The BBC might be struggling with an embarassing gender pay gap behind the scenes, but it sent a pretty clear message to fans still complaining about the selection of Jodie Whittaker as the next Doctor Who: Get over yourselves.
While most cheered the casting announcement, the first time in the show’s 50 year history that a woman will portray the Time Lord and lead the show, there were a number of vocal detractors who saw Whittaker’s casting as political correctness run amok.
The BBC, in a statement, begged to differ.
“Since the first Doctor regenerated back in 1966, the concept of the Doctor as a constantly evolving being has been central to the programme,” it wrote in a statement. “The continual input of fresh ideas and new voices across the cast and the writing and production teams has been key to the longevity of the series.
“The Doctor is an alien from the planet Gallifrey and it has been established in the show that Time Lords can switch gender.”
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The BBC isn’t the only group standing up for Whittaker. On Tuesday, The Merriam-Webster Dictionary chimed in, noting that in the English the word “doctor” is not gendered.
Whittaker, herself, has faced the detractors head on as well, though in a more gentle way. In an interview with the BBC upon the announcement of her casting, she urged viewers to “not to be scared” by her gender.
She’ll make her debut as The Doctor on Christmas Day.