tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post7165030002088667551..comments2024-03-27T08:49:38.786-03:00Comments on Siskoid's Blog of Geekery: Understanding Doctor Who Part V: Anti-EstablishmentSiskoidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-37444289577280925442011-11-25T17:55:43.283-04:002011-11-25T17:55:43.283-04:00Again, God blessa youse -Fr. Sarducci, ol SNLAgain, God blessa youse -Fr. Sarducci, ol SNL-blessed holy socks, the non-perishable-zealothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00241446130197185049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-26794516323527607822009-01-16T14:20:00.000-04:002009-01-16T14:20:00.000-04:00Immortality is just one big status quo.Immortality is just one big status quo.Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-84273969561577787372009-01-16T13:03:00.000-04:002009-01-16T13:03:00.000-04:00Got to disagree with Jeff, especially with the Laz...Got to disagree with Jeff, especially with the Lazarus episode.<BR/><BR/>The Doctor is more trying to prevent outcomes he knows specifically are bad but human don't - like immortality.<BR/><BR/>Look at the Five Doctors - one of the sub-themes is the realization that immortality is a curse (one of the reasons the Time Lords limit regenerations.) Those that seek it are shown as being strongly connected with the dictatorial impulses the Doctor opposes.mwbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13812827223923093037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-53963393277226632422009-01-12T20:16:00.000-04:002009-01-12T20:16:00.000-04:00Ah, but what DOES it mean to be human? I think wha...Ah, but what DOES it mean to be human? I think what draws the Doctor here is our sense of individuality. Threats to that get his dander up. He's not against transhumanism per se (not the way he mentions it in the Year 5 Billion episodes), but possibly sees where it leads at this point in history.<BR/><BR/>He's an agent of change, but not an amoral one. Change for the better (freedoms), not for the worst (loss of choice). In the case of Lazarus, "immortality" (even without the monster stuff) is seen as a source of stagnation. Tomorrow's post will have something about another one of the Doctor's motivations that sheds light on this.<BR/><BR/>But you make good points. No character is complete without a central paradox.Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-1495078624270084992009-01-12T19:32:00.000-04:002009-01-12T19:32:00.000-04:00On the other hand, though, he's also a strong defe...On the other hand, though, he's also a strong defender of the status quo as well. Part of that is the general natureo f superheroing in general, and another part is the constraint against changing pre-airtime Earth history, but there's a bit more to it than that. (Any form of progress that even lightly smacks of transhumanism is invaraibly bad on this show. Change, especially change in 'what it means to be human' (to quote the Lazarus Expriment), is most often terrifying...Jeff R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10010142887152619337noreply@blogger.com