Put It To The Test

Yesterday was the birthday of Alison Bechdel.  There's a good chance you've never heard of her, but she's the creator of the graphic memoir Fun Home, which was adapted into a Tony-winning musical.  She's also the recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" Award.

But I wonder if she won't be remembered best for the "Bechdel test." It arose in 1985 from one of her Dykes To Watch Out For comic strips.  Two women are walking down the street discussing what sort of movies they want to see. One insists on three rules which became the Bechdel test:

The movie has to have at least two women in it, they have to talk to each other, and talk about something other than men.

It's also known as Bechdel's law or the Bechdel rule.  Originally meant as a punch line, it's taken on a life of its own.  And it can also be applied to plays, novels, videogames, comics, whatever.

I consider it a fun thing, not meant to be taken too seriously, though some people do.  There's actually a website that tells you which films pass and don't pass.  Most do, but not a huge majority. And plenty of big hits fail.  For instance, Star Wars.  But what do you expect?  There are practically no women in it, and Aunt Beru dies too soon to meet Leia.  (Though do droids have a particular sex?--perhaps Leia talking to C-3PO about war plans passes the test.)