Bechdel test
Female character criterion
The Bechdel test is an informal measure of female representation in fiction, especially film.
A work passes if it features at least two named women who have a conversation with each other about something other than a man.
Named after cartoonist Alison Bechdel, who popularized the concept in her 1985 comic strip, the test has become a widely referenced benchmark in discussions of gender bias in media.
The movie technically passes the Bechdel test, but just barely.
Movie or coating
- movieRecorded visual narrative
- screenplayFilm's written blueprint
- scriptWritten words for performance
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
scene · characters · narrative · Hollywood · director · actress · casting · gender roles
Exchange of spoken ideas
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
- interactionReciprocal action between parties
- exchangeMutual giving and receiving
- passingMoving by or temporary
two women · failing · threshold · measurement · checklist
Equal treatment across sexes
- diversityState of varied elements
- inclusionBeing made part
- visibilityRange of clear sight
- character developmentProtagonist's psychological growth
agency · protagonist · complexity · multidimensionality · backstory · motivation · supporting roles · fridging
Prejudice based on sex
- female representationPortrayal of women
- male gazeSexualized viewing of women
- sexismGender-based prejudice
- patriarchyMale-dominated social order
stereotypes · feminist criticism · media analysis · women's rights · empowerment · consciousness-raising · gender studies · intersectionality
film
Movie or coating
- movieRecorded visual narrative
- screenplayFilm's written blueprint
- scriptWritten words for performance
dialogue · scene · characters · narrative · Hollywood · director · actress · casting · gender roles · storytelling
conversation
Exchange of spoken ideas
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
- interactionReciprocal action between parties
- exchangeMutual giving and receiving
two women · passing · failing · threshold · measurement · checklist
gender parity
Equal treatment across sexes
- diversityState of varied elements
- inclusionBeing made part
- visibilityRange of clear sight
character development · agency · protagonist · complexity · multidimensionality · backstory · motivation · supporting roles · fridging · objectification
gender bias
Prejudice based on sex
- female representationPortrayal of women
- male gazeSexualized viewing of women
- sexismGender-based prejudice
patriarchy · stereotypes · feminist criticism · media analysis · women's rights · empowerment · consciousness-raising · gender studies · intersectionality · activism
- gender mediagender representation, gender stereotypes, gender bias, media portrayal, media stereotypes
- feminist mediamale gaze, female gaze, representation, spectatorship, strong female lead
- Women in Filmactress, film star, movie star, leading lady, supporting actress