You Can’t Sit With Us (Unless You Know What the Bechdel Test Is)

May 21, 2025

The Bechdel Test isn’t a pop quiz - it’s a low bar. And yet, so many movies still trip over it like they’re wearing kitten heels on cobblestones.

You’ve probably heard of it, maybe even memed it, but let’s make one thing clear: knowing the Bechdel Test is Gen Z feminism 101. So grab your tote bag, your iced coffee, and your internalised rage - because we’re about to talk film, girlhood, and the difference between “strong female lead” and… a character who actually speaks.

💭 Wait, What Is the Bechdel Test?

Created in 1985 by cartoonist Alison Bechdel, the test started as a joke in her comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. The idea? A movie “passes” if:

It has at least two named women…
who talk to each other…
about something other than a man.

That’s it. That’s the bar. And yet? So many beloved films still fail it with flying colours.

🎬 Why Should You Care?

Because media shapes how we see ourselves. If every female character is either a love interest, a villain, or a quirky sidekick who vanishes after Act 2, we start to internalise the idea that we’re not the main story. The Bechdel Test isn’t perfect, but it shines a light on just how little space women are given to exist beyond their relationship to men.

Also, if you're still calling it a “chick flick” and not realising how deeply coded that is… we have things to discuss.

🍿 Films That Fail the Bechdel Test (Yes, Even the Ones You Love)

The Little Mermaid (1989) – Ariel trades her voice for a man. The irony.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy – A masterpiece, sure, but women rarely interact (and when they do, it’s about Frodo or Aragorn).
(500) Days of Summer – We love Zooey Deschanel, but Summer is more idea than person.
Toy Story – Three films before a named female toy said anything meaningful to another girl. Yikes.

✅ Films That Pass - and Go Beyond

Barbie (2023) – Greta Gerwig said let's unpack the patriarchy in hot pink.
Booksmart – Girls being chaotic, brilliant, and messy, together. No boys required.
Lady Bird – Mother-daughter relationships, college apps, coming-of-age angst.
The Craft (1996) – Witchy, wild, and way ahead of its time.

These films don’t just pass- they let women be complicated, funny, angry, boring, brilliant. They don’t exist for men. They exist like we do: in full, flawed technicolour.

🧠 Feminist Pop Culture = Knowing the References

If you’re quoting Mean Girls but haven’t clocked that it barely passes the Bechdel Test? Welcome. Let’s unpack that. Regina George might be iconic, but how often do the girls in that film talk about literally anything besides boys and social status?

Hot take: Being in your Bechdel Test awareness era is the new cool girl energy.

Final Thought: Passing the Bechdel Test Shouldn’t Be Revolutionary - but It Still Is

The point isn’t to cancel your favourite movies. It’s to notice. To ask better questions. To demand more. Because if we want to see more stories about women - real women, flawed and messy and brilliant -we need to support the ones that already exist, and push for more that do.

So yes, you can sit with us. But only if you know the difference between a strong female lead and a fully written human being.

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