Sunday 2 June 2013

Who? Her?

And there he goes. The very best actor to play the role of The Doctor is leaving Doctor Who at Christmas. He wasn't my favourite but he was the best. From his very first episode, Matt Smith was perfect as The Doctor. A young man with old, wise eyes. It was like we'd found a bunch of lost Troughton episodes and they were all perfect because he was in them. Like every Doctor to date, he'd frequently be let down by the writing but he never was less than brilliant at every chance. I shall miss him but I fully understand why he's going. Doctor Who is my favourite TV show but, let's face it, it's very, very predjudiced.

That's right. Doctor Who hates equality. 

For those of you who don't know, Doctor Who is a family science-fiction TV show that was brought to the screen for the very first time in 1963 by it's female producer and Indian director. This blatantly sexist programme also gave great roles to women in the characters of Barbara and Susan, not supporting roles - they were the main cast. Even the theme tune was recorded brilliantly (the original is still the best, creepiest version) by a woman. But these utterly trivial jobs of being a producer, actor and iconic theme tune provider were clearly just crumbs tossed from the table because the role of The Doctor was played by....A MAN!

It sickens me, too. Why didn't that part go to a woman? It's blatant sexism of the very worst kind. Then when that man decided to stop being The Doctor he was replaced by another man and another man and another man. FOR 50 YEARS! It doesn't matter that Sarah Jane Smith, Leela, Rose, Ace, Amy, Barbara, Liz, Romana, Romana II, Nyssa, Tegan and maybe even Clara if we give her time are utterly fantastic characters that are well played along with hundereds of other female roles in the series. That's not the point. A woman SHOULD play The Doctor. If you don't believe me, look at Twitter. Every third tweet is "A woman SHOULD play The Doctor". It's rarely anyone says that they'd like to see a woman play The Doctor or they can think of a woman who would be great at playing The Doctor, but so many know that a woman SHOULD play The Doctor. Because that's very important. Doctor Who HATES equality.

Anyway, the show was cancelled in 1989 by a white, middle-class man and was brought back years later by a gay guy and his woman co-producer. 

Twitter is always right though. Doctor Who doesn't give enough writing work to female writers and that's because it hates equality and isn't simply guilty of the equally embarrassing trait of handing out jobs for it's mates. I don't know how many women have been considered for the role of The Doctor but I imagine it's NONE because Doctor Who hates equality. I have absolutely no proof at all that it was NONE but it sounds like something that equality-hating TV show would do. And I stand by the Twitter clan who call for this incredibly important stand for equality because it has to stop NOW. Yes, yes, yes. I know that women are still being undervalued in the workplace and being stoned to death in the Middle East and being human-trafficked into lives of unimaginable horror but first things first: some ladies want to write for Primeval! 

And before you equality-bashers start yapping, no we don't think an Asian or a fat person or someone with disabilities or a transgender person should play The Doctor. Those people hardly suffer from predjudice, do they? Not like the women I know in my life in middle-class London and on Twitter. Do you know that I don't know a single woman who isn't successful in their job? I know female writers, comedians, coffee shop owners, civil servants, animal rights activists, peace activists, musicians, TV producers...all of whom have done well because they're good at what they do. It's got nothing to do with what they are. But FUCK THAT. The Doctor SHOULD be a woman or else you're a sexist.

You're living in a dream world if you think there will ever be a female Doctor. Or a black Doctor or a bald Doctor or a Doctor over 50 again or a gay Doctor or a short Doctor or an Asian lesbian Swedish Doctor with a stutter. I mean, that WILL happen because the role is a never ending changing character but it won't happen NOW. I mean, I have no idea if it will or won't happen now but I bet it won't because Doctor Who HATES equailty. Although, come to think of it, I suppose saying Doctor Who is sexist is about as insulting to how women are treated globally as you can get and maybe we should get our priorities straight. Maybe it's just not that important. Maybe it's just a TV show. Maybe the reason you haven't got a writing job on Doctor Who or any other TV programme has nothing to do with your gender or ethnicity. Maybe you're shit. I'm a white middle-class man and, so far, Stephen Moffat hasn't rang and offered a thing.

Anyway, as I was saying, Matt was great. And I look forward to the next Doctor immensely. They've been great 11 times in a row so I think we can safely hold out hope for a 12th no matter who she or he is.





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