Is it the hair?

[author_by_night]

So out of curiosity, I've ventured around at some Doctor Who forums. Okay, one. But still, there is something I have noticed:

Everyone seems to hate River Song.

I... don't really understand why. Is it another instance of fandom not liking female characters? Is it that people think comes too close for comfort to being like The Doctor? But then, what about Jack? Is it the hair?

I'm seriously curious about that,and not involved in the fandom so I don't really know why.

(Spoilers are Free For All in the comments. Just as a warning.)

Comments

[doriscrockford2.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't get it either. People seem to have a very strong dislike towards Amy, too, while saying they love Donna. I see a lot of similarities between Amy and Donna, so I don't get that, either. It may be, as you say, fandom's dislike of female characters, which is very disturbing to me, especially since the dislike seems directed toward women who are strong and self-sufficient without being loners.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

especially since the dislike seems directed toward women who are strong and self-sufficient without being loners.

I think some of it IS that, and it bothers me.

[acusa-dora.livejournal.com]

That's weird. Everyone I know who likes Doctor Who loves River Song. I actually follow River Song on Twitter (LOL!)

[gileonnen.livejournal.com]

The perspective I hear most often is that, while people loved River before they knew her backstory, now it's clear to them that 'she has never done anything in her life that wasn't about the Doctor.' They really hoped that she would be the kind of independent woman who got a degree in archaeology and roamed the universe and investigated the past because she wanted to, not because she was looking for the Doctor.

[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

Gallifrey Base?

The people who claim to hate River, or hate Amy, tend to be the vocal minority. People who love the show vote in the polls (and most eps are rated very highly!) but don't generally stick around to elaborate on why they liked it. In fact a number of people who like it have outright said they ignore the 'rate and review' thread because they're annoyed with all the haters.

So a lot of the time, the negative opinions you see aren't actually popular opinion at all.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

The people who claim to hate River, or hate Amy, tend to be the vocal minority

Fair point. And on the main forum I've been seeing this, people are pretty critical in general, so... I can believe that. It just surprises me.

[leapin-jot.livejournal.com]

I don't like River, and I've never liked River even before I knew any of the backstory. If anything the backstory makes me like her a little more--I get a glimpse of the mental/emotional journey she underwent to become who she is as an adult. I don't like her because she is so cocky, but I rarely do like cocky characters. Now if she had a spinoff show, I may very well change my mind. I always enjoy Jack better with the Doctor than without, and I think River would be the other way around. Group dynamic can count for a lot.

So I don't like River. To me, she seems to take the fun out of things, but I can't say why beyond that.

However, I like Amy, especially young Amy, and I LOVE Amy and Rory.

My sister likes River though. Maybe you just came across a vocal minority.

[leapin-jot.livejournal.com]

I will also add, a lot of shows on TV today seem almost incestuous--all the characters sleeping around with any and every other character indiscriminately. Torchwood and Grey's Anatomy both spring to mind. I get really fed up with those kind of story lines--weak way to create drama.

One thing I like about the Doctor is that while there may be some mutual attraction and flirting, there is none of that heavy/dragging relationship stuff. River feels like she wants to go in that direction. So I'm not happy to see River if it means that this show will follow so many others.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I will also add, a lot of shows on TV today seem almost incestuous--all the characters sleeping around with any and every other character indiscriminately.

Yeah, I have to agree with that. I'm even fine with Doctor/River though, as long as it doesn't take over the show - because I think that's the real reason it gets annoying on TV. I don't hate romance - I hate when shows write it so nothing else matters.

[lizer-nibbler.livejournal.com]

I do hate River (or perhaps hate is too strong of a word, but I dislike her), and I always did. Part of it is that I hate her backstory, and it just seems to be getting more screwed up as time goes on. But part of what I dislike about her is that I don't feel like she has much human connection. I suppose it makes some sort of sense, especially as we're finding out that she's been controlled by...the Silence or Kovarian or whatever is really going on...for her whole life. But I just can't connect with her as a character, particularly because it seems like she has no life outside the Doctor, like her whole life has been devoted to finding him. Maybe I'm wrong there, but that's what it seems like with the information that we know right now. Plus she is just so cocky, without ever being humbled (as often happens to the Doctor). I feel like she doesn't provide what the Doctor needs--as Donna said in Series 4, he needs "someone to stop him." Instead, River appears to approve of his desire to get vengeance and commit violence (which she has no problem with doing herself).

And I find their relationship pretty disturbing, from both ends, because neither of them has any choice in whether it happens or not. It seems like one of them from the future is always forcing the other one to believe that they're in a relationship. First River met Ten and she let him know that they would someday date (or whatever it is that one would call what they do), and then Eleven (or some future Doctor) will someday go to her as a young girl and semi-force himself on her. I just feel like there's no consent in the relationship on either side, like it's forced, first by one and then by the other. And that's disturbing. I suppose some might argue that it was simply "meant to be," but I just can't see it that way.

Anyway, that was very long and not very well-thought-out. But it's just my opinion and I respect the fact that lots of others disagree! From what I've seen (also just on one particular forum), it's not River who gets fandom-hate but Rose who does.