Not Tropeworthy: Useful Notes.The Bechdel Test

Don't mind the thread title too much since I was limited by the premade titles.

Should The Bechdel Test appear on a work's trope list at all? Or is it trivia and should go on the trivia tab.

For one, the page's own description points out that the test isn't a metric of anything. Passing it or failing it doesn't make a show more or less gender-equal. For two, the page itself recommends not having examples (it only list mentions of the test). For three, it's not a story telling device (which is what a trope is), but closer to an audience reaction or some sort of measure put to an actual story.

edited 2nd Apr '12 7:56:49 PM by Ghilz

It's more of a useful notes thingie, since it is part of the popular discourse.

Support moving to Useful Notes.

It might belong in Criticism Tropes?

I think it would be okay to mention which works make specific reference to the Bechdel test, but I don;t see why a works page should have something like:

• The Bechdel Test: This work passes because a female character talks to her waitress.

edited 2nd Apr '12 9:36:42 PM by ThatHuman

Supporting a move to Useful Notes.

It is a Criticism Trope, but unless it's actually used in-universe, I don't see much of a point of examples.

Well, the Trope Namer is an in-universe example.

Yes, although in that strip it was the 'Mo Movie Measure'. It became named after the author on the net.

Yeah, I think that it shouldn't have examples on pages, it should just be Useful Notes. I mean there are some cases where it can't be avoided. Like in shows about all-girls' schools, that could pass it with flying colors and then show them saying that women should stay in the kitchen. That's not really feminist. Also I keep seeing inversions, like people saying that there aren't any men that talk to each other in the movie, despite the fact that that's not the trope!

edited 3rd Apr '12 8:30:35 AM by wuggles

I would also recommend moving it to Useful Notes - it comes up enough in discourse that I think it's worth having a page on it, but it's not exactly a storytelling device in and of itself.

I dont know, the fact that a work passes the test is usually seen as a really good thing.

I wouldn't mind listing those works who fail the test.

The page itself explains the pros and cons of The Bechdel Test quite well. And it's a huge inbound magnet: over 20,000, so our explanation is used popularly. Changing it to Useful Notes wouldn't harm its usage so long as it has a redirect, though.

edited 3rd Apr '12 8:47:59 AM by Treblain

Hardly since the very strip that coined the test actually pointed out it was basically meaningless.

edited 3rd Apr '12 9:37:41 AM by Ghilz

Useful Notes it, with examples for when it is mentioned In-universe.

Useful Notes or Criticism Tropes.

Made a crowner since we have two options.

Crowner pasted to thread.

The problem with labeling it a Criticism Trope is that it doesn't offer any critical commentary; it's an observation which invites critical commentary.

17 for and 2 against already, damn.

animeg 3282—As the Bechdel Test page notes, the test was introduced in an early DTWOF strip, before Mo was introduced as a character. Fans dubbed it the "Mo Movie Measure" later on, presumably because they vaguely misremembered Mo being in that strip. In the strip itself, it's just called "The Rule" (and is credited to Liz Wallace).

edited 4th Apr '12 5:21:09 PM by Narsil

I think consensus is pretty clear.

It hasn't been three days yet. Waiting a little longer won't hurt.

It's been 3 days now. Lead is still huge and one sided. Can we call it now?

Calling.