Bechdel Test vs Mako Mori Test

Summary

In this video, Rowan explores the Bechdel and Mako Mori tests, tools for analyzing film narratives from a feminist perspective. The Bechdel test assesses if a film has at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man, while the Mako Mori test checks for a female character with her own story arc that isn't just supporting a male lead's. Despite their limitations, these tests are valuable for sparking conversations about representation and biases in the film industry, encouraging a more inclusive and diverse storytelling.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The Bechdel Test evaluates films based on three criteria: having more than one named female character, these characters talking to each other, and their conversation being about something other than a man.
• 🌐 The test gained prominence due to its use in online criticism and the introduction of a Bechdel film rating system in Sweden.
• 🤔 Some confusion exists around what the test indicates and how the rating impacts a film, with many high-regarded films failing the test.
• 🎥 Despite failing the Bechdel Test, some films feature strong female characters and are considered feminist by some viewers.
• 👥 The Mako Mori test, proposed by a Tumblr user in 2013, assesses if a film has at least one female character with her own story arc that isn't supporting a man's.
• 🔄 Both tests are tools for analyzing media's portrayal of female characters, not definitive measures of a film's feminist stance or quality.
• 🗣️ The Bechdel Test is simple to apply and can initiate conversations about the representation of women in film, including the examination of the reverse Bechdel Test for male characters.
• 🚫 Critics argue that the Bechdel Test doesn't signify quality and can be misleading if misunderstood as an ultimate feminist standard.
• 🌟 The Mako Mori test is more subjective and acknowledges the importance of individual female characters' story arcs, even in films with few female roles.
• 🤝 Using both tests together can encourage comprehensive discussions about gender representation in media and challenge creators to consider their biases.

Q & A

What is the Bechdel test?

The Bechdel test is a measure used to evaluate the representation of women in films. To pass the test, a film must have at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man.

What was the origin of the Bechdel test?

The Bechdel test originated from a conversation in Alison Bechdel's comic strip 'Dykes to Watch Out For'.

Why did the Bechdel test gain more attention?

The Bechdel test gained more attention due to its widespread use in online criticism and discourse, and also because Sweden introduced a Bechdel film rating system.

What is the purpose of the Bechdel test?

The purpose of the Bechdel test is to highlight the presence of female characters in films who have their own narratives and relationships, rather than serving as mere love interests or supporting roles to male characters.

What are some criticisms of the Bechdel test?

Some criticisms of the Bechdel test include its simplicity, which may not account for the depth and complexity of female characters, and its potential to mislabel films with strong female leads that technically fail the test.

What is the Mako Mori test?

The Mako Mori test is a more recent evaluation tool designed to assess the presence of a well-developed female character in a film. A film passes the test if it has at least one female character with her own story arc that is not primarily in support of a male character's story.

How does the Mako Mori test differ from the Bechdel test?

The Mako Mori test focuses on the presence of a female character with a significant and independent story arc, whereas the Bechdel test evaluates the film based on the presence of conversations between female characters about topics other than men.

What are the potential issues with using the Mako Mori test?

The Mako Mori test can be criticized for potentially perpetuating the 'Smurfette principle,' where a single female character is given a story arc while the majority of characters are male, or for being too subjective in determining what constitutes a 'story arc.'

Why are both the Bechdel and Mako Mori tests important?

Both tests are important because they can be used in combination to open up conversations about the representation of women in media. They highlight different aspects of female characters and can prompt discussions about biases and the need for more diverse and complex female roles in films.

How can the Bechdel and Mako Mori tests be used effectively?

These tests can be used effectively by applying them to films to stimulate discussion and self-critique within the industry. They serve as conversation starters to examine biases and the representation of women, rather than as definitive measures of a film's quality or feminist stance.

What is the 'reverse Bechdel test' mentioned in the script?

The 'reverse Bechdel test' is a concept where one examines if a film has more than two named male characters who have a conversation about something other than a woman, highlighting the prevalence of male-centric narratives in films.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 Introduction to Bechdel and Mako Mori Tests

The video begins with Rowan introducing two film analysis tests: the Bechdel test and the Mako Mori test. The Bechdel test, inspired by Alison Bechdel's comic strip, evaluates whether a film has more than one named female character, these characters talk to each other, and their conversation is about something other than a man. The test has gained prominence due to its use in online discourse and the introduction of a Bechdel film rating system in Sweden. Despite its age, the test is used to critique the film industry, showing that many highly regarded films fail it. The video also notes the confusion around what the test indicates and provides a list of critically acclaimed films that fail the test. It discusses the difficulty of using the Bechdel test to critique films with strong female characters that technically do not pass, using 'Gravity' and 'Pacific Rim' as examples. This leads into the introduction of the Mako Mori test, designed to address the shortcomings of the Bechdel test by focusing on female characters having their own story arcs that are not merely supportive of male characters.

05:01

🌟 Analysis and Application of the Mako Mori Test

The second paragraph delves into the Mako Mori test, which was created in response to the need for a more nuanced analysis of female representation in film, as highlighted by the character Mako Mori in 'Pacific Rim'. The test has three criteria: the presence of at least one female character, that character having her own story arc, and that arc not being solely supportive of a male character's. The paragraph discusses the importance of the test for intersectional feminism and acknowledges the value of having a single, well-developed female character, such as an Asian female in 'Pacific Rim'. It also addresses the subjectivity involved in applying the test, particularly in defining what constitutes a story arc. The paragraph raises concerns about the potential for the test to reinforce the 'Smurfette principle', where a single female character in an ensemble cast is seen as sufficient representation. The video concludes by suggesting that the most effective approach is to use both the Bechdel and Mako Mori tests together to encourage a broader conversation about gender representation in media. It emphasizes the importance of these discussions in challenging biases and assumptions about female characters in films.

Keywords

💡Bechdel Test

The Bechdel Test is a measure used to evaluate the representation of women in fiction. It requires a work to have at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man. In the video, the Bechdel Test is discussed as a tool for critiquing the film industry's portrayal of women, highlighting the lack of complexity in female relationships and the prevalence of male-centric narratives. The video also points out the test's limitations, such as its inability to account for the quality of female characters or the overall feminist message of a film.

💡Mako Mori Test

The Mako Mori Test is a more recent addition to the critical analysis of gender representation in media. It asks whether a film features at least one female character who has her own narrative arc that is not primarily in support of a male character's story. The test is named after the character Mako Mori from the film 'Pacific Rim' and is used to highlight the importance of giving women characters their own agency and development within a story. The video discusses how this test can complement the Bechdel Test by ensuring that female characters are not just present but also have meaningful roles.

💡Alison Bechdel

Alison Bechdel is an American cartoonist whose comic strip 'Dykes to Watch Out For' introduced the concept that would later be known as the Bechdel Test. The video mentions Bechdel as the originator of the test, emphasizing her contribution to the discourse on gender equality in media. Her work has had a lasting impact on how we evaluate and discuss the representation of women in films and other narrative forms.

💡Feminist Criticism

Feminist Criticism is a form of critique that seeks to analyze and challenge the representation of gender, particularly women, in various forms of media and culture. In the video, the Bechdel and Mako Mori tests are discussed as tools within feminist criticism, used to assess the portrayal of women in films. The video emphasizes that these tests are not definitive measures of a film's feminist value but are starting points for conversations about gender representation.

💡IMDB Top 250

The IMDB Top 250 is a list compiled by the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) that ranks films based on user ratings. The video references this list to illustrate that even critically acclaimed films often fail the Bechdel Test, suggesting a systemic issue in the film industry's portrayal of women. This reference serves to highlight the ubiquity of the problem across a wide range of popular and respected films.

💡Sweden's Bechdel Film Rating

In the video, it is mentioned that Sweden introduced a film rating system based on the Bechdel Test, which indicates whether a film passes the test. This initiative is discussed as a significant step in bringing attention to gender representation in media and as a way to prompt audiences to consider the roles of women in the films they watch.

💡Reverse Bechdel Test

The Reverse Bechdel Test is a concept mentioned in the video that involves applying the Bechdel Test's criteria to male characters instead of female ones. It asks if a film has more than two named male characters who talk to each other about something other than a woman. The video uses this concept to point out the ubiquity of male-centric narratives in films and to question why such narratives are so common while female-centric ones are not.

💡Intersectional Feminism

Intersectional Feminism is a branch of feminist theory that considers the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender. The video discusses how the Mako Mori Test can be particularly important for intersectional feminism by recognizing the representation of women from diverse backgrounds, such as the Asian female character in 'Pacific Rim,' and not just focusing on conversations between women.

💡Smurfette Principle

The Smurfette Principle is a concept from feminist media criticism that refers to the inclusion of a single female character in an otherwise all-male cast, often with the implication that her presence is sufficient to represent all women. The video warns against the potential of the Mako Mori Test to inadvertently perpetuate this principle if it is used to justify the presence of only one significant female character in a film.

💡Narrative Media

Narrative Media refers to any form of storytelling that uses a narrative structure, such as films, books, and plays. The video uses the term to discuss the broader application of the Bechdel and Mako Mori tests beyond just films, suggesting that these tests can be used to analyze and critique the representation of women in various forms of narrative storytelling.

Highlights

Introduction to the Bechdel test and its origin from Alison Bechdel's comic strip.

Criteria for passing the Bechdel test: more than one named female character, conversation between them, and the conversation is not about a man.

The Bechdel test's increased prominence due to online use and Sweden's film rating system.

Confusion about what the Bechdel test measures and its impact on film ratings.

Criticism of the film industry using the Bechdel test, showing many films fail despite high critical regard.

Examples of critically acclaimed films that fail the Bechdel test, including 'District 9' and 'The Lord of the Rings'.

Discussion on films with strong female characters that technically fail the Bechdel test, such as 'Gravity' and 'Pacific Rim'.

Introduction to the Mako Mori test, designed to address the limitations of the Bechdel test.

Criteria for passing the Mako Mori test: at least one female character, her own story arc, and the arc not supporting a man's.

The importance of the Mako Mori test in recognizing female characters with dynamic story arcs.

Clarification that neither test is a measure of a film's feminism or quality.

Pros of the Bechdel test: highlighting complex female relationships and prompting industry-wide discussions.

The simplicity of the Bechdel test makes it a useful tool for starting conversations about representation.

The reverse Bechdel test as a way to examine male character representation in films.

Criticism that the Bechdel test is not a mark of quality and the response that it's not meant to be.

The Mako Mori test's focus on individual female storylines and its importance for intersectional feminism.

Challenges in implementing the Mako Mori test due to its subjectivity and the potential for reinforcing the 'Smurfette principle'.

The combined strength of using both the Bechdel and Mako Mori tests to analyze and critique film narratives.

Encouragement for further discussion and consideration of biases in media representation.

Transcripts

Hey, it's Rowan, and today we we're gonna be talking about two film analysis

tests: the Bechdel test and the Mako Mori test.

So let's start with the Bechdel test. This is a test based on a conversation

that's had between characters

in Alison Bechdel's comic strip "Dykes to look out For". In order to pass the test a film needs to

do three things:

One: have more than one named female character. Two:

have these characters talk to each other and Three: have that conversation be about

something other than a man.

Now although this comic strip was released thirty years ago, the Bechdel Test

I think has come

more into the forefront for various reasons, one because it's widely used

online

in criticism and discourse and two because

Sweden introduced a Bechdel film rating system

where films that you would go in see would have a rating

for whether or not it passed the Bechdel Test. Now this gave it a kind of

authority which it hadn't had previously. I think many people were confused as to

what the test was meant to be showing, or what

the rating would actually do for a film. The test is often used to criticize

the film industry as a whole

by showing that a clear majority of films and even films very highly

critically regarded will often fail the test.

Here I have a short list of films from the IMDB top 250 films

which failed the test: District nine, Up Wall-e, The Diving Bell and the butterfly, The

Prestige, all three Lord of the Rings films, The Princess Bride,

Slumdog Millionaire, In Bruges.... But we also have some films

which fail the test but which have very strong female characters in them

often the female character being the sole protagonist and this becomes very

difficult if we're trying to critique a film from a

feminist point of view when using the Bechdel test because many people would argue

that these films are just as validly

feminist and have just as interesting female characters

even though they technically fail. So a very common example of this in the last

couple years has been Gravity,

and importantly for this video also Pacific Rim.

So this leads me on to the Mako Mori test. This is a test designed by tumblr user

chaila in 2013,

and this test came from a place where many people were acknowledging that

although Pacific Rim

had failed the Bechdel Test, Mako as a character

was interesting and dynamic and had a

strong story arc to the point where they felt that some

recognition of this film was needed in feminist criticism.

So for a film to pass the Mako Mori test it needs to do three things:

One: have at least one female character Two: have that female character have her own story

arc

and Three: have the story arc not be supporting a man's story arc.

So both these tests are tests we can use to analyze film and

other narrative media in order to have a look

at and examined the female characters. Please note:

I did not say that these tests were a measure of how feminist a film is,

because they're not.

They're not a measure of how feminist a film is, how good a film is,

or even how good the female characters are.

So what are the pros and cons of these tests and what can they actually show us?

Now of course the Bechdel Test literally shows us what films

have female characters talking about things other than men

but what we can gain from that is an idea of how complex the female friendships

and relationships are

with that film. As I said before it's also a good indication of the industry

as a whole...

it's all very well for individual content creator to be saying "You know it

doesn't really matter if MY film doesn't pass the test"

because we're also looking at the data of the industry as a whole and so yes it

might not matter to you in particular if you are creating something which doesn't

pass the test

but when you acknowledge that a majority of people are also not passing the test

then you start to see the problem. Another positive for the Bechdel Test is it is

very easy to apply.

The three criteria have pretty simple yes or no answers to them so it can be quite

useful as a test

to prompt people to acknowledge that there's a problem. So in that way I

would say probably one of the most important pros to the Bechdel test

is the way in which you can open up conversations. It's an important starting

point to say

"okay it might be that we have all these firms that fail the test but we consider

to be alsoolute masterpieces of cinema

so maybe let's examine why we think they're masterpieces of cinema, why they don't have have

any female characters in them,

why, if they don't have female character because, for instance, they're set in

a prison or in a military space, or somewhere women can't

be so it doesn't make sense for women to be there because of the narrative why are we

so invested in telling stories

in places where women aren't?" I'd lastly like to point out a nice application of the Bechdel

test is to look at the reverse Bechdel Test....

So to look at films and try and see if they have more than two named male

characters

that those two male characters have a conversation and they have a

conversation about something other than a woman

and you'll be interested to find how very many of the films

technically will pass that test, like pretty much across the board,

the reverse Bechdel Test gets a pass.

Many people have argued that it is not a mark of quality. I would say that it isn't meant

to be a mark of quality

and so I think that this criticism is a little bit troublesome.

I think the criticism relies on people misunderstanding what the test should be

used for in the first place.

Otherwise every bad lesbian porn film would pass the Bechdel Test and be

hailed as some kind of feminist vision.

It acknowledges good isolated female characters, as shown by its origins in

Pacific Rim

it can be a really important test for intersectional feminism in particular.

To have a single

Asian female character is a really important piece of representation

that shouldn't be overlooked just because she doesn't have conversations

with other women.

The Mako Mori test also acknowledges

women's story arcs and women's storylines. You actually are acknowledging the fact that

women should be going through the same sort of hero's journey as any

character should be.

Unlike the Bechdel Test

it's a little bit harder to implement: it relies a lot more on

subjectivity. The first point is pretty easy

but when you get to the second point, what exactly counts as a storyline? Does it

have to be a main storyline? Is it a small subplot?

Again there's the argument that it isn't a particular mark of quality,

I would argue again it's not meant to be a mark of quality, it is what it is. All

it's saying is that there's at least one woman who actually gets her

own storyline

in the film. It's not gonna say "okay this is what a good film needs"

or "this is going to be good film because it has this" The last criticism

I'd say would be

kinda based around the film that it's based on and the character it's based on.

You know that film had over 50 male

characters and three female characters and there is the danger that it starts to

perpetuate the quite dangerous idea of, you know, the one worthwhile woman

or the Smurfette principle... the idea that

for example it's enough for us to have one woman in an ensemble cast

and I have her have a story arc and not acknowledge that you also give seven

male characters story arcs as well.

That in and of itself isn't a problem but when that happens consistently over

and over again and becomes a trend or pattern

then you have to ask yourself, you know, is it really enough that

we only have this one female character and people can use the test in the film

and people who are misunderstanding the test as a mark of quality can nod their heads

and say

"Yes, this is what makes a good film".

So here's the thing, I know that the title of this video says "vs"

but looking at the tests, looking at thier criticisms, and how they can be

applied

I'd actually say the strongest way that they work

is together. The Mako Mori test isn't gonna let you get away with having two

throwaway female characters have a single conversation,

similarly the Bechdel Test isn't gonna let you get away with always just

having

one female character amongst a bunch of men.

What using these two tests in combination can do is

open up a narrative, get people talking about criticizing their own work. And it

might be that that person can say "Yeah actually here are the reasons" and they

can be totally valid.

But it might well be that that person hasn't really thought about the biases that

they hold.

It's these conversations that happen after we apply the test which are

important.

So do you have any other ideas of tests we can use to start these conversations?

Have you had discussions with people where these tests have managed to open their

eyes

to the biases the industry? Or do you have your head in the sand and you think

there are literally no problems with the way that women are being represented

in media at the moment? If you enjoyed this video or found it useful please

consider liking and subscribing.

And just reminded that the live stream book discussion is

this Sunday at 6 p.m. GMT. I will leave all the details in the description I hope to

see you there.

Until then, Bye!

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