So, the next actor to play The Doctor is a woman. The talented Jodie Whittacker was announced sometime before I woke up this morning. It was quite a pleasant thing to wakeup to, because I hadn't really been following the speculation. I wasn't expecting it.
This is a wonderful piece of news for feminism in general, to be sure, and I am excited in general, but I am particularly excited for one specific extrapolation from this announcement.
The Doctor is a trans woman!
The Doctor is a trans woman!
THE DOCTOR IS A TRANS WOMAN!!!
I have been telling myself this piece of news all day. I am so excited!
This is some truly ICONIC Transgender Representation!
THE DOCTOR IS TRANS!
Ok, she's probably going to fall somewhere in the genderfluid side of things, and I've no desire to diminish any Enbys out there who are excited for this too, but to me, right now, The Doctor is trans. She's going to transition, right there on screen! And sure, I expect there will be little direct addressing of it on the show, it'll be jokey and I anticipate some cringe moments. But there are going to be SOOO MANY moments that I can fannishly apply transgender interpretations to! (Upgrades indeed!)
And it happens right when Moffat leaves the series! It really is a fuckin Christmas Episode!
There is, of course, the fear that they'll fuck it all up. This is, as I joked to friends earlier, pretty much The Queer Experience (or at least when it comes to representation in the media) to jump between "OMG I'm So Excited!" and "How Are They Going To Fuck This One Up?" so rapidly. I've only really got one experience with Chris Chibnall and the direction he's likely to be taking the series, but so far, I LIKE IT.
I gave up on Doctor Who a few years back. I just didn't like the Capaldi/Coleman chemistry, though I adore both actors, and I was just so tired of Moffat and all the shenanigans. (Plus, I'll admit, a little bit of pining for Gillan and Smith)
So I suddenly found myself excited for this show once more. A show I'd quite enjoyed in the past, but grown apart from.
It's not just me though. I'm excited for all the cosplay I will no doubt see. I'm excited for the fanart. I'm excited for the reactions to the announcement (the heartwarming messages of support, the gleeful videos of young girls finding out, and for the congratulations going out to Jodie, but also for the spluttering incoherent rage from idiots. Like Ghostbusters and Wonder Woman, if it's prompting babbling rage from MRAssholes, that sounds like something worth looking into!)
I'm excited for all the little girls who get to see themselves in this show.
But most of all, I am so excited for all the trans and NB who will see themselves on the screen, for all the transgender visibility it will help bring. For all the little trans girls who get to see themselves in this show. For all the people who will now be able to say "It's like when The Doctor..." when trying to explain themselves. Who will suddenly have that tool at their disposal, and that reassurance at their back.
THE DOCTOR IS A TRANS WOMAN!!!
I am so excited.
<3
~LRP
Todays Vaguely Transition-Themed Song: David Bowie - Changes
(Turn and face the strange.)
As a quick side note. I'm going to be using my Tumblr blog to start reblogging other things I like. I'll try to keep them relevant. If you're only interested in my blog posts themselves, the blogspot archive will remain purely my own work, and all my posts on tumblr will be tagged LRPSpeaks
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