This just in in culture wars bonkersness: a Tory MP has been left clutching his pearls at the prospect of women playing traditionally male (but very much fictional) characters, claiming for some reason that them doing so helps push young men into crime.
Speaking at an International Men’s Day debate, MP for lucky Don Valley Nick Fletcher – who recently denied faking visits to his constituency after he posted the same image of it three times – seemed to suggest women playing James Bond, Doctor Who and other (again fictional) characters is leaving men with no positive role models, meaning they have no choice but to go on criminal rampages.
He said:
Conservative MP Nick Fletcher says Doctor Who being played by a woman has pushed young men into crime. pic.twitter.com/08rFuCtmgS
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) November 25, 2021
“Everywhere, not at least within the cultural sphere, there seems to be a call from a tiny, yet very vocal minority, that every male character or good role model must have a female replacement.
“One only needs to look at the discussions surrounding who will play the next James Bond. And it’s not just James Bond.
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“In recent years, we have seen Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, Luke Skywalker, the Equaliser, all replaced by women, and men are left with the Krays [twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray] and Tommy Shelby [from Peaky Blinders].”
He went on: “Is there any wonder we are seeing so many young men committing crime?
“These programmes make crime look cool.”
Jodie Whittaker is the first female Doctor Who while an all-female line-up starred in the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters. How this is linked to crime is absolutely unclear.
So unsurprisingly, Fletcher got a good roasting from everyone from high-profile journalists, comedians, MPs and even Fred off First Dates after he spluttered his nonsense.
Oh Jesus, I just.. How fragile are these people? And I mean Conservative MPs, not young men. https://t.co/PEnczhe54L
— Dara Ó Briain (@daraobriain) November 25, 2021
And I give you the Tory party who just in case you forgot are running the country.
— Dawn Butler MP✊🏾💙 (@DawnButlerBrent) November 25, 2021
Just imagine for a second what they talk about in private.... https://t.co/F8iAEsW7Ss
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
He actually wrote that sh*te down. 😮 https://t.co/xTgYmOR1nA
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) November 25, 2021
I can't get over the fact that he's genuinely & openly threatened by Queen Latifah playing The Equaliser. https://t.co/Eu6z4UYLfc
— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob) November 25, 2021
This is not even a parody! https://t.co/H1tZfj4HlM
— Fred Sirieix (@fredsirieix1) November 25, 2021
As somebody who meets their fair share of young men involved in crime, I am glad this brave MP has revealed an uncomfortable truth.
— The Secret Barrister (@BarristerSecret) November 25, 2021
Not a day goes by without reading a Pre-Sentence Report in which a robber/drug dealer/murderer attributes their downfall to women playing Dr Who. https://t.co/44qa6NrWIL
Breaking News: Young men cannot have female role models, will simply turn to a life of crime rather than look up to women 😱 https://t.co/7aD8wKEtP1
— Beth (@0hMySt4rs) November 25, 2021
It seems that everything's gone wrong since women came along. https://t.co/RfblWFuFkk
— Graham Smyth (@GrahamSmyth) November 25, 2021
‘Wow crime is up is it time we face the epidemic of male violence coupled with the systemic resource draining that has forced so many working families into abject poverty?’
— Elle Rudd 🌻 (@ElleRudd_) November 25, 2021
‘No… the TARDIS lady. It’s her fault.’ https://t.co/pNNzuHzj3z
He best get up the shop for some painkillers, gonna have a terrible backache with that reach. Tit.
— Rachel Hawkins (@ourrachblogs) November 25, 2021
"Grandfather, was there an outbreak of youth crime and vandalism when I was attending Coal Hill School?"
— Mark Hazard 🏴 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 🇺🇳 (@MarkHazard2020) November 25, 2021
"No, my child, there was not."
"It was the early 1960s, there were beat bobbies on every street and Z Cars on the television."
"And police boxes, Susan, were common place."
It comes in a week where prime minister Boris Johnson was roasted for wanging on about another fictional character Peppa Pig. It’s a shame the party hasn’t learnt its lesson and come back into the real world.
Meanwhile, following press coverage about his speech, Fletcher issued a statement, claiming his “rather nuanced point” was “misconstrued”.
— Nick Fletcher MP (@NickFletcherMP) November 25, 2021
He said he was trying to explain that there are not enough positive male role models on screen, instead ones that are “increasingly criminal”.
“My point was, in fact, a straightforward one and in no way linked Dr Who being a female to crime being committed by men.
“As has been alleged rather lazily by several individuals, I did not link a Dr Who being female to crime being committed by men. In fact I was making a statement that boys and young men also need positive role models within the media, just as women do.”
Oh dear. With MPs like Fletcher, is there any wonder that so many young people – male or otherwise – are choosing not to vote at all?
