| 1 | [[quoteright:260:[[Webcomic/BadMachinery https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bechamel_test_3843.png]]]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:260:"It means your film is bland and cheesy."]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | ->''"Your women characters are awful. None of them have anything to say for themselves, and most of them either get shot or stabbed to death within five minutes... and the ones that don't probably will later on."'' |
| 5 | -->-- '''Hans Kieslowski''', ''Film/SevenPsychopaths'' |
| 6 | |
| 7 | The Bechdel Test[[note]]AKA Bechdel-Wallace Test, or the Mo Movie Measure named after Mo, the main character of ''Dykes to Watch Out For'', even though it was introduced in a one-off strip before Mo was introduced[[/note]] is a litmus test for female presence in fictional media. The test is named for Creator/AlisonBechdel, creator of the comic strip ''ComicStrip/DykesToWatchOutFor'', who made it known to the world with [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8b/12/da/8b12da8784a50c7777c0cadeccf1a0d0.jpg this strip.]] |
| 8 | |
| 9 | In order to pass, the film or show must meet the following criteria: |
| 10 | # ''It includes at least two women'',[[note]] Some make the addendum that the women must be [[NominalImportance named]] characters, rather than the heroine arguing with a meter maid over a parking ticket. [[/note]] |
| 11 | # ''who have at least one conversation'',[[note]] Because of quibbles regarding what length of time makes a valid conversation, some have proposed the addendum that it last at least 60 seconds.[[/note]] |
| 12 | # ''about something other than a man or men''.[[note]] An addendum some claim is that marriage, babies, or romance are indirectly about men and therefore also fail, whereas some point out there is a big difference between "Isn't married life hard/wonderful!" & "Babies are so cute, I wish I had one!" on the one hand, and "OK, so I think this is how we should go about the Madison property settlement" & "Don't give that medicine to the baby, it'll kill her!" on the other. There is also a problem with politics, particularly whether talking about a male politician counts or not; there's a similar issue with professional discussion (e.g. a woman cop and a woman medical examiner discussing characteristics of the corpse of a murder victim who happens to have been a man).[[/note]] |
| 13 | [[labelnote: Additionally...]]As of June 8th 2022 an [[https://twitter.com/AlisonBechdel/status/1534331494721900546 official]] corollary rule further states that "Two men talking to each other about the female protagonist of an Alice Munro story in a screenplay structured on a Jane Austen novel" also passes regardless of if it fulfills the previous requirements. Seeing as this was added in response to the test being applied to the unapologetically queer film ''Film/FireIsland'' it doesn't neccessarily interfere with past rulings [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative although less likely things have happened]].[[/labelnote]] |
| 14 | |
| 15 | If that sounds to you like a pretty easy standard to meet, it is. That's the point! Yet, try applying the test to the media you enjoy for a while. There's a good chance you'll be surprised; mainstream media that passes is ''far'' less common than you might think. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | The test is often misunderstood. The requirements are just what they say they are; it doesn't make any difference if, for instance, the male characters the women talk about are their fathers, sons, brothers, platonic friends, mortal enemies, patients they're trying to save or murderers they're trying to catch, rather than romantic partners. Conversely, if a work seems to pass, it doesn't matter if male characters are present when the female characters talk, nor does it matter if the women only talk about stereotypically girly topics like shoe shopping or even relationships, as long as it is not relationships ''with men''. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | This is because the Bechdel Test is ''not'' meant as a moral or ethical judgment on the quality of female characters in a work. Nor is it designed as a judgment on the artistic quality of the work - good movies can fail the Bechdel Test, and bad movies can pass. It is entirely possible for a film to pass without having pro-feminist themes, or even characterizing women positively. For instance, ''Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate'' (Manos's wives discuss whether or not to spare the female protagonists so they can also be wives), ''Film/TheBikiniCarwashCompany'' and ''Film/{{Showgirls}}'', films whose treatment of women range from incredibly {{squick}}y to tasteless {{fanservice}}, have passed the test. In fact, the original example of a movie that passes is ''Film/{{Alien}}'', which, while it has unintentional feminist subtexts, is mostly just a sci-fi/action/horror flick. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | There's nothing necessarily wrong with any film flunking the Bechdel Test. Indeed, there are films with female protagonists that fail it, such as the 2013 movie ''Film/{{Gravity}}'', a movie about a female astronaut attempting to survive a disaster in space, in which there are only two major characters, one female and one male. Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'' shows that a film can even fail the test for the ''same'' reasons why it has strong feminist themes: the movie discusses sexism (and overcoming it), and thus is set in a world too sexist for it to pass the test. The protagonist starts out in an environment where women are valued only for their ability to get a man and [[BabyFactory produce babies]], and then [[SweetPollyOliver moves into an environment]] where there are no other women at all because it's not allowed. A fair number of top-notch works have legitimate reasons for [[ChromosomeCasting including no women]], such as being set among soldiers or sailors at war on the front lines (a nigh-exclusively male domain for most of history in most places). What's a problem is that ''so many'' movies fail the test, creating a pattern which says uncomfortable things about the way Hollywood handles gender. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | As a phenomenon, the idea of the Bechdel Test has spread far and wide beyond Bechdel's original point and some of the context surrounding it has become lost and misunderstood. While generally taken as a feminist concept, part of Bechdel's original point was about how lesbian women specifically feel isolated from popular media. When there are so many examples that fail, and female characters often spend all their time talking about the men in their lives, women who aren't attracted to men can feel justifiably disconnected and underrepresented. This same sort of detachment can also be applied to other forms of marginalization such as race, disability, mental illness, and other issues, and has led people to create variations of the test that apply to those forms of marginalization, or reinterpret the original idea in new ways. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | Variations on the Bechdel Test include: |
| 26 | * MediaNotes/DeggansRule (aka Race Bechdel Test): At least two nonwhite human characters appear in a story where race is not a central theme. |
| 27 | * The [[https://www.glaad.org/sri/2014/vitorusso Vito Russo Test aka gay Bechdel Test]]: A character is identifiably LGBT+, but not solely defined by their sexuality or gender identity, and is significant enough to the plot that they can't be conveniently edited out. |
| 28 | * Kelly Sue [=DeConnick=]'s [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/20/kelly-sue-deconnick-talks-captain-marvel-pretty-deadly-and-the-sexy-lamp-test Sexy Lamp Test]]: Hinges on whether or not [[LivingProp a female character can be replaced with a sexy novelty lamp]] without significantly changing the story. |
| 29 | * The Reverse Bechdel Test: [[GenderFlip The roles of men and women are swapped]].[[note]]An estimated 90% of works pass the Reverse Bechdel Test which, in comparison to the Bechdel Test, highlights the gender disparity problems.[[/note]] |
| 30 | * The "Mako Mori Test", inspired by the film ''Film/PacificRim'', asks, [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/8695-Blecch-Dull-Tests does a female lead]] get a CharacterArc that doesn't revolve around male characters? |
| 31 | * The Sausage Zone test, proposed by [[http://jbr.me.uk/sfstats.html Justin B. Rye]] in 2021, though the basic idea is far older, stretches the idea to the absolute bare minimum of female representation, designed to be almost effortless to pass (because some works still fail it.) A work fails the Sausage Zone test if and only if there is no evidence that women exist in the setting at all. This is above and beyond ChromosomeCasting, rather, none of the characters nor the narrator can ever mention women and girls, nor can the pronouns “she” and “her” ever appear in the text except referring metaphorically to a ship. Believe it or not, there actually are works that don’t pass despite not being justified by their setting. |
| 32 | * The Gold Test, proposed by its namesake Jenni Gold: A disabled character is featured in a work that doesn't revolve around disability, and the character itself is not defined by their disability. |
| 33 | |
| 34 | It's easier for a TV series, especially one with an EnsembleCast, to pass this test than a film, because there's far more time for the conversation to occur in. To compensate for this, Bechdel-inspired analyses of television often substitute the pass/fail binary with a Bechdel ''score'', looking at the show episode-by-episode, giving a final average (such as 7/13 if seven episodes pass in a 13 episode season), or compare the series's Bechdel score with its reverse Bechdel score. |
| 35 | |
| 36 | For other tropes regarding the representation of gender in media, see: |
| 37 | * TheSmurfettePrinciple (one female character included strictly for demographic appeal in a work with many male characters, and whose status as female is treated as their defining characteristic) |
| 38 | * NeverASelfMadeWoman (a female character is only relevant to the story by her relationship to a man) |
| 39 | * GenderEqualEnsemble (an EnsembleCast has nearly 50-50 ratio of genders) |
| 40 | * ChromosomeCasting (works featuring only male characters or only female, but not both). |
| 41 | * The prevalence of TokenRomance and RomanticPlotTumor contribute to works failing rule 3 of the test. |
| 42 | |
| 43 | Curious about the pronunciation of Bechdel? [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test According]] to Website/TheOtherWiki it's like "BEK-dal" (/ˈbɛkdəl/), but Bechdel herself has [[http://www.thereader.ca/2008/07/rhymes-with-rectal-alison-bechdel.html said it rhymes with "rectal"]].[[note]]Cue all the jokes about it being so because to adhere to it is a pain in the ass.[[/note]] Well, they're almost the same, anyhow. |
| 44 | |
| 45 | %% |
| 46 | %% '''[[Administrivia/ExampleSectionectomy No examples on this page, please]]''': it leads to people [[Administrivia/EntryPimp pimping]] works on the implications of the test, rather than the objective parameters. Works which pass or refer to the Bechdel Test ''can'' have it noted on their own pages. |
| 47 | %% |
| 48 | ---- |
| 49 | !!Works that ''reference'' the Bechdel Test (named or not): |
| 50 | |
| 51 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 52 | |
| 53 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 54 | * In the manga of ''Literature/AllYouNeedIsKill'', Shasta makes a reference to running some "Bechdel tests" on Rita's Jacket while making an excuse. |
| 55 | [[/folder]] |
| 56 | |
| 57 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 58 | * {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by She-Hulk to Wonder Woman in ''ComicBook/JLAAvengers'': "Yo, Star-shorts! I figured that you'd be getting bored so I thought I'd hang with you. We can talk girl-talk. Y'know, butt-kicking, name-taking, like that." |
| 59 | * ''ComicBook/TheSuperiorFoesOfSpiderMan'' references the test openly with Beetle complaining about how her life is failing the test since [[OneOfTheBoys she hangs out with a bunch of guys]]. |
| 60 | -->''"My life is failing the Bechdel test."'' |
| 61 | * ''ComicBook/DruidCity'': One character, who is a strident feminist, was added to the story so that the first volume of the series would pass the test. The same character, Carla Cortez, has gone on to be an ''AuthorAvatar'' in sociopolitical discussions that take place in the series. |
| 62 | [[/folder]] |
| 63 | |
| 64 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 65 | * ''Fanfic/DoingItRightThisTime'': After reading a conversation between Asuka, Rei and Hikari where they are talking about helping Rei (who thanks to ParentalNeglect has barely any clothing but her school uniform) pick out some new clothes for herself, some fan in the Website/SpaceBattlesDotCom thread wondered: "Does a scene count as passing the Bechdel Test if the women are talking about clothes?" That this scene led directly to a SheCleansUpNicely moment only muddies the waters further. [[spoiler:Especially because Rei cleans up so nicely that [[ClosetKey Asuka starts questioning her sexuality]].]] |
| 66 | * The novel-length ''[[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Chronicles Of Narnia]]'' fanfic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7364661/18/King_Edmunds_Crusade King Edmunds Crusade]]'' [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it, though not by name. |
| 67 | --> A wholly feminine conversation was a novelty to Elizabeth, and perhaps to Susan as well. Both of them lived in a world where masculinity either ruled or was present. Here, in their private conversations, they found they not only could but ''wanted to'' move away from that. The conversation over the next four weeks was not of lipsticks and nylons and invitations; for such things are only feminine, they realized, in so far as defined by men. |
| 68 | * ''Fanfic/{{Fixations}}'': A ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' [[CrossOver and]] ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' FixFic (found [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9138187/1/Fixations here]]) mentions the Bechdel Test when Diana (Wonder Woman) and Shayera (Hawk Girl) were talking about Wally (The Flash) in chapter ten -- then the author realized this and decided to try and have the story pass the test. |
| 69 | * [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/20144614/chapters/47725234 Master and Student]] A ''Webcomic/MobPsycho100'' gender swap in which Mob and Reigen are female. They do discuss boys but also life, puberty, and just generally hang out together. With the addition of Tome and Rei to the Spirits and Such crew they do talk about boys more but also other things that middle school girls are interested in. |
| 70 | * ''Fanfic/HeroesNeverDie'': One of the fic's tags is "Yaoyorozu wants to pass the Bechdel Test but Ashido won't let her." Ashido spends her time in the locker room gossiping about the boys, to the annoyance of some of the other girls. |
| 71 | -->'''Yaoyorozu:''' Can we ''really'' not talk about anything else? So far, every time we've actually discussed things as a group, it's been about the boys. ''We'' actually did stuff today too, you know.\ |
| 72 | ''[beat]''\ |
| 73 | '''Ashido:''' You are a sad, strange little woman... and you have my pity. |
| 74 | * Briefly {{discussed|Trope}} in ''Fanfic/HowToSexVol4To58'' about Tommy's scrambled thoughts on Puffy and Niki's relationship. |
| 75 | -->There are only two women in this country and they are dating each other. I think that is called passing the Bechdel Test. |
| 76 | * ''Fanfic/NotTheIntendedUseZantetsukenReverse'': Chapter 22's author notes mention how a conversation about building construction made the fic pass: |
| 77 | --> After 22 chapters, I finally passed the Bechdel test. Except Celia's building consultant isn't named. |
| 78 | [[/folder]] |
| 79 | |
| 80 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 81 | * Alluded to in ''Film/SevenPsychopaths'' when Hans reads Marty's script; not only does he note that they have nothing interesting to say for themselves, but the only notable thing they do is die horribly five minutes later. |
| 82 | -->'''Hans:''' Your women characters are awful. None of them have anything to say for themselves, and most of them either get shot or stabbed to death within five minutes... and the ones that don't probably will later on.\ |
| 83 | '''Marty:''' Well... it's a hard world for women. You know? I guess that's what I'm trying to say.\ |
| 84 | '''Hans:''' Yeah, it's a hard world for women, but most of the ones I know can string a sentence together. |
| 85 | * ''Film/TheHalfOfIt'': Aster admits that all her conversations with other girls are about boys. However, she then averts this in her conversation with Ellie. |
| 86 | [[/folder]] |
| 87 | |
| 88 | [[folder:Jokes]] |
| 89 | * From [[http://timemachineyeah.tumblr.com/post/93363041094/my-therapist-just-told-me-a-joke this post]] on Website/{{Tumblr}}: |
| 90 | -->So this girl walks up to another girl and says "Hey, have you heard of the Bechdel Test?"\ |
| 91 | And the other girl says, "Yeah, my boyfriend was telling me about it the other day!" |
| 92 | * And [[http://attackofopportunity.tumblr.com/post/34758918819/guy-what-do-girls-do-at-sleepovers-me-pass another]] Tumblr gem: |
| 93 | -->'''Guy:''' What do girls do at sleepovers?\ |
| 94 | '''Me:''' Pass the Bechdel test. |
| 95 | [[/folder]] |
| 96 | |
| 97 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 98 | * ''Literature/TheDescendants'' references the test in one conversation that has been 100% about dating and boys. The conversation ends by a character mentioning that she's probably going to fail the test she's studying for, administered by a Professor Bechdel. |
| 99 | * The ''Series/DoctorWho'' fandom book ''Chicks Dig Time Lords'' includes an essay about companion Nyssa of Traken. The author points out that many of Nyssa's episodes pass the Bechdel test, and includes a brief explanation of what the test is. |
| 100 | * ''Literature/TheLaundryFiles'': ''The Apocalypse Codex'' has protagonist Mo O'Brien (demonslayer) meet up with Ramona Random (mermaid, of a sort, who spent a week destiny-entangled with Mo's then-boyfriend, now-husband Bob Howard back in ''The Jennifer Morgue'') at a diplomatic summit between Her Majesty's British Government and the Deep Ones. Ramona is saddened to learn Mo's marriage is having problems, to which she responds: |
| 101 | -->"We are ''so'' not going to fail the Bechdel test at a diplomatic reception, dear. That would be embarrassing." |
| 102 | * ''Literature/ThePostmodernAdventuresOfKillTeamOne'': ''Godless Murder Machine'' has a scene in which two women talk about Bechdel tests. |
| 103 | [[/folder]] |
| 104 | |
| 105 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 106 | * The test is mentioned on ''Series/AToZ'' in the episode "H is for Hostile Takeover". TheStinger takes it to a meta level with Zelda and Stephie discussing the test and wondering if two women discussing the Bechdel Test passes the Bechdel Test. They decide it does, and a "Bechdel Approved" graphic appears on-screen. [[SubvertedTrope Then Stephie starts talking about her boyfriend]] and the graphic is crossed out. |
| 107 | * ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'': |
| 108 | ** In the episode "Josh Has No Idea Where I Am!" Rebecca goes through a YetAnotherChristmasCarol story with her therapist acting as her "Dream Ghost". She becomes exasperated when the subject keeps getting back to the men in Rebecca's life, finally saying, "God, do you know how hard it is to pass a Bechdel Test when you're a Dream Ghost?" |
| 109 | ** Mentioned again in "Trent?!", where Rebecca (after not resuming her relationship with Nathaniel) declares that her life will now pass the Bechdel test. Heather points out that by talking about Bechdel test, they're actually failing it since the Bechdel test inherently discusses men. |
| 110 | * ''Franchise/DoctorWho'': |
| 111 | ** ''Series/DoctorWho'': [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E8MummyOnTheOrientExpress "Mummy on the Orient Express"]] lampshades the Bechdel test when Clara tries to comfort a woman about her boyfriend for much of the episode, before complaining that she's on her own with another woman, so why can't they talk about something other than men? The fact that their resulting conversation is about the Doctor (who Clara is trying to work out her own relationship with) is a further lampshading. |
| 112 | * ''Series/Class2016'': Episode 1: |
| 113 | --->'''April:''' I think I'm going to ask Charlie to the prom.\ |
| 114 | '''Tanya:''' And you just made us fail the Bechdel test.\ |
| 115 | '''April:''' The what? You're funny. |
| 116 | * Fully [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in the ''Series/GLOW2017'' episode "Outward Bound" where the female cast of GLOW decide to go camping together, and not a single line of dialogue is spoken by a male character in the entire episode, and even mentions about male characters are incidental. |
| 117 | * ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'': |
| 118 | ** The episode ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S09E07Hobgoblins Hobgoblins]]'' had a host segment lampshading how the show fails the Bechdel test due to TheSmurfettePrinciple. Crow begins a discussion of how women to treat women, which promptly derails into [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1CvTlQSrYY a conspiracy rant about how women don't actually exist]]. |
| 119 | ** ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S11E03TheTimeTravelers The Time Travelers]]:'' In that week's experiment, the female leads don't get a scene to themselves until halfway into the movie. So when their conversation turns, almost immediately, towards their male love interests, Tom Servo laments "Bechdel Test: zero." |
| 120 | * ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'': During "[[Recap/ParksAndRecreationS05E19 Article Two]]", a local citizen Garth (Creator/PattonOswalt) gives a [[ThrowItIn completely ad-libbed]] filibuster, in which he proposes an IntercontinuityCrossover between the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe and the Franchise/MarvelUniverse. It takes a long time for him to mention a single female character, and when he finally does, Leslie Knope is not impressed. |
| 121 | -->'''Garth''': Then [[Characters/StarWarsLukeSkywalker Luke]] looks down and [[Characters/StarWarsHanSoloCharacterSheet Han’s]] [[ReturningTheWeddingRing wedding ring is gone]]. "Hey, what happened with you and [[Characters/StarWarsLeiaOrgana Leia]]?" And Han's like, "Don't even get me started." So now, you know, where did Leia go? She’s not gone, but we will find out in a sec, now the whole ...\ |
| 122 | '''Leslie''': The female part is a little underwritten so far, sir. I'd like to note that. |
| 123 | * In ''Series/TheRedGreenShow'' in the episode "Women's Circle", it references how all the women from the Possum Lodge area have come together, and that all they talk about is something other than the men in their lives. |
| 124 | * In the ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' episode "Magnetic" Lana Lang and Chloe Sullivan are enjoying a day at the Lowell County fair, their "girls' day out" when Lana mentions Clark by name. Chloe responds with, "And we almost went through an entire day without mentioning our favorite farm boy." |
| 125 | * ''Series/YoureTheWorst'' [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall leans on it hard]] in an episode. |
| 126 | -->'''Gretchen:''' Seriously! I spend all day dealing with my dumb rapper babies and when I get home there's Jimmy and Edgar and the one chance I get to sneak away for a quick hang with the [[Film/ThelmaAndLouise Louise to my Thelma]]--\ |
| 127 | '''Lindsay:''' [[PopCulturalOsmosisFailure Who are they?]]\ |
| 128 | '''Gretchen:'''--and all we talk about is ''men''.\ |
| 129 | '''Lindsay:''' I know!\ |
| 130 | '''Gretchen:''' We are complex women with rich inner lives! For God's sake, let's act like it and let's discuss something other than dicks and the dildos they hang off of.\ |
| 131 | '''Lindsay:''' I'm in!\ |
| 132 | (''[[{{Beat}} Cue awkward pause.]] ChirpingCrickets previously only faintly in the background are suddenly extremely audible.'') |
| 133 | * In ''Series/JaneTheVirgin'' Jane and her grad school professor have a conversation about how works in Jane's chosen genre (romance novels) often fail the Bechdel test. The show [[FunWithSubTitles lists the criteria for passing the test on screen]], and the narrator decides to see how much Jane's life passes it. She and her mother and grandmother just end up talking about the men in their lives, much to his exasperation. |
| 134 | * ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' originated with four genius-level men interacting with the GirlNextDoor Penny. The fourth season added similarly genius women Amy and Bernadette to the cast ([[PromotionToOpeningTitles introduced in the third season]]), who ended up forming a girl group with Penny. Their conversations tended to skew towards guys, given that each had a LoveInterest among the guys, but in one episode Amy and Bernadette mention that they sometimes enjoy breaking away from Penny because she only talks about the guys and they would like to talk about their careers in high-level science. That conversation, amusingly, [[HypocriticalHumor got sidetracked when some guys at a bar sent them drinks]]. |
| 135 | * In ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'' season 1 episode 13. |
| 136 | -->'''Veronica:''' Betty, now that it's just us girls, and at the risk of us failing the Bechdel test, are you legitimately cool with Archie and me? Swear on The September Issue?[[note]]a documentary film about Anna Wintour editing the September 2007 issue of Vogue magazine [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_September_Issue]][[/note]]\ |
| 137 | '''Betty:''' And on my copy of ''Forever'' by Judy Blume[[note]]a YA novel frequently banned from schools due to its subject matter of teenage sexuality [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forever..._(novel)]][[/note]]. |
| 138 | * ''Series/TheMagicians2016'' namedrops it when Penny walks in on Quentin's sex dream ([[ItMakesSenseInContext long story]]) and finds Alice dressed like [[Series/GameOfThrones Daenerys]] and Julia dressed like [[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi Slave Leia]]. Quentin (dressed like Franchise/IndianaJones) keeps interrupting their conversation. |
| 139 | -->'''Dream!Alice:''' If you would just shut up for about for two seconds, this sex dream would pass The Bechdel Test. |
| 140 | * ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'': In season 4, when the rest of the girls are bugging Zari about her burgeoning relationship with Nate, Zari tries to dodge their questions by saying they're failing the Bechdel Test pretty hard. Sara points out that the Bechdel Test doesn't mean they can't ''ever'' talk about boys. |
| 141 | * Lampshaded in ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'' of all things, in which CJ and Stephanie go off to spend the day together. By the end of it, Stephanie exasperatingly points out that they took a [[GirlsNightOutEpisode girl's day out]] and all they did was talk about boys. |
| 142 | * ''Series/Reboot2022'': Gordon, an "old guard" sitcom showrunner, suggests a plot where the female leads bond over a hot delivery guy. His daughter and her team of diverse writers say they need to write something that passes the Bechdel test, and he has to admit he doesn't know what that is. |
| 143 | * ''Series/{{Staged}}'': In the episode "The Warthog and the Mongoose Pt 2" the "boys" (Creator/DavidTennant and Creator/MichaelSheen) are arguing, so their partners (Georgia Tennant and Anna Lundberg) attempt to have a polite conversation in a video call, while ignoring off-screen comments like "Tell her to tell him he's a twat". |
| 144 | -->'''Georgia:''' Have you heard of the Bechdel test?\ |
| 145 | '''Anna:''' No.\ |
| 146 | '''Georgia:''' Right. Well, it's the measurement of whether a scene features at least two women talking to each other about something other than a man.\ |
| 147 | '''David:''' Tell Michael I never want to speak to him ever again as long as I might live.\ |
| 148 | '''Michael:''' Tell David that's the best news that I've heard all day.\ |
| 149 | [[/folder]] |
| 150 | |
| 151 | [[folder:Radio]] |
| 152 | * Creator/{{NPR}} GameShow ''Radio/AskMeAnother'' [[http://n.pr/2kGgSu1 based a game on their 02/17/17 show on the test.]] Contestants were given a scene from a movie that unexpectedly allows it to pass the Bechdel test and had to name the film. Answers included ''Film/DieHard'', ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', and ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff''. |
| 153 | [[/folder]] |
| 154 | |
| 155 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 156 | * In ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarryWetDreamsDontDry'', if you stand around and watch a couple of women talk for a minute, you get an achievement called "Bechdel Test Passed". |
| 157 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Nefarious}}'', Princess Mayapple discusses with Princess Apoidea about how to smooth over relationships between their nations. Crow, who had been overhearing it, derogatorily calls the conversation a Bechdel Test and demands they talk about him. |
| 158 | [[/folder]] |
| 159 | |
| 160 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 161 | * Talked about in ''WebAnimation/ExtraCredits'' in the episode "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slJIiUTVXds Diversity]]". |
| 162 | * ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'': In [[WebAnimation/RedVsBlueTheShisnoTrilogy season 15]], as Dylan and Sister are discussing what the latter has done while alone in Blood Gulch, but the former decides to ask about the Reds and Blues, her cameraman (who's a film student) goes "Ah, there goes the Bechdel Test." |
| 163 | [[/folder]] |
| 164 | |
| 165 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 166 | * ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' references the reverse Bechdel test in the title of [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1426 this strip]]. |
| 167 | * Discussed starting in [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/04-the-bechdel-test/thehangover/ this]] ''Webcomic/DumbingOfAge'' strip. Also played with -- as pointed out in the last panel, most [[GirlOnGirlIsHot lesbian porn]] will automatically pass the Bechdel Test. It further elaborates on the flaws of the test not necessarily indicating feminism, and later one male character implies that his own life would not pass the reverse Bechdel Test. |
| 168 | * In [[http://www.shortpacked.com/comic/frajer this]] ''{{Webcomic/Shortpacked}},'' Leslie Bean ([[PunnyName who's a homosexual woman, if you couldn't tell]]) expresses disinterest in a movie because it doesn't have two women talking enough that she can imagine them having a "tragically ''self-destructive'' yet ''amazingly hot'' lesbian affair." The AltText quips that this is called "the Beandel test." |
| 169 | * ''Webcomic/SkinHorse'': |
| 170 | ** Mentioned [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/shaenongarrity/skinhorse/series.php?view=archive&chapter=45896 by name here,]] when even the lesbian cast member decides it's fine to discuss [[TheCasanova Tip]]. |
| 171 | ** [[http://skin-horse.com/2010/todays-comic-352/ Cited by name]] again, and then instantly averted, as Gerda and Marcie really want to hear about Dr. Lee's [[CargoShip "vehicular perversions"]] with Nick. |
| 172 | * ''Webcomic/LeftoverSoup'': [[http://www.leftoversoup.com/archive.php?num=50 "Bechdel Test passed, bitches."]] |
| 173 | * In ''Webcomic/MagickChicks'', when Cerise and Callista go to a date, Callista [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/bechdel_test complains]] that the movie they've seen didn't pass the test. |
| 174 | * ''Webcomic/UnwindersTallComics'' |
| 175 | ** [[http://tallcomics.com/comic?sort=19 This strip]] features a documentary comic, with two girls talking about a lizard. The title of the page is "Failing the Bechdel test because the lizard is a dude". |
| 176 | ** [[http://tallcomics.com/comic/101 "Space Home"]] references it with the Rastov Test (which, instead of dealing with feminism, is a dig at overly-elaborate {{Space Opera}}s and TechnoBabble). |
| 177 | -->'''Unwinder:''' You may know a bit about [Warren Rastov] actually. Ever heard of the Rastov test?\ |
| 178 | '''Barbecue Sauce:''' Is that like where a book or movie is only good if it has less than four warring factions, and they have to say at least one sentence that isn't full of made-up space jargon?\ |
| 179 | '''Unwinder:''' That's the one. It was actually a pretty direct response to his father's work. They had some issues. |
| 180 | * ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'': |
| 181 | ** [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2012-06-30 When Slick searches on feminism]] it's part of the flood of words that beat him down. |
| 182 | ** [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2013-05-15 In a later strip,]] Slick reads the definition of the test and writes a screenplay that, strictly speaking, passes the test. |
| 183 | * In ''Webcomic/SkullPandaLovesEverything'', Rikk Estoban creates a series of [[http://skullpanda.com/post/22831285269 "Skull Panda Passes the Bechdel Test" strips.]] |
| 184 | * ''{{Webcomic/Roommates}}'' strip, [[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-304-Bechdel-356375590 "Roommates #304 - Bechdel"]] has girls talking about something else than men (revenge). In general it's not a female-centric work, but a fangirl-oriented meta fanservice comic with CastFullOfPrettyBoys. |
| 185 | * In ''Webcomic/BadMachinery'', Lottie has heard of the Test, though she seems to be a bit [[http://scarygoround.com/index.php?date=20130826 unclear on the details.]] Later, she invokes it to show that [[http://www.scarygoround.com/?date=20130912 there's a problem with the timeline she's in.]] Or at least with one of her friends. |
| 186 | * ''{{VideoGame/Bravoman}}'': In the Webcomic titled "[[http://shiftylook.com/comics/bravoman/test-failed Test Failed]] Bravowoman and [[CuteAndPsycho Waya Hime]] get into a fight when Waya Hime mistakes Bravowoman for Bravoman's wife. Bravowoman lampshades it, and Alpha man says her meta jokes are better than Bravoman's. They later realize that the strip would be getting angry letters if the only two females killed each other off so Bravoman stops the fight. |
| 187 | -->"This is Stupid! You realize that we're the first two female characters in this series and we're fighting over a dude? You're ruining our Bechdel Test score!" |
| 188 | * ''Webcomic/Level30Psychiatry'': the author comments for [[http://lvl30psy.thecomicseries.com/comics/71/ this strip]] mention that it is the first with an all male cast, thus passing the Reverse Bechdel Test. |
| 189 | * ''Webcomic/SandraAndWoo'' features [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2014/04/10/0571-a-talk-between-women/ "A Talk Between Women,"]] which would imply that the two characters were going to talk about boys or something "feminine", but the punch line is that they're discussing international politics instead. |
| 190 | * ''Webcomic/TokiNoTanaka'': The author comments on [[http://www.tokinotanaka.com/comic/episode-1-page-11/ this page]] point out that it's the first with only male characters, therefore passing the reverse test. |
| 191 | * ''Webcomic/{{Mulberry}}'' has its title character discuss the Bechdel Test with Creator/MelissaMcCarthy, in a comic exclusive to ''BANG! Magazine''. Unfortunately, [=McCarthy=] changes the subject to speculating which male actors love her.[[note]]Ironically, [=McCarthy=] has appeared in quite a few TV shows and movies that would pass this test, including ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' and ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}''.[[/note]] |
| 192 | * ''Webcomic/ArthurKingOfTimeAndSpace'' had [[http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com/1261.htm a strip]] where Guenevere and Eglante discuss the sacking of Rome. The Bechdel Test is mentioned in TheRant for [[http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com/1262.htm the following strip]] (where they discuss Guenevere's parents). |
| 193 | * ''Webcomic/DorkTower'' puns off the subject [[http://www.dorktower.com/2019/05/21/testing-testing-dork-tower-21-05-19/ here.]] |
| 194 | [[/folder]] |
| 195 | |
| 196 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 197 | * A ''WebVideo/FeministFrequency'' [[http://www.buzzfeed.com/leefalhead/the-bechdel-test-1dq8 video]] shows a large number of popular movies that fail the test. In a running joke, Anita yawns, wanders away, comes back with an apple, and eats it, [[OverlyLongGag while the movie posters are still blinking steadily along in the background]]. Anita discusses the test again [[http://www.feministfrequency.com/2012/02/the-2012-oscars-and-the-bechdel-test/ here.]] She proposes that the test be modified so that the scene in question must last at least sixty seconds to pass. She also describes a variant of the test for people of color, where at least two named non-white characters discuss something other than a white person. She rejects the concept of the Reverse Bechdel Test as she believes it contributes to the idea that women aren't oppressed. |
| 198 | * ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'': |
| 199 | ** Linkara brings up the importance of the third point during his review of ''Sultry Teenage Super Foxes''. Yes, the cast is almost uniformly female, but they never talk about anything but men. Unless you count the villains, that is. Even the protagonists obtaining superpowers was nothing more than a means to the end of them attracting men. |
| 200 | ** In "The Culling: ''Legion Lost'' #9" review he notes that Rose Wilson and Caitlin Fairchild technically pass during their DesignatedGirlFight, where they talk about betrayal and the latter's HeelFaceTurn. "[[DamnedByFaintPraise So I guess there's another positive we can give to this idiotic story]]." |
| 201 | * ''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick'': |
| 202 | ** In her review of ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', she pointed out that it was one of the only superhero movies to pass the test. She then told her audience to go look up what the Bechdel Test was. |
| 203 | ** When she reviewed ''Film/{{Matilda}}'', guest reviewer Creator/MaraWilson mentions that everyone's gender in the movie seems entirely incidental and that it passes the test. |
| 204 | * In ''WebVideo/VampireReviews'' (a spin-off of The Nostalgia Chick), [[VampireVannabe Maven]], desperately trying to find ten positive things to say about ''Literature/{{Twilight}},'' notes that it technically passes the test when Bella talks to other women about [[AllWomenLoveShoes shoes]] and [[NeverASelfMadeWoman having babies]]. |
| 205 | * ''WebVideo/StuffYouLike'' references this when reviewing ''Film/Underworld2003'' [[http://blip.tv/stuffyoulike/halloween-special-5-ridiculously-entertaining-things-about-underworld-5680230 here.]] The scene is [[ActionGirl Selene]] and Erika (briefly) discussing dresses (before going on to talk about... umm... men). |
| 206 | -->'''[[DeadpanSnarker Subtitles]]:''' Did they just pass the Bechdel Test? |
| 207 | * The website of ''Bitch'' magazine ("[[{{Tagline}} Feminist responses to pop culture"]]) has posted [[http://bitchmagazine.org/post/televism-the-bechdel-spectrum an entire article]] on this subject. |
| 208 | * Bernie Su, a writer of ''WebVideo/TheLizzieBennetDiaries'', comments as WordOfGod on passing the test with episode 16, in which Lizzie and depressed Charlotte discuss their career plans and prospects. Bernie Su says it was fairly late episode, but not that surprising when you consider that ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'' is the source material for their adaptation. |
| 209 | * In ''Website/{{Cracked}}'''s [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-4-best-moments-in-worst-movies-ever-made_p2/ The 4 Best Moments in the Worst Movies Ever Made,]] Luke [=McKinney=] points out that the movie based on the video game ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' "physically beats the shit out of the Bechdel test" "within the first 10 minutes." |
| 210 | * A Website/PlatypusComix article dedicated to the obscure ''Creator/ArchieComics'' series ''Marvelous Maureen'' comments on a scene of Maureeen and Clarissa [=DuBois=] arguing over Wonder Blunder like so: |
| 211 | -->...if they're trapped in the vacuum of space with a presumably finite air supply, and they want to spend their time flunking the Bechdel Test, then I guess so be it. |
| 212 | * Referenced by Creator/DougWalker in the Sibling Rivalry of ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'', as he complains that the movie would have been better if Lucy and the daughters had actually talked to each other. His brother and co-reviewer (Rob) however, thinks that's a stupid thing to complain about in a kid's movie and makes him drop it. |
| 213 | * While agreeing with every point about female representation, and declaring that the test, when taken on the whole, is useful for provoking thought, Creator/BobChipman delivered [[https://youtu.be/Mio9fVRGKr4 a scathing criticism]] of making too much of a particular movie passing or failing. He points out that ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' with Linda Hamilton's kick-ass Sarah Connor, and the very progressive ''Film/PacificRim'' with its strong leading lady Mako Mori, would both fail. Meanwhile, ''Debbie Does Dallas'' and ''The Bikini Carwash Company'' two movies which, to state the obvious, are about as far removed from the feminist movement as could be, would both pass with flying colors, as would many Creator/NicholasSparks ''movies'' [[note]]Though Sparks is a novelist, Bob Chipman is a movie critic and is limiting his commentary to films, calling out "the inane Safe Haven" as an example of how dreck can pass the test without having any feminist themes or characters.[[/note]] He also brings up the Mako Mori Test as a slightly more useful variation of the test, if only due to how the requirements for passing it can easily be boiled down to "write good characters." |
| 214 | * The test was discussed by Cheshire Cat Studios in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzqgXYkw3tY this video here,]] where the test is criticized for being taken too seriously in some circles that suggest that the only good movies in existence are films that "pass" the test, and criticizing the Swedish ratings board for even considering to use the test in their consideration of a movie's age rating. |
| 215 | * The Bechdel test is referenced in ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'''s "Music/StevieWonder vs. ComicBook/WonderWoman"; Stevie mentions how Wonder Woman failed the test despite being one of the first superheroines and a prominent female icon. Although on that note, there is no letter grading scale for the test. Just a regular pass or fail system. |
| 216 | -->'''Stevie Wonder:''' You're a misguided C-minus-on-the-Bechdel-Test joke! |
| 217 | * In an episode of ''Podcast/HowDidThisGetMade'', Jason Mantzoukas an observation he says up front sounds insane: ''Film/NinjaTerminator'', one of the Film/GodfreyHoNinjaMovies, passes the Bechdel Test by virtue of a scene of two female characters discussing a clothing design company they run together. Later in the episode, the hosts realize that between this scene and two sex scenes that seemed more focused on the woman's pleasure than the man's, ''Ninja Terminator'' may well be one of the most pro-feminist films they've ever reviewed. |
| 218 | * Website/TheOnion: [[https://entertainment.theonion.com/sci-fi-film-presents-vision-of-future-in-which-women-ne-1822674263 "Sci-Fi Film Presents Vision Of Future In Which Women Never Speak To Each Other."]] |
| 219 | -->"Even beyond its taut pacing and gorgeous cinematography, the film offers a glimpse at an alternate reality in which women still exist, but engage in no meaningful exchanges whatsoever," said New York Times film critic A.O. Scott, noting that when the women of this advanced society do speak to each other, their dialogue centers around one or more prominent male characters. |
| 220 | * Several of the ''Website/CollegeHumor'' women devoted [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AvuMzSkees a video]] to passing the test, only to find it more difficult than they'd first thought. |
| 221 | * {{Lampshaded}} in ''Literature/TheTimTebowCFLChronicles'' when two women talk about God, whether he is a man, and whether they just passed the Bechdel Test. |
| 222 | * Quibi series ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_(TV_series) Dummy]]'', about a woman who imagines that her boyfriend's sex doll can talk, has an episode called "The Bechdel Test" where the two characters spend the whole time trying to pass it. |
| 223 | [[/folder]] |
| 224 | |
| 225 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 226 | * ''WesternAnimation/InsideJob2021'': In "[[Recap/InsideJobS1E4SexMachina Sex Machina]]", Reagan and {{Robo|t Me}}-Reagan are fighting each other over the latter's forwardness with Bryan. Robo-Reagan is aghast that they are failing the Bechdel test by fighting over a boy. Reagan agrees and tells her to talk about something else. Robo-Reagan brings up the weather, Reagan affirms they've passed, and they resume the fight. |
| 227 | * Brought up by Alison Bechdel herself in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' in the episode "Springfield Splendor", where she's guest starring as herself in a convention panel for female creators of comics. Marge's reaction to hearing about the Bechdel test: |
| 228 | -->'''Marge:''' That's so interesting. [[{{Irony}} I'll have to tell my husband about that.]] |
| 229 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' episode "Never-Ricking Morty", Morty has to come up with an improvised story that passes the Bechdel test in order to save Rick's life ([[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext somehow]]). In the story, Beth and Summer (Morty's mother and sister) drink tea while talking about their heavy "special time", all while avoiding referencing the existence of males in any possible way (for example, at one point, the two are attacked by scorpions, and Beth specifically states that they're all female scorpions). |
| 230 | [[/folder]] |
| 231 | |
| 232 | [[folder:Other]] |
| 233 | * [[https://bechdeltest.com/ bechdeltest.com]] is a user-created website which attempts to document whether every film in existence fulfills the test. There are currently over 10,000 films listed. |
| 234 | * While she didn't call it by name, ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' creator Creator/LaurenFaust referenced this trope, claiming that a [[RomanticPlotTumor focus on romantic plots and subplots]] is what [[GirlShowGhetto ruins a lot of girl's shows]]. |
| 235 | * [[http://disney-blog.com/2011/05/the-bechdel-test-and-disney-films/ This blog]] references the Bechdel Test as it relates to Disney animated movies. It claims Disney movies tend to pass more than Pixar films. At the time the article was written in 2013, ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'' was the only Pixar film with a female protagonist, and the majority of their others didn't pass, while Disney has the legacy of the Disney Princess movies which almost all pass whether they represent women well or not. |
| 236 | * [[https://web.archive.org/web/20080714093527/http://thehathorlegacy.com/why-film-schools-teach-screenwriters-not-to-pass-the-bechdel-test/ This article]] explains why so few movies pass the test lately, identifying it as a systemic problem that has its roots in what Hollywood producers believe about women and their difficulty with the characterization of women in general. |
| 237 | * Several Swedish arthouse cinemas use the Bechdel test to give an indication of the level of gender bias in films, similar to warnings about films containing violence, sex, language etc. |
| 238 | * [[http://sittingduck1313.livejournal.com/501902.html This blog]] applies the Bechdel test to every movie featured on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''. Slightly more than 50% of the films passed the test. |
| 239 | * [[http://www.themarysue.com/star-trek-bechdel-test/ This article]] applies the Bechdel Test to ''Franchise/StarTrek''. Unsurprisingly, ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' has the lowest passrate (7.5%); somewhat surprisingly, ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', a prequel made 50 years later, has the second-lowest (39%). This is probably because these two series only went from TheSmurfettePrinciple, with only one female on the main cast for TOS (Creator/NichelleNichols as Uhura) to TwoGirlsToATeam for Enterprise (Linda Park as Hoshi Sato and Jolene Blalock as T'Pol). ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' has the highest (86.9%), and also the only season to have a 100% passrate (season 5); probably not by coincidence, it was also the only series at time of writing with a female captain, Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway (it has since been joined by ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' and ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'', both of which similarly pass with flying colors). |
| 240 | * [[http://www.themarysue.com/doctor-who-bechdel-test/ This article]] applies the test to modern-era ''Series/DoctorWho''. 80% of episodes pass: 85% under Russel T. Davies and 75% under Steven Moffat. Series 3 and 4 each had only one episode that failed the test (for S3, "The Shakespeare Code" was put to a vote, and 53% of people said it didn't pass). |
| 241 | * [[http://fivethirtyeight.com/ FiveThirtyEight.com]] did an article on finding [[https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/next-bechdel/ The Next Bechdel Test]] on the idea that there are other important metrics to examine when trying to encourage better representation of women in film. |
| 242 | * Conservative film critic Kyle Smith wrote an [[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/449340/bechdel-test-feminist-litmus-test-movies-useless-political-correctness article]] which criticized the importance of the Bechdel Test and dismissed it as meaningless. Unfortunately, he also (probably unintentionally) insulted female writers, claiming they're solely or mostly focused on romance, that their movie ideas are not commercial enough and implies that women have made little or no contribution in the sci-fi/fantasy community. This led to a fair bit of backlash and spawned [[http://ew.com/movies/2017/07/10/kyle-smith-slammed-bechdel-test-takedown/ a number of]] [[http://www.salon.com/2017/07/11/national-review-bechdel-test/ counter]] [[http://www.tor.com/2017/07/18/sleeps-with-monsters-stop-erasing-womens-presence-in-sff/ articles]] that pointed out how he was wrong on multiple accounts. |
| 243 | * Author Creator/JohnCWright criticized the test, pointing out that several pieces of classic literature would not make the cut. At the same time, he seems to misunderstand what the point of the test actually is, believing it was test of literary quality, rather than being about female representation and characterization outside of their male counterparts. |
| 244 | |
| 245 | [[/folder]] |
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