Gender Reporting - It Has to Change

I wonder just what progress we have made these last 50 plus years.

Before I continue, I must first say I don’t think I have ever watched an episode of Dr Who.

I do know there is a time travel machine and I it is called a Tardis.

My understanding is the Doctor is not human as such and has an assistant who provides interpretation of Human behaviour for the Doctor.

I am broadly aware that the Doctor is able to, and I think needs to, “resurrect” from time to time. My take on it too is the Doctor can resurrect to any earthly being.

I get there are Doctor Who fanatics and each new Doctor announcement is the subject of much speculation and excitement followed by passionate discussion as to how the new Actor will uniquely interpret the role.

Jodie Whittaker was announced this week as the Actor to interpret the Doctor in the next series.

I would like to think we have progressed to a point where the subsequent discussion concerned acting skills and ability and the qualities likely to be brought to the role. However, I do fully understand that the discussion is dominated by matters of Gender and I reluctantly accept we are not yet at a point where Gender is not relevant.

Progress has been made in matters of Gender equity. We do have Women as leaders in industry, politics, sport and the arts, be it a less than proportional representation.

Despite this, or I fear because of this, there is still much every day violence inflicted upon women and severe suppression continues in some cultures.

Sexual violence continues at alarming levels and domestic violence towards women seems to be increasing.

Women are exposed to levels of objectification that Men cannot comprehend and this is perpetuated in our media and popular culture.

A simply horrible demonstration of the mountain society still has to climb in the way we behave towards and represent women, was the reporting of Jodie Whittaker as the new Doctor Who by the United Kingdom’s Sun Newspaper.

The Sun went through Whittaker’s movie and TV catalogue and extracted still photos from her work – photos of scenes in which she appeared naked, and published these photos.

What possible relevance can this have? 

Are we not meant to be living in an increasingly educated, understanding, equal and tolerant society, or is our civilisation actually declining?

There is much more I would like to say but a combination of disappointment, despair and anger leaves me speechless, for now.

In the meantime, I felt this to be an insightful article about the matter.