The Bechdel-Wallace Test
Tiana Hyatt Professor Apostolidis
May 6 2014
The Bechdel test was created in 1985, this test is a device used to demonstrate if at least two named women in a film, talk to each other, but what they talk about is something other than a man. My initial thought was this should be an easy enough test for a movie or TV Show to pass. I thought I would just choose the last threes movies I have seen lately but instead I decided to make a small experiment out of it. Being that there are three females in my house and only one male I decided to let everyone pick a movie they have seen recently that they liked and we would see it passed the three simple rules of the test. Going into this I must admit I thought my mom, sister, and I would pick the movie that passed the Bechdel test and my father would be the only one to pick the movie that failed because he is a man it wouldn’t be a great surprise if he did.
My sister who is 12yrs old wanted her movie to be the Disney film “Frozen”. As usual for Disney this film was about two princesses. But to my surprise this film was different, these princesses were not being saved by some prince charming like a ‘damsel in distress’, nor did it end in a happily ever after marriage. The two main characters Elsa and Anna start off the film talking and playing with one another and too young to even be talking about a man. An easy automatic pass of the Bechdel test, I find this as a great milestone for Disney we have a princess that starts as a young child just having fun and playing with her older sister and when she gets a little older and is able to leave the palace she’s not all about the glitz and glam that comes with being a princess and that her royalty life style has but as a normal teenager who’s ready and excited about exploring the world. The movie is not all based upon romantic love but more so sisterly love. It also teaches the younger children watching to not be ashamed of who they are and to accept
May 6 2014
The Bechdel test was created in 1985, this test is a device used to demonstrate if at least two named women in a film, talk to each other, but what they talk about is something other than a man. My initial thought was this should be an easy enough test for a movie or TV Show to pass. I thought I would just choose the last threes movies I have seen lately but instead I decided to make a small experiment out of it. Being that there are three females in my house and only one male I decided to let everyone pick a movie they have seen recently that they liked and we would see it passed the three simple rules of the test. Going into this I must admit I thought my mom, sister, and I would pick the movie that passed the Bechdel test and my father would be the only one to pick the movie that failed because he is a man it wouldn’t be a great surprise if he did.
My sister who is 12yrs old wanted her movie to be the Disney film “Frozen”. As usual for Disney this film was about two princesses. But to my surprise this film was different, these princesses were not being saved by some prince charming like a ‘damsel in distress’, nor did it end in a happily ever after marriage. The two main characters Elsa and Anna start off the film talking and playing with one another and too young to even be talking about a man. An easy automatic pass of the Bechdel test, I find this as a great milestone for Disney we have a princess that starts as a young child just having fun and playing with her older sister and when she gets a little older and is able to leave the palace she’s not all about the glitz and glam that comes with being a princess and that her royalty life style has but as a normal teenager who’s ready and excited about exploring the world. The movie is not all based upon romantic love but more so sisterly love. It also teaches the younger children watching to not be ashamed of who they are and to accept