Samruddhi's Scrawls

  The Bechdel test is used to measure the representation of women in fictional works. It requires that two women, who are named, must talk to each other about something other than men. This test is used to call upon gender inequality in fiction. It is observed by media industries that films that pass the Bechdel test perform better than those that do not pass it. The test is named after Alison Bechdel, an American cartoonist. The test first appeared in their 1985 comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For”. Various variants and tests inspired by this test emerged after it became popular in the 2000s.  

  Beige walls. Beige dresses. Black suits. A mundane crowd. It’s a crowded restaurant with nothing going on. We look around and see… red? With silk flowing down to the floor and light bouncing off every edge. Black stilettos base the dress and black hair tops it. Oh, what a sight with that red lipstick. But who’s looking at this smiling beauty? Ah! It’s the protagonist, looking at the women in red, with what Laura Mulvey would call a “male gaze”. Scenes like these are often portrayed in movies and videos because of course, it's what caught the male protagonist’s eye and stopped the narrative. They must objectify the pretty girl even more, especially while she’s not looking. Its scenes like these have dragged a heavy audience to the theatres from time immemorial and continue to do so. It's something that has become quite prevalent in our lives that we often ignore or have gotten used to it, sadly speaking. Movies indulging in these scenes are very much popular with people fr...