History MediaNotes / TheBechdelTest

* Creator/MichelleRodriguez threatened to leave the ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' movie franchise after the eighth movie unless [[MostWritersAreMale the writers]] "[[http://ew.com/movies/2017/06/27/michelle-rodriguez-threatens-leave-fast-furious/ decide to show some love to the women of the franchise on the next one. Or I just might have to say goodbye to a loved franchise]]."
-->'''Rodriguez:''' I've been making movies with [[Creator/JordanaBrewster Jordana]], who plays the sister of [[Creator/VinDiesel Dominic Toretto]], for 16 years, and I can count on one hand how many lines I've had with her. I think that's pathetic, and it's lack of creativity.

* [[http://www.themarysue.com/star-trek-bechdel-test/ This article]] applies the Bechdel Test to ''Franchise/StarTrek''. Unsurprisingly, ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' has the lowest passrate (7.5%); somewhat surprisingly, ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', a prequel made 50 years later, has the second-lowest (39%). This is probably because these two series only went from TheSmurfettePrinciple, with only one female on the main cast for TOS (Creator/NichelleNichols as Uhura) to TwoGirlsToATeam for Enterprise (Linda Park as Hoshi Sato and Jolene Blalock as T'Pol). ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' has the highest (86.9%), and also the only season to have a 100% passrate (season 5); whether by coincidence or not, it's also the only ''Trek'' with a female captain (Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway).

Curious about the pronunciation of Bechdel? [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test According]] to Wiki/TheOtherWiki it's like "BEK-dal" (/ˈbɛkdəl/), but Bechdel herself has [[http://www.thereader.ca/2008/07/rhymes-with-rectal-alison-bechdel.html said it rhymes with "rectal"]].[[note]]Cue all the jokes about it being so because to adhere to it is a pain in the ass.[[/note]] Well, they're almost the same, anyhow.

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'': In [[Machinima/RedVsBlueTheShisnoTrilogy season 15]], as Dylan and Sister are discussing what the latter has done while alone in Blood Gulch, but the former decides to ask about the Reds and Blues, her cameraman (who's a film student) goes "Ah, there goes the Bechdel Test."

* The Sausage Zone test, proposed by [[http://jbr.me.uk/sfstats.html Justin B. Rye]] in 2021, though the basic idea is far older, stretches the idea to the absolute bare minimum of female representation, designed to be almost effortless to pass (because some works [[UpToEleven still fail it]].) A work fails the Sausage Zone test if and only if there is no evidence that women exist in the setting at all. This is above and beyond ChromosomeCasting, rather, none of the characters nor the narrator can ever mention women and girls, nor can the pronouns “she” and “her” ever appear in the text except referring metaphorically to a ship. Believe it or not, there actually are works that don’t pass despite not being justified by their setting.

This is because the Bechdel Test is ''not'' meant as a moral or ethical judgment on the quality of female characters in a work. Nor is it designed as a judgment on the artistic quality of the work - good movies can fail the Bechdel Test, and bad movies can pass. It is entirely possible for a film to pass without having pro-feminist themes, or even characterizing women positively. For instance, ''Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate'' (Manos's wives discuss whether or not to spare the female protagonists so they can also be wives), ''The Bikini Carwash Company'' and ''Film/{{Showgirls}}'', films whose treatment of women range from incredibly {{squick}}y to tasteless {{fanservice}}, have passed the test. In fact, the original example of a movie that passes is ''Film/{{Alien}}'', which, while it has unintentional feminist subtexts, is mostly just a sci-fi/action/horror flick.

-->'''Rodriguez''': "I've been making movies with [[Creator/JordanaBrewster Jordana]], who plays the sister of [[Creator/VinDiesel Dominic Toretto]], for 16 years, and I can count on one hand how many lines I've had with her. I think that's pathetic, and it's lack of creativity."

[[caption-width-right:260:[[http://scarygoround.com/badmachinery/?date=20130826 "It means your film is bland and cheesy."]]]]

* ''Webcomic/ArthurKingOfSpace'' had [[http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com/1261.htm a strip]] where Guenevere and Eglante discuss the sacking of Rome. The Bechdel Test is mentioned in TheRant for [[http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com/1262.htm the following strip]] (where they discuss Guenevere's parents).

* ''Series/Class2016'': Episode 1:

** ''Series/Class2016'': Episode 1:

* UsefulNotes/DeggansRule (aka Race Bechdel Test): At least two human characters of color appear in a show where race is not a central theme.
* The [[https://www.glaad.org/sri/2014/vitorusso Vito Russo Test aka gay Bechdel Test]]: A character is openly LGBT but not solely defined by their sexuality/gender identity, and they play a significant role in the story as opposed to providing a colorful backdrop and/or the punchline to a joke.

* UsefulNotes/DeggansRule (aka Race Bechdel Test): at least two human characters of color appear in a show where race is not a central theme.
* The [[https://www.glaad.org/sri/2014/vitorusso Vito Russo Test aka gay Bechdel Test]], in which a character in a story is openly LGBT but not solely defined by their sexuality/gender identity, and they play a significant role in the story as opposed to providing a colorful backdrop and/or the punchline to a joke.
* Kelly Sue [=DeConnick=]'s [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/20/kelly-sue-deconnick-talks-captain-marvel-pretty-deadly-and-the-sexy-lamp-test Sexy Lamp Test]], which hinges on whether or not [[LivingProp a female character can be replaced with a sexy novelty lamp]] without significantly changing the story.
* The Reverse Bechdel Test, [[GenderFlip with the roles of men and women swapped]].[[note]]An estimated 90% of works pass the Reverse Bechdel Test, [[http://www.passthebechdeltest.com/faq according to this link]], which, in comparison to the Bechdel Test, highlights the gender disparity problems.[[/note]]

* UsefulNotes/DeggansRule (aka Race Bechdel Test), in which two characters of color talk about anything other than the white leads.
* The [[https://www.glaad.org/sri/2014/vitorusso Vito Russo Test aka gay Bechdel Test]], in which two LGBT characters talk about everything other than straight people.

* Name Dropped in ''[[Script/AHDotComTheSeries AH.com:]] Script/TheCreepyTeenYears'' episode 2x19. It's noted as being the first time the series actually passed the test. The two women are discussing vacation plans.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', as Dylan and Sister are discussing what the latter has done while alone in Blood Gulch, but the former decides to ask about the Reds and Blues, her cameraman (who's a film student) goes "Ah, there goes the Bechdel Test."

* ''WesternAnimation/InsideJob2021'': In "[[Recap/InsideJobS1E4SexMachina Sex Machina]]" Reagan and {{Robo|t Me}}-Reagan are fighting each other over the latter's forwardness with Bryan. Robo-Reagan is aghast that they are failing the Bechdel test by fighting over a boy. Reagan agrees and tells her to talk about something else. Robo-Reagan brings up the weather, Reagan affirms they've passed, and they resume the fight.

%% '''[[Administrivia/ExampleSectionectomy No examples on this page, please]]''': it leads to people [[EntryPimp pimping]] works on the implications of the test, rather than the objective parameters. Works which pass or refer to the Bechdel Test ''can'' have it noted on their own pages.

* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/20144614/chapters/47725234 Master and Student]] A ''Manga/MobPsycho100'' gender swap in which Mob and Reigen are female. They do discuss boys but also life, puberty, and just generally hang out together. With the addition of Tome and Rei to the Spirits and Such crew they do talk about boys more but also other things that middle school girls are interested in.

* The "Mako Mori Test", inspired by film ''Film/PacificRim'' asks [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/8695-Blecch-Dull-Tests Does a female lead]] get a CharacterArc that doesn't revolve around male characters?

-->'''Guy:''' What do girls do at sleepovers?
-->'''Me:''' Pass the Bechdel test.

-->'''Veronica:''' Betty, now that it's just us girls, and at the risk of us failing the Bechdel test, are you legitimately cool with Archie and me? Swear on the September issue?
-->'''Betty:''' And on my copy of ''Forever'' by Judy Blume.

* Creator/{{NPR}} GameShow ''Radio/AskMeAnother'' [[http://n.pr/2kGgSu1 based a game on their 02/17/17 show on the test.]] Contestants had a scene from a movie that unexpectedly allows it to pass the Bechdel test described to them and had to name the film. Answers included ''Film/DieHard'', ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', and ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff''.

* In [[http://www.shortpacked.com/index.php?id=2100 this]] ''{{Webcomic/Shortpacked}},'' Leslie Bean ([[PunnyName who's a homosexual woman, if you couldn't tell]]) expresses disinterest in a movie because it doesn't have two women talking enough that she can imagine them having a "tragically ''self-destructive'' yet ''amazingly hot'' lesbian affair." The AltText quips that this is called "the Beandel test."