Got into a debate about the Bechdel Test with my girlfriend recently.
The Bechdel Test, for those of you unaware, is as follows:
A movie passes the Bechdel Test if:
1.) It has two or more named women in it,
2.) Who talk to each other,
3.) About something other than a man.
(Note that it says "women" not "female." Whether or not you want to make a big deal out of that is up to you. You might claim that Finding Nemo doesn't pass because there aren't any women in it as nearly all the characters are anthropomorphic talking fish, not men and women. Or you might think that's pedantic.)
(Also note that having one conversation about something other than a man probably allows for passing the test even if every other conversation is about a man.)
A movie can pass all three tests or just one or two. Only about 53% of the movies recorded on bechdaletest.com meet all three criteria, which is striking because the bar is set so low.
So, do you think the Bechdel Test is a useful yardstick for discussing gender portrayals in movies? It seems totally bizarre that women make up half of the population but are often sidelined in popular media. The fact that so few movies pass this elemental test demonstrates this sidelining.
Note that there are plenty of movies that pass the test that don't necessarily make any sort of feminist statements or great strides towards gender equality, with Alien being a prime example. Equally, there are no doubt movies that make a strong case for equality in gender portrayals that don't pass the test, although none come immediately to mind. As such, the Bechdel Test is less a litmus test and more a yardstick that helps to frame the conversation.
Source.
The Bechdel Test, for those of you unaware, is as follows:
A movie passes the Bechdel Test if:
1.) It has two or more named women in it,
2.) Who talk to each other,
3.) About something other than a man.
(Note that it says "women" not "female." Whether or not you want to make a big deal out of that is up to you. You might claim that Finding Nemo doesn't pass because there aren't any women in it as nearly all the characters are anthropomorphic talking fish, not men and women. Or you might think that's pedantic.)
(Also note that having one conversation about something other than a man probably allows for passing the test even if every other conversation is about a man.)
A movie can pass all three tests or just one or two. Only about 53% of the movies recorded on bechdaletest.com meet all three criteria, which is striking because the bar is set so low.
So, do you think the Bechdel Test is a useful yardstick for discussing gender portrayals in movies? It seems totally bizarre that women make up half of the population but are often sidelined in popular media. The fact that so few movies pass this elemental test demonstrates this sidelining.
Note that there are plenty of movies that pass the test that don't necessarily make any sort of feminist statements or great strides towards gender equality, with Alien being a prime example. Equally, there are no doubt movies that make a strong case for equality in gender portrayals that don't pass the test, although none come immediately to mind. As such, the Bechdel Test is less a litmus test and more a yardstick that helps to frame the conversation.
Source.