UK

Tory MP ridiculed for claiming Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who pushes young men into crime

Nick Fletcher speaking in Parliament and Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who

Nick Fletcher (L) and Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who. (Screen capture via Twitter/BBC)

A Conservative Party lawmaker bizarrely thinks that a female lead in Doctor Who is pushing young men into crime.

Yes, really. And no, definitely not the wave of austerity that battered Britain and has seen poverty soar and the welfare state shrink. Not that at all.

On Thursday afternoon (25 November), Tory MP Nick Fletcher – the MP who allegedly faked visiting his constituency – suggested inclusive television and films is the cause of males committing crime.

He did so while opening a Westminster Hall debate about International Men’s Day, a day he said he’s “not really a fan of”.

“For years, there has been a creeping narrative that males have it easy, that life is a breeze and that there’s nothing to complain about,” he said.

Male masculinity, however, has been “vilified” as he whined about the phrase “toxic masculinity“.

“Everywhere, not least within the cultural sphere, there seems to be a call from a tiny but very vocal minority that every male character or good role model must have a female replacement,” he said.

“One only needs to look at the discussions around who will play the next James Bond. In recent years, we have seen Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, Luke Skywalker – all replaced by women.”

“Is it any wonder we see so many young men committing crimes?” Fletcher scoffed.

‘This government has run out of ideas to tackle crime if they’re looking to blame Doctor Who’

We’re not sure Fletcher knows how to turn a television on, to be honest.

Not only is Luke Skywalker very much part of the Star Wars franchise but there is also an upcoming Ghostbusters sequel with the original male leads reprising their roles.

Filmmaker and television producers are instead taking fresh, once untold perspectives for entirely new generations of fans. Doctor Who, for example, breathed new life into the series as Jodi Whittaker took on the beloved role in 2017.

Without heroes to look up to such as… time-traveling aliens, Jedi Knights or ghost hunters, men today are left with “the Krays and Tommy Shelby”. We guess ignoring the fact that Superman and Batman, among so, so many other male leads, literally exist.

“I love being a man,” Fletcher added, “most of my friends are men. I don’t think being a man makes me superior in any way, yet being male is an essential part of my identity.”

The MP for Don Valley’s remarks were ridiculed online by both opposition lawmakers and LGBT+ people alike, stunned that Fletcher is a very real person and not a character from a sketch show.

“Yes. This is what’s responsible for crime. Doctor Who,” tweeted trans author Juno Dawson.

“Not poverty, cuts to services, no youth clubs, poor mental health services, class sizes in state schools, toxic masculinity, rape culture…

“Nope. Jodie Whittaker. There is no one they will not blame for their failures.”

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