- Does the movie have more than two named, female characters?
- Do they talk to each other?
- Do they talk to each other about anything other than their relationships with men?
Anita Sarkeesian, creator Feminist Frequency, posted a video in February 2012 proposing a fourth rule:
4. Do they talk to each other for more than one minute?
Sarkeesian's analysis is informative and so relevant. Yes, the 2012 Oscars have passed, but this discussion of the portrayal of women in the media is necessary.
(The original video by Sarkeesian on the Bechedel Test can be found here).
Question: What are some of your all-time favorite movies, and do they pass?
I had to think about this.Some of my favorite films are (in no particular order):
SPOILER ALERT: You're about to see that my all-time, favorite, watch-on-a-bad-day movies are girly and cuddly, and will probably make you think less of me. I want to assure you, I'm aware, and I'm sorry I'm such a romantic sap.
- Mostly Martha (Original German Version): Definitely
- I Capture the Castle: Yes (but still mostly about romantic relationships)
- Joe versus the Volcano: Certainly not!
- A Room with a View: Yes
- When Harry Met Sally: No! Perhaps by a slim margin the original Bechdel test (Sally and Marie do have a moment or two not talking about men, I believe), but certainly not he updated version, which I think is a much better standard.
Why is it that all of my favorite comfort-media is so shallow and so god-damned heteronormative?
Some of my favorites don't do very well at all:
ReplyDeleteGlengarry Glen Ross: No female speaking parts at all
Inception: One of the two female speaking parts is imaginary and can only talk to Leonardo DiCaprio
The French Connection: No substantial female speaking parts that I can remember
Winter's Bone: Passes with Flying Colors
Harry and Walter Go to New York: No
The Princess Bride: No
The Matrix: No way
Anchorman: Kind of, though that scene in the Mexican restaurant is mostly about Ron
Do the Right Thing: No
So basically I need to check myself, here.
The RPGs I play, however, tend to do extremely well. Any Bioware game passes by a country mile if you make the PC female, and several (the Dragon Ages and Mass Effect 2) pass the stricter test even if the PC is male.