Currently, only the titles of the movies are searchable. This test, put forth by cartoonist Alison Bechdel in a comic strip from 1985, posits . Leia and Rey have more agency than weve seen women have in previous movies, and one of our favorite scenes is when Laura Derns character (Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo) and other female soldiers were discussing their next military move. Neither speak to each other or ever meet. In non-pandemic years, an average 600 or 700 films have been added to the archive annually since 2006. The Bechdel Test explained like you're five It is as simple as that, and you will do this for every scene in the script. The Bechdel Test -- created by Alison Bechdel in her 1985 comic, "Dykes to Watch Out For" -- is a well-known measurement of gender bias in movies. Seems simple enough, right? It's worth noting though that this is in a series that shows women's asses at every opportunity & had gold-painted dancing girls earlier. TL;DR: Some episodes do, some d. Land acknowledgements are a way for us to reflect upon the duality of our work while we work within our team, our community, and our client organizations to promote greater inclusivity and abolish inequities, we ourselves still perpetuate and contribute to various forms of historical and present oppression. These 11 iconic films, including "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" and "Mean Girls," pass with flying colors. Pen15 might give you flashbacks to being a preteen. And this is despite the fact that Cate Blanchett is Liv Tyler's grandmother in the film, so it would have been completely possible for them to schedule some sort of visit together to say goodbye in case Middle Earth went down in flames! Summit Entertainment HBOs teen show Euphoria shocked viewers with its extremely adult storylines. In a world where superhero movies reign supreme, it's hard to imagine any of them not passing the Bechdel Test. But what makes this show pass the Bechdel test so handily is her relationship with her manager played by the brilliant Alex Borstein (she is everything). The movie: When Princesses Elsa and Annas parents die, Elsa must become Queen, but during her coronation party everyone finds out that shes been secretly hiding powers (which she can use to freeze anything) all this time. They discuss many different topics through the film, including the trajectory of their lives after graduating high school, but rarely men. Bath Despite having two kickass female characters who are named, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) a.k.a. Considering the fact that the entire population of New Zealand is in these movies, it kinda seems statistically impossible. (Lets ignore the fact that the alien was a walking penis-monster, as this was before the Xenomorphs had established sexes the Queens werent introduced until 1986sAliens.). People tend to have strong feelings about the Lena Dunham-created comedy. Then again, its possible that the nurses exchanged at least a few lines complaining about their living conditions, talking about the war, etc., and a conversation about treating a patient who happens to be a man is arguably not really a conversation about a man. In order to pass, the film or show must meet the following criteria: It includes at least two women, note who have at least one conversation, note about something other than a man or men. There are a couple guys on the prison staff, but they tend to talk about the prisoners or their boss Fig, who is a woman. However, since her name is never mentioned in the film, it fails the test. She is complicated and shes funnier than most (all?) The Bechdel Test, also known as Mo Movie Measure and The Bechdel-Wallace Test, is a method used in media criticism to gauge the degree of representation and development of female characters within a work of fiction, and therefore, any gender bias against women that may be present in it. The movies follow The Bride as she kills her way through the list of assassins who targeted her, working her way up to Bill - their boss and her former lover. Toy Story is such a beloved film to so many, but it unfortunately doesn't pass the test. Although there is some discussion about the beauty of Chris Hemsworths character at some points - and how ditzy he is. It originated in a comic strip by Bechdel in 1985. The movie's total kill count of . Definitely not. Star Trek: DiscoveryThe latest addition to the Star Trek universe is soooo goooooood. Cocaine Bear is the latest in a long line of movies to portray bears as bloodthirsty beasts, clamoring for the chance to feast on innocent humans. But there's no back-and-forth dialogue that actually amounts to a conversation. Have you ever had someone comfort you after a break up by saying "There's plenty more fish in the sea?". EEEP! 6) Encanto. 1. Are there any TV shows you can think of though that fail the Bechdel Test? And as a sidenote, can we just say, basically anything that Laura Dern does is freaking gold. The Bechdel test has three stipulations: two named women characters need to have a conversation about something other than a man. New Line Cinema Zoe Delahunty-Light. Law & Order in the early seasons wouldnt have, with no starring female cast members. "Glitch" is a drama that has earned its rightful place in any discussion about feminist science-fiction. Especially the last season, with its female villain. Its exciting to see them roll up with their emotional Away bags and yet be really nervous to unpack them in front of each other. Movies with female directors have higher Bechdel scores. The best movies that pass the Bechdel Test are female-positive and great watches in their own right. Director and Producer James Cameron first wrote the script in 1994 and it took a whole 15 years before the film was made and released. Lauren OCallaghan. It shows what women can do when theyre on the same side with the same goal. I remember Skyler and Marie in early seasons arguing about Maries shop lifting. So real. There had never been a movie with 100% Black ownership to make over $100 million, so that this also passed the Bechdel test is massive. If you have a mixed ensemble cast its not unusual for it fail both the Bechdel test and the reverse Bechdel test because its rare for only the men or the women to have a conversation without talking about the opposite sex. Popularized by cartoonist Alison Bechdel in a 1985 strip called Dykes to Watch Out For and inspired by Virginia Woolf, the test measures the representation of women in film, television, books . There are braces, acne, and lots of humiliating moments. This test attempts to acknowledge the disparity between female and male characters in media. Irish sport images provided by Inpho Photography Her character, Cassie, is a fun-loving flight attendant who gets into a huge problem. Its a must watch! Pixar. Were there any women on F-Troop aside from Wrangler Jane? But while the entertainment industry still has a lot of work to do, there seems to be a positive shift happening when it comes to female-led shows. 4. In 1985, American cartoonist Alison Bechdel. If you ever wondered what it would be like if thirtysomething women pretended to be middle school-aged girls, well, you dont need to wonder anymore! Its 2019, high time to get all underrepresented groups in significant numbers behind and in front of the camera! Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. ABOUT. Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini form an unlikely friendship over, well, the death of Applegates late husband. Please know that these are only a portion of the new television series passing the test. "Glitch". The Bechdel test is a method used to determine the representation of women in film. To pass the Bechdel test, a work of fiction must fulfil the above criteria at least once. Harry and his friends (several of whom are female) begin making their final moves to take down Lord Voldemort. Theres glitter, spandex, and a lot of fighting. We love this list and think many of them go farther than just passing the Bechdel test. Anyone else feel like going for a little drive? There were a few named female characters, but they were all minor enough that its plausible that they never talked to each other. That said, I wouldnt be terribly surprised if MASH** didnt pass even that loose version of the test. Her pregnancy is discussed with the surprisingly sympathetic assassin Karen Kim, plus her last talk with O-Ren Ishii in the snow in particular is touching as they gradually admit their respect for each other. But its still surprising to find out that some of the most popular films of all time fail the test, and often for reasons you may have never considered. The test is named for Alison Bechdel, creator of the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, who made it known to the world with this strip. TV shows tend to run far longer than movies and thus, most of them end up passing the Bechdel Test. services and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, the critically-acclaimed reboot of the beloved 80s animated series, is a shining example of how to pass the Bechdel test. Sam Loveridge. Wire service provided by AFP and Press Association. The WitcherAnd our second fantasy series is The Witcher, which, despite a lot of male energy (wayy more um, cleavage, in this one), does indeed pass the Bechdel test a few times Yennefer and Tissaias complicated relationship, as well as Ciri and Eithns short time together, and honestly probably more but were still working our way through this story (hey, we still have pandemic time to watch!). So if you want to watch a TV show that passes the Bechdel test and shows the full picture of what it means to be a woman, try turning on one of these TV shows about female friendship below. Not only are the relationships between the female characters strong and loving (see: Rebecca and Keeley, Nora, Noras mom Sassy, and the powerful moments between Rebecca and her mother), one might argue that Teds lack of patriarchal bullshit is what makes him a part of the feminist society ideal that many of us wish for. Each of the 12 districts must send one boy and one girl into the fight, and our heroine, Katniss Everdeen, actually volunteers to be the female tribute for Sector 12, in place of her younger sister. Miramax Films. Id guess most Orange is the New Black episodes would fail. Its won all the awards, and for good reason. In three films, none of them says a word to each other. created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant But the Internet commenters can still find things to get upset about - go ahead, get angry! It also crushed the Golden Globes in 2017. TV Show Recaps; TV Reviews; TV Lists; TV News & Trailers; TV Features; The L Word; The L Word: Generation Q; . Zoe Delahunty-Light. Get the best gaming deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable gaming news and more! Others such as Bridgerton, The Nevers, and Yellowjackets make the list, too. Big Little Lies was produced by Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, two women who were sick of seeing women portrayed in a one-dimensional way. Alright, now were heading into the darker category. As with previous Ghostbusters movies, the busters are tracking down some ghosts who are wreaking havoc in New York. 20th Century Fox. Youll fall in love with these badass Black women who justget it. By role, women accounted for 17% of writers (even with 17% in 2020), 26% of executive producers (up from 21% in 2020), 32% of producers (up from 30% in 2020), 22% of editors (even with 22% in 2020), and 6% of cinematographers (even with 6% in 2020).. And its been surprisingly challenging for movies and TV shows to pass this basic test. Mark Zuckerberg and his buddies spend two hours screwing over each other and everyone else around them in pursuit of Facebook billions, apparently in an attempt to prove that nerds cant havefriends. Washington Post, many films and TV shows fail the Bechdel Test (Rosenberg, 2015). Happily there have been some absolutely stellar standouts as of late which not only pass the Bechdel test, but also move beyond this low bar into portraying powerful and moving performances with real substance and impactful storytelling. Or if they did have semi-important male characters, but the only topics of conversation they had were about the women in their lives? I cant remember a landing party with more than one female. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, Its much more about familial love and, you know, surviving. A movie is typically no more than 2-3 hours long, while the complete run of a successful TV series could add up to over 100 hours. The movie: The Bride is hellbent on - surprise surprise - killing Bill because he and his assassins tried to kill her and her unborn child many years ago. #ForeverAlone. 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When Issa speaks to herself in the mirror. Finally, the mother/daughter scenes have nothing to do with Bill and everything to do with The Bride realising that the reason for her revenge - her dead child - has actually been alive all this time. Votes: 13,610 | Gross: $1.60M. 1. policy. It uses the same lines identified above as part of a back-and-forth between two characters, and sums these by the gender of the pair of characters involved: female-female, male-male, or male-female. Finally, although we can guess what the result will be, I computed the male equivalent of the test: two male characters must talk about something other than a female character. Starring the super brilliant Sonequa Martin-Green as First Officer Michael Burnam, she was raised by Vulcans, though is human, so shes a fascinating character to watch. The movie, which tells the story of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, features a few female characters, but they never talk to each other. The best part about Girls is that the characters arent that likable. Now, thats not to say that theyre all friends or even that their relationships are all healthy. *WaitShore Leave has two women on the planet at the same time. for the content of external websites. * I cant remember Uhura ever talking to Rand or Nurse Chapel.**. Paramount Pictures Data scientist and former climate physicist, with special interest in politics and sports analytics, Having acquired hundreds of sitcom episode transcripts. The Office increased its pass rate during its run, as did Seinfeld and Frasier, with the exception of their final seasons. The measure sometimes is enhanced by adding that the two female characters be named in the film. If you need a reminder of how strong women are, then turn on Glow. While they both grapple with these feelings, we get to see how gorgeously complicated the human experience is through the lens of this intense and beautifully acted series. Shes also right pretty much all of the time and her male captains need to listen to her more often. Despite having an array of fierce and funny female characters, the last movie of the Harry Potter installments disappointingly doesn't feature a single conversation between the women. 5. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Married With Children went in the other direction. Um, no. The test is named after and . Most are finallypassing the Bechdel test, aka a test that analyzes a scene where two or more women talk about anything else other than men. Emma Stone chills, sings, dances and colour-coordinates her outfits with her three gal pals, buuuut the friends themselves are never named. Holdo a total, er, force (RIP). The next plot explores further how male and female characters interacted in each shows episodes. Another rule, that is sometimes included, is . Another Best Picture Oscar winner that despite being groundbreaking in its representation of a gay black man, fails to have two women with names having one single teeny-tiny conversation about anything. And so are five other '90s tattoo styles. Miramax Films Dobby and Sophie have several conversations with each other for example and theres multiple other examples. Of course, people watch movies for the simple pleasure that the story brings. Where this show shines with regard to the Bechdel test is her relationship with her first captain Philippa Georgiou, and then further on with Captain Tilly. Most of them fail, even ones full of female characters. Despite having three strong female characters in Arwen, Eowyn, and Galadriel, theyre all in completely different parts of Middle Earth and they never even meet, much less talk to each other. In fact it can be pretty spectacular, especially when youre hanging out with other women! 1. What Insecure does better than most shows is showcasing real vulnerability and raw honesty, and therein lies its beauty. After a chat of what The Hunger Games actually means, Katniss comforts her sister Primrose, whos had a bad dream. Alison Bechdel Has Amended the Bechdel Test Just for Fire Island The cartoonist chimed in on the fiery Twitter debate spurred by one user's claim that the gay rom-com Fire Island did not. In fact, theyre kinda just flat characters who the male characters ignore or bang in bathrooms when its dramatically appropriate. YAS! One difference between what we found in our broader sample of 1,794 films released between 1970 and 2013 and the analysis at BechdelTest.com of about 5,000 films is that BechdelTest.com shows 56. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: PartII. Imagine how tedious it would be if half of all of the films you watched never had any men who were important enough to be named in them? Easily passing the Bechdel test, Dead to Me brings together two women with completely different ways of being in the world together to deal with some wild bananas weird stuff. The titular named Lara is the only named female in this movie. Directed by Amy Poehler, Moxie is an overt rebellion against the toxic patriarchal systems that are rife in youth culture. Then again, its possible that the nurses exchanged at least a few lines complaining about their living conditions, talking about the war, etc., and a conversation about treating a patient who happens to be a man is arguably not really a conversation about a man. In some cases, my processing couldnt pick up the scene breaks, or the transcripts didnt contain any; these episodes are each treated as one long scene, which makes it easier to pass this first step, but only slightly easier to pass the other steps than when scenes are properly detected. Shes not like those other girls because shes basically one of the guys. Younger is a marathon-worthy series about a fortysomething who pretends to be in her twenties in order to break back into publishing. This is straightforward, as the transcripts contain scene indicators, usually. Rick coaches him to tell a story that passes the Bechdel Test, providing a succinct explanation: "Two women, they both have to have names, and talk to each other about something other than a. unless otherwise stated. Aw, Sorkin, you charmer,you. And its been surprisingly challenging for movies and TV shows to pass this basic test, even in our current golden age of media consumption. She+ Geeks Out was originally founded on land that is the traditional territory of the Massachusett and Pawtucket tribes, and which is still home to descendants of these peoples. The Bechdel Test, Bechdel-Wallace Test, or the Mo Movie Measure [1], is a sort of litmus test for female presence in movies and TV. Whether related to law, business, or politics, Diane, Lucca, Marissa, and Liz in particular had stunning moments of grace, confidence, and jaw dropping cool that we simply loved watching. The Bechdel Test is a way of evaluating the representation of women in film. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. Never saw it, but Im to understand its woman centric. These movies also happen to be very female-positive overall too. There are only three named female characters in the original trilogy with speaking roles Princess Leia, Aunt Beru, and Mon Mothma, one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance. A Medium publication sharing concepts, ideas and codes. While there are two female characters, Snow White and the Evil Queen, the latter is not given a name in the film. The women of this show are complex and the show does a wonderful job of passing the Bechdel test, focusing on their friendships, their careers, their kids. Swedish cinemas take aim at gender bias with Bechdel test rating Movies need to pass test that gauges the active presence of women on screen in bid to promote gender equality Jennifer. 10 Films and TV Shows that pass Bechdel's Test. At the time, hardly any films could pass it, and many forms of media still struggle to pass it today. 5. The women of this show are complex and the show does a wonderful job of passing the Bechdel test, focusing on their friendships, their careers, their kids. The 25 best movies that pass the Bechdel Test with flying colors By Lauren O'Callaghan, Louise Blain, Zoe Delahunty-Light, Rachel Weber, Sam Loveridge last updated 6 May 2022 The best movies. pic.twitter.com/rW4NDxMObf Seamus Ryan (@meanderingtripe) March 1, 2021 Ted LassoWhile it may be a mans name in the title, this might be one of our favorite TV shows that passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. Theyre the kind of friends you can share all your embarrassing moments with because theyve seen (and done) it all. So, what is the Bechdel Test? Breaking out the results by show and season and plotting against broadcast year, there is some sign of an upward trend. But if females are in the story, theres no reason cant they be involved in at least one conversation with each other. (Though it should be called the Bechdel-Wallace test, according to the lesbian cartoonist Alison Bechdel, who helped create it.) Seriously, in the entire 10-hour trilogy, no two female characters ever actually speak to each other. 6. Over the years, there has been an increasing number of movies that pass the Bechdel test. and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, The Bechdel Test is a metric used for measuring how women are represented in a given film. If you havent, then youre missing out on the creative genius that is Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It's a quiz developed in 1985 by graphic novelist Alison Bechdel and her friend Liz Wallace that reveals just how sexist (or not) any given work of fiction might be. (Wikimedia) Virginia. Plus, the entire film is about a young woman and her pregnancy (which could save the world), and the fact that the main character is a man is more incidental than anything else. Mrs. Maisel is about a woman who is getting a divorce from her husband who cheated on her and finds her voice as a comic in the 1950s/60s and to be clear, she is definitely seen as a female comic. Did you see that fight scene where there was no music and she was just fighting and it was painful and awful and brilliant? Please note that uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide Seinfeld, Frasier, and The Office have more male than female main characters, so inevitably there are many more male-male than female-female conversations. The Bechdel Test is a test for whether a movie contains: Two named female characters, who talk to each other, about something besides a man. Cinderella. We encourage you to, Nine Recent TV Shows and Movies That Pass the Bechdel Test, have a look at this article to see who sits behind the camera, Ghostbusters (The one with all the women), How to measure the impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training, Understanding Social Identities in the Workplace. We all play a part in creating a more equitable and just workplace and world. Dead To MeJen and Judy are complicated. One of the biggest movies of the 21st century features no dialogue between two named female characters. Stay tuned by signing up for our newsletter! The three female mathematicians in the 1960s (played masterfully by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae) rarely talk about a man, focusing instead on their goals, their work, and the obstacles that they overcome every step of the way. Theres maybe 3.5 major female characters (Skyler, Marie, Lydia who came in late, arguably Andrea) and they rarely talk to each other. That means having at least two, named, female characters in the movie, who talk to each other about something other than men. The Bechdel Test (BT), which checks for a rudimentary level of female-centricity in media, has elsewhere been covered thoroughly for movies, with a crowd-sourced manual approach, but not, to my knowledge, for television, except at a high level or in very selected cases. In fact, the example Bechdel gave as a film that passed the test was Alien, simply because Ripley and Lambert have a brief conversation about the alien. Eat Sleep Die (2012) Other than that every conversation I remember was about Hank or Walter. The test asks whether a film features at least two women talking to each other about something other than a man. As well as showing that they kicked ass at the lab at the same time. Mary Berry Cooks / Headline Publishing Group / Headline Publishing Group. About something other than a man. The test and its rules were first mentioned in Bechdel's 1985 comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and has three (and later added four) simple rules: But it goes much further than this, with Katniss having a variety of conversations with other women, ranging from her mother and Rue, to the delightfully colourful Effie Trinket, and only once does a romance get mentioned in one conversation between Katniss and Rue. This may feel a bit more like a soap opera than a drama, but it absolutely passes the test! The only problem is, theres another bridesmaid trying to muscle in on her territory. To pass the test, a film needs to meet 3very simple criteria. Alison Brie's Ruth . Wrong. Lauren OCallaghan. They might as well be talking to themselves (or, more likely, the audience). Her best friend and coworkers are there for her, even at her lowest. In order to pass the test, a film must feature at least two women who speak to each other on a subject that does not revolve around men. Answer (1 of 3): Disclaimer: I love Firefly. You can obtain a copy of the Some deviations from reality were for humor; some were for drama. Honestly, if you dont know this, then I hope that 35-year coma was really peaceful andlovely. To pass, the work simply has . New Line Cinema. TV shows tend to run far longer than movies and thus, most of them end up passing the Bechdel Test. She talks to her father, her boyfriend, the security guard at her fathers bankand not a single woman. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Did it miss the mark on some topics? The show is set in the world of 80s womens wrestling and follows an out-of-work actress who decides to achieve fame by wrestling. In one installment of her comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, one character informs the other that she will only go to see films in theaters that have adequate female representation. The Bechdel test was designed to point out how infrequently women in Hollywood movies are presented as characters in their own right, as opposed to adjuncts or even accessories to the male characters. Theres a 99% chance youve seen at least one episode of Broad City. Having acquired hundreds of sitcom episode transcripts, I can apply the test programmatically to each episode of these . ** Okay the first pilot actually has two women speak to each other.