First look at the 13th Doctors costume...
- Thread starter Pyan
- Start date
Hmm, not sure. There's something of the mime artist about it, and that's never good. Also, I'm a bit troubled by the suggestion of the Doctor's thought process: "Wow, I now have the body of an attractive young woman. I'd better start showing some more skin!"
Harpo
Getting away with it
Well done, Harpo! I knew there was something nagging at my memory!
Anushka Mokosh
Matryona Marzanna
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OMG. I knew it was familiar...
She's hardly flashing the flesh, is she? That glimpse of shin might have set pulses racing in 1874, but I'm sure nowadays the innocence of all the chiddluns watching will be preserved.
I think Jodie Whitaker is all sorts of awesome. Never seen her in anything bad. I may even start watching the programme!
OK, I was being a bit provocative, but still, why would the same character, on becoming a woman, feel the need to expose her clavicles when none of her previous twelve personae have?
But I guess that's basically "Why is clothing deemed to be gender-specific?" which is probably a bit of a broad topic for this thread.
But I guess that's basically "Why is clothing deemed to be gender-specific?" which is probably a bit of a broad topic for this thread.
Good God, it's like the DH Lawrence obscenity trial all over again!
Harpo
Getting away with it
After a bit more thought, here's my thesis.
Jodie Whitaker's costume has been designed to soften the blow to the less progressive section of the audience of having a woman Doctor in the first place.
First, I think there is a sexualisation aspect, though it's softened by the rest of the outfit. Dan may joke about my "exposed clavicles" but there's a reason so many ball gowns left the upper chest and area between the shoulders bare while covering everything else. It's a highly erotic area, being very sensitive to touch and also the part to which a lover's kisses turn when they move from the mouth and face. (Note, I'm not suggesting this aspect of her costume is designed to provoke this association, I'd just argue that it's there in the background.)
It also makes her look vulnerable, and emphasises her relative youth, which I now think is more important. The closest we've come to a comparison for her costume is Mork, a character who is innocent and pretty much an adult child. On top of that, the 13th Doctor's overall look is that of a student.
Note that all her previous, male, regenerations have dressed like professors or teachers. Matt Smith, an actor in his twenties, wore clothes that made him seem more like an academic of forty or fifty. After twelve male regenerations dressing like professors, we have one female one dressing like a student.
So rather than making her seem mature, eccentric and mysterious, Jodie Whitaker's costume is meant to make her seem young, kookie and non-threatening, the last a quality only Peter Davidson comes close to matching.
And who might find a female Doctor threatening if she was forty or fifty and behaved in the same irascible, domineering way her previous regeneration did? I'd argue a large part of the male audience the BBC cannot afford to have switching off, especially worldwide.
So maybe this is a necessary first step to full equality. But I fear it won't prove to be full equality yet.
Jodie Whitaker's costume has been designed to soften the blow to the less progressive section of the audience of having a woman Doctor in the first place.
First, I think there is a sexualisation aspect, though it's softened by the rest of the outfit. Dan may joke about my "exposed clavicles" but there's a reason so many ball gowns left the upper chest and area between the shoulders bare while covering everything else. It's a highly erotic area, being very sensitive to touch and also the part to which a lover's kisses turn when they move from the mouth and face. (Note, I'm not suggesting this aspect of her costume is designed to provoke this association, I'd just argue that it's there in the background.)
It also makes her look vulnerable, and emphasises her relative youth, which I now think is more important. The closest we've come to a comparison for her costume is Mork, a character who is innocent and pretty much an adult child. On top of that, the 13th Doctor's overall look is that of a student.
Note that all her previous, male, regenerations have dressed like professors or teachers. Matt Smith, an actor in his twenties, wore clothes that made him seem more like an academic of forty or fifty. After twelve male regenerations dressing like professors, we have one female one dressing like a student.
So rather than making her seem mature, eccentric and mysterious, Jodie Whitaker's costume is meant to make her seem young, kookie and non-threatening, the last a quality only Peter Davidson comes close to matching.
And who might find a female Doctor threatening if she was forty or fifty and behaved in the same irascible, domineering way her previous regeneration did? I'd argue a large part of the male audience the BBC cannot afford to have switching off, especially worldwide.
So maybe this is a necessary first step to full equality. But I fear it won't prove to be full equality yet.
I think the pants look like what would happen if Peter Capaldi suddenly became a woman and had to figure out what to wear. And the suspenders (while clearly necessary for holding up those pants) with that clavicle-exposing shirt are the work of a person who's never run around with those parts exposed, given that they will shortly rub her shoulders raw.
I may like the coat, but I'm not sure yet. The shoes are fab.
At a guess, the female Doctor may not wear the same thing all the time like the men typically do, so this could be a passing phase.
I may like the coat, but I'm not sure yet. The shoes are fab.
At a guess, the female Doctor may not wear the same thing all the time like the men typically do, so this could be a passing phase.
HB, I think a lot of what you're saying is assuming things which may not be borne out by the way her character behaves. Which we can't know for sure until we see the show. And, as TDZ says, a female Doctor may be more inclined to change outfit more often than her male alter-egos. One important thing you're also missing is that a lot of female Who fans (and girls / women coming to it for the first time), will look at her and think, cool!
I decided to go the Authority for the final say on this matter, and asked Ava, my 4 year-old. She said, "I like her outfit but she might get it dirty because some of the baddies are messy."
And you can't argue with that.
I decided to go the Authority for the final say on this matter, and asked Ava, my 4 year-old. She said, "I like her outfit but she might get it dirty because some of the baddies are messy."
And you can't argue with that.
Not if the cotton fibres are bigger on the inside.
Danny McG
Lid closed, monkey dead.
We're back to USA/UK English again.
Over here those things for keeping up trousers are called braces.
Suspenders call up a very different imagery (if she wore those and showed them a lot more males would tune in)
Quite right -- that will be much more significant than the outfit. The photo doesn't give me a great deal of confidence there either, because its overall tone is so "soft", but Whittaker's capability as an actor gives me more.
Indeed. And I get the feeling that any character (or, indeed, reviewer) who believes the new Doctor will be a soft touch because of her appearance may be given short shrift!
The baggy trousers remind me a lot of Patrick Troughton's second doctor and give her something of the "cosmic hobo" look, which was my first impression from yesterday. Also, I think the coat's been pulled back for the photo and so when you see it on screen I would imagine that the coat will sit more forward and look a lot more natural.
I quite like the darker-themed Tardis, although it seems a bit odd with the handle of the phone compartment on the opposite side.
I quite like the darker-themed Tardis, although it seems a bit odd with the handle of the phone compartment on the opposite side.
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