Martha Jones and Love: A Rant/Meta

[bana05]

Here is the rant meta as promised.  I thought about locking it, but if I did, that would go directly against one of the points I make in this long, 5K-word essay, so I shan't.  I hope it's not tl;dr, but whatever.  I actually have more to say, but I won't (not yet ;) ).

Last Friday I watched the Doctor Who series three finale Last of the Time

Comments

[jo_mako]

I have been waiting with baited breath for this one...and I am in no way shape or form disappointed at all

[bana05]

Thank you :)

Yeah, I found myself getting caught up in the medical student excuse, and then I had to take a step back and actually know that excuse was crap. Like I said, at first this essay was going to be about why medical students can fall in love, but why? Everyone knows they can--hell, I'm sure there are medical students watching Doctor Who and Grey's Anatomy and ER and pick a soap opera, any soap opera. The standards for Martha Jones were just flat-out unrealistically high. And that's partly to do with the fact she's coming after Rose, but if anyone doesn't think a lot of it has to do with the fact she is a woman of color, then this is why my meta is here :)

But I'm glad you liked it! Glad you actually stuck around to read it lol.

[writmuse]

Not sure if this was the best place for my comment, but I couldn't figure out another place for it

[bana05]

Hello, thank you for commenting, although I am not completely sure you read my entire post.

I didn't say it was the sole reason, my point was it was problematic for RTD to use Martha's character to advance this particular storyline for Martha because she is a black woman. Also to use Mickey and Rose isn't he best argument against my point because Mickey was treated just as crappily by Rose (and the Doctor) as the Doctor treated Martha. And I didn't see Series 4, but was Tom ever on the show, or remained off camera as Martha mentioned him? Finally, Billy...we never saw him with his woman; she's just mentioned. So the fact we don't get to see him in his relationship is further questionable.

Also, Martha still remained brilliant even though she wasn't appreciated the same way Rose was appreciated (and for doing less, mind

[madelf]

I think I love you so much right now. I don't know if I can make all my thoughts coherent, but I will give it a stab

[bana05]

Exactly. It's like one of those thank yous you tack on at the end of a request because it's "the right thing to do", not because you're actually thankful. I don't think Ten isn't thankful, but there was NO change between his thank yous, and her deeds definitely deserved more than those perfunctory ones.

And about Martha and her beauty--yeah, I think we're going to disagree. Now, I do think Martha/Freema is insanely gorgeous, but she's not fitting the Western idea of beauty. She's working outside of it, she's exotic, so there's that "loophole" if you want to call it that. If anyone was more conventionally beautiful and a woman of color, it would be Tish, actually, but that's a whole other discussion . . .

[madelf]

Well, I will freely admit that I'm looking at it from a very bits and pieces perspective - more that she has the large eyes, high cheekbones, clear skin, facial symmetry and proportions that are considered more conventionally attractive. Of course, take my opinion on this with a grain of salt, since I thought Rose's face looked completely bizarre most of the time.

[bana05]

I agree with you, too. Technically, she fits, but for the simple fact she is of African/Middle Eastern heritage, that automatically makes her "exotic".

[malaleen]

Oh, this was very good. I was really looking forward to reading your thoughts about this issue once I heard you were doing this meta. I'm going to pimp this in my lj.

Are you considering linking on lifeonmartha at all? Though, be prepared for an influx of people as it'll be linked on the newsletter too, if you do.

[bana05]

Thanks! I'm just relieved I'm actually done writing it! lol

It never occurred to me to do so, mainly because I rarely post my rants essays on communities. Think I should?

[malaleen]

Well, I just pimped it on my lj, so you may see an influx of new people. I have a lot of the original race debaters on my flist, and I'm sure they'll check it out. As for pimping, if you don't mind dealing with some not so pleasant dissenters, than go ahead. I'll be the first to admit the race debates in this fandom have not be the nicest.

[bana05]

Yeah, I've read some. They weren't pleasant, but I do stand by what I said. I don't think I was disrespectful to anyone, and I try not to be, but I think I'm more right than wrong on this matter.

[badonkatonks]

You are the most gansta Martha fan evah!

In all seriousness, this is the essay I've been waiting for...to have it all put into the perspective it should have been put in the first place. I am so glad you wrote this and I eagerly await more of your Martha meta. I feel like I understand everything that happened to and with Martha in S3 much more. I love her more.

Bana and Martha = GANSTA!

You know what? Finally...I'm looking forward to S4 now.

[bana05]

Aw *hugs*.

There are plenty of people who are ahead of me in line for that title, but yes, I heart Martha muchly. Martha is so many of my friends, so much of me, and color and nationality aside, she's so much of other women, too. For her to be denigrated because she fell in love with someone--someone who is NOT a bad person, mind--I could not and cannot understand it.

Series 4 has Donna. Writing this has made me realize I cannot wait for Donna. There will be much fun, yes.

[bana05]

If Ten wasn't so pretty, it would be harder to sell him as a romantic hero. Because I'm not knowledgeable to old Who I couldn't speak to that; and considering that is how RTD and Co. are setting up the Doctor I just to remain focused on that. But yes, considering the Doctor wasn't formerly as "romantic" as he is now, I can see how older fans would be very wary of it. And um, Martha would look smokin' hot with anyone, yes she would.

[bana05]

Um, yes, yes he is. But he saw it. He definitely saw it. Um, so did Shakespeare and Riley and Lazarus and Tom and the Master and Jack, and Frank, and the Daleks, and Baines at the school and John Smith and Timmy and Creet and . . . should I go on? Not that he/anyone should be in love with a woman solely based on her looks. I think Bille/Rose is pretty, actually. I think Catherine/Donna's pretty. Freema/Martha is throw-up, i-hate-her-so-much-i-love-her goregous