(no subject)
Mar. 31st, 2007 10:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
owlI am becoming a little tired of the publicity referring to Martha as 'the first black companion'. Wo, look how enlightened casting directors are in 2007. And what about poor Mickey? He was in the TARDIS the same length of time as Jack was, and do people discount Jack as a companion?
And, no, "he doesn't count/is a racist stereotype because he's a bit pathetic" makes me wonder if the speaker ignored Mickey totally after Rose. Mickey had a far better companion's arc than Rose did! He started out a bit pathetic and became amazing; she started out pretty ordinary and became a bit pathetic.
Having said that, I shall be displeased if the TARDIS lands in Prohibition America and Martha is treated exactly as if she were white. New Who isn't big on historical accuracy (note the random French aristocrat extra played by a black actor in Girl in the Fireplace, not to mention the costuming and some of the dialogue; "We are French"? "My lover, the King of France"?? Don't even mention the Scottish ninja monks), nor was it too great at characterising Rose as not white middle-class female, but there you have your audience-identification character, and why bother making all this fuss about her being black if she's going to be levelled off to Everywoman?
What's the betting that the fact she's a medical student gets completely forgotten after the second episode, too? I want to see some science from Martha, and she's intelligent and educated, it would be nice to see her lines written that way.
And, no, "he doesn't count/is a racist stereotype because he's a bit pathetic" makes me wonder if the speaker ignored Mickey totally after Rose. Mickey had a far better companion's arc than Rose did! He started out a bit pathetic and became amazing; she started out pretty ordinary and became a bit pathetic.
Having said that, I shall be displeased if the TARDIS lands in Prohibition America and Martha is treated exactly as if she were white. New Who isn't big on historical accuracy (note the random French aristocrat extra played by a black actor in Girl in the Fireplace, not to mention the costuming and some of the dialogue; "We are French"? "My lover, the King of France"?? Don't even mention the Scottish ninja monks), nor was it too great at characterising Rose as not white middle-class female, but there you have your audience-identification character, and why bother making all this fuss about her being black if she's going to be levelled off to Everywoman?
What's the betting that the fact she's a medical student gets completely forgotten after the second episode, too? I want to see some science from Martha, and she's intelligent and educated, it would be nice to see her lines written that way.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-31 11:01 am (UTC)Yes, exactly.
They wouldn't want to mess with those American sales.
Oh, I forgot that the bad guys can never be Americans. And not to offend those watchers whose attitudes would fit into the 1920 really well.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-31 01:32 pm (UTC)Um. Henry Van Statton in Dalek? And assorted minions? All Americans.
What's more, snark about the current American president in Aliens of London, The Christmas Invasion and Doomsday.
I won't even get into Old Who.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-31 05:18 pm (UTC)