Topic > Bechdel Test in Hollywood - 1043

The Bechdel Test is scored by the amount of time two or more women converse about something other than a man in a movie. If they pass the test, the film requires women to talk about different topics than men at least once during the entire film. In 2013, “out of a total of 50 films analyzed, 17 passed the test” (Dockterman 2014). This test can be complicated. Other films technically passed, but were very little about things other than men. A recently released film that failed the Bechdel test had a female protagonist. However, there were only two main characters, a man and a woman, and the woman was clearly the protagonist. The test is a small point in the debate about women in film that some say is accurate while others believe is nothing more than a silly assumption. However, the facts don't lie: women in films often talk about men. When it comes to movies, you're less likely to see a woman in a leading role. In fact, women are underrepresented in all media. Studies of prime time television programs show alarmingly low numbers of women on television. 38% of women hold medical or healthcare roles. That means a whopping 62% are played by male actors. “In music videos from five music-oriented television networks, male characters outnumber females by a ratio of 3 to 1” (Collins, 2011). In video games, the odds are the worst. Only 70 of the 489 best-selling video game characters are