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Does Harry Potter Pass The Bechdel Test

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The Devil Wears Prada By Lauren Weisberger

Does the Bechdel Test Really Empower Women?

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What do bestsellers Life of Pi and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone have in common? They don’t pass the Bechdel test, which determines women representation in films, books, and more. To pass the test, popularized by American cartoonist Alison Bechdel, a work of fiction needs to 1) have two women with names who 2) talk to each other about 3) something other than a man. It’s surprising how many books and movies don’t meet these qualifications, but we’ve rounded up 30 amazing books that do! From The Hunger Games to , these female-centric books are sure to empower, inspire, and engage. Happy 2020 Reading Challenge!

â Additional reporting by Haley Lyndes

Movies That Pass The Bechdel Testand Why Thats Important

The Bechdel test originated in a 1985 cartoon by Alison Bechdel. Bechdel actually credits her friend Liz Wallace for this concept in The Rule, as you can see in frame one.

This rule got shared and quoted so many times that it later started being referred to as the Bechdel Test, which is now basically used to determine whether women are appropriately represented in film and TV sans sexism.

Strangely, its not always something you might be aware of. Whether a movie is about men or women doesnt necessarily have anything to do with its representation of each.

The Devil Wears Prada

The conversations between Andy, Emily, and Miranda in The Devil Wears Prada almost never mention men. Instead, they talk about coats, Harry Potter, scarves, skirts, dogs, The Book, Paris, and a million other things that one might discuss while working at a high-profile fashion magazine like Runway. One of the reasons why The Devil Wears Prada still holds up today is that it offers us characters who arent always likable , but each one has a story arc that humanizes them to the point that the audience understands their actions and behavior. And lets just say well never be able to wear a blue sweater without thinking of Mirandas long-winded yet unforgettable explanation of the color cerulean. Thats all.

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Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back

Later on in the franchise, Princess Leia becomes a feminist icon when she dons the title of general. But the fifth installment, Empire Strikes Back, fails the Bechdel test miserably. No female besides Leia is named and the women donât talk. Though this film doesnât pass for obvious reasons, Princess Leia does much more in it than just ask for help.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Have You Heard of the Bechdel Test?

Despite the male-dominated cast, Lisbeth Salander, played by Rooney Mara, drives the 2011 psychological thriller and kicks major butt. Based on the namesake first installment in the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson, the goth hacker Lisbeth is smart, savvy, and doesnât tolerate any bad behavior. She even exacts revenge herself when wronged. Trigger warning: There is a scene of violent assault.

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Fail: Grave Of The Fireflies

With a devastating story and one of the most emotional endings of all Studio Ghibli movies, Grave of the Fireflies does what it sets out to do, showing the atrocities of war and the bond between its brother and sister protagonists, Seita and Setsuko.

Given that the movie follows these two alone, it’s understandable that it doesn’t pass the Bechdel Test, but this is perhaps more apparent when set alongside other Ghibli movies, the majority of which do.

To All The Boys Ive Loved Before

OK, To All the Boys Ive Loved Before is a brand-new movie but its already a classic in our books, so we have to include it here. At the center of the film is the Covey family, featuring three sisters: Lara Jean, Margot, and Kitty. The Covey sisters are seen together throughout the movie be it at family dinners, having Golden Girls marathons, or helping each other through crises and their conversations span a host of different topics. After all, close siblings talk about everything and while that may include boys, that certainly isnt the the beginning or end of the list.

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Famous Films That Surprisingly Fail The Bechdel Test

The Bechdel Test, if youre not familiar with it, is a benchmark for movies developed by Alison Bechdel in 1985. For a movie to pass The Bechdel Test, it must contain just one thing a scene in which two or more named female characters have a conversation about anything at all besides men. Anything, even if its something stereotypically feminine, like shopping or shoes. It could be about dog poo. It doesnt matter.

Sounds simple, right? Then it might be kinda shocking to find out that out of 2,500 movies, only about half pass the test. And to be clear, passing doesnt mean the movies good or bad. Failing the test doesnt mean the movies evil or anti-woman, or that passing makes it some sort of strongly feminist movie. Its just to get people thinking about gender and how its presented in film. In fact, the example Bechdel gave as a film that passed the test was Alien, simply because Ripley and Lambert have a brief conversation about the alien.

But its still surprising to find out that some of the most popular films of all time fail the test, and often for reasons you may have never considered.

10. The Social Network

Why it fails the test:

9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

Harry and his friends begin making their final moves to take down Lord Voldemort. They confront him, defeat him, age weirdly, and everyone lives happily ever after.

Why it fails the test:

8. Avatar

Why it fails the test:

75. The Original Star Wars Trilogy

The Lord Of The Rings

Bechdel test

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is really about a bunch of dudes taking it upon themselves to save Middle Earth from evil â but they wouldnât have succeeded if not for the women. Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, and Miranda Otto play crucial characters who save the protagonists, though, unfortunately, none of them actually share any scenes. Still, for a series published in 1954, you have to hand it to J.R.R. Tolkien for writing women as the real saviors. Plus, Eowynâs line âI am no manâ will forever be iconic.

Nobody said that you had to play by the rules, so you might as well enjoy each of these movies, even though they donât pass the famous test.

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Fail: Tales From Earthsea

Seen as a departure from some of Studio Ghibli’s more lauded works, Tales from Earthsea was the directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki’s son, Gor.

Though the plot does in part follow a young woman, Therru, and she is raised in the home of another named female character Tenar, the two are mostly seen in relation to the men that they are friends with, Arren and Sparrowhawk, respectively.

Does 10 Things I Hate About You Pass The Bechdel Test

5. 10 Things I Hate About You. At first glance, it appears that 10 Things I Hate About You would fail the Bechdel Test after all, the films entire premise revolves around Bianca Stratfords refusal to date until her sister, Kat, does.

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Books That Pass The Bechdel

The Bechdel-Wallace Test is a measurement used to determine the representation of women in media. There are only three requirements for a book to pass the test, but Mizzou libraries are highlighting some books that go above and beyond the three requirements and focus on strong female-led stories. Margaret Atwoods dystopian novel Offred is captivating and devastating. Elena Ferrantes My Brilliant Friend tells the story of a young woman who discovers she has a brilliant friend.

Does Frozen Pass The Bechdel Test

Can You Pass The Harry Potter Spells Test?

Elsa gets to go on another adventure, with sister Anna in tow. The movie does pass the Bechdel Test and feature two strong heroines: They emerge from their journey stronger and smarter than before, though the conclusion of one characters arc arguably undoes some of the work of the feminist ending of the first movie.

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The Bechdel Test: 11 Classic Movies That Meet The Mark

The Princess Diaries

When it comes to Hollywoods portrayal of women, there is an ever-present need for growth. In an industry historically dominated by men both in front ofandbehind the camera its not a mystery as to why stories of strong, complex, and intricate women arent always being told on screen.

Enter: the Bechdel Test, a set of rules that help determine if a film portrays women in a non-sexist manner. The movie test originated with a 1985 comic strip by artist Alison Bechdel and simply asks three questions of its subjects: Does the film contain at least two women with names? Do they talk to each other? And is their conversation about something other than a dude? If so, the movie passes the Bechdel Test.

It sounds like a simple enough request that all movies should be able to pass with flying colors, but a surprising number fall flat.

Of course, theres definitely room for growth beyond the Bechdel Test those three rules arent the only requirements for developing multi-faceted female characters by any means. But the simple fact that so many movies dont measure up to the Bechdel Test serves as a reminder that Hollywood still has lots of work to do.

That said, there are plenty of films and iconic ones, at that that do pass the Bechdel Test. Ahead, check out 11 classic movies that make the grade, as just one more reminder that they deserve to be watched again and again.

Bechdelio: How We Used Mongodb To Help Make Film More Inclusive

What do The Social Network, Harry Potter, The Original Star Wars Trilogy and Toy Story all have in common? None of these great films pass the Bechdel Test. The Bechdel Test asks whether a film meets all of the following criteria:

  • It includes at least two women,

  • who have at least one conversation,

  • about something other than a man or men.

  • In this talk, we will discuss how a brother and sister team created, bechdel.io, a film script parsing tool that automatically tests film scripts to determine whether or not they pass the Bechdel Test in a fraction of a second. We discuss the technical details of how we created the tools, including how we used MongoDB to help us scale and create new insights and discoveries. We will also cover highlights from our academic research that has emerged as a result of this software.

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    Whats Wrong With The Male Gaze

    In cinematic representations of women characters, the male gaze denies the social agency and social identity of the woman, by transforming her from a person to an object considered only for her beauty, her physique, and her sex appeal, as defined in the aesthetics of the male sexual fantasies common to male-oriented

    Films That Pass The Bechdel Test

    A Bechdel Test Analysis (And Some Surprising Failures)

    The Bechdel test was created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel and is used to measure female representation in movies based on the following three criteria:

  • The movie has to have at least two women in it
  • Who talk to each other
  • About something besides a man
  • That might seem like a low bar, but most films fail this test. Here are 50 movies that pass it.

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    Make The Most Of The New Year

    For those who are eager for the new year to arrive, there are some ways to make sure the opportunity doesnt slip past.

    It shouldnt be a surprise that a rock-solid plan is the foundation of it all, rather than fortune-cookie-style wishful thinking.

    Once you have established an understanding of why your resolution is important, the next step is to create a strategy and to identify the tools that will help you manifest what you want, said Author and Speaker Tony Robbins. Without a plan, your resolution will remain a pipe dream. To make your goal reality, put pen to paper. Commit yourself even further and write it down for yourself to review every day this year,

    A bit of rational optimism can go a long way, according to some leaders in the business world. Theres no denying that the new year offers a chance to reset, recharge, and get to work.

    If youre going all-in on a new years plan, you might as well make it detailed and give it your best effort, said Cody Candee, Founder and CEO of Bounce. Set up a daily schedule if that helps, and self-audit to make sure youre minimizing wasted time. Map out goals for each week and month, and reflect on what you did well or where you need improvement. Treat it as a serious project, because thats what your life is! If we prioritize our well-being and personal goals as highly as our work and family responsibilities, wed all be happier and healthier people.

    Once Upon A Timein Hollywood: No

    Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood received a total of ten nominations, including Best Picture, Directing and Original Screenplay nods for Quentin Tarantino, and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio. Brad Pitt won for his supporting role while the film took home the award for Production Design. Taking place in 1969, the film follows a western film star and his friend and stunt double while also depicting the infamous Manson family.

    To the film’s credit, it does feature a number of named women, some of whom do talk to each other. Most of these interactions take place among the Manson women on Spahn Ranch, but they all focus on either Cliff, George, or Tex. Sharon Tate speaks briefly with Joanna, but their conversation is barely discernible.

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    Does Moana Pass The Bechdel Test

    Moana passes the Bechdel test many times over! The ocean chooses Moana to save her island, but that is not the reason for her self-conviction. In one of the most poignant scenes of the movie, Moana is about to give up. She tells the ocean to choose someone else, and picks up the oars of her boat in order to go home.

    How Did Natasha Escape At The End Of Black Widow

    Pin on HP

    As a fugitive, Black Widow wasnt doing a very good job of hiding her identity. Following the destruction of the Red Room and subsequent death of Dreykov, however, Natasha activated the tracker so Ross could find her as the rest of her family Yelena, Melina, and Alexei escaped with the other widows in tow.

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    Pass: Kiki’s Delivery Service

    Kiki’s Delivery Service follows young teenager Kiki as she leaves home to train as a witch in a seaside town. Throughout her year away, Kiki meets women that assist her development, with baker Osono providing her a place to stay and a way to start her business and artist Ursula talking to her about finding a career to be passionate about.

    Kiki also interacts with women and girls of all ages throughout her deliveries, and, unsurprisingly, in a story about girls coming of age, the movie ultimately has more named female characters than male.

    The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants

    Considering the fact that The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants focuses on four tight-knit high school friends, its no surprise that it passes the Bechdel Test with flying colors. As anyone with a super-close clique knows, friends talk about everything and while that may include boys for some people, its not the entire story. The characters in the Sisterhood franchise are all different from one another, with their own interests and personalities, meaning each friend brings something different to the table. And sometimes the subject of conversation is their friendship itself, which is definitely worth talking about.

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    Things I Hate About You

    At first glance, it seems like 10 Things I Hate About You wouldnt pass the Bechdel Test after all, the movies entire premise hinges upon the fact that Bianca Stratford isnt allowed to date until her sister, Kat, does. So when Cameron pays Patrick to date Kat, the inevitable ensues: Kat and Patrick fall for each other, despite their seemingly polarizing personalities.

    Nevertheless, 10 Things presents plenty of moments between its female characters that arent about the guys. Kat and Bianca, despite their separate romantic storylines, have several conversations that reveal who they really are underneath their high school archetypes. And, of course, theres the Prada backpack convo between Bianca and her best friend, Chastity, which introduced us to the word, whelmed.

    Did Frozen Pass The Bechdel Test

    Harry Potter Quiz: Can You Answer These Questions? | Audible

    Elsa gets to go on another adventure, with sister Anna in tow. The movie does pass the Bechdel Test and feature two strong heroines: They emerge from their journey stronger and smarter than before, though the conclusion of one characters arc arguably undoes some of the work of the feminist ending of the first movie.

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    Do The 10 Biggest Oscar Winners Of 2020 Pass The Bechdel Test

    Having two female characters who speak about something other than a man is a low bar, but did these 2020 Oscar movies pass the Bechdel test?

    2019 was a great year for film, making the 2020 Oscars a memorable one. The Academy honored everything from contemporary thrillers to dramatic true stories to new takes on old classics. It was even considered a good year for women in film, with almost half of the night’s most successful pictures featuring a woman in a leading role. But should that be the only standard for representing 51% of the population?

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    The Bechdel test, created by Alison Bechdel in 1985, is one method of measuring female representation in film. In order to pass the test, a film must feature a) at least two named women, b) who talk to each other, c) about something other than a man. Here are the biggest 2020 Oscar winners that pass the test .

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