The obligatory 11th Doctor reaction post, in list form

[ishtar79]

1) Yep, I was disappointed they didn’t cast an actor of colour (I wasn’t particularly hopeful that it would be a woman). Plus, I was kind of looking forward to seeing fandom explode.

2) …but hey, it did anyway. Oh fandom, never change!

3) The reactions in my flist seem restrained-I wish I could say the same about assorted doctor who coms.

4) And unlike the reactions we would have gotten to a non-white doctor, people don’t feel the need to conceal their real objections behind convoluted excuses for fear of being branded racist, so a lot of comments can be summed up with “DEFORMED FOETUS”!

5) I suppose all the people calling for a more ‘mature’ and ‘classical’ doctor would be very pleased with the casting of someone who looks like…One. There’s no such thing as too Oldschool!Doctor, right?

6) And we get to the root of at least some of the outrage. Perhaps people want an *attractive* Doctor, much like Eccleston or…Tennant?

7) Because God knows, there were *no* negative comments on Tennant’s looks when he was cast. None whatsoever. No rodents were EVER invoked, and no icons of “Not the REAL Doctor” ever made. Because we fandom people are the very antithesis of fickle. Catherine Tate was welcomed without reservations…right?

8) (I still don’t find Tennant physically attractive, though I do find him hot at times and ALWAYS compelling. And Chris Eccleston, while shaggable in every way, has a nose and ears that deserve their own cast credits).

9) Look, the lack of eyebrows is slightly disconcerting to me too. But one does not need eyebrows to act, no matter what Emma Watson might believe. And hey, if I can get used to Tennant’s lack of chin, this guy will grow on me too.

10) People do remember Tennant is STILL around, right? Let’s not treat the poor guy like a sitting duck Doctor.

Bottom line? I’m waiting to see him act. And the casting in DW has yet to let me down, no matter how “WTF”-like their initial decision may seem (prior to watching the first season, I couldn’t think of Billie Pipper without the torturous “Because we WANT to!” chorus in my head. And Billie, no matter what intra and extra-textual issues I had with Rose, absolutely won me over with her performance).

So go on, you odd-looking, eyebrowless manchild. Impress me! And for God's sake, stay AWAY from the Internet.

Comments

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

Evidently Moffet was looking for someone older/more mature... and Matt Smith blew him away in the auditions (that BBC interview Smith said he tried to take some risks), so I'm ready and willing to be impressed...
Off-beat and quirky is a good thing in The Doctor (IMO)...
of course I would have adored Chiwetel Ejiofor in the role, but I haven't seen any evidence that he wanted it, in fact I'd be surprised if he did (he has quite a good career going w/out getting sucked into Doctor Who fandom weirdness). Right now he has five movies lined up to be released soon...

So does he really have no eye brows? I guess I need to watch that BBC interview again....

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

Evidently Moffet was looking for someone older/more mature... and Matt Smith blew him away in the auditions (that BBC interview Smith said he tried to take some risks), so I'm ready and willing to be impressed...

Was that in the Confidential? I haven't gotten around to watching it yet.

I agree, unconventional looks work for the Doctor.

I wouldn't have noticed the brows thing if I hadn't seen it mentioned pretty much everywhere.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

It was liluv who told me that Moffet was searching for an older Doctor and was just so impressed w/Matt Smith that he hired him even though he didn't fit the idea already in his head...

I looked more closely at the photos, and his eyebrows are a little like mine: light colored and too far apart, they don't bother me at all, and they could always be darkened in make up.... The weird bouffant hairdo worries me more, but I refuse to jump on the criticism bandwagon... I'll wait to see how he looks and what he does as the next Doctor.

Oh I see people already have icons of him! LOL

[kagyakusha.livejournal.com]

My mother claims to have seen him in something -- i can't recall what, but she said she liked him in it so... *cross fingers* here's hoping? I'd rather be optimistic than negative anyways. ^^;

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

I think I've read some favourable comments about his performance in something too, so your mum seems to be on the right track.

And yeah, no point freaking out over nothing. Especially since we have to wait until 2010 to see him in action.

[liluv.livejournal.com]

Well, I am happy with the choice. He looks weird, although I admittingly find him strangely attractive ("strangely" because nobody else seems to think so).

I´ve actually seen him in the Sally Lockhart(d?) mysteries and found him rather striking. I mean, I remembered the guy and that although his role was dead boring and the whole production was- well...

It´s funny how afraid the DW fandom is of teenage girls isn´t it? I am not sure there isn´t something rather misogynic about the neverending complaint about fangirls, who are accused to just want to ship (and shag) the Doctor. I guess it´s because some Who geeks love to identify with an unthreatening unattractive Doctor in his mid-sixties, who still gets the hottest babes on board.

Ah well, I loved the hoohaw and I am looking forward to him as the next Doctor. I hope he really is that good an actor, because of the big shoes thing.

As for the sitting Duck: didn´t you too get he impression that Tennant was already distancing himself from the role? I found the Christmas Special somewhat melancholic. Like the Farewell was already in motion. Dunno.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

Oh I loved the Sally Lockhart mysteries (I think I only saw two of them), what role did he play? I should check that out...
And liluv, I never thought Matt Smith was unattractive, just kind of young and off-beat (that hair is really kind of over-powering), but I'm completely on board w/him as the next Doctor.

I agree w/you: I do think the Christmas Special had a very sad/melancholy tone.... he came out and said he was giving up on having a companion because they leave him (rather than the old complaint that the Doctor leaves them and moves on....) I do think that that tone was intentional and these emotional issues will be played off during the transition to the new Doctor. I'll be disappointed if it isn't.

[liluv.livejournal.com]

embers- I actually forgot his characters name in the SL Mysteries. 'Will' or something? He was the good friend, who Sally first met when she went to the Solicitors. Not her love interest, the other one.

I agree that Tens remark about his companions were pretty sad. Good point about them leaving him not the other way round! I could imagine these depressive tones ultimately leading to his demise. It will be heart-wrenching I am sure.

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

I believe I've seen a few people comment favourably on his looks, but they're so far in the minority. I can see a definite *potential* for attractiveness, if that makes sense.

And yeah, the divides in the DW fandom are far more pronounced than in most. I can barely keep up with the various fannish factions-and here I thought ship wars were complicated!

About Tennant distancing himself from his role...I don't know. I rather thought the melancholy in the Christmas Special was a nod to the last season finale, especially the circumstances of Donna's departure. We still have a few episodes to go, so we'll see.

[miranda-skye.livejournal.com]

Didn't people hate David Tennant at first? I don't have any strong feelings either way but I'd rather wait until we see him in the role before making a judgement

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

They did indeed. I've been having all sorts of fun with the archive/friendspage by date function going back to April 2005 (when Tennant's casting was announced). Certain coms have even deleted/locked their initial reaction posts, so I'm guessing they've realised the rashness of their first impression. :D

[miranda-skye.livejournal.com]

*snickers* I'm very much a casual Dr Who viewer so I don't know the fandom ins and outs but it sounds entertaining :p

[aegflota.livejournal.com]

*random moment of bitterness* It's not like he can be worse than David Tennant, is it?

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

You don't like Tennant?

[aegflota.livejournal.com]

I liked him to begin with, but it soured quite quickly. I liked him in quiet mode, but it didn't really happen very often!

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

Well, that's even better for you then, you'll get a fresh start with a new Doctor to potentially like! :)

[aegflota.livejournal.com]

I would be lying if I said that the thought of a New Doctor and a New Writer at the Helm did not thrill me a little.

[q-spade.livejournal.com]

No Paterson Joseph, then? I suppose those rumors were too good to be true. Can't say I've heard much wankitude about the new fella either – clearly I hang out in the wrong right places!

It's interesting that the Doctor seems to be growing old backwards, even if that wasn't what Moffat (or past writers) originally intended. I wonder if he'll work that into the larger narrative somehow. I've heard that the Doctor can't become female – the physical likeness can change, but the biological sex cannot. :(

8) (I still don’t find Tennant physically attractive, though I do find him hot at times and ALWAYS compelling. And Chris Eccleston, while shaggable in every way, has a nose and ears that deserve their own cast credits).

Hee! I do find Tennant attractive because Scottish men are my weakness, och aye, but Eccleston's Doctor was far superior. One season was nowhere near enough, Chris left it too soon.

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

There's been quite a lot of wank in doctor who coms. To say nothing of ohnotheydidnt, but that's expected.

I've grown to love Ten, but Eccleston's Nine will always be my Doctor. It's a real shame we only got one season.