A litmus test of sorts to check for any substantial, meaningful and influential female presence (if any!) in movies, especially the popular blockbusters. The Bechdel test consists of 3 really simple questions: Are there more than 2 named female characters in the movie? Do they even talk to each other? Do they talk about something other than men? While these 3 questions seem rather basic or redundant, you will be surprised and in my case a tad astonished to discover just how many movies – including many Oscar-winning movies and box-office hits – that all completely fail the Bechdel Test.  Appalling. Kinda reveals and sheds a little stage-light (spot-light’s on the dudes mostly sadly) on how women are perceived and perhaps even treated in the movie industry. What’s worse??? Besides women being generally under-represented, the stereotypical characters they play may shape our own perception of women’s roles and responsibilities subconsciously. So I tried applying this test to the current movies being screened at home, in Singapore…and I er…gave up. GAH. Hmm..do The Runaways count? So pray tell…what’s the last movie you caught that passed the Bechdel test?

A litmus test of sorts to check for any substantial, meaningful and influential female presence (if any!) in movies, especially the popular blockbusters.

The Bechdel test consists of 3 really simple questions:

  1. Are there more than 2 named female characters in the movie?
  2. Do they even talk to each other?
  3. Do they talk about something other than men?

While these 3 questions seem rather basic or redundant, you will be surprised and in my case a tad astonished to discover just how many movies – including many Oscar-winning movies and box-office hits – that all completely fail the Bechdel Test.  Appalling. Kinda reveals and sheds a little stage-light (spot-light’s on the dudes mostly sadly) on how women are perceived and perhaps even treated in the movie industry. What’s worse??? Besides women being generally under-represented, the stereotypical characters they play may shape our own perception of women’s roles and responsibilities subconsciously.

So I tried applying this test to the current movies being screened at home, in Singapore…and I er…gave up. GAH. Hmm..do The Runaways count?

So pray tell…what’s the last movie you caught that passed the Bechdel test?