Three rules
I was reading a little old-school Dykes to Watch Out For the other day, which is one of my favorite comic strips, and one of the comics really got to me. One character suggested they take in a movie, and the other enlightened her to the three rules she applies to movies she wants to see. They have to:
1) Have at least two female characters, who
2) Interact with each other at some point throughout the course of the film, and
3) Have a conversation about something other than a man.
It didn't sound that unreasonable to me at first, and then I got to thinking. Sherlock Holmes? Out. Up? Out. Star Trek? Out. (Okay, Uhura and Gaila start talking about something else, but it devolves into talking about a man. Also, they're in their freaking underwear.) Possibly every single Lord of the Rings film? Out. Most of the Harry Potter films are out. Master and Commander is out. I think Jurassic Park is out. Just about every Disney or Pixar movie ever is out.
In the strip, the character explaining her set of rules said, "The last movie I let myself see was Alien. The two women have a conversation about the monster." I think the last movie I saw that fit these criteria was Julie & Julia. And actually, that one might only sneak by because she has some phone conversations about cooking with her mom.
It's interesting to me because more than half my favorite films (and books!) don't fit the guidelines, and I've never really thought about it in those terms before. Obviously I've recognized that LotR and Harry Potter and Star Trek don't boast a ton of female characters (HP would be the best of the lot), but these are the rule, not the exception. If you take these criteria and apply them to characters of color or characters of non-hetero sexualities/non-traditional gender identities, the outlook becomes even more grim. I'm not even trying to make a point here, really, other than that the realization surprised me a little. Maybe it shouldn't have and I was just being naïve, haha, but there it is. And I'm certainly not saying that in light of this realization I am going to stop loving these things so near and dear to my heart. It just makes me look at them a little differently, and makes me want to look at the films I'm going to see, and the expectations I have for them, in a new light.
What was the last film you saw that met these guidelines?
ETA: marksykins has directed me to a handy-dandy list of movies that fit the Bechdel bill. Thank you, Marks! Thank you, internet!
ETA THE SECOND: lisztful informs me that over on DreamWidth, there is a community devoted to discussing the Bechdel test! In case you aren't getting your fill here. :)
1) Have at least two female characters, who
2) Interact with each other at some point throughout the course of the film, and
3) Have a conversation about something other than a man.
It didn't sound that unreasonable to me at first, and then I got to thinking. Sherlock Holmes? Out. Up? Out. Star Trek? Out. (Okay, Uhura and Gaila start talking about something else, but it devolves into talking about a man. Also, they're in their freaking underwear.) Possibly every single Lord of the Rings film? Out. Most of the Harry Potter films are out. Master and Commander is out. I think Jurassic Park is out. Just about every Disney or Pixar movie ever is out.
In the strip, the character explaining her set of rules said, "The last movie I let myself see was Alien. The two women have a conversation about the monster." I think the last movie I saw that fit these criteria was Julie & Julia. And actually, that one might only sneak by because she has some phone conversations about cooking with her mom.
It's interesting to me because more than half my favorite films (and books!) don't fit the guidelines, and I've never really thought about it in those terms before. Obviously I've recognized that LotR and Harry Potter and Star Trek don't boast a ton of female characters (HP would be the best of the lot), but these are the rule, not the exception. If you take these criteria and apply them to characters of color or characters of non-hetero sexualities/non-traditional gender identities, the outlook becomes even more grim. I'm not even trying to make a point here, really, other than that the realization surprised me a little. Maybe it shouldn't have and I was just being naïve, haha, but there it is. And I'm certainly not saying that in light of this realization I am going to stop loving these things so near and dear to my heart. It just makes me look at them a little differently, and makes me want to look at the films I'm going to see, and the expectations I have for them, in a new light.
What was the last film you saw that met these guidelines?
ETA: marksykins has directed me to a handy-dandy list of movies that fit the Bechdel bill. Thank you, Marks! Thank you, internet!
ETA THE SECOND: lisztful informs me that over on DreamWidth, there is a community devoted to discussing the Bechdel test! In case you aren't getting your fill here. :)