River Song – Age, Gender and Sexuality
“At first I thought, my goodness, children aren’t really going to
understand or respond to River Song because of the age difference. But
it seems they don’t notice that. It’s the character they are responding
to… I have had women coming up to me saying that
she’s a fantastic role model. That it’s great to see a woman in her 40s
being kick-ass.“ – Alex Kingston [x]“Alex Kingston is allowed to play an older, sexy, desirable woman,
sometimes in a near lead part, alongside the youngest Doctor ever. For
those who are thinking ‘so what?’ have you watched TV lately? When’s the
last time you saw a sexy, older woman be allowed to be a sexy, older
woman without the TV story harshing on her? Be honest now.“ – inkashlings [x]“River Song and Amy Pond own their sexuality like it’s nobody’s business,
and that’s so empowering for me. Being genderfluid non-binary, I’m
incredible conscious of how I look and how people perceive me. Being
dfab, I was taught that my body was a commodity and if I didn’t want it
sexualized I had to hide it. River and Amy threw this concept out the
window. They don’t let anyone own their bodies but them.“ – bisexualamy [x]“And I’d add to that list that among the women not condemned for their
sexuality, he has included middle aged women, which is ridiculously
radical. (Ridiculous because it should’t be radical. Radical because
while sometimes media is willing to grant women the right to be sexy and
sexual, it’s only as long as they are young waify things.)” – claudiapriscus [x]“River Song. That’s all I can say for a moment. River goddamn Song. River
regenerated into an older woman (Alex Kingston was around 50) and she
wasn’t put off for even a moment. She was delighted. She was excited
about her wild curls and Moffat made a woman over 50 into a sex
symbol. That’s so uncommon. River is older and still beautiful, sexy,
and always up for an adventure. Her life didn’t end with her marriage
and it didn’t end when she turned 35. As long as she can run, she’s
going out there and loving every minute of it, and I can’t say how much
that means to me. Of course, she’s also canonically bisexual, but not
overt about it, which also matters to me, a bisexual woman in a
monogamous long-term straight relationship. I want to be River Song, is
what I’m saying.“ – madqueenalanna [x]“River has helped me to feel like I could still be awesome as hell as an older woman.“ – anonymous [x]
“I love River, for taking control of her own life and never letting
destiny shape it. For being absolutely delighted to have regenerated
into a 50-year-old woman (although, to be fair, who wouldn’t want to
look like Alex Kingston). For being the bruiser, but also being brains
at the same time. For going from selfish to selfless.“ – queenhawke [x]
Here’s something someone wrote into Radio Times once along those lines:
