Far-right anti-trans influencer Andrew Tate was dragged for his outraged reaction to a scene in the latest Doctor Who special in which the Doctor is reminded not to assume an alien named Beep the Meep's pronouns.
In "The Star Beast," the Doctor, reprised by David Tennant, has a conversation about preferred gender pronouns when encountering the alien creature Beep the Meep.
Teenager Rose, portrayed by Yasmin Finney, reprimands the Doctor for assuming gender pronouns for the alien, leading to an exchange where the Doctor respectfully asks about the Meep's preferred pronouns, receiving a unique response:
"My chosen pronoun is the definite article. I am always ‘The Meep’.”
The episode's inclusion of trans representation and acknowledgment of pronouns received acclaim, drawing criticism from conservative circles averse to discussions around gender identity.
Tate reacted to the scene during a livestream on the platform Rumble.
You can see Tate's reaction in the video below.
During the stream, Tate's co-host expressed frustration at the Doctor's supposed misgendering of the Meep, eliciting confusion from Tate himself, who was unfamiliar with the character.
Tate's co-host said:
“F**k, you misgendered Meep! How could you do that to Meep?”
An outraged and confused Tate responded:
“Who the f**k is Meep?”
Tate's reaction was swiftly mocked after footage of the livestream went viral on X, formerly Twitter.
Tate later took to X himself to express how he really feels about Dr. Who and their shifting casting of the Doctor.
David Tennant recently returned as the 14th Doctor, after Jodie Whittaker famously served as the series' first regular female Doctor from 2018-2022. The forthcoming fifteenth Doctor will be portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa, who will be the first Black actor and the first openly queer actor to star as the titular character.
Preferred gender pronouns are the pronouns a person prefers to be used when they are referred to, in order to indicate their gender identity.
It has become increasingly common for people to display their pronouns in the workplace or on social media profiles. Because pronouns are not indicative of a person's sexual orientation, not everyone who shares their pronouns necessarily identifies as LGBTQ+.
Straight, cisgender people often choose to share and display their pronouns to let others, especially LGBTQ+ individuals, know they are in a safe space, especially if their gender identity is often questioned or if they are regularly misgendered.
The use of gender pronouns in the workplace, for instance, helps normalize and encourage discussions about gender in such a way that transgender and non-binary individuals can feel safe and included.
