{"id":36538,"date":"2022-09-24T00:03:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-23T23:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/?p=36538"},"modified":"2022-09-23T17:04:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T16:04:17","slug":"steven-moffat-talks-doctor-who-female-characters-and-sexism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/2022\/09\/24\/steven-moffat-talks-doctor-who-female-characters-and-sexism\/","title":{"rendered":"Steven Moffat Talks Doctor Who, Female Characters, and Sexism"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, published on Monday 19th September, former showrunner Steven Moffat has been talking about his career and Doctor Who<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost: Russell T Davies is returning to the show but does that presage the return of Moffat? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone can stop worrying. I did it for six seasons on the trot. And I cannot imagine going back into doing that.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How, then, does he categorise his own writing? Moffat says that all his stuff has been, \u201cAction, mystery, suspense, adventure \u2013 all those things, as opposed to a deep analysis of the human heart that I could never possibly write. Who wants to read the angst-ridden ravings of a middle-class successful writer who has had his two dream jobs: writing Doctor Who<\/em> and Sherlock<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, Moffat\u2019s career continues to impress. He has a play, The Unfriend<\/em>, co-written by Mark Gatiss, about to transfer to London\u2019s West End after a successful run at Chichester Festival Theatre (and starring Frances Barber from A Good Man Goes To War<\/em>), and the BBC is about to screen his new thriller Inside Man<\/em>, starring David Tennant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stuart Jeffries, The Guardian\u2019s interviewer, asked Moffat about previous criticism of his female characters and the \u201csexism\u201d in his writing. Critic Clare Jones once accused Moffat, for his Doctor Who<\/em> writing, of plucking female characters \u201cfrom a box marked \u2018tired old tropes\u2019 (drip\/scold\/temptress\/earth mother to name but a few)\u201d and adding, \u201cHis consequent failure to sketch a compelling dynamic between the lead and his companion has seriously affected the show\u2019s dramatic power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moffat rejected the criticism and cited two leading female characters he created for Doctor Who<\/em>, River Song and Amy Pond. \u201cHardly weak women. It\u2019s the exact opposite. You could accuse me of having a fetish for powerful, sexy women who like cheating people. That would be fair.\u201d Moffat said that some coverage had him pegged as, \u201cAn insane, right wing misogynist. I\u2019m really none of these things. And I\u2019m certainly no proselytiser for docile women, this heavily subscribed-to myth. I don\u2019t know where it came from. I have never known a docile woman. I come through the front door and I f****** salute the dog.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe great thing now,\u201d said Moffat, \u201cis I write for my own pleasure. I can write whatever I want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On being photographed for The Guardian<\/a>, Moffat admitted, \u201cI hate this. I\u2019ve always hated being photographed from the days when we\u2019d do cast shots for Doctor Who<\/em> and all these gorgeous people \u2013 Jenna, Matt \u2013 would be standing next to this plum duff. In the end I just went with it, turning up in old clothes with food spilled down my t-shirt, safe in the knowledge nobody was really looking at me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside Man <\/em>begins on BBC One on Monday 26th September.<\/p>\n

<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“An insane, right wing misogynist? I\u2019m really none of these things!”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":26651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"Steven Moffat Talks #DoctorWho, Female Characters, and Sexism","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[205],"tags":[43,1139,44,22,6880,1144,25,47,48,436,101,5277,52],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Steven-Moffat.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":37907,"url":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/2023\/03\/12\/is-steven-moffat-returning-to-write-doctor-who-for-russell-t-davies\/","url_meta":{"origin":36538,"position":0},"title":"Is Steven Moffat Returning to Write Doctor Who for Russell T Davies?","author":"Philip Bates","date":"12 March 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Might Moffat be back to write for the Fifteenth Doctor?","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Russell-T-Davies-Steven-Moffat-RTD.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Russell-T-Davies-Steven-Moffat-RTD.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Russell-T-Davies-Steven-Moffat-RTD.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Russell-T-Davies-Steven-Moffat-RTD.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26617,"url":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/2020\/04\/10\/steven-moffat-writes-new-short-story-starring-the-thirteenth-doctor\/","url_meta":{"origin":36538,"position":1},"title":"Steven Moffat Writes New Short Story Starring the Thirteenth Doctor","author":"Philip Bates","date":"10 April 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Terror Of The Umpty Ums is the first, and perhaps only, time Steven Moffat's written for Jodie Whittaker's Doctor.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Steven-Moffat.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Steven-Moffat.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Steven-Moffat.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Steven-Moffat.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Steven-Moffat.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19154,"url":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/2019\/02\/13\/russell-t-davies-and-steven-moffat-reflect-on-life-after-doctor-who\/","url_meta":{"origin":36538,"position":2},"title":"Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat Reflect on Life After Doctor Who","author":"Tyler Harris","date":"13 February 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"At the Radio Times Covers Party, former Doctor Who showrunners Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat spoke about their time working on the programme. Seeing these two in the same room is always a pleasure, but in the same interview? You couldn\u2019t ask for anything more. After Davies left the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/EDLjf05ODM0\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7134,"url":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/2016\/12\/02\/steven-moffat-on-the-chances-of-a-twelfth-doctoreighth-doctor-episode\/","url_meta":{"origin":36538,"position":3},"title":"Steven Moffat on the Chances of a Twelfth Doctor\/Eighth Doctor Episode","author":"Andrew Reynolds","date":"2 December 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Who doesn\u2019t want to see Paul McGann back on board the TARDIS one more time? Well, of course you\u2019d need a story and multi-doctor stories aren\u2019t known for how easy they are to write. Plus, we\u2019ve already been told that there isn\u2019t an anniversary worth enough of such a story\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13579,"url":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/2017\/12\/15\/steven-moffat-jodie-whittaker-put-a-smile-on-my-face-immediately\/","url_meta":{"origin":36538,"position":4},"title":"Steven Moffat: Jodie Whittaker "Put A Smile On My Face Immediately"","author":"Andrew Reynolds","date":"15 December 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Chatting with Doctor Who Magazine, Steven Moffat has been elaborating on the \u201clast minute\u201d of this years' Christmas special, namely the very first appearance of Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. When Twice Upon a Time ends, we\u2019ll not only be saying goodbye to the Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/doctor-who-magazine-520-cover-5a2ef08a-708x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/doctor-who-magazine-520-cover-5a2ef08a-708x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/doctor-who-magazine-520-cover-5a2ef08a-708x1024.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3609,"url":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/2016\/07\/03\/steven-moffat-is-the-doctor\/","url_meta":{"origin":36538,"position":5},"title":"Steven Moffat IS The Doctor!","author":"Philip Bates","date":"3 July 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, sort of. 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The ceremony will take place this Tuesday, 5th July 2016, at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7lD76-9vk","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36538"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36538"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36539,"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36538\/revisions\/36539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}