Bechdel test

[ bek-duhl test ]

noun

1. a test of gender stereotyping and inequality in fiction, having a number of variations and used especially with movies, based on whether the work includes at least two fairly important female characters who talk to each other about something besides a man.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bechdel test¹

First recorded in 2005–10; named after U.S. cartoonist Alison Bechdel (born 1960); first introduced as a nameless concept in a 1985 comic strip in Bechdel's series Dykes to Watch Out For (1983–2008), later credited to Bechdel's friend Liz Wallace

Example Sentences

"And it means we pass the Bechdel test," adds Barbé laughing.

From BBC

A movie passes the Bechdel Test if there are at least two named female characters that have a conversation with one another about something other than a man.

From BBC

The book touches on the College of Charleston controversy surrounding Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home, but it for sure fails the Bechdel Test.

From Salon

Good feminists or adept film buffs may be familiar with the Bechdel Test, a metric for gauging female representation in film.

From Salon

His question about the new Bechdel Test is whether it will be widely known enough to have a positive effect.

From Salon