On Daleks

[timepiececlock]

So in my recent weeks as a Dr. Who convertee, I've noticed people mentioning they were scared in episodes with Daleks.

I don't see why.

I mean, if you're a little kid, sure, but I'm assuming (based on the fic I read in communities) that most of the people on LJ are teenagers and above. And come on, what's scary about Dalek?

They look like salt and pepper shakers. Or coffee pots. Or this old pop-corn maker we used to have. They got big round ball-shaped thingies around their outer shell, and toilet plungers on their heads. I can see how "EXTERMINATE" is kinda creepy when just one is chasing you like in episode 6 screaming it at you, but a whole crew of them? They just get sillier looking when you increase their numbers.

Just looks funny, to me. Cute and funny evil little things. How they talk is hilarious. They float around or buzz around a room shouting in that ridiculus voice and speech pattern.

Sucking a guy up in a plunger is the ultimate in camp.

I respect that they're this great evil race and they did kill all the Time Lords for which they deserve serious asswhooping because they cause my Doctor pain and made him angst, but "scary"? No.

I've seen scarier looking kitchen appliances.


Now, all that being said, I'm a big fan of theirs as far as campy villains go. Being a veteran of Farscape, I say: Yay for campy villains! And they're Rose/Doctor shippers too, for which you have to give them kudos.

Comments

[maechi.livejournal.com]

I just recently watched Planet Of The Daleks (Third Doctor), & I have to admit that they did creep me out quite a bit. You're right -- it wasn't as much their appearance, as it was their freaky speech patterns. And the things they kept repeating over & over again.

[mswyrr]

They're not viscerally scary. When I watch 'em, chills never go up my spine or anything. The kid in The Empty Child was more instinctively frightening. However, they are emotionally/theoretically scary. They hurt the Doctor; they made war with the Great and Powerful Oz Gallifreyans; they're tiny, terminating tin-pots. In that sense, watching them fills me with dread, because I know their existence means for the Doctor. Looking at them, I see his death. And that's disturbing. Maybe that's what some of the other folks mean when they say that they're scary?

They're pretty freaky in Genesis of The Daleks, but again, it's not their looks, it's what they stand for.