Diversity and representation are vital in the entertainment industry. So when the Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa was cast as the fifteenth Doctor in Russell T Davies’ fourteenth series, Doctor Who, it should have been a cause for celebration. Sadly, instead of being met with open arms, he has faced a barrage of racist and homophobic backlash from online trolls.
In case you missed it, Gatwa’s casting in Doctor Who signifies the first queer actor portraying the Time Lord. Regretfully, certain bold casting choices will inevitably give rise to hatemongers, as was the case with the Masters of the Air actor.
However, Jinkx Monsoon, who appears as the villainous Maestro in the fourteenth series of Doctor Who, recently responded defiantly to the negativity, elevating the conversation to an introspective high.
In a recent interview with Variety, ‘Queen of All Queens’ expressed her frustration with the conservative right’s attacks on “trans people, queer people and people of color”.
Jinkx Monsoon Hits Back at Haters Targeting Ncuti Gatwa for His Doctor Who Role
Ncuti Gatwa, the fifteenth Doctor, who replaced David Tennant as the Time Lord in Doctor Who, has a vivacious demeanor, a brilliant smile, and an abundance of energy that we have not always seen in earlier iterations of the character.
However, the talented actor, best known for his role in the popular series Sex Education, has unfortunately received a barrage of racist and homophobic backlash since his casting was announced. In a recent interview with Variety, drag queen Jinkx Monsoon had some choice words for the bigoted fans who have been spewing hateful comments about Gatwa’s casting.
Monsoon made it clear in response to the hateful comments that she would not tolerate such bigotry, as she declared:
“Who gives a f**k what bigots think?… With every way they lash out in this way, the Conservative Right has decided to take an all-out war against trans people, queer people and people of color, and claim that’s not what they’re doing, but that’s clearly what they’re doing.”
But she did not stop there. The Inevitable Album hitmaker had some powerful words to say about the matter, referring to the show’s “numbers”:
“Numbers are not shrinking. For every transphobic, racist, bigoted ‘Doctor Who’ fan that we lose this season, there are going be three to five new fans who are coming in for the representation.”
As she pointed out, representation matters, and the casting of Gatwa as the ‘Fifteenth Doctor’ is a step in the right direction towards a more inclusive and diverse media landscape.
Ncuti Gatwa’s Inspiring Message Amidst Racist Criticism in Doctor Who
Last month, Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa addressed the criticism he has received regarding his casting in an interview with Attitude. “It is kind of fascinating to me because there is so much energy they are putting into it”, said the actor, who did not appear to be overly annoyed by the casting.
To quote him:
“It’s not something I’ll avidly keep up on. The hate? It is kind of fascinating to me because there’s so much energy they’re putting into it… I think they need to go find a hobby is one thing.”
After that, he discussed the significance of inclusive casting and emphasized the need for a shift in “positions of power and in the status quo”. Due to this shift, “people kind of malfunctioning because things are changing”, according to Gatwa:
“But another thing is that we do see a shift happening in casting, in positions of power and in the status quo. I mean, not a fast shift, things could tip over the other way a little bit quicker, but you see people kind of malfunctioning because things are changing.”
This hatred seems ridiculous, especially in light of how highly rated the fourteenth series was on Rotten Tomatoes. With an average rating of 7.5/10, the review aggregator website reported 100% positive reviews. So, all haters out there, take note: your bigotry will not halt progress.
Doctor Who is streaming on Disney+.
