Female Doctor Who robs boys of role models, claims Tory MP

[weeksy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59421259

A Tory MP has linked young men turning to crime to women playing traditionally male roles in TV and film.

Nick Fletcher said "female replacements" in shows like Doctor Who were robbing boys of good role models.

The only characters they had to look up to were gangsters the Krays and Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders, he said.

"Is there any wonder we are seeing so many young men committing crime?," he asked MPs taking part in a debate on International Men's Day.

His comments were met with surprise by Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds, who said she thought she had "misheard" him.

The reason boys turned to a life of crime was "far more complex" than "who should be the next 007", she added.

But later, Mr Fletcher tweeted a statement, saying his "rather nuanced point" that there were "increasingly fewer male role models for young boys" had been "misconstrued".

The Westminster Hall debate, led by Mr Fletcher, discussed numerous issues facing men, especially attainment in school and the ability to discuss mental health problems.

Mr Fletcher also listed some statistics, including the fact male suicide rates are three times higher than women and that 96% of people in prison are men and boys.

'Tough for men'
He said there had been a "creeping narrative that males have it easy, life is a breeze and they have nothing to complain about".

But, he added: "It is clear that life is tough for many men and young boys, and many of our boys in schools are far from privileged."

He attacked the phrase "toxic masculinity" - used to describe the pressure on men to stick to traditional views of how they should act - saying it "vilified" men and led them to feeling "worthless".

And then he turned to the "cultural sphere", claiming it shared the blame for rises in male violence.

[Skub]

As a casual observer I'd say weak or nonexisting parental skills have bred their own generation of feckless humans of all genders.

[JackyJoll]

Fletcher MP sounds like an idiot to me.

[JackyJoll]

Anyway Dr Who, of whichever sex, is closer to real life than Peaky Blinders.

[demographic]

MP in talking jingoistic shite shocker.

[Mr Moofo]

I would guess in most cases that not having father in a bigger issue in more families that Dr Sodding Who. Or having a different father / "uncle" every 6 weeks ....

[demographic]

Mind, its a good job that MPs are standing upto the plate by acting as role models and showing these young boys how to do corruption properly.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I never wanted to be Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker, Bodie or Bo Duke seemed a lot more appealing.

[JackyJoll]

I never wanted to be Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker, Bodie or Bo Duke seemed a lot more appealing.

You kids would run screaming from William Hartnell.

[slowsider]

I never wanted to be Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker, Bodie or Bo Duke seemed a lot more appealing.

Daisy Duke would make a boy a man.

[Noggin]

I never wanted to be Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker, Bodie or Bo Duke seemed a lot more appealing.

I wanted to Bo or Bodie too. But then I always thought boys had so much more fun (especially in tv shows!) - girls always seemed to be told to be careful, stay safe, dress pretty or scream at the sight of a problem!

I did do the girlie tomboy thing as I rarely wore trousers when I was little, but still climbed trees and raced the bicycle with my brother!! LOL


And the thread title makes me do a second look every time as I read it -

Female Doctor who robs boys of . . .

[demographic]

Interesting to note that the MP didn't consider that having a male Dr since 1963 wasn't an issue for girls having good role models but having one women do it was.

The Doctor has changed faces a mutitude of times and it seems only fair that ones a women.
Is there a reason the Doctor can't be black as well?

[DefTrap]

"The only characters they had to look up to were gangsters the Krays and Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders, he said."

What does this even mean? A tiny, tiny number of easily-influenced teens will have even heard of the Krays - if you're trying to make a point, at least make it relevant to the target audience, rather than your own.

I think you have to be an idiot to be even remotely bothered by the supposed wokeification of telly and film, supported by the small handful of actual examples. Dr Who (which I caught the other day - first time in at least 30 years) is no more good or bad with a female doctor than it ever was. It seemed fun and as ridiculous a concept as it ever was.

The only other example I can think of is James Bond and they still haven't got over themselves by allowing a Jane Bond to play the role. Other than that, TV and film is still pretty strongly male dominated.

Someone's trying to hard to make speeches that hit the headlines. It worked but I dunno if it helped. All I get from it is the name of yet another MP who is on my "definite twerp" list.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Interesting to note that the MP didn't consider that having a male Dr since 1963 wasn't an issue for girls having good role models but having one women do it was.

The Doctor has changed faces a mutitude of times and it seems only fair that ones a women.
Is there a reason the Doctor can't be black as well?

In Tom Bakers period as Dr Who he had a companion who was another Timelord, when she first became his companion she tried out a number of different bodies before deciding on a fairly fit female human form, so Doctor Who could be anything with a double pulse.

Why do I remember this crap?

[weeksy]

I don't understand the obsession with all this shit, now Dr Who has even become a political pawn to be argued over.
It's literally a non-story.

However, if it has to be discussed, then I don't know why people want to bend stuff to fit fashionable narratives, like the aforementioned James Bond, Ian Fleming created him as a white British bloke, if people want a Nigerian female lesbian secret agent then they should get off their arse and create one, don't hijack Flemings character and butcher it.
What next? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as an electric vehicle driven by a Somalian trans Caractacus Pott.

I agree with you, but society, even random parts of it seems to be making it into a story.

[DefTrap]

What next? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as an electric vehicle driven by a Somalian trans Caractacus Pott.

But why not?

Skakespeare productions have been reinvented for centuries. I saw one myself that had a load of robots in ffs (it didn't add anything - and this was even a RSC production)

It's no better or worse than covering a classic rock hit from the pop parade.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I don't understand the obsession with all this shit, now Dr Who has even become a political pawn to be argued over.
It's literally a non-story.

However, if it has to be discussed, then I don't know why people want to bend stuff to fit fashionable narratives, like the aforementioned James Bond, Ian Fleming created him as a white British bloke, if people want a Nigerian female lesbian secret agent then they should get off their arse and create one, don't hijack Flemings character and butcher it.
What next? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as an electric vehicle driven by a Somalian trans Caractacus Pott.

First, I don't really care, but I'm bored so I'll comment, I read Live and Let Die not long ago, it's pretty racist.

[weeksy]

First, I don't really care, but I'm bored so I'll comment, I read Live and Let Die not long ago, it's pretty racist.

Would that have bothered you if you'd read it at the time it was written ?

[Noggin]

I don't understand the obsession with all this shit, now Dr Who has even become a political pawn to be argued over.
It's literally a non-story.

However, if it has to be discussed, then I don't know why people want to bend stuff to fit fashionable narratives, like the aforementioned James Bond, Ian Fleming created him as a white British bloke, if people want a Nigerian female lesbian secret agent then they should get off their arse and create one, don't hijack Flemings character and butcher it.
What next? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as an electric vehicle driven by a Somalian trans Caractacus Pott.

I've had a couple of interesting with female 'ex' friends about this. James Bond is a bloke and to change that would destroy the whole story

Ad you say - create another character to match him (or, in the words of soooo many feminists, be better than him). Don't destroy the character and stories we've all grown up with

TBF, I have no issue if JB becomes a black male in future films. But the character is so NOT for a female. Create a new one!!!

Yours, Noggin - not ever a feminist

(I do believe women can do stuff men can and have always wished I'd been born male - not in a way that I want to change to be one cos I'm so obviously female!!!! But in the same way, men can do what women can - in each case there will be things that can't be done and people that can't do them. Suck it up snowflakes!!)

[weeksy]

TBF, I have no issue if JB becomes a black male in future films.

That would be ridiculous to me... you may as well make him a transvestite as a black man.

Bond is set in a certain world and i'm sorry to say that black men are and were not part of that world.