I think you're selectively quoting Gaiman, while Garcia quotes Gaiman then maliciously ignores what he said. Gaiman says outright he'd be looking to cast a woman in the *next* incarnation, but Garcia sneers "but having a woman at the wheel is too sci-fi"
I have no idea why Gaiman thinks as a storyteller the immediately post-Smith Doctor has to be male, but he's clearly not opposed to the idea of a female Doctor.
I'm pleased to have a Doctor who isn't young, but dear gods. I loved Moffat's episodes under Davies, and I didn't agree with many of the complaints about Amy being overly sexualized (and quite liked many of the episodes with Amy), but the resolution of the season with Clara and the fact that she was largely an object in her entire season had already convinced me that Moffat was just as sexist as many people have claimed, and this statement definitely fits with that interpretation. At least we won't have the Doctor as Peter Pan anymore (which seemed 11's major schtick).
Meanwhile Gaiman doesn't come off as much sexist as just dull and unimaginative - it's been a while since I've liked anything by him.
And for those who haven't heard it yet (I've been mentioning it where I can), if you look up Peter Capaldi on the IMDb, you'll see he was in World War Z this year, playing a W.H.O. Doctor.
I was surprised as well as disappointed by Moffat's snipe at Mirren because it implied he feels the Doctor can only be played by a man, which isn't consistent with things he's said and done in the past. That includes dialogue confirming that at least one Time Lord has switched genders on regeneration, and sounding out con audiences on how they'd feel about a female Doctor.
The dialogue confirming that a Time Lord switched genders was deliberately put there by Gaiman, to allow for the possibility of a female regeneration. He explicitly says so in his article, and that for the NEXT regeneration he'd certainly be interested in seeing a female Doctor, so I think vilifying him for saying that he felt that for this regeneration "someone harder and older and more dangerous and, yes, male feels right to me, as a storyteller" is rather disingenuous at best and actively ignoring what he said at worst.
no subject
seth ellis (from livejournal.com)2013-08-07 11:59 am (UTC)(link)
I've forgotten who the commenter was, but someone pointed out that "not quite, not yet" is a very common thing for privileged people to say when the question of equal representation comes up. "Now" has a way of never showing up. At the very least "not yet" is a statement that requires considerable explanation, and "it just feels right to me as a storyteller" is just as weak a justification as the idea that women can't be hard.
Ah, I'm giving Moffat credit for a Gaiman line, aren't I?
I agree with you; what Arturo quotes even includes the 'absolutely... on my list' bit, and interpreting that as saying the Doctor can't be female is just perverse. 'Why not *this* time?' is another question.
I have no idea why Gaiman thinks as a storyteller the immediately post-Smith Doctor has to be male, but he's clearly not opposed to the idea of a female Doctor.
He is clearly not opposed to the idea of a female Doctor provided that it's not whatever Doctor is currently being cast.
Oh, but he has reasons, I'm sure. It's all "stuff" he finds "hard to articulate" but they are awesome reasons, and anyone who doubts his commitment to Sparkle Motion gender equality is being malicious.
To be honest, I'm hard pressed to think of a more dismissive, privileged stance than "not yet" but "it would absolutely be on my list" for next time.
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