Doctor Who has been running since 1963 and follows the adventures of a time travelling alien, a Time Lord from Gallifrey, exploring the universe with a human sidekick. To date, the alien known as The Doctor has been played by twelve different men as at the end of his life he has regenerated and taken on a new form. Today it was announced that the thirteenth doctor will be played by a woman, Jodie Whittaker.

Not enough penis

Whilst many are excited to see what Ms Whittaker does with the much beloved BBC character, there has been a huge reaction from fans who are outraged that she is not a man.

A woman?! A doctor?! You never know... we might be allowed to drive and vote soon dude.

Because a fictional character being played by somebody with a vagina, not a penis is just as bad as Donald Trump.

Because misogyny is funny, am I right?

I'm all for equality as long as it doesn't mean a woman can do the same job as a man.

An exciting change

While there are obviously a lot of disappointed men, there are far more absolutely delighted fans who see this as an exciting change and welcome Jodie Whittaker with open arms, keen to see her take on the character.

Enthusiasm!

Inspiring little girls to achieve their goals of being more than just the sidekick to a confident man.

Exactly.

What will it change for The Doctor?

The Doctor regenerates with an entirely new body and a different personality and style each time. Each regeneration brings with it a new actor to adjust to for the audience, and a new look for the characters on screen to adjust to. This is a standard experience with each new series.

Gallifreyans as a species come as both Male And Female, so there is no argument to suggest a female Time Lord is not canon.

Doctor Who has a wife, River Song, the daughter of his former companions Amy and Rory, she may be surprised to see her former husband now a wife, but given they are moving in different directions through time and she has already seen all the Doctor's incarnations, I'm assuming she'll be well adjusted if they do come face to face during this season.

A win for feminism

Female focused fantasy is so rarely made, but when it is it's a success. Wonder Woman grossed $749.7 million at the box office and proved a huge hit with both male and female fans, as well as critics. The popular Hunger Games franchise which rides on the back of Jennifer Lawrence's portrayal of Katniss Everdeen has grossed over $1.4 billion at the box office.

It shouldn't be brave to put a traditionally attractive, blonde white woman at the helm of a popular television show, and yet it appears that it is. Perhaps it is most brave for Jodie Whittaker herself who is likely to come in for a world of abuse and criticism, much as the women who starred in the Ghostbusters remake were subjected to.

While they may have lost some fans too stubborn to accept a woman in the lead, I suspect that they will also have won an army of new female fans excited to see themselves represented in a fantasy role.
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