Opinion: We shouldn’t be afraid to make Thirteen feminine
BBC, Doctor Who
One of the biggest problems that I have as a fan is feeling bad when I want the Thirteenth Doctor to do have something feminine about her. When it was announced that the Doctor would be Jodie Whittaker, I jumped into the mindset that nothing could highlight that she was a woman.
For instance, is it wrong to want the Doctor to have a different sonic device? Not that women “can’t have” sonics, but to show off that this is a different type of Doctor? Sonic earrings? Sonic ring? Even a sonic lipstick? But every time I went to write my opinion, I would close the article because I felt like it was offensive, somehow.
However, since seeing Thirteen on screen in Twice Upon a Time, my mind has shifted. She is a woman and we should be celebrating that! Maybe she shouldn’t have a sonic screwdriver. And not for any reason that it’s a “man’s tool”, but because it’s time for a change. We’ve already had sonic sunglasses because Twelve preferred glasses, would it be anti-feminine for Thirteen to want some stylish earrings?
I hope that Chris Chibnall doesn’t completely disregard the gender. It’s a huge deal to have a female Doctor, despite that Gallifrey may or may not disregard gender depending who you ask. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating this milestone that Doctor Who has achieved. And if all the Doctors were exactly the same, how would the show stay on for over fifty years?
It’s exactly these changes that hopefully help the show evolve and bring a new audience to the show. So let’s let her have a sonic device that maybe isn’t so easy to make innuendos out of. Let her wear…really anything besides what she’s currently wearing, and let’s not be afraid of femininity.
