Shouldn’t liberals be extremely happy that Doctor Who has been cast for the first time with a female actor? Not these days! After all, the doctor is still white.
British actress Jodie Whittaker becomes the 13th Doctor Who of the long-running sci-fi series, but her skin color is problematic, especially for feminist icon Anita Sarkeesian of the Feminist Frequency. Here are a series of tweets she sent out after the breaking news, which become less enthusiastic with each post because -- wait for it -- the character isn’t trans or queer either:
OMGOMG Doctor Who is getting a new showrunner & A FEMALE DOCTOR OMGWAHHHAO! (We're...umm...we're a little excited.)
Ahem. So yeah, we're absolutely thrilled about the Doctor Who news but also want to talk just a bit about the limits of victories like this.
It needs to be said that DW is still an OVERWHELMINGLY white show & that issues of representation do not exist in isolation from each other.
It’s not as if you fix the “woman” problem, THEN the “race” problem, THEN the “queer/trans” problem, etc. It all has to happen in tandem.
Treating these as separate issues works to create a vision of progress that perpetuates the very imbalances we're struggling against.
We need to acknowledge the ways these issues are inextricably linked if we're going to move toward a more equitable world for everyone.
Joining the lament was Variety critic Maureen Ryan who said the recasting was “still not ideal” because “a woman of color, or a non-white man” also needs to be in that role.
Others joined in on Twitter expressing similar sentiments, like saying it is a step forward, but only for white women.
A disabled freelance writer had even more specific requirements in making sure everyone on the planet is represented in a single role: “Until #DoctorWho starts hiring disabled and POC writers (especially disabled WOC) and casting disabled actors in regular non-villain roles… the new Doctor Who casting is fantastic but it isn't 'revolutionary.’”
Many stated they would have rather had a black male play Doctor Who over a white woman.
Here’s some math to help you get your head around this nonsense:
The Left = Never satisfied.
H/T Milo