Doctor Who: Martin van Buren in a Japanese game show

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > Doctor Who: Martin van Buren in a Japanese game show

Eiba: Jul 26, 2007

If the doctor is always a white man, then that limits the pool of talent to draw from for future doctors.

Unless there is a push to break new ground with a minority or woman doctor, there won't ever be one. The first is necessarily going to be a bold choice and a big deal, and if you're casting this stuff with the only goal of getting 'the best actor,' a pointless risk.

So even if you just want "the best actor" and don't care about the social implications it's better in the long run to push for more diversity now, even just for the sake of diversity in the moment, to increase the number of actors who 'feel' like the doctor to future generations.

That said, if you don't care about the social implications you've got a really weird set of priorities.

# ¿ Jul 13, 2017 00:06

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# ¿ May 20, 2024 23:41

Eiba: Jul 26, 2007

jivjov posted:

Other than the whole "but what about a role model for boys!!!" thing.

I think the argument isn't that boys lack for role models, it's that they lack for non-violent thinking role models. The Doctor is an unusual role model for boys in that he isn't an action hero and doesn't use force to solve his problems. He makes thinking, empathizing, and being compassionate cool heroic traits for boys, and that's what Peter Davison is lamenting.

I sympathize with that point, but honestly in terms of lessons young boys will draw from this show, the Doctor becoming a woman shows them that women can be heroes to look up to too, and give young girls a take-charge, confident, knowledgeable role model and those kinds of lessons are probably more valuable right now.

# ¿ Jul 23, 2017 18:06

Eiba: Jul 26, 2007

Teek posted:

I read a Mirror article with people hating on him for some reason, I thought he was great on L&O:UK. Was some other work of his or some other factor drawing people's ire?

The only issue I have with him, was that his age and race is that of many of the previous Doctors. Which wouldn't necessarily stretch the program that much. I guess it would have been interesting to see a non-standard pairing other than the usual older white guy, younger white woman pairing the show has mostly used. Maybe pair Jodie with another woman. They could potentially have another companion with them, but this just seems like it might be placating the white, older male viewers who want a guy in the Tardis.

So the interesting part of that is that the companion's role is usually to be somewhat ignorant. They're overwhelmed and awed and all that stuff, while the Doctor knows everything and is in some way experiencing all this novelty through the companion's perspective.

So even though "old white man" isn't novel casting, "old white ignorant man opposite all-knowing middle aged woman" is a pretty novel dynamic that I'm honestly interested in seeing.

No idea who Bradley Walsh is though.

I hope Whittaker lasts long enough to have a female companion though. Just having a couple women off having crazy sci-fi adventures seems like it'd be a neat new dynamic too, now that you mention it.

# ¿ Aug 22, 2017 19:05

Eiba: Jul 26, 2007

I thought 35 was middle aged, but doing some internet research suggests it's actually 45-65 according to some dictionaries or something.

I was contrasting the age of the old man and the _____ woman, and "young" sounded wong-er than middle aged. But upon reflection "young" would probably have gotten the point across better.

As with any semantic discussion, I'm totally willing to concede the point, so long as the actual meaning can still be communicated. (He's old, she's not.)

# ¿ Aug 22, 2017 22:27

Eiba: Jul 26, 2007

Teek posted:

Let me get in on the dumb ground floor of Bradley Walsh actually being the Valeyard. I said yesterday he was like the prototypical Doctor as far as race and age, maybe there is actually something to that.

It'd be too weird to have the point of view audience insert turn out to be a secret villain. Maybe if he was one of two companions.

If he's anyone significant my dumb guess would be that he's Romana.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2017 23:13

Eiba: Jul 26, 2007

HopperUK posted:

"Go away, don't fuss me, no wait, come back, what's this, no, it's all right, I know"

I love the Second Doctor so much.

e: heehee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_iVCO2PStE

I watched the whole series years and years ago, back when Tennant was the latest doctor. I've seen a few clips of the 2nd doctor since then, but not that much.

Holy poo poo I did not realize just how much Matt Smith was challenging Troughton.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2017 05:37

Eiba: Jul 26, 2007

howe_sam posted:

I'm not crazy about it, mostly because I'm not a fan of capris. Especially high wasted ones. It looks like she's got them hitched up too high.

But whatever, it's not the worst costume.

I like that it looks a bit silly. I was worried it would be too straightforwardly cool because they might be afraid of making the first woman Doctor too silly.

The Doctor sometimes pulls of traditionally classy/cool outfits, but I think their best outfits are the ones that take a kind of silly outfit and make them cool. Like bowties. Or eye-searingly garish rainbow coats.

# ¿ Nov 9, 2017 15:53

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# ¿ May 20, 2024 23:41

Eiba: Jul 26, 2007

Cerv posted:

Think you�re trying to read to much into that there.
It�s just one piece of Cassandra�s background. Not anything to do with her being a villain

Really? A character whose whole thing is being superficial and modifying their body to the point of absurdity just happens to be trans and that's just a totally incidental background detail not related to the rest of how that character is supposed to be gross?

# ¿ Nov 26, 2017 20:37

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