Doctor Who: Peter Capaldi Hopes for “Tolerance, Kindness, and Compassion” from Theresa May

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In a recent interview, Peter Capaldi expressed a sincere wish in regards to Theresa May’s love of Doctor Who.

The beginning of this month, we reported on the story of United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May having a yearly holiday tradition of watching the Doctor Who Christmas special. On the surface, this invokes a lovely image of cozy domestic yuletide activities. When considering the complexities of being the leader of a major world power, however, things get a lot more complex.

In a recent interview with Sophie Raywood on The Andrew Marr Show, Peter Capaldi gave his thoughts on the matter of May’s intention to watch the Christmas special. He was surprised that she is so enthusiastic about the program, and “hope[s] she takes [the show’s] message of tolerance, kindness, and compassion to heart.” The obvious implication in this statement is that the actor feels that these qualities are sorely lacking in the Prime Minister. While I do not know enough about her to give my own opinion, I can say that I have thought the very same thing about other people who say that they love the show, yet possess certain negative views about the world.

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As a fan of Doctor Who, should it not be a given that one does their very best to be tolerant, kind, and compassionate? Would it not cause extreme cognitive dissonance to not do so, yet still enjoy the show? It seems impossible to reconcile these contradictions, yet there are those who seem to somehow do just that. In my interactions with Whovians, both online and in person, I have come across many who spew all sorts of backward and harmful nastiness. And to think that there are often actions that go along with these opinions, well… the fandom of such individuals simply does not make sense.

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When considering the matter in terms of world leaders, it is magnified. Both their voiced opinions and their actions often have extreme and far-reaching consequences across the globe, affecting large populations of people. Perhaps it should be required of such leaders to not only watch Doctor Who, but, in making decisions, apply the show’s lessons.