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The Internet Had Some Truly Spectacular Responses to the 13th Doctor, Jodie Whittaker

To balance out the awful ones.
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Dan Van Winkle
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Published: Jul 17, 2017 10:19 am

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Fans across the internet rejoiced yesterday (the ones who aren’t jerks, anyway), as the Doctor of Doctor Who regenerated into Jodie Whittaker. For anyone following the long saga of whether or not the show would actually cast a woman in the role, it was certainly a surprise, and fans across the internet let loose with some great reactions, both to the news and to the aforementioned jerks.

I’m personally a fan of Whittaker from Broadchurch and Black Mirror, and I’m excited to see what she does with a role as fun and multifaceted as the Doctor. She was also in 2011’s Attack the Block, which featured another familiar face from a major franchise:

But of course, there were plenty of people insisting that the casting was just to appease “SJWs” (read: fans with different opinions, the horror), rather than just a good choice. Those haters can feel free to take a seat.

There’s just no non-sexist reason to be upset about this—not one that makes sense, anyway. Just concerned about good storytelling and not all these “identity politics,” you say? Super! Then whether the actor playing the Doctor is a man or a woman shouldn’t matter to you.

But as satisfying as throwing all kinds of snark at whining misogynists may be, let’s not forget what’s really important here: this is important representation—though I understand the criticism coming from those who would’ve liked to see an actor of color in the role, as well. Tons of us are just very excited:

Including some past Doctor Who stars:

I mean, just look at what this can do:

I’d be hard pressed to find fault in a decision that has that effect.

(image: Colin Hutton, BBC)

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Image of Dan Van Winkle
Dan Van Winkle
Dan Van Winkle (he) is an editor and manager who has been working in digital media since 2013, first at now-defunct Geekosystem (RIP), and then at The Mary Sue starting in 2014, specializing in gaming, science, and technology. Outside of his professional experience, he has been active in video game modding and development as a hobby for many years. He lives in North Carolina with Lisa Brown (his wife) and Liz Lemon (their dog), both of whom are the best, and you will regret challenging him at Smash Bros.
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