Doctor Who: 10 Controversial Moments From The Revived Series

3. "Thunderously Racist"?

As much as Doctor Who has been accused of being sexist, it has also been accused of showcasing racist connotations, too. This is more often than not targeted at the fact that all of its Doctors have, thus far, been white actors, but they've also always been male, too, something else which has been heavily disputed by those who feel it's high time the show injected some much needed diversity into the ensemble of its leading stars. On the flip side of this, Steven Moffat's recent decision to make the Master female was also met with an outcry of negativity, so it's a generally acknowledged fact that creators will never be able to make everyone happy. Saying that, though, the conflicting reactions that would arise if the Doctor ever becomes female would quite possibly be destructive enough to rip the stratosphere of the universe apart, but let's cross that bridge when/if it gets here. Most recently the show has found itself as the subject of academic research with the findings concluding that the show has a negative effect on its viewers for its heavy promotion of "dismissive attitudes towards black companions" and "contempt for primitive cultures" who, the report claimed, are generally portrayed as "savages". They cited the fact that the show didn't employ its first black companion until 2005 when Noel Clarke stepped aboard the TARDIS as Mickey Smith but the BBC were quick to deny the accompanying allegations that their casting of the show was "colour blind". They reinforced: "Doctor Who has a strong track record of diverse casting among both regular and guest cast." Another scrutinised example of Doctor Who's "thunderously racist" mantra has been the appearance of Adolf Hitler - who has already been mentioned in this list - back in Series 6. According to the same professors, the inclusion of him in the episode - the title of which bared his name alongside the word 'kill' - reduced his frighteningly fanatical demeanour to a slapstick representation of one of history's most infamous and evil villains. What's more, it's been argued that the episode "did nothing to increase understanding of the Holocaust", which is probably the foundations of a whole different discussion entirely.
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Doctor Who Editor
Doctor Who Editor

Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.