Belenen's ethical storytelling rating system (for films/shows)
Plusses: sex/gender (1) no stereotyped characters (1) 3D characters (1-2) passes the Bechdel test (1-2) subversive (1-3) actively calls out bullshit
race/ethnicity (1) inclusion without stereotyping (1) 3D characters (1-2) passes Bechdel (1-2) subversive (1-3) actively calls out bullshit
ableism/lookism (1) inclusion without stereotyping (1) 3D characters (1-2) passes Bechdel (1-2) subversive (1-3) actively calls out bullshit
Minuses:
(2) violations of marginalized people pass unremarked and seemingly without effect
(1) affirms stereotypes (1) more than twice (2) it's in the fucking plotline (example: women love shoes, men are bad at emotion, etc.)
(1) affirms oppressions (1) more than twice (2) it's in the fucking plotline (example: women are biologically designed & obligated to caretake, rape myths, etc.)
(1) primarily a vehicle for white, male, cis, het, financially-unworried, non-disabled, neurotypical character
(1) main supporting character (or majority of ensemble cast) also white, male, cis, het, financially-unworried, non-disabled, and neurotypical
(1) marginalized people rely on wmchfundnt to make their decisions
(1) villain a marginalized person while most other characters are not
(1) storyline about protagonists fighting "the strange other" with no explanation of the "other"'s intentions
(1) storyline about rescuing marginalized peoples without those peoples' input (without characters explaining the harm in that)
(1) kills off marginalized character first/only, with poor cause
(1) erasure (marginalized characters are not portrayed when the setting calls for them to be part of the story)
Examples!
A Little Bit of Heaven:sex/gender: +6 (1) no stereotyped characters (1) 3D characters (2) passes Bechdel (1) subversive (1) actively calls out bullshit
race/ethnicity: +3 (1) no stereotypes (1) 3D characters (1) subversive
ableism/lookism: +4 (1) no stereotypes (1) 3D characters (1) subversive (1) actively calls out bullshit
=13
-1 affirms stereotypes
-1 erasure
= +11 excellent storytelling
Arthur:sex/gender (1) no stereotyped characters (1) 3D characters (1) subversive
race/ethnicity (1) inclusion without stereotyping
ableism/lookism (1) inclusion without stereotyping (1) 3D characters
-1 affirms stereotypes
-1 primarily a vehicle for white, male, cis, het, financially-unworried, non-disabled, neurotypical character
= +4 good storytelling
Bad Teacher:NO PLUSSES. Well, there might have been one point of subversive somewhere but I'm not rewatching to find it.
- 4 (1) affirms stereotypes (1) more than twice (2) it's in the fucking plotline
-1 (1) affirms oppressions
= -5 BAD storytelling
there may also have been -2 for violations of marginalized people pass unremarked and seemingly without effect, 'cause I think there was some fat-shaming but I think it was also counterbalanced? can't remember.
In the future I may explain my assignments in more thorough reviews, this is still in progress ;-)
race/ethnicity (1) inclusion without stereotyping (1) 3D characters (1-2) passes Bechdel (1-2) subversive (1-3) actively calls out bullshit
ableism/lookism (1) inclusion without stereotyping (1) 3D characters (1-2) passes Bechdel (1-2) subversive (1-3) actively calls out bullshit
Minuses:
(2) violations of marginalized people pass unremarked and seemingly without effect
(1) affirms stereotypes (1) more than twice (2) it's in the fucking plotline (example: women love shoes, men are bad at emotion, etc.)
(1) affirms oppressions (1) more than twice (2) it's in the fucking plotline (example: women are biologically designed & obligated to caretake, rape myths, etc.)
(1) primarily a vehicle for white, male, cis, het, financially-unworried, non-disabled, neurotypical character
(1) main supporting character (or majority of ensemble cast) also white, male, cis, het, financially-unworried, non-disabled, and neurotypical
(1) marginalized people rely on wmchfundnt to make their decisions
(1) villain a marginalized person while most other characters are not
(1) storyline about protagonists fighting "the strange other" with no explanation of the "other"'s intentions
(1) storyline about rescuing marginalized peoples without those peoples' input (without characters explaining the harm in that)
(1) kills off marginalized character first/only, with poor cause
(1) erasure (marginalized characters are not portrayed when the setting calls for them to be part of the story)
Examples!
A Little Bit of Heaven:sex/gender: +6 (1) no stereotyped characters (1) 3D characters (2) passes Bechdel (1) subversive (1) actively calls out bullshit
race/ethnicity: +3 (1) no stereotypes (1) 3D characters (1) subversive
ableism/lookism: +4 (1) no stereotypes (1) 3D characters (1) subversive (1) actively calls out bullshit
=13
-1 affirms stereotypes
-1 erasure
= +11 excellent storytelling
Arthur:sex/gender (1) no stereotyped characters (1) 3D characters (1) subversive
race/ethnicity (1) inclusion without stereotyping
ableism/lookism (1) inclusion without stereotyping (1) 3D characters
-1 affirms stereotypes
-1 primarily a vehicle for white, male, cis, het, financially-unworried, non-disabled, neurotypical character
= +4 good storytelling
Bad Teacher:NO PLUSSES. Well, there might have been one point of subversive somewhere but I'm not rewatching to find it.
- 4 (1) affirms stereotypes (1) more than twice (2) it's in the fucking plotline
-1 (1) affirms oppressions
= -5 BAD storytelling
there may also have been -2 for violations of marginalized people pass unremarked and seemingly without effect, 'cause I think there was some fat-shaming but I think it was also counterbalanced? can't remember.
In the future I may explain my assignments in more thorough reviews, this is still in progress ;-)