Doctor Who And... The Importance Of
Being Kind
By Doctor Who Online |
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In light of recent events, I wanted to write about a subject that has
been increasingly important to me; being kind. Not just because it's
what the 12th Doctor told us to do, but because now, perhaps more than
ever, it's vital to our wellbeing.
Back in 2017, when Jodie Whittaker was revealed to be
playing the 13th Doctor, I have to admit, I was a little shocked. I was
comfortable in my bubble of male Doctors - as it had always been that
way and why should it change?... Nevertheless, I was open to the fact
that this was a new direction and I was genuinely excited.
Skip forward to 2020, and with two seasons under her belt, I'm loving
Jodie's Doctor and Doctor Who just as much as ever - more than
I could have possibly imagined, in fact.
Running a Doctor Who fan site isn't an easy job. As well as
keeping up (as best we can) with all the latest news stories, we also
have an online forum and a busy Twitter account to manage, and Twitter
in particular, requires a lot of...ahem... extra attention...
When the news broke about Jodie taking over the role, I'd never seen so
many negative comments and truly vile attacks at the casting news. As
days became weeks, and the negativity died down, the majority of
comments were happy, excited messages of support for her, but those few
negative comments started to niggle away at me. Somehow they started to
feel personal; like an attack on Jodie was an attack on my own love for
the show.
Bear in mind, by this point, all anyone had to go on was a 60-second
clip - only 12 seconds of which *actually* showed Jodie's face. What it
boiled down to was that some fans didn't like the fact the Doctor was
now a woman, and a small portion of those felt the need to pour anger
and hatred into their online expression.
Even now, almost 3 years since that reveal video, we will post a 'Happy
Birthday Jodie' tweet (on her actual birthday, of course) or share a
tweet on something she has done for charity, and I can guarantee you
there will always be one person who has to turn it into an attack on her
casting or the show in its current form. It gets tiring, and whilst
being at the front of a fan site means you have to deal with it, it
doesn't mean it gets easier to constantly put up with such negativity.
Because it really doesn't. In fact it's bloody hard.
I've always believed that if you are a fan of something, even if there
are bits that you occasionally don't like, then you are generally
supportive of it. We are, after all, fans not critics. That's not to say
we can't be critical from time to time, but as a show that has been
running in some form throughout most of our lives, it's a constant that
we love and support.
Which leads me to the point of this post; being kind. At the end of the
day, it's a choice, right? We can either choose to sit and dwell and be
generally negative or we can choose to be positive and give something a
go.
A few weeks ago all our lives changed...no, not because Season 12 ended,
but because of Coronavirus, or COVID-19 to give it it's true serial
code. Shops closed, schools closed, the economy tumbled, we're mostly
confined to our homes and, most importantly of all, people have gotten
sick and in worst cases, have died.
Kindness has NEVER been more important. Look around your community and
you'll see people who have gone out their way to help those in less
fortunate situations than our own - perhaps you are one of those people
and have benefitted from other's kindness. No matter what side you are
on, it is an undeniable fact that kindness has been a wonderfully
positive force in this negative time.
When we heard that Emily Cook of DWM was putting together global
rewatches of Doctor Who episodes to help spread positivity, it was such
a wonderful thing to see. Fans from all over the world got together to
watch 'The Day Of The Doctor' at the same time. We all supported the
show, and, more importantly - each other.
THIS is the best of fandom. Its love, its support, its kindness.
Seb
Site Editor - Doctor Who Online
If you are in a position to do so, please support one of the following
NHS related charities:
Donate to NHS Charities Together
NHS staff and volunteers are doing amazing work right now in caring for
COVID-19 patients. Together, let's show our respect and gratitude as
they work tirelessly in the face of the virus.
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/NHScharities-COVID19URGENTAPPEAL
Donate to Imperial Heath Charity
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with the extraordinary demands of fighting Coronavirus. Help them come
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©
Copyright Doctor Who Online, 2020. |
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Added:
2/4/2020
Written by:
Doctor Who Online |
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