The Bechdel Test
A film* passes the The Bechdel Test if:
It has at least two women in it, who,
Talk to each other about,
Something besides a man.
It’s named after Alison Bechdel, who popularised the rule—apparently formulated by her friend Liz Wallace—in the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For.
Subsequently, it has had additions made by Alas! A Blog, that the two female characters must have names, and by Charles Stross**, that the conversation must also not be about marriage or babies.
Think about how many films you’ve seen recently that pass the test. Depressing, huh?
Further reading:
Talk to Her is a film review site which puts its subjects to the test, and the Bechdel Test Movie List is a site that lists movies that pass, fail, or get some way towards passing the test.
* Or, in fact, any piece of fiction.
** Stross also links to several interesting related articles in his follow-up post.
