The Bechdel-Wallace test.
This issue of Untitled Journals will unfortunately be a shorter one but still an interesting read! When watching a movie, have you ever noticed the fact that the female characters are often orbiting the men—whether it be following him like a puppy or just talking about him constantly? If you have, you’ve probably thought about the Bechdel test, also known as the Bechdel-Wallace test.
You may be wondering what exactly is the Bechdel test. Well, this was originally created to assess whether a piece of fiction—movies, comics, books, or TV shows—represents women equally. The creator is an American cartoonist named Alison Bechdel, who credits her friend Liz Wallace—who gained inspiration from many of Virginia Woolf’s writings. It was first mentioned in Bechdel’s comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out for.”
The criteria for the Bechdel test state that the movie must contain more than two named women, these women must talk to each other, and it must be about something that doesn’t involve a man. You would think that these three simple criteria would be easy to meet; well, you would be proven wrong. Many major books, movies, and TV shows often fail this test.
While going through lists of shows and movies that failed this test, it was actually unbelievable; it comes from the most unexpected pieces of media. The most famous movie that fails the test is “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961); it passes 2/3 criteria—having two named female characters who talk to each other, but their conversations center around men. Another famous movie example is “Star Wars: A New Hope” (1977). This movie contains two named female characters, Leia and Aunt Beru, but they don’t have a conversation, which automatically fails the last two criteria. I have to add one of my favorite movies, “Rear Window” (1954) which fails by 1 criterion: it contains three named female characters, Lisa, Stella, and Miss Lonely-hearts (nickname rather than a real name); these female characters—Lisa and Stella—do have conversations, but they’re centered around Jeff.
For movies that pass the Bechdel test, we have examples like Little Women (2019), Lady Bird (2017), and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1954). To begin with, ” Little Women” passes all three criteria, containing more than two named female characters who talk to each other about things other than men—financial hardship, art, music, family dynamics and struggles, and life goals. “Little Women” is one of the perfect examples of a movie that passes the Bechdel test, focusing on female relationships and representation. Another Greta Gerwig movie—and my all-time favorite—”Lady Bird” passes the 3 criteria; this movie focuses on Lady Bird, or Christine’s life, relationships, and independence, highlighting her and her mother's relationship and what struggles Lady Bird faces. A movie that I honestly didn’t know was a pass, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” The movie focuses on the two main characters, Lorelai and Dorothy, who are showgirls. They discuss their lives, friendship, money, and diamonds—although there is romance in this. An honorable mention that I feel like I need to put in here is Barbie (2023); this is a movie that passes the test 100%. I also call this the reverse Bechdel test since it’s male characters only talk about the female characters—failing by 1 criterion. It’s a movie that portrays men in the way women are portrayed in male-focused movies.
In this issue, I only wanted to discuss movies because going into books, comics, and TV shows would be dragging. I’m sure I would be tired, and so would you too. Before ending this, I want to add that the Bechdel-Wallace test is not the best way to see whether women are treated equally in media due to its simple criteria. I prefer self-judgment rather than this test—but since I find it interesting, why not write about it? What is the most shocking pass and fail of this test in your opinion?
–Untitled Journals issue 6