The Bechdel Test

There are many issues in how women are represented in Hollywood – from age to body shape to typecasting roles.  But the worst problem of all might be the silencing of female characters in general through lack of lead roles available – women are often relegated to supporting roles to highlight men.

Are you familiar with the Bechdel test?  We can’t talk about women in film without talking about the Bechdel test, created by the author of Fun Home (see Unit 3!), Alison Bechdel.

View this video for a little introduction:  “The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF6sAAMb4s

Alison Bechdel, a lesbian feminist comics artist, described what has come to be known as “the Bechdel Test,” which demonstrates the androcentric perspective of a majority of feature-length films. Films only pass the Bechdel Test if they:

1) Feature two women characters

2) Those two women characters talk to each other, and

3) They talk to each other about something other than a man.

Many people might be surprised to learn that a majority of films do not pass this test! This demonstrates how androcentrism is pervasive in the film industry and results in male-centered films. (Kang et al).

Sources

Kang, Miliann, Lessard, Donovan, Heston, Laura, and Sonny Nordmarken.  Introduction to Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies.  University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries, 2017, Introduction to Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies – Open Textbook (umass.edu), CCA-SA 4.0

“The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies.”  YouTube,  uploaded by Feminist Frequency, 7 Dec. 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF6sAAMb4s .