In media studies, representation is the way aspects of society, such as gender, age, or ethnicity, are presented to audiences. Sadly, the entertainment industry still comes up short when it comes to reflecting diversity, i.e., what our country actually looks like. The following terms are proposed principles by which we can judge and challenge underrepresentation and misrepresentation.
The Bechdel test (also known as the Bechdel-Wallace test) is named for Alison Bechdel, a cartoonist who created the comic strip below to explain its criteria:
Source: Alison Bechdel, Dykes to Watch Out For
Basically, the Bechdel test measures female presence in fictional media. The three requirements seem simple to abide by, and they are. That said, you’d be surprised to learn just how many films actually depict female-to-female conversations that do not reference the male protagonists. The answer is: not that many. In more recent years, the Bechdel Test has gained traction, with several websites using the test to assess the roles of women in newly released films.
This is more a coined idea rather than an established test. Named after black filmmaker Ava DuVernay, the proposed test would merely require “African Americans and other minorities [to] have fully realised lives rather than serve as scenery in white stories” according to film critic Manohla Dargis, who submitted the idea.
This test was devised to diminish the gender gap in the sciences. It is used specifically in journalistic profiles on female scientists. Often, these profiles push forward a patronizing narrative, in which the scientist is often portrayed as “an archetype of perseverance.”
The criteria used to combat sexism in these profiles include neglecting to mention:
1. That she is a woman;
2. Her husband’s job;
3. Her child care arrangements;
4. How she nurtures her underlings;
5. How she was taken aback by the competitiveness in her field;
6. How she’s such a role model for other women;
7. How she’s the “first woman to…”
This one is an extension of the Bechdel test. Named after one of the protagonists from Pacific Rim, this test posits that a film is adequately feminist if it meets all of the following specifications:
1. It has at least one female character;
2. Who gets her own narrative arc;
3. That is not about supporting a man’s story.
Source: Guillermo Navarro
The Representation Test is the most inclusive of the tests listed here, as it also takes into account representation for LGBT people, people with disabilities, and race, among other things. The Representation Project devised this test and released an accessible form (see below) so that viewers themselves can score any film. It is essentially a checklist with a points system.
Source: The Representation Project
The ‘Smurfette principle’ is the practice of including only one female character in all-male cast or lineup. It is actually extremely common (i.e The Big Bang Theory, Seinfeld, The Avengers, Star Trek, Star Wars)
Inspired by the Bechdel test, GLAAD created its own test to analyze how LGBT characters are represented in the media.
1. [It] contains a character that is identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender;
2. That character must not be solely or predominantly defined by their sexual orientation or gender identity;
3. The LGBT character must be tied into the plot in such a way that their removal would have a significant effect.
*Thumbnail image: Disney/Warner Bros/20th Century Fox
*None of the images used belong to the author or Her Campus UC Davis