{"id":510,"date":"2014-01-14T21:46:00","date_gmt":"2014-01-15T05:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jeremyvarner.com\/blog\/2014\/01\/equality-in-writing-why-the-bechdel-test-isnt-enough\/"},"modified":"2015-02-21T10:47:34","modified_gmt":"2015-02-21T18:47:34","slug":"equality-in-writing-why-the-bechdel-test-isnt-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jeremyvarner.com\/blog\/2014\/01\/equality-in-writing-why-the-bechdel-test-isnt-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"Equality in Writing: Why the Bechdel test isn’t enough"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I stated yesterday<\/a>, I proudly support equality among all people regardless of their race, creed or gender. But along the way I have had trouble calling myself a \u201cfeminist\u201d because there were certain parts of the community that I felt had been too extreme. One of those things is the frequent misuse of something infamously known as the \u201cBechdel Test\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the 1980s, cartoonist Alison Bechdel<\/a> put forward an observation in her comic strip \u201cDykes To Watch Out For<\/a>\u201d that the film industry had failed to treat women fairly in their movies. In the strip, one of her characters says that she wouldn\u2019t watch any movie that didn\u2019t follow three key rules.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>It must have two women characters<\/div>\n
2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Who talk to each other<\/div>\n
3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>About something besides a man<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nThis was a pretty astute observation because it showed just how weak the presentation of women was in comparison to men in film. For a long time it faded into obscurity until decades later the internet found it and feminists everywhere realized that nothing had really changed since then. Almost overnight, the test spread like wildfire as a metric for the film industry to follow and, often, certain wings of the feminist movement felt that movies that failed to meet these requirements required their scorn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Sadly, this has led to many writers, including myself, to become too caught up in trying to figure out ways to make their stories work with this test. A lot of feminists will argue that there’s no real need to hold the Bechdel as an absolute. But from the point of view of someone creating stories, it’s terrifying to think you may have failed it. It’s only after a lot of careful consideration that people like me realize that trying to chase that test is a fool’s errand and a bit damaging to the creative process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

You see, while the Bechdel Test works very well as an observation on the industry, it fails horribly as an actual \u201cTest\u201d. Most moderate feminists have pointed out, quite accurately, that it is not at all a true representation of what would be considered \u201cfeminist values\u201d. Often times, horribly sexist depictions can actually pass the test with flying colors while much more positive female characters can fail or nearly fail the test due to one of the rules not passing. Need proof? Consider this:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
The entire<\/span> Twilight Saga passes.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n

So what I\u2019d like to show is that the Bechdel test isn\u2019t the end-all, be-all. I\u2019ve found four characters in four movies that fail or nearly fail the Bechdel test who I believe are actually stronger female protagonists than Bella Swan (I know, aiming high). The goal behind this is that I want to show that, even if you feel like you can\u2019t quite pass the Bechdel test, there are other ways of looking at these characters that are just as respectful to women.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The \u201cMako Mori\u201d Test<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Film: Pacific Rim<\/div>\n
Bechdel: Fails due to never talking to other women<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nThis one recently took the internet by storm<\/a> when people realized that they really liked the idea of Mako Mori becoming a dominant figure in such a testosterone driven project as Pacific Rim. Mako Mori\u2019s story is really the heart of Pacific Rim and without her the cast would consist of a lot of men glaring at each other. So when it occurred to feminists that this character had done so much to include a woman\u2019s perspective in an otherwise male dominated movie (though, one that was also very inclusive of POC\u2019s or “people of color”), they realized you had to shift the discussion a little to include characters like her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

The rules according to the Mako Mori test are as follows:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Must have at least one female character<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

This part here is actually lowering the bar a bit too much, but it passes because the people who proposed it only had two rules and thought this would even out the three rule standard. If I were to be involved in rewriting it, I would have amended it with #1 from the \u201cRyan Stone\u201d test (see below).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Who has her own narrative arc<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

This is incredibly important in movies where there\u2019s only one female character with speaking lines. Mako Mori is essentially the only woman who says anything of value in the course of the entire movie. So it would be incredibly easy for her to be sucked into the story of the male protagonist and not have one of her own. The fact that she does get her own narrative which features so prominently in the movie\u2019s overall plot is something worth giving credit for.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>That is not about supporting a male character\u2019s arc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Once again, it would just be so damn easy for her to be sucked into the male character\u2019s arc. Avoiding this in a film that should have easily put her in that position is remarkable and note worthy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
also like to point out, no ass shots on the poster<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Sarah Connor Test<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Film: Terminator 2<\/div>\n
Bechdel: Dubious as another woman is present only during a conversation she\u2019s holding with men<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\nThis really sparked my thinking that there needed to be additional \u201ctests\u201d to measure with. Sarah Connor is one of the most dominant female protagonists in the movie industry, having gone from a fairly dependent figure in the first movie into the miraculous transformation she underwent for Terminator 2 as what has got to be one of the most badass women to have ever been featured in film.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Consider for a moment that Twilight, a series who\u2019s female protagonist once tried to kill herself so she could imagine her ex-boyfriend, has actually passed the Bechdel test successfully, while Sarah is given a dubious credit due to the fact she rarely talks to anyone that isn\u2019t in a group (a group which tends to include men). Sarah, in Bella’s position, would have killed Edward Cullen for being a threat to the future and buried his ass in an unmarked grave with a cache of guns to be used on him if he ever rises again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Sadly, Sarah doesn\u2019t pass the Mako Mori test either because her character arc is primarily about protecting her child – a boy. This means that for all intents and purposes, Sarah\u2019s narrative arc supports a male narrative arc, even if that \u201cmale\u201d is portrayed by a young Edward Furlong.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sporting a somewhat feminine haircut<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

So for Sarah, I propose these:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>A female character must have internal motivation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Sarah\u2019s motivations may be about her son, but they\u2019re entirely her own. Some may argue that Sarah was given her motivations by Kyle Reese in the first movie. But remember for a moment that Kyle wanted specifically to meet Sarah because she had been a legend in his time. Kyle did give her the motivation – by telling her that one day she was going to be so badass she was going to inspire her son and everyone that followed him in the future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

She had a self-fulfilling prophecy of badass.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Be proactive without requiring involvement of men.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

This here could be seen as a strength or a weakness in her case, but feminist none-the-less. Despite being in an asylum, working with a machine that has knowledge of the future and generally being in a scenario that is controlled by masculine figures – Sarah does whatever the hell she wants to do and in two instances goes completely rogue of her own accord. Stuck in the asylum? Break out. The future is in danger from the work of an engineer? Shoot him dead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

One could argue that she\u2019s a bit too much of a loose cannon. But even Mako Mori had to ask permission<\/span><\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>And be competent in its execution.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

When Sarah does go rogue, she does it with extreme efficiency. She knows how to get shit done and does things with cunning and skill. In the process of breaking herself out of the asylum, she successfully achieved more steps than should have logically even been possible. And, were it not for the interference of killer machines from the future, she likely would have found her way to freedom regardless.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

In fact, in terms of Sarah\u2019s competency, let us remember that John Connor ends up saving the future, a fact entirely credited to Sarah\u2019s mentorship as a child. That means, for all intents and purposes, Sarah saves the future by leaving someone with her knowledge and skills in her place.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

And, as a final note, unrelated to the three rules but pointing out just for the sake that I do not want that ugly mark to remain on her record: Sarah Connor does pass the Bechdel test in the Sarah Connor Chronicles series, which was cancelled far too soon and also featured a much better female terminator than Terminator 3.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

The Slim Test<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Film: Enough<\/div>\n
Bechdel: Dubious as almost every conversation revolves around fallout from her abuse<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\nLet\u2019s get it out of the way: Enough is not considered a very good movie by a lot of people. But the character of \u201cSlim\u201d has a trait that I realized was going to be missed by any of the previous \u201ctests\u201d because her character arc begins and ends based on conflict with a man. It occurred to me just how many inspiring stories could be written about women surviving such things and fighting back successfully (though not necessarily by killing the man in hand-to-hand combat like Slim intends to do).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

For equality\u2019s sake, I think that some of the most positive figures you can find are going to be the figures who start out in a diminished position and then find their footing and fight back regardless. Sarah Connor from the previous entry started out this way in the original Terminator, only to become the dominant figure she was in the second. Mako Mori survived a Kaiju attack and stood up against them again later in life. But characters like \u201cSlim\u201d get abused by a man and suddenly the growth she experiences later isn\u2019t quite as positive as it is in the other cases? That doesn\u2019t feel right to me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

So for Slim, I propose these:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>A female character must have personal growth<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Slim\u2019s entire narrative is about finding her courage and having the will to fight back. When she begins the story she has long hair and very few cares in the world. In fact, in the early acts of the film you could say she was an incredibly shallow person. But by the end of the film she has transformed herself physically and mentally for the sake of ending her torment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Some have argued that the film romanticizes spousal abuse by making it look like \u201cany woman should be able to fight back if she really wants to\u201d. But that\u2019s not the point of this. The point of this is that Slim does not submit to her treatment and grows in order to get away from it. I feel like that\u2019s something worth acknowledging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>While acting in favor of her own needs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Once again, it would be incredibly easy to make this solely about another character. But in the things she does, Slim is acting for herself and her daughter and no one else. It\u2019s true that in her case she is left with few other options, but once again, that\u2019s not the case for all characters in her situation and the fact she continues to operate for herself and her child is something she, and other characters like her, should be acknowledged for.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Despite the interference of male characters.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

And this one, this is the crux. Slim gets the shit kicked out of her time and time again over the course of the movie, terrorized and chased down relentlessly by her abusive ex-husband. In all respects, he is doing everything he can to prevent her from being alive and well without him. How easy would it have been to portray her giving up and being saved by one of the other men in her life? Way too easy for us not to give credit for her standing up for herself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Ryan Stone Test<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Film: Gravity<\/div>\n
Bechdel: Fails due to lack of a second female character<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\nAnd this was another film of 2013 that got a lot of attention for failing the Bechdel test despite a female protagonist surviving incredible odds. During the trailers, I often joked that the real title of Gravity should have been \u201cScrewed: The Movie\u201d because the premise of the film is an out right nightmare scenario for space travel. So, to have that scenario center on a woman, who manages to survive a lot longer than anyone should conceivably be capable of doing, has to put her in the top 5 most positive depictions of women in film in (likely) my lifetime.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

So for her, I propose these:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>The female character must be a protagonist or deuteragonist<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

This probably should have been rule 1 for the Mako Mori test. I don\u2019t think, if you have only one or two female characters, that it\u2019s just enough they exist. I think that if you have one or two female characters they should be prominent in the story to the point that you could make an argument that they are the protagonist like Ryan Stone or deuteragonist (one of two primary characters, potentially a protagonist in their own right, but not necessarily presented as such) like Mako Mori.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>While having realistic emotional depth and personality<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Ryan Stone gets a bit emotional over the course of Gravity. In fact, one could say there are parts in the film where she loses her proverbial shit. But here\u2019s the thing, Gravity presents one of the most terrifying experiences that a real person in this world could have. From the moment things went wrong in space, Stone and her companion are utterly screwed. So when she loses her shit, she is not being a fragile little snowflake, she is having an honest moment of realization that she is possibly in the worst situation conceivably possible for someone in her profession. No one would belittle a male character for breaking down and starting to hallucinate, so I won\u2019t belittle her for it either.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>And an understandable reason for the number of other women present<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Over the course of Gravity there are very few characters, period. She is flying through space in a spacesuit with contact only with one other person at any given time. Because of this, trying to hold her to the two women rule would require Stone be a few miles closer to the ground where there would simply be more people to interact with. And, frankly, I don\u2019t think a character should have to survive re-entry to hold a conversation with another woman to be able to be acknowledged as a positive figure – but that may just be me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n
\n

These tests, like the original observation of Alison Bechdel, are not actually meant to be a set of steadfast rules, or even a guide. They\u2019re observations that failing the Bechdel test doesn\u2019t necessarily equate to failing at being a positive figure. For that matter, I think the fact that Twilight passes the test for the entire run despite the actions of Bella goes to show that passing it just simply doesn\u2019t make you a positive feminist role model either.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

But here\u2019s the saddest part. For all of the effort to frame that these characters above may actually be better\u00a0 <\/span>depictions of women than Bella ever was – the tests are still not perfect and never will be. Why do I say that? Because if you look carefully you\u2019ll realize that Twilight still passes several of them without very much rule bending.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

And, faced with that, I turn to an underrated wordsmith of our time, a man that has mastered the one true sentence as Hemmingway strived to do. I give to you\u2026 Ron Simmons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n