Me, Myself and I: The Bechdel Test, Female Representation and the Creative Process

Abstract

During the past three years, I have researched the validity of the Bechdel Test, a test widely used to winkle out stereotypes depicting women in film. The Bechdel Test began its life as a comic strip, but despite its wide acceptance, has never been subjected to rigorous testing. Drawing on my experience of 25 years of professional film reviewing, I examined the history of the Test, questioned its validity, and chose 200 of the most popular, English-language feature films released recently in Australia. I evolved 30 components of what would constitute a stereotypical view of women in film, and applied these components to my 200 chosen films. This paper describes how I went about it, and my results. I then applied my new test to my own creative work, including the novel The River which is the creative component of my candidature. The result is a new expanded Bechdel Test which many may find useful.