Two Women Walk into a bar...
But there can't be a bartender.
The Bechdel Test is a simple yet effective tool for analyzing gender representation in movies and TV shows. It originated from a comic strip by Alison Bechdel called "Dykes to Watch Out For" in 1985. The comic featured two female characters discussing their preference for watching movies with at least two women who have a conversation that isn't about a man. This idea was then coined the "Bechdel Test" by Liz Wallace in her review of the comic.
The criteria for passing the Bechdel Test are simple: a movie or TV show must have at least two named female characters who have a conversation about something other than a man. Despite its simplicity, the Bechdel Test has become an important measure for analyzing representation of women in media. It is often used to highlight the underrepresentation of women and the prevalence of gender stereotypes in movies and TV shows.
The three criteria of the Bechdel test, as originally written in the strip, are:
Firstly, it has to have at least two women in it.
Secondly, both these women need to have a conversation.
Lastly, it has to be about something besides a man.
One of the main criticisms of the Bechdel Test is that it only focuses on the representation of women and ignores other important factors such as racial and ethnic diversity, LGBTQ+ representation, and disability representation. By solely focusing on the representation of women, the Bechdel Test may overlook the lack of representation of other marginalized groups.
Another criticism of the Bechdel Test is that it doesn't necessarily indicate whether a movie or TV show is feminist or promotes positive representations of women. While a movie may pass the Bechdel Test by featuring two women having a conversation about something other than a man, it doesn't necessarily mean that the representation of women in the movie is positive or empowering.
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