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Original poster

What are you watching & reading? Will you do the Beshdel Test on it?

211 replies

Seabright · 24/01/2013 23:32

I have been trying to apply the Beshdel Test to what I've been watching lately.

The wiki entry in the link above explains more, but basically to pass the Beshdel Test a work of fiction must have:

A) At least two female characters
B) Who Talk to each other
C) About something other than a man

This evening I have watched:

  1. Rizzoli & Isles - pass, just
  2. The Good Wife - pass

And I'm reading an Ian Rankin novel at the moment (yes, my choice of tv and books is pretty limited - crime & murder!) which so far fails, but I'm only part way through.

OP posts:
ouryve · 25/01/2013 22:44

Actually - there's a 3rd female character who appeared, briefly, married to an undead man. She acts undead and moves in undead circles to please him. Being Pratchett, though, the purpose of the character really clearly portrayed her situation as rather ridiculous as opposed to desirable.

ouryve · 25/01/2013 22:32

Currently watching something trite on channel 4. Reading 2 books. One on Pathological demand avoidance, so doesn't apply. The other is Terry Pratchett's The Reaper Man. Men, Women and Undead. It makes the application of the test a little more complex. I'm only about 1/3 of the way through and so far, it fails, since the two female characters haven't met. I do find that many of Pratchett's female characters really have their heads screwed on, though.

TooMuchRain · 25/01/2013 22:21

Silver Linings Playbook - fail (but has two great actresses and is pretty fab)

MousyMouse · 25/01/2013 22:19

and of course mumsnet. :)

I am so very glad that this place exists, a real eyeopener on soooooooooo many levels.

MousyMouse · 25/01/2013 22:16

a cathy reichs novel definitely passes (and very enjoyable)

ArbitraryUsername · 25/01/2013 22:13

I love American pickers too. They've got a female manager for the second store now. Danielle was talking to her about inventory and stuff in one of the episodes, so it might be moving towards the occasional pass.

Original poster
Seabright · 25/01/2013 22:08

American Pickers, even. Grrr!

OP posts:
Original poster
Seabright · 25/01/2013 22:06

ArbitaryUsername - I love American Restoration. American O
Pickets fails too, although I love Danielle.

OP posts:
SanityClause · 25/01/2013 22:06

I'm reading this which doesn't pass!

It's fascinating, reading, though!

Original poster
Seabright · 25/01/2013 22:05

New Tricks - failed
QI - so far no female panelists

OP posts:
Jessepinkman · 25/01/2013 22:02

I have been reading Dickens for the last five months. They would all pass.
I'm going to complete Dickens, then I would like to read Moll Flanders.

ArbitraryUsername · 25/01/2013 21:59

I'm reading specials (the third book in Scott westerfield's uglies series). It fails. The first book in the series would pass as the two main characters are female and they talk to each other about all sorts of stuff that isn't boys (it's teen fiction). I think the subsequent books in the series fail because the talk is generally about boys (sometimes slightly obliquely but the plot is driven by the main character wanting to get her boyfriend made into a 'special' so they can be together/she won't be repulsed by him any more). They do talk about other stuff too, but mostly it's all about how boys have come between them.

We're watching American restoration. Unsurprisingly it fails. There are no women in it at all.

NeverKnowinglyUnderstood · 25/01/2013 21:47

silent witness..
kind of passes.

badguider · 25/01/2013 21:46

I don't think there's a Rankin book that will pass as all his main characters are always male and the minor characters don't talk to each other much.

I'm reading a book about sailing in the caribbean - the female in the sailing couple often talks to local women about food and cooking.
And I'm watching Bones, where two female characters often talk about the case.

feministefatale · 25/01/2013 21:43

oh and i watched ashes to ashes last night which i am pretty sure passed too

feministefatale · 25/01/2013 21:40

Parks and recreation yesterday which not only passed but had a specifically feminist plot and 30 rock yesterday passed too.

ImNotDrunkIJustCantType · 25/01/2013 21:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

drjohnsonscat · 25/01/2013 21:36

It's no coincidence that she won the Booker for books written in a man's voice which comprehensively fail the test. I love the books but hate the Booker.

I'm not reading anything atm due to lack of inspiration but I can identify the worst failure in film in 2012. Killing Them Softly. Hundreds of men. One unnamed woman in the entire 100 minute saga. She plays, guess what, a hooker. Honestly I don't know how they convince themselves this is ok.

feministefatale · 25/01/2013 21:34

Wordgirl Passes with flying colours.

DiegaMartinez · 25/01/2013 21:21

Reading A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel. I think it fails. Which means Wolf Hall would fail too. Bit of a surprise.

Schooldidi · 25/01/2013 21:12

Not any more, there are 3 guests who battle it out to get their thing put into room 101. Today there were 2 women as guests and they were debating which of their things should go in, so it passed. When there are 2 men and only 1 woman as guests then it fails.

JustAHolyFool · 25/01/2013 21:10

But how can Room 101 pass or fail? There's only one person on it a week isn't there? And they're always talking to a bloke?

Schooldidi · 25/01/2013 20:57

I'm watching room 101 and it passes this week but often doesn't.

Earlier today I watched Charmed - pass, The big bang theory - pass but not in the first series I think.

I'm reading Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews - passes easily.

ThreeBeeOneGee · 25/01/2013 20:40

Grin at harrietspy

greenhill · 25/01/2013 13:55

sgm for the last 20 years I have only read novels by women or gay men (unless reading crime fiction), but in the last year I have started to read male writers again and have not been enjoying reading anywhere near as much as I used to. It may be time to give up on my heterosexual male writer experiment.