Leftie Who
Tory Who
Doctor Who (1964)
Ian on Susan: 'I wondered briefly what would happen when she met a man she wanted to marry and decided not to travel in the Tardis with her grandfather any longer'
Ian feels Susan ‘had a healthy respect for [her] relative’. What’s ‘healthy’ about respecting such an aggressive and nasty old grandfather?
It's clearly inconceivable to Whitaker that even another planet might have different coupling norms: 'a young woman whose name was Dyoni. Susan told me she was to be married to Alydon'
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When Kristas suggests Barbara tell Ian how she feels, she explains that '"the man asks the woman if she is willing."'
Doctor Who and the Zarbi (1964)
‘Prapillus held up his hand. “Hilio – surely this disaster has taught you something good.” “Good?” Hilio exploded. Prapillus nodded. “We Menoptera are blessed with the power of flight. It has made us god-like in our confidence – that we can rise above any difficulty, instead of solving it. It has made you blind! But we slaves are not blind. When we had our wings clipped or taken from us, we were forced to use our brains, to think! For that lesson we must thank the Zarbi!”’ - so the problem with the aristovracy is that they're able to escape the harshities of reality
‘You are more than a man of science, Prapillus. Yours is the wisdom of a ruler’ - the worker becomes king because he's actually able to do stuff
Doctor Who and the Zarbi (1964)
‘Ian grinned at Barbara. “It’s nice to see you up and dressed,” he said. “Does that mean we can expect some bacon and eggs?” Barbara looked towards the figure of Doctor Who frowning over his controls. “I’ll see what I can do”’
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The Doctor and Ian worry about ‘leaving the two girls alone in Tardis — unprotected’
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Barbara pleads with the Menoptera: ‘Our men have great gifts... wisdom... experience… knowledge’...
... who don’t think much of women: ‘A girl alone? Do you imagine you can succeed where a dozen of our Menoptera scouts failed?’
The Tardis crew are religious now - Barbara ‘breathed a prayer’
Doctor Who and the Crusaders (1966)
Susan ‘must share her future with David Cameron’
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'I shall become their patron and either see them married well or return them to their own homes and families'
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‘Modern people though they were, they had stepped into a world of chivalry and barbarism and Ian had not failed her. She had needed him and he had come for her’ - Barbara immediately loses her agency simply by being placed in a world that doesn't recognise it. That could almost be Leftie Who if it was actually acknowledged anywhere in the book.
Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion (1974)
The Brigadier ‘deciding not for the first time that he would never understand the ways of women’ - REALLY??
Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters (1974)
Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters (1974)
What the fuck?: ‘“How many sugars, Liz?” “One,” she said. “To keep that figure of yours,” said the Doctor. “Very wise”'
What the fuck??: ‘The Brigadier pushed Liz towards him. “She's got hysterics,” he said’
‘“That'll show 'em!” said the Brigadier. Everyone looked at the Brigadier, as though he had said something very silly. “Show whom?” asked the Doctor. The Brigadier had to think for a moment. “You know,” he said, “foreign competitors. A discovery like this will make Britain great again.” No one seemed very impressed with this’ - It's the childishness of 'very silly' and the way everyone is just pityingly unimpressed that make this. And the veries.
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Barking Barker: ‘England was once the heart of an empire, the greatest empire the world has ever known. But the bankers and the trade-unionists have destroyed that great heritage. Now we are alone, backs to the wall, just as we were in 1940, only there is no Winston Churchill to lead us. The whole world is snapping at us like a pack of hungry wolves. But the day will come, Miss Shaw, when England will rise again’
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And again, shouting his head off in the caves in defiance of everything we know to be the reality of the situation: ‘I know you hate England. But there are some true patriots around, people who love their country’
Doctor Who and the Doomsday Weapon (1974)
ALL OF IT!!
Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks (1974)
‘you can always be sure of one thing with politicians whatever their political ideas: they always keep a well-stocked larder’
Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks (1974)
‘Ah, yes. A most good-humoured wine, this. A touch of the sardonic perhaps, but not cynical. A truly civilised little wine, one after my own heart’
‘Ever wondered how the fox feels, Jo?’
Doctor Who and the Dæmons (1974)
‘At last it looks as if the people of Earth are beginning to see that they have come very near to killing their own planet. But there can’t be a magical solution. They’ve got to find the answer for themselves’
Doctor Who and the Sea-Devils (1974)
'My Lords, I beg you to spare the prisoner’s life, for by so doing you will acknowledge that there is always the possibility of redemption, and that is an important principle for us all. If we do not believe that anyone, even the worst criminal, can be saved from wickedness, then in what can we ever believe?'
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'Man is busily exterminating every other species on the planet'
Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowman (1974)
‘Victoria, like most girls of her time, had had a rather sheltered upbringing’
‘It was in the nature of females to be contrary’
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‘Jamie looked at him. “You’ve seen something, haven’t you? Out there?” The Doctor glanced quickly at Victoria. ‘Oh, nothing really, Jamie. Probably nothing”’
‘“What about me?” asked Victoria. “What do I do?” “Nothing, I hope,” said the Doctor briskly. “But you never know. Something may turn up.” He hadn’t the heart to tell Victoria she was only being included in the expedition because she would find it even more frightening to be left on her own'
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‘Victoria tugged urgently at his arm. “Jamie, what are we going to do?”’
‘Victoria clutched Jamie’s arm in fear’
‘Victoria decided that she was more frightened of being left outside than of going in’
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'‘Obediently Victoria started back down the mountainside'
Doctor Who and the Curse of Peladon (1975)
‘His companion, her natural prettiness made even more beautiful by the evening dress she wore under her cloak’ – is this all the description that women need in the 1970s? She's pretty and here's what she's wearing.
‘The Doctor spoke calmly, but with a deliberate authority that Jo knew better than to question’
Doctor Who and the Cybermen (1975)
‘Polly whimpered and clung to him’
‘He dug Polly in the ribs. “Carry on, nurse.” Polly turned quickly round, her hand upraised, but Ben had dodged out of reach, grinning’
‘Ben noticed Polly standing behind him. “Not you, duchess,” he said, “this is men’s work”’
‘While the men’s attention was diverted by Polly’s miniskirt, the door opened behind them and a man slipped in, looked around, and quickly walked across to the Gravitron room. He opened the door, slipped inside and bent down out of sight behind one of the computer units. It was Evans’ – all of them? In an emergency situation?
Doctor Who and the Giant Robot (1975)
‘As the Robot stalked towards her, huge metal hands outstretched, Sarah fainted dead way’
Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons (1975)
Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons (1975)
Bosses are leeching cocks: ‘All the profits went into his own pockets, paying for the flashy suits, the diamond rings and the big cigars that fitted Rossini’s picture of himself as international showman. Anyone who objected was soon beaten into submission by Rossini’s big fists. He had a right to his perks. He was the boss, wasn’t he?’
‘on taking over from his father, his first action had been to order complete automation. He had spent most of the firm’s capital on new machinery, disregarding the advice of McDermot, his father’s chief engineer’ – the first act of inherited wealth is to disregard the advice of skilled people and to start discarding people
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‘Dominated by his father all his life, conditioned to obedience from early childhood, Farrel was an easy victim’ – that’s inherited wealth for you
A heart-warming view of wedded bliss: ‘“I’m sure you’ll deal with things, dear,” said Mary Farrel soothingly. Thirty years of marriage to her forceful husband had convinced her that he was always right, and that he could cope with anyone. Since John Farrel held both these opinions himself, they got on remarkably well’
McDermot on the Master: ‘some foreign jackanapes with big ideas’ – at least he’s going to die, I guess
‘Farrel recoiled in horror. Inside the box was one of the most evil-looking dolls he had ever seen in his life. A squat, hairy thing, with a slant-eyed oriental face, and a straggly tuft of beard. Enough to scare any child into fits’ - I feel like engaging with why this is terrible would make me as tainted as it
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And then there's Jo: ‘As she stood there paralysed with fear, it sprang for her throat’; ‘Jo collapsed sobbing into the Doctor’s arms. He patted her back soothingly, but his brain was busy with the next move’; and ‘Jo, forgotten in the excitement, slid right under the jeep for cover and kept her head down’
Plus the bizarre: ‘At the sight of them, the Doctor lifted Jo off her feet, and literally threw her across the room. “Hold her!” he yelled. Jo cannoned into the two soldiers like a well aimed ball in a skittle alley. All three collapsed in a tangle of arms and legs’
Doctor Who and the Green Death (1975)
Doctor Who and the Green Death (1975)
‘She felt rather sorry for the Doctor, and wondered
why he had never married’
‘it’s every man’s right to have work’ – right, not duty!
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‘“When you’re a miner you are part of one big family, and that’s a wonderful feeling. Every man in the pits knows his life depends on the other men. We live together, we die together, and”—he grinned broadly—“by goodness if the people up top don’t treat us right, we go on strike together!”’
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‘“The workers have always had bosses,” said Dai Evans, “people who live off our backs”’
‘“‘Uneconomic to have more than one shaft,” said Dave, waiting for Mr Owen to come to the telephone. “The old private owners were in coal for profit, weren’t they?”’
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‘Llanfairfach Colliery, in a mountainous part of Wales, had been closed for some time. No one in the village saw the sense of this—particularly the miners who had spent their lives hewing coal from the pit. There was still ample coal down there, enough for another hundred years of mining. But government economists in London had ‘proved’ it was better business to buy oil overseas than to mine coal here in Britain’
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‘“It’s really like being a member of another nation,” she said. Bert got to his feet. “That’s exactly how it is, miss. There’s us down here, and there’s them up there”’ - it's Upstairs, Downstairs for the contemporary age
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Brig: ‘Doctor, we’ll be back as quickly as possible. I trust you will not involve yourself in anything between now and then that might possibly upset the status quo’
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‘Dr Stevens smiled, as he had been taught to smile at his minor public school when he couldn’t understand something’ - and there's the root of all the trouble
Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders (1975)
‘A woman journalist!’
The Three Doctors (1975)
‘The Doctor picked Jo up bodily and carried her across to the window’ – what is Dicks’s obsession with Jo getting picked up and thrown about?
‘Jo Grant's contribution to the battle was limited. The recoil from her rifle knocked her flat on her back as soon as she fired it. Hugging her bruised shoulder, she decided to remain an observer’ – Seriously, what’s his problem?
‘Jo struggled and protested, but at a nod from the Brigadier, Benton simply picked her up and stepped into the flame with her’ – It’s really not funny
Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster (1976)
The energy conference is filled with ‘a packed mob of VIPs milled and jostled, enjoying their free champagne at the reception’
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Just to rub it in, Dicks also describes how the ‘delegates muttered and grumbled over their Government champagne’
Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion (1976)
Rooms in the bunker include, next to each other ROYAL SUITE and KENNELS. Is Hulke suggesting the powers that be value corgis’ lives over people’s?
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‘“We’ll be like the Pilgrim Fathers who went to America.” “What about the present inhabitants of the planet? I don’t think the Red Indians liked the Pilgrim Fathers very much. Maybe these people won’t like us.” “We shall treat them kindly and decently,” Mark insisted' - Just so not even the nice environmentalists are off the hook
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And today's moral is: ‘You can try to make something better of the world you’ve got. You humans can end the arms race, you can treat people with different coloured skins as equals, you can stop exploiting and cheating each other, and you can start using Earth’s resources in a rational and sensible way!’
Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster (1976)
‘Like a fox detected, by hounds, the Zygon ran frantically through the woods, a squad of excited UNIT soldiers hallooing behind. The hunt was on!’
Sarah is simply described as ‘a very pretty girl’
And it seems there's no way Dicks is sticking with a female PM
Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion (1976)
‘If you are looking at a distant star, you may be looking at it as it was at the time of the birth of Jesus’
‘the Doctor was looking into a copy of The Holy Bible. “Read that,” he said, pointing to a page. “It’s Ezekiel, Chapter 1 verse 5-6.” Sarah read: “Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.” She looked up at the Doctor. “Who were these creatures?” The Doctor shrugged. “Perhaps they were from another planet, or from the future of this planet.” He replaced the book on its shelf’ – a work of the imagination doesn’t seem to be an option…
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And a lot of the stuff around Professor Whitaker being gay, even if filtered through the minds of homophobic characters, doesn't come across terribly well, especially his being labelled 'this peculiar professor day’ and the manner in which ‘His sickly smile always turned Yates’s stomach’
Doctor Who and the Tenth Planet (1976)
Here’s all you need to know about Polly: ‘The technicians just stood and gaped—especially at the pretty girl with the long blonde hair, blue eyes, and tall, shapely figure’. That’s after they’ve all ‘whistled when they caught sight of Polly's long slender legs’
‘All the men are needed to help with the warhead’ – why would a Cyberman subscribe to outdated gender roles? Is Davis suggesting such views are a logical outlook?
Doctor Who and the Ice Warriors (1976)
Victoria is ‘a pretty, doll-like girl’
‘the armoured giant reached the vibrochair—but Victoria had already fainted’
And again: ‘“Come!” Varga replied harshly—but Victoria had fainted’
And if constantly fainting isn't uselessness enough for your female lead: ‘At the first step, her ankle twisted, her foothold gave was and with a sharp cry, she found herself sprawled helplessly at the feet of the Ice Warrior’
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‘“Oh, no!” objected Victoria. “Not Africa!”'
The Revenge of the Cybermen (1976)
‘Sarah [...] reacted in true feminine style; she let out a loud, hearty scream’
‘He knew that Sarah had always refused to accept the role of the helpless heroine’ – I know it’s saying she isn’t one but it’s still implying that’s her natural role
Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks (1976)
‘Strange how all wars were the same, thought the Doctor. The staff back at H.Q. always had better conditions than the men actually out fighting…’ - I do sometimes worry that Dicks's instinctive distrust of bosses might come from a lifetime's self-employment rather than any political convictions. Still, right on...
Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks (1976)
‘Sarah was a slim, pretty girl in fashionable clothes’
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‘Sarah obeyed—it was no time to argue’ – odd choice of words, as if Sarah only ever argues to be heard rather than to communicate a better
understanding of the situation than others
‘Sarah turned to see the black bulk of a hooded creature looming over her. The shock was too much, and she fainted dead away’ - what is Dicks's obsession with fainting women?
‘she'd always believed she was the sort of girl who never fainted’ – fat chance when Dicks has the pen…
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Then there's the comments on Davros's wheelchair-bound existence:
‘Harry said nothing. To himself he thought that death would surely be preferable to the kind of existence Davros must be leading now’ and ‘Helpless in his chair, Davros should have been pitiful. Instead, he was terrifying’
Doctor Who and the Web of Fear (1976)
Anne Travers is ‘an attractive young girl’ – will a woman ever be described in more detail than this?
‘Although his voice was cultured, it held traces of a middle-European accent’ – are these opposites?
‘Victoria decided to go and look for them. Perhaps they’d let her make tea or wash test-tubes or something’ – though, to be fair, I can’t think what
other use Victoria could be
‘he jumped straight on to his chair, like a girl frightened by a mouse’ – I know it’s more cartoonish than sexist but it’s not a simile I’d be keen on as a girl reading the novelisations
Doctor Who and the Space War (1976)
Hulke on war: ‘“The thought of war always excites people.” “When they have so much to lose?” said the Draconian Prince. “Even their own lives?” “When in history have people thought about that, Your Highness? People enter war always thinking that they will win, and that they personally will survive”’
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Plus everything that pastiches the US approach to the Cold War, such as General William's preference for 'an aggressive inter-stellar policy'
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All the stuff that makes the Draconian attitude to women transparently ridiculous, capped by 'You must educate her to be silent, then she will be a very nice person'
Doctor Who and the Space War (1976)
‘Patel is renamed Doughty and is described as fair-haired rather than of Indian descent’
http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Doctor_Who_and_the_Space_War_(novelisation)
There’s something sourly Victorian about the President’s still pining for Williams many years after they broke up: ‘she opened the old-fashioned silver locket that hung from her simple necklace. The tiny photograph of General Williams, then a mere lieutenant and only twenty years old, looked up at her’
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I don't think i like the term 'a lady spy' either
Doctor Who and the Planet of the Daleks (1976)
Jo’s back to just being pretty: ‘The girl, who was very small and very pretty’
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‘Back home on Skaro they had been close friends, with an understanding that they would eventually marry’ – I hope this sounds more sinister than Dicks intend
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‘“I love you. And that will cloud my judgement. I may hesitate to take risks, necessary risks, because I’ll be worrying about you. And if my judgement fails, then the Daleks will win!” He got quickly to his feet and crossed to the other side of the clearing. Rebec began sobbing quietly to herself’ – Cunt. I’m not sure this opinion ever actually gets challenged. No, we just get: ‘Rebec might appreciate a feminine shoulder at the moment’
Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars (1976)
‘A typical English country gentleman, with all the unthinking arrogance of his kind’ - he's got us sussed
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And anything that reveals Marcus Scarman's character:
‘Despite the heat, he wore a white tropical suit, with stiff collar and public school tie. The year was 1911, and Englishmen abroad were expected to maintain certain standards’ - certain pointless standards
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‘The labourers began swinging their picks, and Marcus watched impatiently as they chipped away mortar and started lifting aside the heavy stone blocks. As soon as the space was big enough, he pushed them aside. “All right, that’ll do”’ - he really values their help
‘Too absorbed to notice his companion’s lack of enthusiasm, Marcus moved through the chamber’
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‘Marcus turned to the Egyptian. “Ahmed! Your lantern, man. Quickly!”’ - he doesn't even carry his own lantern
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‘Superstitious savage’ - nice to see what he thinks of his companions
Doctor Who and the Carnival of Monsters (1977)
‘”his mental and nervous system will be analysed. Our colleagues wish to discover if some disease or mutation is causing these outbreaks of rebellion.” It did not occur to Kalik that it was not the rebellious Functionaries who were abnormal, but the conditions under which they had to live and work’
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‘The Officials' code insisted on rigid formality with all display of emotion totally suppressed. They were the Officials, rulers by right and custom’ - now there's a comment on the aristocratic classes
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‘the bulk of the Officials were set in their old ways. They had accepted Zarb only because they hoped he would save them from revolution’ - and there's a comment on the self-serving nature of political change
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'He was gambling that like all authoritarians, they would harass and bully anyone who seemed weaker than themselves, while responding favourably to a display of force and bluster’
Doctor Who and the Carnival of Monsters (1977)
Jo is again ‘A very small, very pretty fair-haired girl’
Doctor Who and the Seeds of Doom (1977)
Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth (1977)
‘One corner was sectioned off into a kind of canteen, where women and girls were preparing food’ – why is it specifically women and girls preparing the food? David suggests the only reason he’s not helping is because his ‘cooking’s terrible’, but it seems a bit of a coincidence that that’s true of every male survivor. ‘I hope you can cook’ is also pretty much the first thing he says on being introduced to a woman. Susan’s got a lovely time ahead of her…