What's The Bechdel Test?
It's a test to see whether women are substantively represented in film. Read More »
Back in 1985, cartoonist Alison Bechdel drew a “Dykes To Watch Out For” cartoon describing the three rules that govern whether or not she will see a movie, which she called “The Bechdel Test“:
- It has to have two women in it who have names,
- Who talk to each other,
- About something besides a man.
Bechdel’s point was that the majority of mainstream films relegate women to the role of “girlfriend,” “wife” or “princess in a tower who needs to be saved by a knight in shining arming” and this is problematic for women’s substantive representation in film. Unfortunately, 25 years later, a lot of movies still don’t pass the Bechdel test, including 2012 Oscar nominees. Keep reading »
