have compiled a handy list of opinions about the new Doctor that are actually not allowed and should therefore be avoided when discussing your feelings on the matter.

You’re not allowed to say, 'But the Doctor is a man. Always has been.'

I know this is the first reaction for a lot of people and I get it. It’s hard being the dominant identity and suddenly being forced to recognize that other types of people exist in the world. That bubble burst can be a lot to handle. But unfortunately, this opinion is just not allowed because the argument 'that’s the way it’s always been' is not, never has been, and never will be a good excuse for not evolving (just ask Darwin). And sadly, the argument that the Doctor has to be a man is just plain inaccurate. The Doctor is an alien being from the planet Gallifrey and, as a Time Lord, can easily switch genders with regeneration. Past Doctors have even made reference to this being a possibility and have even mentioned a desire to do so. Honestly, you should be happy for the Doctor. It sounds like he’s finally comfortable enough in his identity to start presenting differently.

You’re not allowed to say, 'What’s next, a female James Bond?'

The main reason you’re not allowed to say this is because, yes, we might be headed towards a female James Bond. And that’s okay! In fact, that’d be awesome! Gender bending is a canon practice in cosplay and fanfics. As geeks, we should be celebrating its emergence in pop culture and media. But, as I mentioned above, the Doctor is not technically canonically male. Yes, that’s the only way we’ve seen him, but the character is a time traveler. Meaning there could easily be regenerations of his that were/are/will be female and we just hadn’t gotten there yet. Unlike James Bond who is a canonically male character, the Doctor is already predisposed to gender bending. If anything, this was a long time coming.

You’re not allowed to say, 'This is just PC culture taking over! Making the Doctor a woman is just a publicity stunt!'

I hate to break it to you but women did actually exist in the world before 'PC culture' became a thing. We make up 50% of the population which means that statistically, we should be the leads in about 50% of the popular media that is consumed. But we’re aren’t. We make up like 15% of the leads in popular media and that’s the average between TV, film, print, and internet content. So I wouldn’t say that making the Doctor a woman is so much a publicity stunt as it is a move towards accurate representation and smarter marketing. Doctor Who’s fan base is 50% women to 48% men. Seems like the show’s producers are finally paying attention to that. Furthermore, making the Doctor a British white woman instead of a British white man is pretty low hanging fruit for strides in representation.
Also, in case no one has explained this to you yet, you can’t just call anything you don’t like 'PC culture'. Mostly cause it’s incorrect but also because it sounds like you’re literally advocating for incorrectness. And maybe you are, but either way you might want to examine your motives.

You’re not allowed to say, 'Well at least she’s hot!'

The attractiveness of the new Doctor is neither here nor there. If you do find Jodie Whittaker attractive, that’s okay! But what’s not okay is deciding that that’s the only thing she has to offer to the character. She is an award winning actress, not an object.

You’re not allowed to say, 'But she’s so unattractive!'

The attractiveness of the new Doctor is neither here nor there. If you don’t find Jodie Whittaker attractive, that’s okay! But what’s not okay is deciding that because you personally don’t find her attractive that she can’t possibly bring anything else to the character. She is an award winning actress, not an object.

**You’re not allowed to say, 'They’ve ruined Doctor Who!'**

First of all, you really can’t know this yet. I understand that you’re emotional but if you take a moment to think logically you’ll realize that until you’ve actually seen this new Doctor in action you have no way to know whether or not the show is 'ruined'. And even when you do watch it, keep in mind that if it’s ruined it won’t be because the Doctor is now a woman. You might not like the acting. You may not like the new plots and storylines. You may not like new effects or costumes. But none of that will be the result of the Doctor switching genders. And honestly, if Doctor Who is ruined for you because the Doctor is a woman then I am deeply sorry for your loss. But you are, unfortunately, not the last word on whether or not Doctor Who is good.

I understand that this is a scary time and that all of these changes can be difficult to cope with. And it’s okay to have opinions about the new Doctor. You’re allowed to dislike the actress they cast. You’re allowed to wish they’d picked someone different. You’re allowed to say you’re unsure of what this will mean for the show. But what you’re not allowed to do is think or say any of the things I outlined in my list. Because then you’re being exclusionary, rude, and downright sexist (yeah, I said it). I have faith in the geek community to give this new Doctor a chance to show us what she can do. I hope that the new Doctor is given the same respect as her predecessors. And if anyone finds themselves bursting to say the above mentioned off limit comments, I’d be happy to give you a refresher course on the opinions you’re not allowed to have.

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