The Bechdel Test is a simple way to gauge the active presence of female characters in Hollywood films and just how well rounded and complete those roles are.  It was created by Allison Bechdel in her comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For in 1985.  It is astonishing the number of popular movies that can’t pass this simple test.  It demonstrates how women’s complex and interesting lives are underrepresented or non existent in the film industry.  We have jobs, creative projects, friendships and struggles among many other things that are actually interesting in our lives… so Hollywood, start writing about it!

Check out other great blogs and commentary about the Bechdel Test:

1. The Bechdel Test Movie List: here you can find a long, long list of movies and where they rate on the Bechdel Test.
2. Why Film Schools Teach Screenwriters Not to Pass the Bechdel Test‘s by Jennifer Kesler.  This is a must read – exposing the systemic problems of the film industry starting with film school.
3. See the original comic strip “The Rule” here.
4. You can visit Allison Bechdel’s site here and I highly recommend her graphic novel Fun Home
5. Over at the Blog “The Angry Black Woman” she adapted the Bechdel Test to apply to race.  Take a look: The Bechdel Test and Race in Popular Fiction

This video has English subtitles on YouTube and is available to be translated at DotSub into many different language.  Please help reach global audiences by translating!

The Bechdel Test for Women and Movies Transcript

The Bechdel Test or the Mo Movie Measure is a type of litmus test to assess the presence of women in movies.  It originated from Allison Bechdel’s comic “Dykes to Watch Out For” in 1985.  Here’s how it works, a movie just has to pass these three simple questions: the first, are there two or more women in it who have names, the second, do they talk to each other, and the third, do they talk to each other about something other then a man.

It’s quite extraordinary actually how many movies don’t pass this test cause it’s not even a sign of whether its a feminist movie or whether its a good movie just that there is female presence in it and that they actually are engaging about things other then men.

To prove that this is actually a systemic problem and not just a few movies here and there, I can show you a couple films that don’t pass the test.

The Dark Knight
District 9
Slumdog Millionaire
Terminator Salvation
GI Joe
Shrek
Watchmen
Bourne Supremacy
Bourne Identity
Transformers
Bruno
Hackers
Ghostbusters
The Big Lebowski
Wall-E
Wanted
Ocean’s Twelve
Clerks
Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2 and 3
Austin Powers 1, 2 and 3
Men in Black
Fight Club
The Fifth Element
The Princess Bride
Hellboy 2
Milk
The Wedding Singer
Shawshank Redemption
Reservoir Dogs
Point Break
Quantum of Solace 007
Indiana Jones
Alien 3
Lord of the Rings 1, 2 and 3
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
The Truman Show
From Dusk till Dawn
Trainspotting
Mission Impossible
Braveheart
Toy Story
Gladiator
X Men
Wolverine
When Harry Met Sally
Back to the Future 1, 2 and 3
Tomb Raider
Pulp Fiction
Interview with the Vampire
Seven
Home Alone
Up

Okay you get the point, this is only just a few films out of the many films that don’t pass this test.  When I call it a systemic problem what I mean by this is that it’s not just a few people here and there that don’t like women, or don’t want women’s stories told, but rather the entire industry is built upon creating films and movies that cater to and are about men.

Next time you go to the movies just ask yourself these few questions.  Are there two or more women in it and do they have names?  Do they talk to each other?  And do they talk to each other about something other then a man?

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Here is an easy to follow guide for the guys on the right versus the wrong reasons to hate on Twilight.  With the release of New Moon, there has been an awful lot of sexist, homophobic, patriarchal crap floating around the internet and I just wanted to set the record straight.

Check out other great blogs and commentary about the Twilight Series:

1. The creator of Buffy vs Edward (and my partner!) also wrote What Would Buffy Do? Notes on Dusting Edward Cullen about why he made the remix.
2. Bite Me or Don’t over at Bitch Media is a great look at the repercussions of this new wave of young adult fiction and what the author is calling abstinence porn.
3. Twilight’s Bella Swan is a Feminist’s Worst Nightmare breaks down the many troubling aspects of Bella’s character

This video can be viewed with English subtitles at DotSub and is available to be translated into other languages.

The Real Reasons Guys Should Hate Twilight Transcript

I just want to clear up a little confusion with the guys about the right reasons and the wrong reasons to hate on Twilight.  These are the wrong reasons:

Clip: Ben Hoffman at Infomania
Ben: Thought it was gonna be about a bunch of badass vampires who wanted to kill people and drink their blood, but no it was some teenage p**&% who didn’t want to kill people instead he just wanted to be sensitive and play piano.
Game Show Buzzer Sound

Clip: The Spill Crew
Man: That’s why I like the werewolves because when the vampire start like saying “I can’t be with you because I’m too sensitive and I’m risking our lives”
Woman scream
Man: The werewolves come in and ‘f*&% the vampires’
Game Show Buzzer Sound

And then also the endless array of “He’s so gay” comments on YouTube”
Game Show Buzzer Sound

So just to recap the wrong reasons are that Edward is too sensitive, that he’s gay, and that he’s not violent enough.  The right reasons however, are that Edward is a creepy, manipulative, controlling, overprotective, stalker.  Ultimately what you dude’s are saying is that in addition to being emotionally abuse you want Edward to be violent, sadistic and physically abusive.

So next time you are with your buddies talking about how much you hate Twilight, you can just repeat after me.  I hate Twilight because Edward is a creepy, manipulative, overprotective stalker.