Coined in 1985, the Bechdel Test aimed to reveal the sexist tropes that ran rampant in Hollywood films. Nearly 40 years later, though, female representation in film remains a common issue.
Talking about female representation in cinema is a dicey endeavor. On one hand, film reviewers are looking at movies through a feminist lens and finding them to be lacking. On the other hand, there are die-hard fans upset whenever their beloved franchises are replaced with female characters.
RELATED: At Only 18, Billie Eilish Takes A Powerful Stance For Women
With a topic so complex and so divisive, it can be helpful to turn to pre-made rubrics to determine how well a film represents marginalized groups. Do female characters talk about more than men? Are LGBTQ+ characters more than a stereotype? Are the characters more necessary than a lamp?When it comes to measuring the representation of women in film, the most famous evaluation is the Bechdel Test. But what exactly is it, and how do you pass?
What Is the Bechdel Test?
The Bechdel (pronounced beck-dell) Test was first created in 1985 by cartoonist Allison Bechdel. 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. She quips that the last film she was able to go see was Alien in 1979.
RELATED: Emma Watson Invites Men And Women To Work Together
To pass the Bechdel Test, a movie has to meet three criteria. The film must have at least two female characters whose names the audience knows. At some point in the film, they must speak to one another. And the conversation has to be about anything besides a man.
That’s it. That’s the whole test. It sounds bizarrely simple! And yet most films still fall short of passing the test.
The Bechdel Test in Action
A classic example of a film that passes the Bechdel Test with flying colors is The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy talks with women throughout the film. Though she does talk about the eponymous Wizard of Oz with Glinda the Good Witch, all of her other discussions with female characters in the film focus on anything but men. The women in the story have motivations beyond nabbing a man, and the movie is more interesting for it.
RELATED: The Women Who Spoke Out Against Harvey Weinstein
An example of a film that oddly fails the Bechdel Test is Marvel’s Avengers. The film only has three named female characters — Maria Hill, Natasha Romanoff, and Pepper Potts — who never interact with each other.
Given director Joss Whedon’s past experience with properties like Buffy the Vampire Slayer — though admitting he’s been a controversial figure for his treatment of women on-set since — it’s not surprising that all three characters are shown to be strong and multi-dimensional, but they spend the whole film surrounded by an overwhelmingly male cast.
To their credit, over a dozen Marvel films do pass the Bechdel Test, and the films portray varied and nuanced depictions of women.
Even the acclaimed 2018 film A Star is Born failed the Bechdel test miserably. While Lady Gaga’s character is a force to be reckoned with, the only time she speaks to another woman is about her love interest.
The Problems and Flaws with the Bechdel Test
The Bechdel Test was never meant to be a definitive standard by which all films should be judged. A good film with feminist themes can fail the Bechdel Test or a highly sexist film to pass it.
Showgirls is problematic from start to finish and yet it easily passes the Bechdel Test. Mean Girls also passes and also presents mature, feminist themes. Meanwhile, 2013’s Gravity fails the Bechdel Test despite closely following a female protagonist (in its defense, the film only has two characters).
The Bechdel Test isn’t a perfect measurement, but it’s worth taking a look at.
RELATED: 105 Strong Women Quotes to Celebrate Feminine Power
The Bechdel Test is best used as a jumping-off point in considering the female representation in a film. It’s considered more of a thought experiment. If a film fails, why does it fail? Are the female characters written in such a way that they only exist to fill a role in a man’s story? Are they only shown to be interested in romantic relationships? Or are there so few women in the movie that they don’t even get the chance to interact?
The 2022 rom-com Hulu film Fire Island is a case in point. The story follows two queer Asian men with little ‘adequate’ and ‘stereotypical female representation’ according to one Twitter user. Bechdel herself responded with, “Okay, I just added a corollary to the Bechdel test: Two men talking to each other about the female protagonist of an Alice Munro story in a screenplay structured on a Jane Austen novel = pass”.
Why the Bechdel Test Still Matters
Given that the Bechdel Test is almost 40 years old, it’s easy to assume it’s become obsolete. After all, female representation in media must have improved in the last four decades, right?
Well, of course, it has. Particularly as female directors are allowed more opportunities to tell their stories, audiences have become accustomed to seeing stronger, more nuanced portrayals of women on the silver screen. That said, we haven’t progressed nearly as far as we’d like to think.
RELATED: How Dance Moms Star JoJo Siwa Overcame Hate to Become a Powerful LGBTQ+ Icon
Hollywood still has a way to go when it comes to female representation. Despite making up half the population, female characters made up only 34% of all speaking roles in 2021. Of those roles, 6 out of 10 were white women, and women of color were only represented in a handful of films, such as In the Heights and Encanto.
And while there are more female directors now than in previous decades, there are still relatively few of them. According to a report by Forbes, of the 100 top-grossing films of 2021, only 12% had female directors. With relatively few female characters and even fewer female filmmakers getting a chance to tell their stories, modern cinema still has room for growth.
Other Versions of the Bechdel Test
It’s worth noting that the Bechdel Test was first referenced by a lesbian character. It was designed in part to help us evaluate films from a queer female perspective. Since most films still follow a male protagonist, gay women (whose interests, understandably, often don’t involve a straight man) continue to struggle for positive representation in media – that is, when they’re represented at all.
Unsurprisingly, other marginalized groups have their measurements for representation in film. Some were even inspired by the Bechdel Test! Deggans’ Rule (also called the Race Bechdel Test) measures the representation of people of color in a movie. To pass Deggans’ Rule, a movie has to include at least two characters of color while not focusing on race-related themes.
RELATED: The Powerful Story Behind Betty White’s Refusal to Remove a Black Dancer From Her Show
Then there’s the Vito Russo Test, also referred to as the gay Bechdel Test. If a movie features an overtly gay character who has more characterization than just their orientation and gender identity, and their presence isn’t so inconsequential that they can’t be easily edited out, then it passes the Vito Russo Test.
Other tests speak to the typical quality of female representation in film. The hilariously-named Sexy Lamp Test prompts movie-goers to ask themselves if a female character couldn’t be swapped out with a novelty lamp without altering the plot.
To pass the Mako Mori Test, a film must have at least one female lead, who undergoes a character arc that isn’t focused on a male character.
All of these tests point to the same message, the Bechdel test is not perfect and Hollywood has a great opportunity to tell rich, original, compelling stories. They just have to portray (and hire) a wider array of people.
KEEP READING:
Ellen Degeneres’ Riskiest Move Changed Everything – But Almost Doomed Her Career
FAQs
What is the Bechdel Test and why does it matter? ›
The Bechdel test is used to measure the representation of women in media by looking at whether or not there are two named female characters that have a conversation about something other than men. What is this? It's also known as the Mo Movie Measure after cartoonist Alison Bechdel created it.
How do you pass the Bechdel Test? ›Rules of the Bechdel Test
According to the original comic, the three rules are: The movie must have at least two women in it. The women must talk to each other. Their discussion must be about something other than a man.
The Bechdel test is an informal way to evaluate bias against women in films and other media. A work is said to pass the Bechdel test if it 1) has two (named) women, who 2) talk to each other about 3) something other than a man.
Does the Bechdel Test matter? ›While the test isn't perfect, it does encourage us to consider how women are presented in media in relation to their male counterparts. The Bechdel-Wallace Test doesn't fix the problem. Instead, it simply opens the door to broader discussions of the roles of women in front of and behind the scenes.
Do the Harry Potter movies pass the Bechdel Test? ›While the Harry Potter series passes the Bechdel test, it doesn't pass it as easily as other books with strong females. Hermione's two best friends, Harry and Ron, are boys, and the majority of the book follows the trio through their adventures.
How useful is the Bechdel Test? ›This 3-rule test is used as a way to track the active presence of women in films and fiction and target the issue of gender inequality. A lot of media studies indicate that those who pass the test have better chances at becoming financial successes.
Does Top Gun pass the Bechdel test? ›Top Gun Maverick was pure frothy entertainment and it was great! Also, it passed the Bechdel test 'though only in the most minimally scraping over the line way. On the positive side, the women in the movie weren't just servants in the men's stories.
What percent of Disney movies pass the Bechdel test? ›While it can be a great tool, it is not the end all be all, and relies solely on the interactions and relationships between women in film. Of course, this is not a comprehensive list, but out of the 40 films referenced, only 19 failed the Bechdel test, making for a solid 52.5% pass rate in Disney films.
Do most movies pass the Bechdel test? ›There are 9802 movies in the database, 5594 (57.1%) of which pass all three tests, 1000 (10.2%) pass two tests, 2124 (21.7%) pass one test and 1084 (11.1%) pass no tests at all.
What is the Bechdel test simple explanation? ›The Bechdel test (/ˈbɛkdəl/ BEK-dəl) is a measure of the representation of women in film (and, by extension, in fiction in general). The test asks whether a film features at least two women talking to each other about something other than a man.
How many movies fail Bechdel? ›
On bechdeltest.com, a site for crowdsourcing Bechdel Test results, about 40% of films don't pass.
Does the Batman pass the Bechdel test? ›With a total of three named female characters, one zip-tied in the District Attorney's trunk and the other a mayoral candidate with a story arc flatter than Kansas, “The Batman” passes the Bechdel Test on only a technicality.
Does Doctor Strange 2 pass the Bechdel test? ›Strange and his ex-girlfriend Christine Palmer felt weird and forced. For a movie with so many strong female characters, it did not even pass the Bechdel test.
Does Shrek pass the Bechdel Test? ›Shrek (2001)
One of the most beloved animated films of all time, the tale of our favorite layered ogre (co-directed by Vicky Jenson) doesn't pass the test.
This movie passed 3 of 3 tests.
Does the book of Ruth pass the Bechdel Test? ›Of particularly modern interest is the fact that Ruth is the only book of the Hebrew Bible that passes the Bechdel Test.
Does the last of us pass the Bechdel test? ›Despite The Last of Us depicting a post-pandemic U.S. with most of the country's population dead, it still manages to pass the Bechdel test. That would be the simple, three-part checklist to determine if a work of fiction has a basic presence of female characters who engage in something besides men.
Does cars fail the Bechdel Test? ›This movie passed 1 of 3 tests (although dubious).
Does Stranger Things 1 pass the Bechdel Test? ›Stranger Things (2016)
This movie passed 3 of 3 tests. It was entered by Sealoa Vandergulik on 2022-05-31 13:55:51.
Perhaps surprisingly, for a movie so concerned with Prince Charming's affections, Cinderella passes the Bechdel Test. This is mainly thanks to conversations between some of Disney's worst siblings, Anastasia and Drizella, as well as with Lady Tremaine and Cinderella herself.
Does frozen pass the Bechdel test? ›
Given that Frozen is not your typical Disney love story by any means, it makes a ton of sense that it passes the Bechdel Test.
Do all the Twilight movies pass the Bechdel test? ›When one considers movies like '50 Shades Of Grey' and 'Twilight', the first thing one thinks of is hardly female empowerment. But they pass the Bechdel Test! Both of these movies fulfil all three requirements, which brings us to wondering whether the conditions of the Bechdel Test need some serious revision.
Does Twilight pass the Bechdel test? ›This movie passed 3 of 3 tests.
Did Titanic pass the Bechdel test? ›The film industry has always struggled with the kind of gender equality the Bechdel test measures. I went to bechdeltest.com to see how Hollywood measured up. 1. Of the ten highest-grossing films of all time, only three pass the test (Titanic, Skyfall, Transformers: Dark of the Moon).
Does Black Panther pass the Bechdel test? ›Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
This movie passed 3 of 3 tests.
Bechdel Test:
The hunger games does pass The Bechdel Test.
- Are there at least two named female characters?
- Do they speak to each other?
- Do they speak to each other about something other than a male "love" interest?
The Test is still invaluable — precisely because so many films (and books) fail it. It's not a film-by-film metric, it's a barometer showing where we are in general. And it forces you to think, in aggregate, about why so many films would fail.
What is the first question used in the Bechdel Test? ›The Bechdel-Wallace Test — more commonly abbreviated to the Bechdel Test — asks two simple questions of a movie: Does it have at least two named female characters? And do those characters have at least one conversation that is not about a man? A surprising number of films fail the test.
Does Spongebob pass the Bechdel Test? ›This movie passed 3 of 3 tests.
Does Elvis pass the Bechdel Test? ›
Elvis (2022)
This movie passed 1 of 3 tests. It was entered by Raphael on 2022-07-04 23:04:12.
Surprisingly, the first two "Toy Story" movies can't hold up to the Bechdel Test, and neither can "The Little Mermaid," "Bambi," or "Monsters, Inc."
Does Harley Quinn pass the Bechdel test? ›Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey passes the Bechdel Test in the right ways - Polygon.
Does Thor pass bechdel test? ›Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
This movie passed 3 of 3 tests. It was entered by Doctor John Smith on 2022-07-08 10:42:58.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Incredibles, Brave, Toy Story 3, and A Bug's Life are the only Pixar films that pass the test. Meanwhile all of Pixar's films feature a wealth of male characters who have interactions centered on a variety of topics.
Does Deadpool pass the Bechdel? ›Deadpool passes because it features a pansexual character with significant facial burns as a protagonist (Wade Wilson).
Does the Addams Family pass the Bechdel Test? ›The Addams Family (1991)
This movie passed 3 of 3 tests.
This time, I knew I deserved to be there, and the love that I received at the premiere confirmed it. The best part of the experience was the movie. It was so loud, so gay, AND passed the Bechdel Test. This movie confirmed what I had been feeling for a while, that it was time to share who I am with the world.
Why the Bechdel test is more important than you realize? ›The Test is still invaluable — precisely because so many films (and books) fail it. It's not a film-by-film metric, it's a barometer showing where we are in general. And it forces you to think, in aggregate, about why so many films would fail.
What was the impact of the Bechdel test? ›According to their results, movies that pass the Bechdel test achieve lower box office earnings. Sap et al. (2017) applied the Bechdel test to 7772 film scripts and found that films in which female characters speak with high authority are less likely to pass the test.
What are the 3 criteria required to pass the Bechdel test? ›
Note: The usual criteria of the Bechdel Test are (1) that at least two women are featured, (2) that these women talk to each other, and (3) that they discuss something other than a man.
What are the 3 of the questions viewers should ask when using the Bechdel test? ›- Are there at least two named female characters?
- Do they speak to each other?
- Do they speak to each other about something other than a male "love" interest?
While it can be a great tool, it is not the end all be all, and relies solely on the interactions and relationships between women in film. Of course, this is not a comprehensive list, but out of the 40 films referenced, only 19 failed the Bechdel test, making for a solid 52.5% pass rate in Disney films.
Do Disney princess movies pass the Bechdel test? ›Despite being so heavily marketed to young girls, a stunning majority of Disney movies fail to pass the Bechdel test — or even come close. Unnamed women appear in the song “One Jump Ahead,” bearing the stunning names of “UGLY FAT LADY” and “HAREM” in the official script.
What is a weakness of the Bechdel test? ›Problems with the Bechdel (Wallace) Test. The first problem with the Bechdel (Wallace) Test is that it only analyzes the film for female presence without considering the context or message of the film. Because of the loose requirements, films that have nothing to do with feminism can pass the test.
Do the Shrek movies pass the Bechdel test? ›Shrek (2001)
One of the most beloved animated films of all time, the tale of our favorite layered ogre (co-directed by Vicky Jenson) doesn't pass the test. But don't worry: The sequels do!
We can look at the results for each show, broken down by test step. (Episodes with scene breaks not properly detected are excluded from the step 1 calculation; this applies to all The Office episodes, so no step 1 point is drawn.) Friends performs the best on the BT, and passes the full test in almost every episode.
What is the first question used in the Bechdel test? ›The Bechdel-Wallace Test — more commonly abbreviated to the Bechdel Test — asks two simple questions of a movie: Does it have at least two named female characters? And do those characters have at least one conversation that is not about a man? A surprising number of films fail the test.