BBC is FLOODED with complains re trans character in Doctor Who!

[thewayne]

FLOODED, I say!

SOOOO many complaints!

How dare they pollute Doctor Who with including a trans character in one of the Specials, specifically the Star Beast, the first episode with David Tenant returning!

Yep, twelve dozen complaints rolled in!

144.

Out of a viewership of some 7.6 million people.

Approximately 0.002 percent. Not two tenths of a percent, two THOUSANDTHS of a percent.

BBC naturally had to be respond, and it was classic BBC:
Summary of complaint
We have received complaints from viewers who object to the inclusion of a transgender character in the programme and from others who feel there are too few transgender people represented.

Our response
As regular viewers of Doctor Who will be aware, the show has and will always continue to proudly celebrate diversity and reflect the world we live in. We are always mindful of the content within our episodes."

Love it!

https://gizmodo.com/bbc-doctor-who-transgender-complaints-response-disney-1851136244

Comments

[disneydream06]

If 144 people are pissed about a Trans person, how do the feel about The Doctor being Gay?
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs, Jon

[dewline]

In addition to being trans because of regenerations past and probably future.

Frankly, my one problem with Doctor Who these days is that it's on Disney+ rather than CTV Sci-Fi or CBC. That's all.

[thewayne]

Yeah, apparently they haven't figured that out yet.  Or is he just flexible?

[thewayne]

We bought a subscription to BritBox just to watch Doctor Who, only to find it wasn't there!  I think I may have posted about it moving to Dizzy+, but I've slept since then and had forgotten.  Still, I'll be dropping BritBox (they'll get one month's subscription) and I'm planning on dropping Dizzy until when the new eps start airing in the spring.

[gingeriana]

I am positively surprised that just 144 tho!

On a separate note, can't help but wondering how do those 144 ground their complaints? "This is NOT what happened in real life?" :)

[thewayne]

Mainly anti-trans bigotry.  And you also have to wonder how many did not watch it and were just piling on because someone on a message board mentioned that someone on the show was trans.

[disneydream06]

Selfishly I am happy it's on Disney+ because I have that and not any of the other stations. :o

[disneydream06]

I'm just annoyed that he's supposedly Gay, but still has to have a female companion. :(

[silveradept]

I'm surprised it was that low, for the reputation the UK has as TERF Island, but perhaps most of the people who would have complained have long since realized that Doctor Who has already been so far out and campy and doing what sci-fi does so well that they understood such a complaint would be laughed at rather than taken seriously.

[thewayne]

I wonder if Disney got complaints.  I imagine they did, but I suppose they don't have to report them.  But if people complain to the FCC about material that Disney broadcast, then that becomes a government record.

[silveradept]

Except I think the FCC has no jurisdiction over streaming services like Disney+, and therefore are not the relevant people to complain to. Which basically allows Disney to memory hole anything it got, praise or complaint.

[thewayne]

I wasn't sure, since streaming != broadcast.

[kellan_the_tabby]

This is there aren't that many TERFs in the UK, they're just REALLY, REALLY LOUD.

I wish I had the link(s), but I've seen at least one & possibly a couple reports of people analyzing anti-trans stuff on twitter, specifically focusing on people from the UK, & there were a LOT of tweets but they were only from a relative handful of people. They just posted a whole lot, & boosted each other, & generally made a whole lot of noise, & pretended like they were this huge majority.

[silveradept]

Ah, so much like how certain very fringe groups here in the States proclaim themselves to be the majority and everyone supports them, even though most everyone doesn't. Good to know.

[thewayne]

cough Moral Majority cough

[kellan_the_tabby]

Very much so. I just wish neither group had the political weight they do.