Female lead and bechdel test

Is having a female lead enough to pass the test ?

[femaleleadandbechdeltest]

Victoria, Justine Triet, 2016

Dear Victoria,

How are you? I hope your staying away from the Lexomil. The last thing you need is a redo of the last time. You know, when you had to take cocaine to go to court because you took one too many pills the night before. Good thing your babysitter/boyfriend is an ex-drug dealer.

Still, you managed to be a boss ass bitch while high as a kite in front of a judge, saving your friend’s ass from his psycho girlfriend with the help of a jealous dog and a wedding photographer who happens to be a monkey. WHAAAAAAAAAT. You sure got an acute sense for drama; your babysitter/boyfriend/ex-client/ex-drug dealer is right on that.

Your life is a fine mess. Speaking of, you pass the bechdel test because you have one (1) friend who doesn’t talk about any man (but I had to check Wikipedia for her name, that’s how often you see her), that’s nice and everything but you NEED to give a proper name to your daughters. “Girls” is a bit too generic, you know. You might lose them… if you ever get out of the apartment with them. You know, like a regular mom.

Here’s a website with lots of them if you’re having a hard time finding names: http://www.parents.fr/prenoms/top-100-des-prenoms-de-filles-100989

And maybe get them to wear clothes, once in a while. They need to get used to it. In the end they’ll have to wear some, if they ever get out of your apartment.

Which, by the way, you need to tidy. Like buy some furniture to store all those files. It’s not that HARD.

Don’t forget to write back once you found names for your daughters, I’m quite curious to know what you’ll come up with.

Love,

Elodie

PS: Fuck that ex-husband of yours. You did good divorcing him. Don’t let him pick the names, I don’t trust him.

[femaleleadandbechdeltest]

Loue-moi, Coline Assous & Virginie Schwartz, 2017

Dear Léa (and Bertille, I know you’re reading this over Léa’s shoulder),

I hope you’re doing great and Bertille didn’t die on the plane to Chile. Are you still renting yourself as a living?

I have to say it’s quite a brilliant idea the two of you had when you decided to create “rent a partner”. It’s like being an escort girl except you don’t have to be pretty. Just a college drop out. And it’s working! What a time to be alive! I might do just like you, if everything else fails. Less work than becoming a stripper, you know.

Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you that. Well… if you didn’t want anybody to steal your idea, you shouldn’t have made a movie about it.

Speaking about the movie… I was expecting it to get boring once the love story was unveiled but it DID NOT! You and Bertille kept on talking about things more important than boys: like her irrational fears of germs, palm oil, sugar, salt, the sun, feet… well basically everything except you and that weird boyfriend of hers. (That bitch is crazy, I hope you know that)

You passed the bechdel test. Congratulation!

Now I hope you don’t let it get to your head because for once your life wasn’t revolving around some guy. It’s a warning, don’t let Raphaël dictate your life. I know he is cute and everything, but giiirl you’re cuter!

In the words of the great Meredith Grey:

Think about it when he fucks things up one too many time.

Love,

Elodie

[femaleleadandbechdeltest]

Gueule d’Ange, Vanessa Filho, 2018

Dear Eli,

I hope you’re doing well since we last saw each other in Cannes. I hope your mom hasn’t run off with some dude, AGAIN. Did you manage to put an end to your drinking habit? Eight is a bit young to become a high functioning alcoholic, my dear.

I’m really happy that despite the mess that is your life and your man-loving mom, you still managed to pass the Bechdel Test. Too bad it was because the only thing you talk about is your mom. Let’s talk about her. I know you love her and you only get one mom in life but why did it have to be HER?!? She seems nice yeah. She also seems to like men a bit too much. Like that one time when she managed to cheat on her husband during the wedding party. Should have the Guiness Book of Records. And don’t get me started on the booze. 

You would have been better off with that retired diver you found on the side of the road. He made a good substitute for the dad you never had. Plus, you have a lot in common. Shitty parents, for starters.

Take my advice and don’t grow up to be like her. It’s all pretty and poetic when we see it in a movie but in real life you’ll end up relying on men and as we all know: MEN ARE TRASH.

We can’t let you be dependent on men, girl. Even from that retired diver, he just the one (1) good man hiding the forest of shitty ones.

I hope you grow to be a strong and sober independent woman.

Love,

Elodie

[femaleleadandbechdeltest]

Happy Valley, created by Sally Wainwright for BBC One, 2014-present

Dear Catherine,

Maybe I should call you officer Cawood since you’re a police sergeant?

I just discovered your tv show and I already am rooting for you! It’s been a long time since I last saw a strong willed female character that doesn’t need the help of no man to succeed in life! (I mean even June Osborn from Handmaid’s tale needs the help of men to escape. Where’s the sisterhood I was promised in the first season???) I love your sister, by the way. A police sergeant living with a former heroin addict in a shitty home? The both of you raising your grandson? Taking matter into your hand to solve a crime nobody believes took place all those years ago? I’m living for it

You’re a bitter, sarcastic and sometimes lonely police sergeant doing her best to give her grandson the best, making sure your sister stays clean while still trying to prove that Tommy guy is the reason why your daughter chose to end her life. It’s physically impossible for me to not be on #TeamCatherine.  I think I’m going to be rooting for you from the bleaches for a long time!

Can’t wait to see how you manage to catch that shitty bastard that hurt your daughter!

Then maybe you could stop talking about men and pass the bechdel test… And maybe stop fearing your grandson will end up like him, you know have a less shitty life.

Tell your sister I say hi, she seems to be the funny of the two of you.

Take care of yourself.

Love,

Elodie

[femaleleadandbechdeltest]

Jane the virgin, adapted by Jennie Snyder Urman for The CW, 2014 - present

Dear Jane,

I see you’re doing great! I have to say I’m quite impressed, I wasn’t expecting you to rule your little world like you did! You go Jane! You didn’t let this set back prevent you from fulfilling your dream of being a romance writer, that’s great.  By “set back” I mean your child, which is the result of an accidental artificial insemination with your boss’s sperm, done by his sister who happened to be your gynecologist. Oh, and you were still a virgin. Couldn’t be any more complicated, uh, Jane?

May I say I’m relieved you don’t look like Joan of Arc, the original Jane the virgin. That would have made for an interesting tv show though. I mean, she did lead France to victory, but she didn’t have no kid... and she was hearing voices... she was burned to death for it... Probably would have been a better call to break her leg that day rather than tell everyone in town about her little chat with god... 

Ahem, back on topic.

I’m really proud of you for choosing to focus on you after Mateo was born. Going back to college was the best decision you ever made. Your choice to not be in a romantic relationship with your boss is second best. What a disaster that would have been! (If you do get together with him don’t tell me, I have only watched the two first season so far).

I was quite impressed with the fact that you almost don’t talk about men in this tv show! I mean your mom seems to like men, a lot (she has good taste too, can’t blame her). You seem to like men, a lot too and still, you don’t talk about them quite as often as I would have expected! Well done, Jane!

Keep on betting on yourself, amiga. Don’t pay attention to those boys fighting for your attention; you are the only one that truly matters. Keep on showing them how it’s done! 

You’re the boss, Jane! Must they never forget it!

Love,

Elodie.

PS: I hope your book passes the bechdel test, as advised by Professor Donaldson, and still manages to have steamy hot scenes!

[femaleleadandbechdeltest]

Skam, created by Julie Andem for NRK, 2015-2017

Dear Noora,

I was expecting great things from you when we first met and I was quite happy when I heard that you were going to be the main character in the second season of Skam. I have to say you let me down – big time. You were supposed to be the feminist one, the I-don’t-need-no-man kinda girl, paving the way for your friends. The moment the second season started I understood I had lost you – or maybe I just misjudged you from the beginning? All this talk about boys, constantly, I should have known better. You barely pass the bechdel test. 

How could you let yourself be seduced by that William guy?! I thought you were gonna be the one to teach all your girlfriends about how it is important to love yourself first, and to put yourself first, before you engage in a relationship. I am so disappointed. You were acting so grown up. Living on your own with your two funny roommates – by the way Eskild if you’re reading this, and I know you are, give me a call, I’m in need of some party time -, acting like you knew everything and nobody could make you do anything that you didn’t want to do. I almost forgot you’re only fifteen. How foolish you can be at fifteen or maybe I am just a bitter twenty something, jealous of your carefreeness. Oh god, what am I going to be like when I hit forty ?! 

I’m just going to give one piece of advice for your future relationship: if he ain’t talking about his life and his problems, he’s not worth your time girl.

I have great hope for you in the future, though!

Take care of yourself.

Love,

Elodie.

PS: You should get in touch with Lady Bird, I think you two would get along pretty well.

[femaleleadandbechdeltest]

Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig, 2018

Oh Lady Bird, what a mess you are!

I wasn’t expecting anything from you and you still managed to surprise me!

I have to say what caught me off guard the most is the lack of talk about boys and specifically the lack of nameless female characters gushing about the prettiest boy in town, who is a musician, a poet, an accomplished athlete, who’s got money, and quotes lines from books he is too young to truly get in their original language. A pretentious fucker, to put it nicely. What a surprise to see only one (1) pretentious fucker on screen! And so little talk about him! Your mom wasn’t even aware of his existence! Only a stupid mistake for you! And Julie was there, waiting for you to get back to normal! What a great friend!

Love, I have to say you passed the Bechdel test with flying colors. I clearly was not expecting that from a movie about a seventeen year old girl growing up in sunny California.

By the way, we need to talk about your mom. She’s so great. (Tell her her number one fan says “Hi!”.) Greatest mom ever. Looking out for you, worrying about your future, only wanting the best for you and from you! A true blessing in disguise for a teenager with so much angst such as you.

Oh god the teenage angst! Let me tell you, I do not miss the angst from my teenage years. I wish you good luck with that, you’re gonna need it.

You do you, Lady Bird.

Love,

Elodie.

P.S: I hope you learned how to drink without ending up in the E.R. since I last saw you.

P.S. 2: Keep up the good work Greta! I’m proud of you!

[femaleleadandbechdeltest]

Tomb Raider, Roar Uthaug, 2018

Dear Lara, 

I see you’ve made a new movie, fighting for the people you love and saving the world all at the same time, as usual. In this one you even talk to two other named women about something much more important than men! You pass the Bechdel Test, congratulations ! It’s really a shame the scene was too short for me to remember either their names or what exactly you talked about. But hey, baby steps. At least the screenwriters didn’t force you into an unnecessary romantic relationship with that Lu Ren guy and giiiiirl, he didn’t even play the savior to your damsel in distress, not too much actually. I’m proud, truly.

You stayed true to yourself, stood your ground, trained real hard, saved a desperate nameless character or two and even saved planet earth from its unavoidable demise, unbeknown to them.You even managed to not be sexist, not too much at least. Glad you finally fixed that big-boobs-on-a-too-athletic-for-its-own-good-body bug from the first game and the last two movies, by the way. (Don’t take it personally Angelina, I love you too).

Too bad the only motivation you had for your badassery was finding your presumed dead dad. Who, may I remind you, abandoned you when you were a kid to go save the world on his own, ending up being the one who lead the bad guys to what could have been the greatest threat human kind has ever known. Normal stuff. Yeah, totally understandable how a billionaire with apparently no particular training would think he can save the world on his own. Not foolish and reckless at all. Seems you’re just like him with MMA training on top.

Try to go on adventure for something other than a man next time and I’ll be the happiest movie-goer ever.

Still proud of you girl.

Love,

Elodie

[femaleleadandbechdeltest]

What the heck is the Bechdel test ?

The bechdel test first appeared in 1985 in the comic strip Dykes to watch out for by Alison Bechdel, particularly in the strip shown here called “The rule”.

Like stated by the characters in the strip above, to pass the test a work of fiction needs:

1.       To have at least two women in it

2.       Talking to each other

3.       About something besides a man.

The point of this test is to measure the active presence of female character in films, and other works of fiction, and to point out the gender inequality when it comes to representation in fiction.

We can find a similar idea in Virginia Woolf 1929’s essay A Room of One’s own in which Wolf writes that relationship between women in works of fiction lake complexity, they are too often represented as wife or daughter but never as friends, and almost all the time seen in the relation to the other sex. She highlights that it is only a small part of a woman’s life.

That’s what the test is concentrating on, how women are too often represented in their relation to men but not enough in their relation to other women where men are seen having other male friends every time.

The only fault we can find in this great rule is that it doesn’t help determine if a film is sexist or not, we will have to figure that out for ourselves.