#Doctor Who fandom discussion

[esonetwork]

'Once Upon A Time Lord' Review | Earth Station Who

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'Once Upon A Time Lord' Review | Earth Station Who

In this episode of Earth Station Who, the crew reviews the Doctor Who comic book “Once Upon a Time Lord” by Dan Slott, discussing its storytelling, characters, and artwork. They have enjoyed the main story featuring the 10th Doctor and Martha but have mixed feelings about the portrayal of the 9th Doctor and Rose’s relationship, finding some elements repetitive and off-putting. Despite this, they recommend the comic to readers. The hosts also announce their upcoming panel at Pensacon and discuss other Doctor Who-related events. They tease future podcast content, including discussions on Big Finish audio dramas, new and classic series episodes, and more Doctor Who comics.

We want to hear from you! Please write to us at feedback@earthstationwho.com. Also, please subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, or wherever fine podcasts are found. Feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Links Listen to older episodes of the Earth Station Who Podcast ESW on iTunes ESW on Stitcher Earth Station Who on Spotify Earth Station Who on Instagram Earth Station Who on YouTube Make-A-Wish Foundation The ESO Network TeePublic Store The ESO Network Patreon Pensacon Once Upon A Time Lord On Amazon

Promotion Epsilon 3 Podcast

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[polling-sonic-fans]

Thanks @sillybit for the poll! I have tried to include as many options as I could think of here.

Polls for the Sonic fandom on just about anything. Share polls you like to get more data. Asks and submissions always open.

[leikeliscomet]

Me & some other Black British fans gave our opinions about the new era for Metro. You can read it here!

https://metro.co.uk/2024/05/11/black-doctor-fans-defying-racist-trolls-ncuti-gatwas-debut-20807293/

Also the title makes us sound harsher than we were. We gave criticism but it's mostly love 😭

[starleska]

as i'm posting a lot about the Toymaker it's only fair to address the elephant in room regarding his racist history and characterisation. i feel this is important, especially as i will be writing fanfiction and creating similar fanworks for him. discussion of racism re: the Toymaker below:

i tend to veer far away from fandom discourse, and don't believe enjoying a bad character = glorifying their bad traits. however, i'm a white person who has privilege in not being personally, directly affected by racism, and i think it's important to have this discussion about the Toymaker, a character whose history is inextricably tied with racism and whose recent depiction is canonically racist, whether we agree with this portrayal or not (or how well it was handled). the following are things we can't, and shouldn't, ignore:

in his original portrayal in the 60s, the Toymaker was played by a white actor (Michael Gough) who wore a Chinese mandarin outfit. this outfit was apparently sourced from the set of Marco Polo due to the BBC's tight budget. even though Michael Gough (the Toymaker's actor) was not putting on an accent nor was he in yellowface (the latter incorrectly sourced from a poorly-tinted print advertising the serial), this choice is unquestionably offensive today.

the word 'Celestial' as in 'The Celestial Toymaker' (alternately the name of the serial and sometimes applied to the Toymaker himself) was used as a slur for Chinese people at some point in history. i can't verify, but i believe it was sometime between the 19th and 20th century. although it appears that the term was supposed to refer to the Toymaker in its astronomical context, as a godlike, transient being, in combination with his outfit it is obviously offensive.

in the original broadcast 'The Celestial Toymaker', the King of Hearts (one of the Toymaker's pawns) outright says the N word. this is while reciting the 'eeny, meeny, miny, moe' rhyme, and appears to have been an ad-lib by the actor. this is revoltingly racist, and is rightly cut from most audio re-airs or animations.

the Toymaker as depicted in 'The Giggle' is a racist; he freely makes racist microaggressions and uses stereotypical accents in order to torment other people. the most overt example of this is his 'you must be used to sunnier climes' comment to Charles Bannerjee, a brown-skinned British man of Indian descent (his parents being from Kerala is sourced from 'The Giggle' novelisation). in the BTS for this episode, RTD has said this portrayal is a conscious effort to address the character's racist history: canonising his original outfit as a purposeful, offensive choice.

responses to this modern canonisation of the Toymaker as an actual racist have been mixed:

some feel it's a clever way of boiling the character's history down and making a truly despicable villain.

others feel it's a heavy-handed attempt to 'get ahead of the curve' of being criticised for the character's legacy, particularly as there was nothing to indicate the character was racist himself in the original portrayal. these are roughly my feelings about this choice.

for some, it makes sense that the Toymaker is racist because he views everything as a game, including playing with character's race and culture: it's all a performance to him, and as a nonhuman, godlike being, why would he have our cultural sensitivities except to weaponise them and hurt us?

however, by the same stroke, some wonder why would the Toymaker be racist at all if he likely exists beyond our human notions of race, as well as other qualities like gender, sex, age, etc.?

wherever you fall on this spectrum of feelings towards the Toymaker's character, ignoring this history and these facts can be harmful. i've seen a lot of POC upset and alienated alternately by the choice to canonise the Toymaker's racism, as well as the choice to bring back the Toymaker at all given the character's history. now, i'm a fan of the Toymaker. i love camp, theatrical villains; showy reality-benders with little regard for personal space; awful bastards who murder and abuse and don't care one jot about who they hurt. he's a fantastic concept with awesome powers and undeniable style, and the moment the Toymaker was announced, i knew i was going to fixate on him. this is a common feeling for lots of people: many of us simp for gorgeous bad guys, and that's fine! however, i'm conscious of doing real harm by either replicating the Toymaker's racism, or choosing to ignore it entirely. even if i disagree with this recent characterisation, i would hate for anyone to feel disrespected, excluded, or harmed by my fandom activities, particularly of the gushing 'oh he's so cool/handsome/etc.' variety, or creating ship, x Reader, x OC fanworks. so here's what i'm thinking of doing:

in my fanworks for the Toymaker, i will not be recreating his overtly racist characterisation. although i may be replicating, for instance, his pseudo-German accent (a Bavarian stereotype), i will not be writing him using microaggressions, nor will i be expanding on this trait by writing him using slurs or similar racist behaviour. this is because i feel doing so would be more harmful to my friends who are POC, as well as strangers who may stumble across the fanworks. this is also because i do not feel i could handle such a subject in a nuanced, meaningful way, and don't want to inadvertently upset people just trying to have fun in fandom.

to prevent the former being an erasure of the character's racism, i will link to this disclaimer if the Toymaker's racism is relevant to a fanwork/discussion. the aspects of the Toymaker that i enjoy are centred around his being a ridiculous, playful character, and i have no interest in exploring his bigotry. likewise, i do not want to continually remind POC fans about his racist characterisation, as i do personally feel that the way RTD handled the topic was clumsy and ill-informed. however, i recognise that i have privilege in being able to make that choice, and do not wish to glorify racism as an attractive, desirable trait.

i understand that there will be folks on both sides of the aisle who will feel strongly about the choice to enjoy the Toymaker as a character at all. some may feel strongly that fandom is not activism, and that posts like this aren't necessary when simping for a bad guy played by an attractive actor. others may be actively harassing people for finding the Toymaker attractive, or as a character worthy of exploration. i feel strongly that no one should be harassed for enjoying things in fiction, and i will not tolerate hateful or abusive language/tactics being used in any facet of this or other discussions. i hope that we are able to have open, honest, and informed conversations about the Toymaker's racism, both historically and in the present. we shouldn't shy away from the topic because it makes us uncomfortable, and people do have a right to choose whether or not to engage with triggering content. let's do our best to be mindful and respectful of each other's boundaries, educate one another where possible, and continue to have fun in fandom without harming others.

thank you kindly for reading this! this was written as well as i know how, but please do let me know if this approach seems like a good idea, or if there are other things i should be considering. take care, and have a lovely day 💖🙏

[expectiations]

i just tap "not interested" everytime i see a "rory deserves better than amy" post instead of my usual trying-to-explain act because their relationship is so nuanced that to reduce it to certain moments in the entirety of their marriage feels so simplistic and smothering and i am just so. damn. tired. of these reductive takes that everytime i encounter someone who understands and discusses them with nuance, i cling to them like they're my life support piece of wooden board floating on a vast ocean with no land in sight.

[callixton]

look martha has been my fave companion of the past almost ten years so obv having my little hyperfixation reignited is going to bring back my love for her too but it’s exacerbated by so many people being so wrong about her and her season. i would love to venture into the wider fandom instead of the five people i trust w her but every time i do that i am disappointed :(

[tenth-doctor-and-rose-tyler]

You know when the DoctorDonna reawakened and Donna could see everything that had happened to the Doctor since the last time she saw them... does that mean that if the Doctor ever comes into contact with Tentoo again, they'd also be able to share memories?

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

i like coming across a blog where someone is like hardcore blogging abt Something and theyre like a couple of layers of meta and headcanons and discussion into this and then my task is to figure out what the Thing is

[walker-lister]

i've been wanting to make a post for some time contemplating misogyny and sexism in doctor who fandom and how i genuinely think it's worth considering how it can range from aggressive to unconscious, influence readings of the show as well as perceptions of fans in fan spaces, and how the hostile and defensive atmosphere which has seemingly soaked into all of the internet now (and also real life at conventions too honestly) can both raise these issues and dismiss them, decry them and encourage them, but honestly... it all makes me really tired so this'll have to do for now

[ssaalexblake]

doctor x master is in the same category as spirk in that it will never be properly canonised bc the gays are too weird about it (i am saying this as one of those people lol) and i guess s/o to moffat's bucket loads of biphobia that led to them twissy kisses i guess

[esonetwork]

The Diary of River Song Series 8 Review | Earth Station Who

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/the-diary-of-river-song-series-8-review-earth-station-who/

The Diary of River Song Series 8 Review | Earth Station Who

Delve into the captivating world of Doctor Who with the Earth Station Who Podcast’s review of the Big Finish Audio’s, “The Diary of River Song” series 8! Join us as we journey alongside the enigmatic River Song through time and space in this thrilling audio adventure. Joined this week by Podcaster Julie Filipek, we explore each riveting chapter of River’s escapades along with Rachel and K9, unraveling the mysteries of her captivating character through Time and Space. Whether you’re a devoted Whovian or a casual listener, our review promises to immerse you in the rich storytelling of Professor River Song and the ever-expanding universe of Doctor Who. Tune in now for an unforgettable journey with the Doctor’s most intriguing companion!

We want to hear from you! Please write to us at feedback@earthstationwho.com. Also, please subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, or wherever fine podcasts are found. Feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Links Listen to older episodes of the Earth Station Who Podcast ESW on iTunes Earth Station Who on Spotify Earth Station Who on Instagram Earth Station Who on YouTube Make-A-Wish Foundation The ESO Network TeePublic Store The ESO Network Patreon Watchers in The 4th Dimension

Promotion Tales From Hollywoodland

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[alexjcrowley]

Btw not enough cryptid lover in the f1 fandom. What do you mean none of you has an au in which they're all different monsters.

[leikeliscomet]

I can't believe in the lord's year of 2024 people genuinely think 'Ten didn't lead Martha on and Martha is to blame' is an unpopular opinion. Like I would love to see what alt timeline existed when the fandom collectively stood behind Martha over Ten and he became the least popular incarnation in the show. Everyone keeps posting the same 'both sides were wrong' takes in the discourse but the minute we actually unpack Ten's side in question suddenly it's 'attacking' 'demonising' 'cancelling'. Everyone loves to cry about nuance and grace and yet accusing Martha of being a predator, sexually manipulative and controlling is perfectly acceptable bc you lot are only willing to explore moral complexities with white characters. Nah it will always be incredibly gross to me that after a decade of racism towards her the minute the fandom actually starts to unpack the misogynoir and actually empathise with Martha for once and has the audacity to criticise anything Ten does, his stans paint the narrative that Martha is the aggressor and her stans hold the dominant position in the fandom and by perpetrating misogynoir they are fighting the good fight against the mainstream narrative when they've been the popular majority since 2006 I've had enoughhhh

EDIT: I've already made a post like this but ah well if we're gonna do up old discourse I'll bring up the old debunking arguments

[ishikawayukis]

as a rule of thumb people should simply stop debating about other countries that aren't their own military service, like why are you a nobody from a fuckass town in the states complaining about how it works

[milfygerard]

sometimes i go thru the gaylor tag to see updates or reactions or something and its so funny everytime. You people are insane i respect literally none of you etc etc

[eightdoctor]

please, please have a seat

i'm here to discuss doctors who with you

Holds casual Dr who fans by the shoulders. Hey did you know that the doctor isn’t a usually a good person with other people’s interests at heart? Did you know that? Did you know they do terrible things for that they believe to be the greater good all the time? That they aren’t a good person?????