Comments on: ABW’s TV Corner – Doctor Who

By: the angry black woman

the angry black woman — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:02:43 +0000

andy,

globally, just in terms of numbers, whites are in the minority. so, in a show that travels to other planets, even ones settled by humans, why should there be mostly white folks around when they’re generally outnumbered?

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:37:34 +0000

Good point about planets being round and thus…a range of different skin colours likely.

However…why do we seem to see a racial profile of alien/far-future society as, while mixed, always roughly in a proportion of black/white etc reflecting that of the country where the show is filmed. In the case of DrWho (filmed in Britain) and Star Trek etc (in USA) we thus get a black minority all the time (with more whites). If we are going to make our alien races/future societies mixed (as we should), how about making the racial mixes a little more varied and different to the racial mix we see in everyday modern society.

By: PJ Fan

PJ Fan — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:59:16 +0000

You might be interested to hear that actor Patterson Joseph is being actively courted to be the new Doctor.

http://rhbfictions.blogspot.com/2008/10/2011-new-doctor-who-paterson-joseph.html

By: DV on DW | Feminist Critics

DV on DW | Feminist Critics — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:21:38 +0000

[...] the remarkable number of feminists who are interested in science fiction generally, and the positive reception the recent Doctor Who series have elicited, I am disappointed to have found no analysis or even recognition within the feminist blogosphere [...]

By: Corby

Corby — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:49:23 +0000

I think most of the reason why there are so few interracial couples on American TV, I’ll include gay couples here too, probably has a lot to do with the Bible. There is a strong view in the Christian community (at least the ones I was involved in for years) that non-whites, and specifically blacks, are not to be coupled with because God made them black as a punishment. (There’s a verse they quote but I’m too lazy to look it up.)

The gay situation has a lot to do with that element as well. The people making TV are only now people who do NOT have that as a pervasive belief, but it is hard to get it past the Producers who probably don’t even realize they have this view from the indoctrination of their pasts.

Well, that and the fact that slavery is still a fairly fresh scar, and segregation is also pretty recent. The generation that would have no recent connection to what we could call the fairly recent “abolition” of slavery (even though there is still institutionalized slavery due to class and economic conditions, but that, I think, doesn’t have much sway in this discussion) won’t be around for a hundred years. By then, this problem should no longer exist as anything more than an embarrassing footnote.

By: “If you don’t see it in the work in front of you… your job is to write it yourself.” « Irreverently

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:23:01 +0000

[...] unusually – the very context of race and race relations is altered. Power dynamics can be shifted (Martha Jones from Doctor Who and Torchwood, anyone?*), sometimes even made void and null (Ursula LeGuin). The point was that Speculative [...]

By: Rob Hansen

Rob Hansen — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 10:38:47 +0000

First publicity pics of Freema from the currently-filming season 4 have been posted:

http://freemaagyeman.com/news/

By: Derketo

Derketo — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:17:22 +0000

Observatory88, hoping ABW doesn’t mind me jumping in, there have actually been some heated discussions lately about race and pervasive racism in the new “Doctor Who”. Mostly circling around the treatment and depictions of Martha Jones and, from the last two series, Mickey Smith. Discussing some possible symptomatic issues with depiction of these particular characters, characters of colour in general, how they’re treated by the Doctor and in comparison to other (non-COC) companions. Also some discussion if this is possibly a recurring issue in Russell T. Davies work. Specifically, the characters Bellino in “Casanova” and Donna Clarke in “Queer as Folk”.

Some links (be forewarned, if you’re a non-UK viewer, there are spoilers for the entire third series run in these discussions):
http://community.livejournal.com/lifeonmartha/259659.html
http://community.livejournal.com/lifeonmartha/268192.html
http://spiralsheep.livejournal.com/147388.html

By: Observatory88

Observatory88 — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 03:12:33 +0000

I like Martha, its great to see some diversity in television period.

I just thought it was odd that the doctor never showed as much interest in her. He is reticent to take her on as a companion while falling in love with another woman and inviting the rude ‘runaway bride’ to be a companion.

Perhaps it is perception, but it would be nice to see Martha’s character become a real interest and more important. She almost feels like a lackey or side note most of the time.

Too often black women and Asian men are desexualized into these impossible or passing interests that can never be for some reason. Ive watched black female character on US television almost have no dating life and remain not an option for white leads or forced to date only within their own race.

I guess I dont understand this and it seems to be playing itself out again on this show. Any insight welcome.

By: ESECALLUM

ESECALLUM — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 09:07:41 +0000

i dont understand why so many of us whites are obessed with hating BLACKS…I MEAN WHAT IS THE POINT?

WHAT IS IT GOING TO ACHIEVE?

WILL BLACKS DISAPPEAR IF WE HATE THEM….
I MEAN THERE IS so MUCH HATRED IN THE WORLD…

one white man i know buys bananas to throw at the tv screen everytime he see’s a black on tv…then his wife has to clean the screen afterwards…

another thing many people dont realise is that there will blacks on other planets…why?

because planets are round and there will always be a temperature differential…

many whites want to return to golden age in which everyone they see is white as they think it will be paradise whithout blacks…

many whites want to go to a white only planet…

whites in south africa will become black in a thousand years and also in australia…

blackness is caused by melanin in the skin to protect against uv radiation.

it’s like like a permanent suntan lotion.

a multi billion dollar industry exists to tan white people.

many whites go to beaches to get tanned…yet they call asians/blacks who hava a permanent tan n*****s.

why?