tv shows that pass the bechdel test

SuperJail, unless JailBot is female. The movie: The all-singing, all-dancing movie adaptation of the stage musical Chicago (opens in new tab) sees Rene Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere sing their hearts out as two female jazz stars/murderesses and the amoral lawyer trying to get them off. To pass the Bechdel Test, two female characters who have names must have a conversation with each other about something other than a man. For a movie to pass The Bechdel Test, it must contain just one thing a scene in which two or more named female characters have a conversation (that is, back and forth dialogue) about anything at all besides men. Married With Children went in the other direction. This is straightforward, as the transcripts contain scene indicators, usually. The movie also includes Jess sister Pinky and a whole host of other named women on the football team, and besides that, the basic message of the movie is that women can do anything even become professional footballers. Theres glitter, spandex, and a lot of fighting. Advertisement How to. Imagine how tedious it would be if half of all of the films you watched never had any men who were important enough to be named in them? Bechdel Test | Know Your Meme Well, if you're looking for a female fish in the sea you'd be hard pressed to find one in Nemo's world. Washington Post, many films and TV shows fail the Bechdel Test (Rosenberg, 2015). Most of the cast is female. 95 percent of the characters are female, and they communicate with each other constantly throughout the series about non-male-centric topics. 1. Youll fall in love with these badass Black women who justget it. 2022 Galvanized Media. Besides Friends, Will and Grace, and Married With Children, the other shows have a lopsided number of male characters, so are unlikely to be left without a male-male storyline. Red flags that you're dealing with a man-child. If there were ever a female landing party member and a love interest for Kirk in the same episodethey usually just glared at each other. It covers domestic violence, marriage hardships, and the misconception of perfection. And, sure, maybe its not realistic to have female characters in historically accurate movies set on ships in the 18th century, such as 2003sMaster and Commander with Russell Crowe, which features zero females. It could have been so easy to write just ONE more female into the story. The test is named for Alison Bechdel, creator of the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, who made it known to the world with this strip. While Im pretty sure their husbands/boyfriends back home, and the 4077s doctors did come up, it was mostly about Margaret. And to be clear, passing doesnt mean the movies good or bad. Um, no. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. What Insecure does better than most shows is showcasing real vulnerability and raw honesty, and therein lies its beauty. Alison Bechdel Has Amended the Bechdel Test Just for The Wire had a lesbian couple, but they werent a focus. Stay tuned by signing up for our newsletter! TV shows tend to run far longer than movies and thus, most of them end up passing the Bechdel Test. The dramedy follows Issa, her best friend Molly, and their other girlfriends as they navigate life in Los Angeles. The best part about Girls is that the characters arent that likable. Tangled (rated PG): Rapunzel and Mother Gothel have enough interaction to help Tangled easily pass the test. Toy Story is such a beloved film to so many, but it unfortunately doesn't pass the test. PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie. Friends, Will and Grace, and Married With Children had more conversations between different gender characters than same gender. Its just to get people thinking about gender and how its presented in film. And it definitely passes the Bechdel test, with a diverse cast of women focusing on their careers and friendships. Disney Movies That Don't Pass the Bechdel Test Pinnochio Dumbo Bambi Lady and the Tramp The Sword in the Stone The Jungle Book The Fox and the Hound The Great Mouse Detective Oliver & Company Aladdin The Lion King A Goofy Movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame You were so very close, JamesCameron. When Ive seen people discussing the Bechdel test with regard to television, theyre usually talking about individual episodes and not the series as a whole. The movie: In this particular post-apocalyptic world, children are sent to battle to the death on TV. Even shows that are deemed feminist sometimes dont pass the testand, frankly, its frustrating. Oh and hey, Meryl Streep is going to be in Season 2. Spoiler alert: Her secret doesnt stay a secret, and when her real age is revealed, she has to figure out how to repair broken relationships. On June 30th, 2008, Jennifer Kesler . Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, (Episode III does still fail, though. *WaitShore Leave has two women on the planet at the same time. Sounds simple, right? But what makes this show pass the Bechdel test so handily is her relationship with her manager played by the brilliant Alex Borstein (she is everything). Absolutely. How it passes: Its true that Frozen (opens in new tab) only has two named female characters, but the movie is literally about them and their relationship to each other. Why? Aw, Sorkin, you charmer,you. Friends performs the best on the BT, and passes the full test in almost every episode. What is the Bechdel Test: And How to Actually Pass It - StudioBinder Through the artful presentation and deconstruction of implicit and explicit social mores, filmmaker Julia Ducournau forces us to confront the animal in all of us. Mark Zuckerberg and his buddies spend two hours screwing over each other and everyone else around them in pursuit of Facebook billions, apparently in an attempt to prove that nerds cant havefriends. How it passes: Both the main characters are named women, who talk to each other a lot about football, their families, and yes, occasionally boys. There were a few named female characters, but they were all minor enough that its plausible that they never talked to each other. It doesn't hurt that Rapunzel gets to do her fair share of saving the day. I dont think its really within the spirit of the test to count a brief conversation in a single episode of a TV series that ran for years as a pass. The measure sometimes is enhanced by adding that the two female characters be named in the film. While Enid occupies herself with finding him a girlfriend, she and Becky grow further apart. Often, the two women must be named, prominent characters to meet the criteria. Heres how it works. Pixar. Rachel Weber is the US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+ and lives in Brooklyn, New York. How it passes: Brilliantly, theres not a romantic relationship in sight in Ghostbusters. In a film about violence and mafiosos, Karen ( Lorraine Bracco) and Rosie ( Illeana Douglas) manage to squeeze in a Bechdel Test pass with a conversation about Florida. These 11 iconic films, including "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" and "Mean Girls," pass with flying colors. 11 Classic Movies That Pass the Bechdel Test - Teen Vogue Padme speaks to Shmi Skywalker in Episode I and to her handmaidens at various points in Episode II, and in both cases, they discuss things other than men. Irish sport images provided by Inpho Photography . Alison Brie's Ruth . Then again, its possible that the nurses exchanged at least a few lines complaining about their living conditions, talking about the war, etc., and a conversation about treating a patient who happens to be a man is arguably not really a conversation about a man. Thankfully, by Toy Story 3 Pixar had included a conversation between female characters that involved something other than men. Go ahead and watch a few episodes while at work. Let us know! First, the film must have at least two female characters. Toy Story is such a beloved film to so many, but it unfortunately doesn't pass the test. So if you want to watch a TV show that passes the Bechdel test and shows the full picture of what it means to be a woman, try turning on one of these TV shows about female friendship below. Fox Searchlight Pictures although I'm pretty sure Megillat Esther does not pass the Bechdel Test), the . In order to pass, the film or show must meet the following criteria: It includes at least two women, note who have at least one conversation, note about something other than a man or men. It doesntmatter. This is a function of the number of main characters of each gender available to take part in storylines: in the extreme case of Will and Grace, if the characters were split into two pairs, the only combination that allows same-gender conversations is Will-Jack and Grace-Karen, whereas as the other two possible pairings involve different-gender conversations. To pass, the work simply has . Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini form an unlikely friendship over, well, the death of Applegates late husband. Aaron Sorkin, the films writer, actually commented on the lack of three-dimensional female characters in an interview with Stephen Colbert, saying that the women are prizes. However, its not the case that these shows were full of male-male conversations without female involvement: as seen by the fact that no show lies below 0.8 on the y-axis, these shows had as many, or almost as many, male-female conversations, as male-male conversations. This test is passed much more frequently: almost every episode of each show passes (blue plus purple, below): However, Friends, Will and Grace, and Married With Children do show some episodes that pass the BT but not the male version (orange). Shes not like those other girls because shes basically one of the guys. Swedish cinemas take aim at gender bias with Bechdel test rating Movies need to pass test that gauges the active presence of women on screen in bid to promote gender equality Jennifer. For a movie to pass The Bechdel Test, it must contain just one thing - a. How it passes: The two leads, and indeed the majority of the cast, are women and the only time they really talk about men is when they briefly explain their crimes or discuss trying to get Geres Billy Flynn to represent them. The best movies that pass the Bechdel Test are the ones that really, truly, pass with all the flying colors. TH3 RUNDOWN. Over the years, there has been an increasing number of movies that pass the Bechdel test. New Line Cinema. The test asks whether a film features at least two women talking to each other about something other than a man. But, even though this movie passes the Bechdel Test, it doesn't pass the Dangerous Bear Trope Test. Harry and his friends (several of whom are female) begin making their final moves to take down Lord Voldemort. The rise in the overall number is due to increases in the percentages of women working as executive producers and producers. Seinfeld, Frasier, and The Office have more male than female main characters, so inevitably there are many more male-male than female-female conversations. New York? Having a lot of lines between different gender characters makes it harder to pass the BT; from this perspective, it is better to concentrate the male characters in one storyline/scene, and the female characters in another. None of the women in the movie ever talk to each other. But the shows that dont pass the test are about men who already have established careers, and so the relationships between women fall to the wayside. The only problem is, theres another bridesmaid trying to muscle in on her territory. Its clear that their relationships with each other, as well as with the larger community of human computers, gives them the support they use to succeed. Hm, Red Dwarf probably cuts it, too, with only one main character even arguably female, and very few appearances by any character not in the main cast. About something other than a man. Now, thats not to say that theyre all friends or even that their relationships are all healthy. There's a third named female character, Agent Maria Hill (Colbie Smulders), but she only directs orders to her staff and there's no dialogue. HBOs teen show Euphoria shocked viewers with its extremely adult storylines. Scared her people will turn on her, she runs away and loses emotional control plunging the Kingdom into an eternal winter. Happily there have been some absolutely stellar standouts as of late which not only pass the Bechdel test, but also move beyond this low bar into portraying powerful and moving performances with real substance and impactful storytelling. Yes, Good Girls is about three women who find themselves caught in an organized crime ringyet its not that dark (except for a few scenes). Why the Bechdel Test Fails Feminism | HuffPost College and TV shows. Another Best Picture Oscar winner that despite being groundbreaking in its representation of a gay black man, fails to have two women with names having one single teeny-tiny conversation about anything. The Bechdel Test is a measure of gender bias in movies. Mrs. Maisel is about a woman who is getting a divorce from her husband who cheated on her and finds her voice as a comic in the 1950s/60s and to be clear, she is definitely seen as a female comic. Shes also right pretty much all of the time and her male captains need to listen to her more often. Have we missed anything? Will and Grace also scores highly, through Grace-Karen and to a lesser extent Karen-Rosario conversations. Seriously, in the entire 10-hour trilogy, no two female characters ever actually speak to each other. Despite all the bitchy girl-on-girl crime that goes on though, at its heart this film is about female friendships and how complicated they can be. That said, I wouldnt be terribly surprised if MASH** didnt pass even that loose version of the test. Wire service provided by AFP and Press Association. But not dwelling on that, the show quite obviously passes the Bechdel Test, with a strong . Amongst civil unrest and economic collapse, Theo unwittingly becomes responsible for a young pregnant refugee, Kee, who he must protect against all odds. Was it perfect? It gets uncomfortable at times, but their stellar performances keep us glued. The women of this show are complex and the show does a wonderful job of passing the Bechdel test, focusing on their friendships, their careers, their kids. Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, adapted from Margaret Atwood's critically acclaimed novel of the same name, does justice to the book which cannot be said about most TV/film adaptations out there. Lauren OCallaghan. Kate McKinnon was everything. There had never been a movie with 100% Black ownership to make over $100 million, so that this also passed the Bechdel test is massive. Marvel Studios. services and The twentysomething BFFs navigate life in New York City while getting into the most bizarre yet weirdly relatable situations. Honestly, if you dont know this, then I hope that 35-year coma was really peaceful andlovely. Directed by Amy Poehler, Moxie is an overt rebellion against the toxic patriarchal systems that are rife in youth culture. Then it might be kinda shocking to find out that out of 2,500 movies, only about half pass the test. Note: Your privacy is important to us, so please know that your information will always remain confidential! Why? So viewers would expect it to pass the Bechdel test with flying colors - and it does. Pen15 might give you flashbacks to being a preteen. 20th Century Fox We are now operating in a virtual space, but we can still honor and name the physical spaces we all inhabit. It's commonly used as a commentary about the lack of female representation in Hollywood. I have compiled my ten movies and tv shows that have crushed the Bechdel test. Eat Sleep Die (2012) US cartoonist Alison Bechdel came up with the test in a 1985 comic strip: to pass, a film must have two female characters who speak about something other than a man. Most of them fail, even ones full of female characters. At a time when toxic masculinity is still very much alive and well, this entire show is a breath of fresh air. 14 surprising movies that pass the Bechdel Test | EW.com Not only are the relationships between the female characters strong and loving (see: Rebecca and Keeley, Nora, Noras mom Sassy, and the powerful moments between Rebecca and her mother), one might argue that Teds lack of patriarchal bullshit is what makes him a part of the feminist society ideal that many of us wish for. According to the . I havent sat down to do a critical analysis or anything, but I bet 95% of Breaking Bad episodes would fail the test. While reading a critical review of a popular show which noted that it didn't pass the Bechdel Test, it occurred to me, a long time fan of Hannibal Although they spend a good portion of the film apart they still manage to have a many conversations about important things like their love for each other and saving their Kingdom from a perpetual winter. Did it miss the mark on some topics? YAS! Toy Story 1 & 2. 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. The Bechdel Test, Bechdel-Wallace Test, or the Mo Movie Measure [1], is a sort of litmus test for female presence in movies and TV. Bechdel test - Wikipedia Refine See titles to watch instantly, titles you haven't rated, etc 79 titles 1. In order to pass the test, a film must feature at least two women who speak to each other on a subject that does not revolve around men. Seems simple enough, right? At this point in time, the SGO team is fully remote, and we are located across the United States. The Good FightWe were fans of The Good Wife, and when The Good Fight aired, we were excited to see some of our favorite characters back and connecting with each other in fascinating and exciting ways. Data scientist and former climate physicist, with special interest in politics and sports analytics, Having acquired hundreds of sitcom episode transcripts. How it passes: Although we dont hear The Brides real name until about halfway through the second movie, her codename is enough to set her apart as a named character. How is that hard to write? 483623. The Bechdel test is a simple test to evaluate films (and other media) for portrayals of women. I remember Skyler and Marie in early seasons arguing about Maries shop lifting. A Medium publication sharing concepts, ideas and codes. New Line Cinema It shows what women can do when theyre on the same side with the same goal. Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, So How Many Disney Movies Pass the Bechdel Test? - Her Campus The Bechdel test ( / bkdl / BEK-dl) [1] is a measure of the representation of women in film (and, by extension, in fiction in general). (Though it should be called the Bechdel-Wallace test, according to the lesbian cartoonist Alison Bechdel, who helped create it.) If you were ever looking for a film that could pass the Bechdel Test, this would be it. Bechdel Test - Film Theory Here's 10 from the past 25 year that may surprise you. Most are finallypassing the Bechdel test, aka a test that analyzes a scene where two or more women talk about anything else other than men. If you need a reminder of how strong women are, then turn on Glow. When they do interact its usually to talk about their place in society with regards to the men and their plans. The Bechdel Test and the Television Shows That Pass - ENTITY policy. for the content of external websites. A few years ago, we compiled a list of recent TV shows and movies that pass the Bechdel test and thought it was time to revisit this with a focus on TV we live in a golden age of television! The series based on Robert Jordans epic series begins with the premise of a world ruled by women who have to deal with a lot of very bad men. Ghostbusters (The one with all the women)We loved the 2016 Ghostbusters. In three films, none of them says a word to each other. Sex and drugs are a large part of the show, but so are friendships, as Rue, Jules, Lexi, Kat, Cassie, and Maddy dominate the series. Where this show shines with regard to the Bechdel test is her relationship with her first captain Philippa Georgiou, and then further on with Captain Tilly. In a world where superhero movies reign supreme, it's hard to imagine any of them not passing the Bechdel Test. Breaking out the results by show and season and plotting against broadcast year, there is some sign of an upward trend. InsecureThe real love between Issa and Molly gives us all the feels like all of them. Rate. The movie: Jess loves football, but she comes from an orthodox Sikh background, which means her traditional parents want her to give up playing and go to university, become a doctor, and marry a nice Indian boy. The Bechdel test was designed by cartoonist Alison Bechdel in 1985. 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In 1985, American cartoonist Alison Bechdel included the idea for the Bechdel test (also known as the BechdelWallace test) in a comic strip called The Rule. The TV shows that have captivated audiences in lockdown include Unorthodox, Normal People, Killing Eve and I May Destroy You. Emma Stone chills, sings, dances and colour-coordinates her outfits with her three gal pals, buuuut the friends themselves are never named. Scoring sitcoms on the Bechdel test | by David Mulholland | Towards Pixar's record in general is pretty poor. Especially the last season, with its female villain. It has to have at least two [named] women in it 2. Who talk to each other 3. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, She quips that the last film she was able to go see was Alien in 1979. But even then, she doesnt really speak. Next up, consideration of film beyond this basic test. Bechdel Test Movie List Kee talks to revolutionary leader Julian and her midwife Miriam at many points throughout the movie, and its almost never about a man. 10 Kids' Movies that Pass the Bechdel Test | ParentMap What Is the Bechdel Test and How Will It Help Your Writing? Shes got a bit of a grudge. Some of the most popular films of all time fail The Bechdel Test, and often for reasons you may have never considered. Why Are Films Failing The Bechdel Test When TV Has Progressed?