A Tory MP has suggested that women playing traditionally male TV and film characters leaves men turning to a life of crime, and people are sharing their scathing responses.
In a Westminster speech for International Men’s Day, Conservative MP Nick Fletcher said that popular, fictional characters being played by women leaves men with criminals for role models.
He mentioned roles such as Doctor Who, Ghostbusters and James Bond being played women, suggesting that men are left with the likes Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders and the Kray twins.
The MP for Don Valley in Yorkshire said: “Is there any wonder we are seeing so many young men committing crimes?”.
People have taken to Twitter to share their reactions to the speech, including Labour MP David Lammy.
If only we had a real-life Tardis, someone could go back to 2010 and explain slashing funding to the police, courts, prisons and probation would create a perfect storm of criminality and lawlessness https://t.co/GGn5qa4jiH
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) November 25, 2021
The Labour MP for Tottenham joked “if only we had a real-life Tardis” to go back to 2010 - the year the Conservative Party were elected after almost 20 years of Labour leadership - to explain how funding cuts to the criminal justice system would “create a perfect storm of criminality and lawlessness”.
Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
Other MPs have also taken to Twitter to share their reactions to Mr Fletcher’s take on female film and TV characters.
Could certainly do with someone replacing Nick Fletcher 👍🏻 https://t.co/UC1k5xi5l7
— Stephen Flynn MP (@StephenFlynnSNP) November 25, 2021
There was no crime under Pertwee. Neither here nor in the faraway galaxy whence Tory MP Nick Fletcher came. https://t.co/ROtMbcQeEu
— JOHN NICOLSON M.P. (@MrJohnNicolson) November 25, 2021
In his tweet, MP John Nicolson for Ochil and South Perthshire referenced late actor Jon Pertwee, who played the third Doctor between 1970 and 1974.
Mr Fletcher has since said on Twitter that his point was “misconstrued”.
He said: “I did not link a Doctor Who being female to crime being committed by men.”
— Nick Fletcher MP (@NickFletcherMP) November 25, 2021
But, that didn’t stop others from sharing even more reactions to the MPs speech.
The idea that young men can only have male role models is so damaging.
— Laura Tisdall (@LauraTisdall) November 25, 2021
Generations of girls looked up to a male Doctor long before Jodie Whittaker.
To say boys can’t do the same for a female Doctor inherently devalues women by comparison. It’s toxic.#DoctorWho #NickFletcher pic.twitter.com/eStXKhCr3g
🤡🤡🤡 pic.twitter.com/P3oO0sgH7r
— MrTARDIS (@TrilbeeReviews) November 25, 2021
it was after reading The Boy In The Dress that I set up my international drugs cartel https://t.co/17E1emGeOD
— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) November 25, 2021
We’re sure the time travelling (and fictional) Doctor himself may have a few choice words for the MP!
