Comments on: The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/ Conversations with Pop Culture; feminist analysis of race, gender, class, sexuality and privilege in pop culture Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: The Bechdel Test « The Taser’s Edge http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-2187 The Bechdel Test « The Taser’s Edge Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:04:00 +0000 http://www.feministfrequency.com/?p=213#comment-2187 [...] 9,361 The Bechdel Test July 26, 2010, 1:00 am Filed under: Art,Books,Film,Life,Politics | Tags: fun home, alison bechdel, feminist frequency, the bechdel test, dykes to watch out for I got this from Kathryn who got it from Entertainment Weekly which got it from BoingBoing which got it from Feminist Frequency: [...] [...] 9,361 The Bechdel Test July 26, 2010, 1:00 am Filed under: Art,Books,Film,Life,Politics | Tags: fun home, alison bechdel, feminist frequency, the bechdel test, dykes to watch out for I got this from Kathryn who got it from Entertainment Weekly which got it from BoingBoing which got it from Feminist Frequency: [...]

]]> By: Kent http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-2141 Kent Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:46:17 +0000 http://www.feministfrequency.com/?p=213#comment-2141 I was surprised by some of the movies on this list and un-surprised by others. For the most part they are what they are, movies made for and marketed to men. I've seen most of them, and liked most of them. I can't help but feel however, that a worse perpetrator must be the Hollywood movies made for and marketed to women, the romantic comedies. I'm guessing a lot of these would fail the test as well, since the women seem to be always obsessed -- and always talking about -- finding a man. I like your site and although I don't agree with everything you say, this one is spot on. Hollywood movies are typically misogynistic, always heterosexual, and most often white. So where does the root of the problem lie? I can't help but think the producers would greenlight anything they thought would make a profit... and as far as I know, women are just as likely as men to spend their money on movies. If the movies aren't being made because they don't make a profit, why don't they? Again, it would seem the audience is there. I was surprised by some of the movies on this list and un-surprised by others. For the most part they are what they are, movies made for and marketed to men. I’ve seen most of them, and liked most of them.

I can’t help but feel however, that a worse perpetrator must be the Hollywood movies made for and marketed to women, the romantic comedies. I’m guessing a lot of these would fail the test as well, since the women seem to be always obsessed — and always talking about — finding a man.

I like your site and although I don’t agree with everything you say, this one is spot on. Hollywood movies are typically misogynistic, always heterosexual, and most often white.

So where does the root of the problem lie? I can’t help but think the producers would greenlight anything they thought would make a profit… and as far as I know, women are just as likely as men to spend their money on movies. If the movies aren’t being made because they don’t make a profit, why don’t they? Again, it would seem the audience is there.

]]> By: The Twilight Saga: Hate It, Love It, Deal With It « beauty dart http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-2105 The Twilight Saga: Hate It, Love It, Deal With It « beauty dart Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:41:17 +0000 http://www.feministfrequency.com/?p=213#comment-2105 [...] in my weekly Beauty in the Movies post, because although though the films can generally pass the Bedchel test, I can’t get behind Bella as a role model, I’m a child of the Buffy generation, and I [...] [...] in my weekly Beauty in the Movies post, because although though the films can generally pass the Bedchel test, I can’t get behind Bella as a role model, I’m a child of the Buffy generation, and I [...]

]]> By: The girl who looked up a lot of book titles for her blog post « mmmetropolis http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-2090 The girl who looked up a lot of book titles for her blog post « mmmetropolis Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:17:10 +0000 http://www.feministfrequency.com/?p=213#comment-2090 [...] female characters serving as supporting roles / love interests. The problem is well-documented by feminist culture critics. Comic artist Alison Bechdel created something called the Bechdel Test to determine if a film has [...] [...] female characters serving as supporting roles / love interests. The problem is well-documented by feminist culture critics. Comic artist Alison Bechdel created something called the Bechdel Test to determine if a film has [...]

]]> By: Feminist Fatale » Sex, Virtue and Restraining Orders in Twilight’s Eclipse http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-1968 Feminist Fatale » Sex, Virtue and Restraining Orders in Twilight’s Eclipse Fri, 02 Jul 2010 06:35:54 +0000 http://www.feministfrequency.com/?p=213#comment-1968 [...] Eclipse does pass the Bechdel Test (just barely) that’s definitely not enough to pass as a feminist film. As Ms.blogger Carmen [...] [...] Eclipse does pass the Bechdel Test (just barely) that’s definitely not enough to pass as a feminist film. As Ms.blogger Carmen [...]

]]> By: Anita http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-1480 Anita Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:22:06 +0000 http://www.feministfrequency.com/?p=213#comment-1480 I think it's more important to look at Hollywood then consumers. People are going to go to the movies that are available, I would never be able to watch the vast majority of TV shows or movies if I had to wait until something that looked truly interesting with good solid representations came out. If Hollywood changed the way they made movies, people would watch those as well and those changes could include solid and complex characters who are female, queer and people of colour. I think it’s more important to look at Hollywood then consumers. People are going to go to the movies that are available, I would never be able to watch the vast majority of TV shows or movies if I had to wait until something that looked truly interesting with good solid representations came out. If Hollywood changed the way they made movies, people would watch those as well and those changes could include solid and complex characters who are female, queer and people of colour.

]]> By: Yoda Mann http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-1448 Yoda Mann Sat, 19 Jun 2010 02:05:00 +0000 http://www.feministfrequency.com/?p=213#comment-1448 While the focus of this test is Hollywood, what's missing in the analysis is the second component... the consumer. After all, communication happens at three distinct points; the sender, the receiver and the message. What does this tell us about the consumer, both male and female? As Hollywood is a business having a profit motive and therefore tailors its message towards the consumer, doesn't this really tell us more about the paying consumers of mass culture more than anything else? While the focus of this test is Hollywood, what’s missing in the analysis is the second component… the consumer. After all, communication happens at three distinct points; the sender, the receiver and the message. What does this tell us about the consumer, both male and female? As Hollywood is a business having a profit motive and therefore tailors its message towards the consumer, doesn’t this really tell us more about the paying consumers of mass culture more than anything else?

]]> By: Beauty in the Movies: The Butcher’s Wife « beauty dart http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-1432 Beauty in the Movies: The Butcher’s Wife « beauty dart Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:50:52 +0000 http://www.feministfrequency.com/?p=213#comment-1432 [...] was perfect casting, and it is a sort of formulaic romantic comedy. All that being said, it passes the Bedchel test, it has an amazing supporting cast and when I saw how riled up some people on imdb got about the [...] [...] was perfect casting, and it is a sort of formulaic romantic comedy. All that being said, it passes the Bedchel test, it has an amazing supporting cast and when I saw how riled up some people on imdb got about the [...]

]]> By: Lily http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-904 Lily Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:40:07 +0000 http://www.feministfrequency.com/?p=213#comment-904 Wow, not many people can be funny while not doing anything - I'd thought that talented was limited to Jon Stewart and Sarah Haskins - but that video was fantastic. I've been doing a lot of research on the Bechdel test applied to contemporary media because I noticed that this conversation tends to be dominated by college-age and older feminists and wanted to put together an article on how to encourage young people to investigate their preferred movies and television shows. (It's finished now, if anyone is interested: http://teaching-media-literacy.suite101.com/article.cfm/a-bechdel-test-of-ones-own-modeling-feminist-critique-for-youth) Wow, not many people can be funny while not doing anything – I’d thought that talented was limited to Jon Stewart and Sarah Haskins – but that video was fantastic.
I’ve been doing a lot of research on the Bechdel test applied to contemporary media because I noticed that this conversation tends to be dominated by college-age and older feminists and wanted to put together an article on how to encourage young people to investigate their preferred movies and television shows. (It’s finished now, if anyone is interested: http://teaching-media-literacy.suite101.com/article.cfm/a-bechdel-test-of-ones-own-modeling-feminist-critique-for-youth)

]]> By: Movie trailer http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-862 Movie trailer Sat, 05 Jun 2010 07:14:30 +0000 http://www.feministfrequency.com/?p=213#comment-862 Sweet , I hope to see more from you guys and continue that great work that really inspires me. Sweet , I hope to see more from you guys and continue that great work that really inspires me.

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