If you're just catching up with the internet today here is what you need to know pic.twitter.com/JkPoRiIFoe
— TechnicallyRon (On all the platforms) (@TechnicallyRon) July 16, 2017
Thirty-one years after Doctor Who creator Sydney Newman requested a female Doctor, new head writer Chris Chibnall is making it so. As revealed on Sunday, Jodie Whittaker (Attack The Block, Broadchurch) will be playing the 13th Doctor, taking over for Peter Capaldi after (or more likely during) this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special.
Whittaker said in a statement, “I want to tell the fans not to be scared by my gender. Because this is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that’s exciting about change.”
Nevertheless, some fans had a problem with the change. One guy decided he and his son can no longer watch the show. Another took issue with the term “Time Lord, not Time Lady” (It’s a species of alien, not a gender title). One guy opined, “I fear this victory for PC feminist tokenism will ruin this iconic series for a great many people.” Another said, “And again the PC brigade get their way. R.I.P Doctor Who.”
Some people reacted to tweets like those by pointing out a little Doctor Who history:
https://twitter.com/thejimsmith/status/886638732056637441
"Doctor Who is being run by PC lefties now"
In 1963, it had a woman producer and was directed by a gay Asian man. #doctor13 #DoctorWho
— Chris Down🏳️🌈 (@PlingetheElder) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/SizzlerKistler/status/886710921254453248
Others pointed out that this regeneration has already been hinted at:
But most of the reactions were snarky jokes about why anyone would take a show with flying phone booths and aliens and toilet plunger robots and whatnot so damn seriously:
https://twitter.com/anxiouslion/status/886584672121180162
https://twitter.com/jongabrus/status/886634611291246592
Your dad thinks Dr Who being a woman spoils the realism of someone travelling space & time in a phonebox fighting bins with plungers on them
— Jonny Sharples (@JonnyGabriel) July 16, 2017
2013 – all 12 Doctors team up & send Gallifrey to a different dimension
nerds "makes sense"
2017 – the Doctor is a woman now
nerds "wait"
— Fred Delicious 🍆 (@Fred_Delicious) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/886624705880350720
LOL. This show had subterranean dinosaur people, but a woman in charge is too far-fetched for these babies… pic.twitter.com/S5M1myBewH
— SarcasticRover (@SarcasticRover) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/markhoppus/status/886610594329178112
Just been outside for the 1st time since we've had a lady #DoctorWho. Everything's on fire, the sky's fallen in & there are bras everywhere😱
— Clayton Hickman (@claytonhickman) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/Kirioth/status/886611360121065472
And the sarcasm continued:
I took Daily Mail comments from people angry about a possible Female Dr Who and turned them into episode titles for the new series pic.twitter.com/k586EeVpld
— TechnicallyRon (On all the platforms) (@TechnicallyRon) July 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/hellolanemoore/status/886666463762935808
I have a leaked script for the next Doctor Who episode and it confirms all our worst fears: pic.twitter.com/U3764J4QsH
— pixelatedboat aka “mr tweets” (@pixelatedboat) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/InternetHippo/status/886627099460734978
https://twitter.com/JenKirkman/status/886677202019987457
A girl Dr Who, my God where can I go anymore to see white men in sci fi and fantasy pop culture. pic.twitter.com/QZ9UZ6eC12
— A.R. Moxon (juliusgoat.bsky.social) (@JuliusGoat) July 16, 2017
Can't wait to see Doctor Who battle her new arch-nemesis Male Nurse Actually
— Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) July 16, 2017
If Doctor Who writers really love me there will be a moment where a man tries to explain time travel to her so I can laugh my ass off
— Akilah 🖤🤍💜 (@takilah805) July 16, 2017
Her first adventure is politely correcting everyone who calls her "Nurse Who."
— Bess Kalb (@bessbell) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/leighlahav/status/886619234637291520
Absolutely furious. Can't believe they've cast a human to play the Doctor.
— Matt Lucas HQ (@RealMattLucas) July 16, 2017
I don’t remember these scenes…
https://twitter.com/GeoffLloyd/status/886630416383447040
I'm absolutely for progress and inclusiveness but it is fair to worry when almost every ep of Doctor Who revolved around his big ol' dick
— Joss Whedon (@joss) July 16, 2017
But childhoods weren’t ruined until now:
https://twitter.com/CharlTaylorPage/status/886619407266582528
Female reboots ruined your childhood? Well, not having more than a handful of women superheroes to look up to ruined mine.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) July 16, 2017
You can always tell when the casting of a woman has ruined a man's childhood because he reverts back to it with such fervor
— Katie Mack (@AstroKatie) July 17, 2017
Inevitably, the Ghostbusters reboot/sequel/whatever had to come up:
WE HAVE TAKEN YOUR GHOSTBUSTERS AND STAR WARS AND SUPERHEROES AND DOCTOR WHO NOTHING IS SACRED WE WILL DEFILE IT ALL WITH OUR WOMANLY HANDS
— elliot (@laterelliegator) July 16, 2017
I assume the female Doctor teams up with lady Ghostbusters and Rey and they just, like, laugh at men's dicks?
— maura quint (@behindyourback) July 16, 2017
First ghostbusters, then Wonder Woman, then a girl alien? Whats next, female balloons? Woman sand? A girl alphabet? Women can't be balloons
— Jill Gutowitz (@jillboard) July 16, 2017
First, they came for the Ghostbusters, and I said nothing. Then, they came for Dr. Who, and I said nothing. Because I'm a sane, adult human.
— Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) July 16, 2017
Others made silly puns:
it appears a lot of cyber men are not happy about a female doctor
— andy™ (@andylevy) July 16, 2017
It’s a Doctor Who special on Christmas Eve, not a Doctor Who special on Christmas Steve.
— Joel Watson (@hijinksensue) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/peterbroks/status/886629588847218688
And more reactions kept pouring in.
https://twitter.com/FrizFrizzle/status/886609106953539585
https://twitter.com/kibblesmith/status/886655000981770240
Attack The Block (2011): The Doctor teams up with renegade former First Order stormtrooper Finn to protect South London from aliens. pic.twitter.com/lqelZdXf9m
— Tom Phillips (@flashboy) July 16, 2017
Oh great, now the TARDIS is going to be full of…*googles women*…a uterus
— sweaty five dollars (@iscoff) July 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/themackenzilee/status/886613715617034242
https://twitter.com/MrWordsWorth/status/886662503794692096
Interesting how the Doctor Who casting announcement reflects real life issues such as time travel, as most comments about it date from 1534.
— Anwen Kya 🏳️🌈🏴 (@Kyatic) July 16, 2017
me before reading the comments: oh cool the new Doctor Who is a woman
me after reading the comments: i hope Doctor Who is never a man again
— Matt Binder (@MattBinder) July 16, 2017
