🧠 How to Pass the Bechdel Test IRL
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Spoiler: It’s harder than it should be.
You’ve probably heard of the Bechdel Test — the iconic, maddeningly simple metric that asks just three things of a film:
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Does it have at least two women in it?
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Do they talk to each other?
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About something other than a man?
Sounds easy, right? You’d think. But spoiler alert: half of Hollywood fails.
But what about in real life? Can we pass the Bechdel Test in our own friendships, group chats, workspaces, and 2am DMCs? And what happens when we don’t?
Let’s discuss.
✿ The Everyday Bechdel Test
It’s not about shaming your friends for talking about their love lives (we love a relationship debrief). It’s about noticing what we’re taught to prioritise in conversations.
Ask yourself:
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Do I know what my best friend wants in five years — beyond her relationship status?
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Can we spiral about the patriarchy before we spiral about our exes?
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Are we hyping each other’s creativity, ambition, weird ideas, or just their haircuts?
Passing the Bechdel Test IRL means centering women’s lives as worthy subjects — not just reactions to men.
🎬 5 Ways to Bechdel Your Real Life
1. Ask Better Questions
“What’s been lighting you up lately?” → way more iconic than “How’s [insert boy’s name]?”
2. Create Male-Free Zones
Dedicate entire nights, group chat threads, or even journal pages to things that have nothing to do with men. Feminist movie club, anyone?
3. Talk Dreams, Not Drama
Talk about your wild ideas, business goals, delusions of grandeur — let your friends see the main character in you.
4. Celebrate Female Creators
From Lorde and Phoebe Bridgers to your mate who just launched an Etsy, shout about women doing cool shit.
5. Wear It On a Tee
Like, literally. The Bechdel Babe tee was made for this energy.
💬 But What If I Fail Sometimes?
You will. We all do. It’s fine.
The point of the Bechdel Test isn’t perfection — it’s awareness. The cultural default is still to centre men, so even noticing the pattern is powerful.
Just try to have at least one unhinged, man-free rant a week. You know… for balance.
🎀 TL;DR:
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The Bechdel Test = still relevant
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You can (and should) pass it in real life
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Feminist friendships are about more than boys
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Buy the tee. Obviously.
