Helen wrote:
Which brings me to the point that I know quite a few women who do actually watch (etc.) Doctor Who to a degree that I would consider
fannish,
but who don't get involved in organised fandom because they feel a bit excluded by the overwhelmingly male-centred character thereof.
While I've watched DW certainly to a fannish degree, the series just never inspired me to get involved in organised fandom. I attended the Who's 7 conventions to meet teh people I knew from B7 fandom and wouldn't attend a pure DW convention.
That has nothing to do with the fact that the Doctor is male,or that the fandom is male-dominated (I get the impression) and not even anything to do with the fact that most of the female characters were incapable of picking up a heavy object and bashing the alien over the head with it, but just stood in a corner screaming. Doctor Who just didn't interest me enough to want to get involved and debate it. With a few notable exceptions, the morality is clear-cut black and white, the aliens evil killers with no conscience and no motivation other than to rule for the sake of it, the Doctor the guy in the right who saves the planet. It's fun to watch for 25 minutes, but what's to discuss?
Louise
----- Original Message ----- From: Louise Rutter Louise.Rutter@btinternet.com
Helen wrote:
Actually, *Fiona* wrote:
Which brings me to the point that I know quite a few women who do actually watch (etc.) Doctor Who to a degree that I would consider
fannish,
but who don't get involved in organised fandom because they feel a bit excluded by the overwhelmingly male-centred character thereof.
That has nothing to do with the fact that the Doctor is male,or that the fandom is male-dominated (I get the impression) and not even anything to
do
with the fact that most of the female characters were incapable of picking up a heavy object and bashing the alien over the head with it, but just stood in a corner screaming.
Perhaps if you'd watched a bit more of the series? Romana II and Leela both could hold their own against the aliens without screaming, Tegan gunned down Cybermen in Earthshock; Ace, the companion of the late 80s, wielded a baseball bat and frequently distressed the Doctor with her violent approach to aliens-- and even in the very second story, screened in 1963, the female companions stoically insist on accompanying an otherwise all-male Dalek-hunting expedition.
With a few notable exceptions, the morality is clear-cut black and white,
I'd say that really depends on the era. Certainly this was true in the early 60s, early 70s and early to mid 80s, but the mid-70s brought us some of the most morally complex stories ("Genesis of the Daleks," "Face of Evil,") and characters (Taren Capel, the baddie of "Robots of Death," to name but one), and in the later part of the series, there are some quite biting stories by Philip Martin and Ian Briggs standing out. Furthermore, I have never seen Robert Holmes, Chris Boucher (See, B7 content here!), or Douglas Adams, all of whom wrote prolifically for the series, turn out a less-than-quality script.
the aliens evil killers with no conscience and no motivation other than to rule for the sake of it,
Not always (I've always found the Cybermen's quest for survival at all costs rather tragic, myself, to say nothing of less morally wrong "baddies" like the Silurians, who simply want their home back). However, even when the aliens are conscienceless killers, such as the Daleks, there have been some excellent stories based around human reactions to being confronted with such a foe, e.g. "Evil of the Daleks" and "The Dalek Masterplan."
the Doctor the guy in the right who saves the planet.
Not Colin Baker's. Or Sylvester McCoy's.
It's fun to watch for 25 minutes, but what's to discuss?
Um-- have you *seen* the number of mailing lists for DW out there :)? Some people have a few ideas...
Fiona
The Posthumous Memoirs of Secretary Rontane Available for public perusal at http://nyder.r67.net
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Louise Rutter