About the Bechdel Test
The Bechdel test originated from Alison Bechdel's comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For, on which its first appearance occurred in 1985. Click here to view the complete comic.
In order to pass the test, a movie must pass three requirements:
While these requirements may seem incredibly basic, there is an abnormally large amount of films that do not pass. |
In fact, www.bechdeltest.com, a website dedicated to weeding out films that do not pass this simple test, has already rated 48 films realeased in 2014. Of these 48, only 27 pass the test...that's barely more than half. In light of the fact that women comprise 51% of the population (which is more than half), this number is staggering.
This video explains the test, as I have, and gives you a taste of just how many films don't pass:
This video explains the test, as I have, and gives you a taste of just how many films don't pass:
Is the Test Enough?
Even in its ability to expose this many films as discriminatory against women, the Bechdel test may not be an accurate gauge of the gender parity of a film. My belief is that there are many misrepresentations of women in film that it does not catch and therefore, if used as an accurate judge, lets roam free.
My Thesis:
While the Bechdel test makes valid claims about the under-representation of women, it does not even begin to address the multitude of issues concerning depictions of women in film and their harmful real world outcomes.