[ComicGuy89]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeoRangerV

Other than the fact it would be done primarily as a gimmick and to appease the incredibly vocal crowd that the show is apparently sexist because there hasn't been a female lead in its 50 year history, I don't like genderswapped characters.

The Doctor has always been designed to fill a patriarchal role that's been somewhat lost with the last few younger Doctors, and changing his sex takes away that essence of the character. Good female characters are ones that are created from scratch, not ones that are adapted from male ones.

You should see what's happening on Tumblr. The community has exploded with cries of how the Doctor is still Caucasian or isn't a woman. Something about Moffat being sexist too.

You've been in this fandom a while, Zeo, does this happen every time a new Doctor is announced?

[AkibaSilver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sentai

Did anyone else notice that when the hostess of the Press Conference Reveal whatever mentioned, just suggested, that maybe the Doctor could be female.. the room went silent. Like drop a pin and it'll echo like Church Bells on your head silent.

Sad. I would love a female Doctor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeoRangerV

I wouldn't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ComicGuy89

You should see what's happening on Tumblr. The community has exploded with cries of how the Doctor is still Caucasian or isn't a woman. Something about Moffat being sexist too.

You've been in this fandom a while, Zeo, does this happen every time a new Doctor is announced?

Hate to say it, but it's Tumblr. This was to be expected

[ZeoRangerV]

Its happened before, but this is probably the worst I've seen it. The British media has been trying to push the "Doctor should be female" thing wherever it can in the news.

Last year everyone was too busy whining about how Matt Smith was way too young for the role and how nobody had heard of him

[ComicGuy89]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeoRangerV

Its happened before, but this is probably the worst I've seen it. The British media has been trying to push the "Doctor should be female" thing wherever it can in the news.

Last year everyone was too busy whining about how Matt Smith was way too young for the role and how nobody had heard of him

I remember that time. Wasn't a Who fan yet and was amused that people would make such a big deal of it. Sometimes I think the media has a venomous effect on people's perceptions.

Like you, I liked it when the Doctor was more paternalistic but I'm guessing this side of the Doctor is less often seen these days because of certain vocal people. I do think they sneaked a bit of the Doctor's paternalistic side into Matt Smith, hiding it behind his youthful face. That was a brilliant move, I thought.

Apparently Peter Capaldi is as old as William Hartnell was when he was casted. I believe he should be one of the oldest actors cast for the role, but I haven't checked the facts yet.

[Sentai]

They've established in canon that Timelords can switch sexes when they regenerate. I just don't understand this notion that if they make him a woman it would be purely to 'appease people' or would be a 'gimmick'. Why? There cant be a strong female lead? That arguement is a little, non-intentionally I imagine, sexist. I believe the Doctor could be a woman and it could still be successful. Because having a strong female lead in Sci-Fi is no longer an oddity. Nor should it be one. I think the next Doctor after Capadli's time should be female, I honestly do. With a male companion. Or female to, why not.

[ComicGuy89]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sentai

They've established in canon that Timelords can switch sexes when they regenerate. I just don't understand this notion that if they make him a woman it would be purely to 'appease people' or would be a 'gimmick'. Why? There cant be a strong female lead? That arguement is a little, non-intentionally I imagine, sexist. I believe the Doctor could be a woman and it could still be successful. Because having a strong female lead in Sci-Fi is no longer an oddity. Nor should it be one. I think the next Doctor after Capadli's time should be female, I honestly do. With a male companion. Or female to, why not.

Nobody said having a strong female lead is in any way bad. Lots of shows have done it successfully and I don't think it can't work.

The problem is, the Doctor isn't a "legacy" character like Batman, or Spider-man. He's literally the same continuity Doctor we've known since the First Doctor. Changing his gender means changing the core of what he is, how many shows have done that while establishing continuity with previous series?

Some franchises have women inheriting the mask. Robin, for example was once Stephanie Brown, which was interesting for a character who was always called "The Boy Wonder". No problems there, because Stephanie Brown isn't Dick Grayson, Jason Todd or Tim Drake. She was Stephanie Brown.

Other shows cast a female main character that was usually occupied by a male. Captain Kathryn Janeway was the first main female captain of Star Trek, and she had her own personality, interests, leadership style, etc. She was not a female Captain Kirk or Captain Picard and as a result was a strong character in her own right.

Besides that, sometimes reimaginings cast women in previously male roles. Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica was an interesting reimagining as a female character, but that show was a reboot, not in continuity with the previous show. Loads of Power Rangers seasons adapt the male character as female, and that's perfectly fine. These were all separate characters that started from scratch, written to be female characters and they worked.

The only character that I can think of at the top of my head that would occupy the same position as the Doctor regenerating into a female Doctor is Jadzia (and Ezri) Dax from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Like the Doctor, Dax has occupied bodies of many different incarnations. Now the difference is that Dax was, from the very beginning, created to be someone who had been both male and female. The appeal of her character was that she was once Captain Sisko's old male mentor and now she's this attractive young woman. That was her dynamic from the very beginning and it worked for her because it was a core part of her personality. It was written as part of her characterization.

Make no mistake, I am not opposed to female leads in shows, in fact, I welcome it. However, I feel that a female Doctor that is a canon regeneration, while not impossible or not unworkable, is not that good an idea. Establish a reboot or alternate universe and make him female, fine. Create a new series about a female Time Lord? Perfect, after all, we know Time Lords can regenerate into opposite genders now. Might even be more interesting than Doctor Who. Just establish that in the beginning and not tacked on to a character about to celebrate 50 years on-screen. Right now, for the reasons I've stated, forcing him into a female persona feels..well, forced, and would be unfair to whoever the female actress is hired to play her.

[Sentai]

Losing his penis changes the core of who he is. I want you to go home and think about that statement.

[GoseiWonder]

As someone who is rather neutral to Dr. Who, having yet to actually watch it (it's right under Kamen Rider), I must ask this, what is there to lose in making the Doctor a woman?

If it works, you have the first Lady Doctor in quite possibly a long line of Lady Doctors that can go on all sorts of Timey-Wimey adventures. If it doesn't, regenerate and return to the status quo.
Not sure why there's an issue to trying this out. It's not even a bad retcon to use in the show on a continuous level.

[Starscreamer]

My .02...

Two words...sex appeal. The doctor should NOT have it. If the doctor became a woman, it would shift. The doctor is all about the mind. If they cast a woman the would have to address her being pretty, and that in itself could have back lash. The actors who have been cast in the past were selected on how the could channel a unique personality. Then THAT was the foundation of their appeal. Look at the actors...not many would be the cover of GQ anytime soon...

[ComicGuy89]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sentai

Losing his penis changes the core of who he is. I want you to go home and think about that statement.

Seriously? Gender is a totally different thing from sex. It's not merely about what genitals you have but an in-built psychological thing. Try telling a transgendered person that his or her biology defines his or her gender and see how offended they feel!

Notice that in Ranma 1/2 when he becomes a girl, he is still fundamentally a guy? That's what a female Doctor logically would be, a male in a woman's body and would that be a fair representation of women?

Goodness man, before you ask me to "go home and think" you should think too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoseiWonder

As someone who is rather neutral to Dr. Who, having yet to actually watch it (it's right under Kamen Rider), I must ask this, what is there to lose in making the Doctor a woman?

If it works, you have the first Lady Doctor in quite possibly a long line of Lady Doctors that can go on all sorts of Timey-Wimey adventures. If it doesn't, regenerate and return to the status quo.
Not sure why there's an issue to trying this out. It's not even a bad retcon to use in the show on a continuous level.

I've already mentioned that it's not so much a problem with having a female Doctor as changing this Doctor for the sake of it. It could work but you'll need some pretty damn good writers. I see absolutely no precedent in this and I would love for someone to point out examples.

As stated, make a new Time Lord, reboot it, lots of ideas. I just don't think changing this Doctor is particularly easy to do.

EDIT:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starscreamer

My .02...

Two words...sex appeal. The doctor should NOT have it. If the doctor became a woman, it would shift. The doctor is all about the mind. If they cast a woman the would have to address her being pretty, and that in itself could have back lash. The actors who have been cast in the past were selected on how the could channel a unique personality. Then THAT was the foundation of their appeal. Look at the actors...not many would be the cover of GQ anytime soon...

Another good point. The female Doctor would be all about her being a woman instead of, you know, being a proper individual with dignity. With good writers they can avoid it but it's very hard to find such writers.