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    1. Culture
    2. TV and Film

    Merriam-Webster dropped the mic on the female Doctor Who debate

    Can't argue with cold, hard vocabulary.

    By Marie Claire
    Published 18 July 2017 In Features

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    female doctor who debate
    (Image credit: Steve Meddle/REX/Shutterstock)
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    Can't argue with cold, hard vocabulary.

    Words by Daryl Lindsey

    From the editors of HelloGiggles

    After the Doctor Who franchise made history yesterday by announcing that a woman would play the 13th Doctor, the good folks at Merriam-Webster stepped up to silence the haters.

    In case you didn’t know, the BBC announced on Monday that British actress Jodie Whittaker would play the 13th Doctor, making her the first-ever female Doctor Who.

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    female doctor who debate

    WireImage
    (Image credit: WireImage)

    The show centres around the premise that the Doctor is a time-traveling alien (called a Timelord) who regenerates into different bodies every few years. This allows for different actors to take on the various roles.

    Historically, said actors have always been men. UNTIL NOW, THAT IS. AND IT’S ABOUT FREAKING TIME, AM I RIGHT?!

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    Newsflash: If it’s believable that a protagonist is an alien with two hearts who can regenerate into different bodies while traveling through time and space (“Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey”) in an old British police box called a T.A.R.D.I.S, it VERY WELL should be believable that said alien regenerates into a female body every now and again. Right?

    Many people on the internet did not agree. Haters on the interwebs voiced their loud opinions that a woman could and should not take on the role.

    Merriam-Webster stepped up to the plate with a simple, brilliant tweet.

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    HAH. Take that, haters!

    And when someone came for “Lord,” the dictionary clapped back.

    Shoutout to Merriam-Webster for shutting down the trolls with the cold, hard facts of the human language.

    We may be a little biased, but we're so excited for a female Doctor Who. Jodie Whittaker, we totally believe in you.

    Marie Claire
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