Gender Differences And The Bechdel Test

Have you heard of the Bechdel test?

A little over a year ago, actress Robin Wright spoke to Netflix because they paid her less than co-star Kevin Spacey, both co-stars of House of Cards. Since then, and just as she did, dozens of actresses, female producers and directors have told their own stories of how gender differences still exist in the industry.

Forbes published a list of the highest paid Hollywood actors and actresses. The highest paid actor, Dwayne Johnson, earned a total of $89.4 million in 2018, which amounts to approx. 791 million Norwegian kroner, while the highest paid actress, Scarlett Johansson, earned 56 million dollars, which amounts to approx. $496 million. Between these two, however, there are six male actors, which means that the highest paid actress in the film industry only earns so much about the sixth highest paid male actor.

It is therefore clear that the gender differences in terms of pay still exist. But it’s not just about money: in Spain, a study conducted by the Auge Group and the Actors and Actresses Union indicated that only one in three acting roles goes to women. Furthermore, only 34% of leading roles are reportedly female.

The same study also revealed that this data is derived from the age variable. So,  as a woman gets older, she is less likely to take on a leading role. Of all the films analyzed, only 24% of leadership roles with older people were given to women. This number went down to 20% in grades that were 64 years or older.

The role of women on the big screen

From the beginning, the film industry has evolved over the years. Every decade, films have portrayed the faith and the social reality of that time, and of course the role of women in society. Feminist movements and the different demands for gender equality in all areas of life have changed the way we see women in movies.

We see this, for example, if we compare the first and the latest Disney movies. Ariel, Snøhvit and Askepott’s roles are very different from Elsa and Vaiana’s roles.

The stories and actions of the latter two characters have little to do with men. Their life is not about finding the “dream prince”. Instead, they are focused on personal growth and so-called “empowerment”.

Bechdel tests

The Bechdel test was created in 1985 in the comic strip called ” The Rule ” by Alison Bechdel. It stemmed from the idea that in order to avoid gender differences, a movie, TV series, cartoon, or any other form of entertainment had to satisfy the following requirements:

• There must be at least two female characters.
• These two characters need to talk to each other at some point.
• Their conversation must not involve a man.

The latter requirement does not only refer to romantic topics. In fact  , the conversation must not include men at all:  not husbands, brothers, fathers or neighbors.

According to the  Bechdel Test Movie List website,  approximately 61% of the 130 analyzed films passed the test in 2015. However, the Bechdel test is not always synonymous with gender equality. In fact  , there are movies that meet all the requirements, but thanks to the action, they can not be seen as being for equality.

Movies that passed / failed the Bechdel test

• Passed. Mad Max, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, The Lion King (2019), Argo, Chihiro and the Witches (Spirited Away), Children of Men, Rome , Mustang, Blue is the Warmest Color, All About My Mother, and Thelma & Louise.
• Failed.  The Wolf of Wall Street, The Princess Bride, The Lord of the Rings: The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars (the original trilogy), Avatar, Citizen Kane, The Avengers, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Godfather ( The Godfather).

TV series passed / failed Bechdel tests

• Passed. Friends for Life (Friends), Game of Thrones, Orange Is the New Black, Lost, Broken Promises (The Good Wife), Panthers (The Golden Girls), The Handmaid’s Tale, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Shameless, Parks and Recreation, and Veep .

• Failed.  Narcos, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Law & Order, The Sopranos, Gossip Girl, and The Wire.

The film industry is a place where gender differences are still present. Age also plays a big role when it comes to getting a role for female actors, which is not so important for male actors.

That’s why the Bechdel test was created almost 35 years ago: the goal was to set some parameters to identify gender equality in films. In the last couple of years , however, people have wondered whether this method should be updated or not,  and whether it is actually effective at all. Some say that these requirements must evolve to study today’s films.