Jody Whittaker Complains She "Didn't Fit A Specific Mould" For Doctor Who Fans, Explaining Her Run's Failure
The media is all talking about Jody Whittaker today, who gave an interview reminiscing about her Doctor Who run, lamenting that fans did not accept her because, as she said, “I didn’t fit the mold for Doctor Who.”
Doctor Who has been in ratings trouble ever since Jody Whittaker came on board the show with Chris Chibnall show running. She boasted some of the lowest ratings numbers as the Doctor, only usurped when Ncuti Gatwa came on board with the new gay, black Disney iteration of the show that turned off even more fans.
The concepts have died on the vine because both actors were cast for their identities. Modern writers want desperately to have a “first” and to have that be some kind of groundbreaking thing for minorities and women, focusing on that rather than producing a show that honors the legacy of the properties they get hired upon.
Jody Whittaker was an early beneficiary of what became known as wokeism, cast as the role of The Doctor specifically because Chiball wanted to have “the first female Doctor,” as if playing a singular character is somehow an achievement for a woman. The concept is absurd, and since The Doctor is a very masculine, problem-solving character by nature, it didn’t fit well with a female lead, and the writers struggled as a result.
As is often done with a failed attempt at diversity casting, Whittaker blames the fans for the lack of reception in a recent interview with The Times.
“It was a noisy few [people]. Rage is always really loud — compliments are much quieter,” Whittaker said. “But also, that show doesn’t have a comparison. It’s part of all our vocabularies — the Tardis, Daleks, exterminate! And everyone’s Doctor until then was a white man. They are very different actors, but they all fit a specific mould — and I didn’t.”
She then played victim, saying, ““If [Peter Capaldi] hadn’t been good as the Doctor, it would only have reflected on him. Whereas I felt that if I wasn’t very good at this, I’ve f***ed it for other actors. I think it’s completely unacceptable if that was the case, but that’s how I felt.”
“No one can hide behind a nasty tweet because I’ll never read it,” she then said, trying to explain how she dodged fan criticism. “I’m sure people wrote, ‘I hated your Doctor’ but because I go ‘la la la,’” she trills, putting her fingers in her ears, “I’ve got such a false sense of who I am.”
It seems the new normal for diversity hires playing in Doctor Who to cry foul at the fans when speaking with interviewers. Ncuti Gatwa is already infamous for telling off fans before his first season even aired, saying, “Don’t watch. Turn off the TV. Go and touch grass, please, for God’s sake.”
It’s interesting that this interview is coming so soon after it’s been rumored that Gatwa is going to be off the show after the second season because of the backlash against woke.
Fans took his advice, which they started with Whittaker. In some ways, it’s not the actors’ fault they’re cast in these roles. It’s the showrunners who are actively seeking out diversity replacements for beloved characters like The Doctor, but to play victim when they get millions to work on this series against fans’ wishes is beyond absurd.
What do you think of Jody Whittaker playing victim over Doctor Who backlash? Leave a comment and let us know.
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From what I recall of her tenure, the failure of the show was less Jodi Whitaker and more the writing and direction. I like her as an actress but her doctor who stories were such stinkers even she couldn't save them.