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

'Call the Midwife' failed because they were talking about abusive partners / prostitution and the doctor needing a button sewn on his coat by a woman because his wife had died. Odd. Considering it is marketed as being about babies, it is actually about the misery women find themselves in as caused by men.

Does listening to something count? The comedy series 'Clare in the Community' on R4 was a massive argument between Clare and Nali exploiting her previous role as the family nanny to Thomas, so failed.

Yet last weeks episode was about how Helen was committing massive fraud in relation to expenses, so passed as Helen and Clare were talking about work. Any male characters that talk to one another are normally talking about their relationships with women too.

I think I have seen you talking about that one on your blog. I must put it on my list.

I am currently working away at my new local library (just moved) so going for books by authors I have enjoyed previously (Ann Patchett - I enjoyed Bel Canto. Although I couldn't be sure it passes, but for plot reasons very few on the characters can actually talk to one another as they don't speak the same language. I'd have to go back and look. And also see whether conversations through a male translator count!). Also, random books that seem light or just jump out at me from the shelves.

I have a couple of Atwoods coming up, which I would hope would pass. I just lurve her . I read 'The Year of the Flood' just before Christmas, which again would pass easily - and hence where I got my current name.

I'm reading Are You My Mother by Alison Bechdel. Passing test so far.

TheDoctrine, Evie and the Queen talked about the dogs, so today's episode did indeed pass.

Mike the Knight is an odious little turd though, which cancels out any Bechdel test passes, I think.

Reading Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. Pass

Right now: watching Tracey Beaker (with poorly DC) - pass
Rereading the Peabody series of Egyptological murders (Elizabeth Peters) - pass

I feel a bit sorry for The Master, since it's all about a very very controlling man and his mad cult of acolytes: surely no two people would have been permitted to talk about anything other than HIM?

In one of the Tolkien books it was explained (perhaps by a dwarf) that female dwarves look so much like male dwarves (or is it the other way round ) that "people" often assumed that dwarves don't reproduce in the traditional way (!?) but are born of the earth.

Do I win a prize for remembering the most useless things I read?

Or was that in the movies!? Anyway.

Yeah, Joan, The Hobbit doesn't stand a chance! Watched it in the cinema, and then DD2 asked who was my favourite character. I said Galadriel, as she was the only woman (in 3 hours or so). She gets about 5 min on screen I think. One of the kids pointed out there was a female hobbit early on, who even had a speaking part, she says something like "Good luck."

DD2 said her favourite character was the pony Myrtle - who after all is a female...

DH said there must be female dwarves, elves and orcs somewhere in order to reproduce, but I'm not so sure .

I have just finished reading Night Waking by Sarah Moss, which passes easily - even though the narrator spends most of her time on an island with only her husband and two young male children for company.

Also just read Life, Death and Vanilla slices by Jenny Eclair. Which I am 99% sure passed. The three central characters were all female. And Run by Ann Patchett, which passes.

I am carrying out an experiment, inspired by SGM on these boards to just read books written by women for a few months. Very refreshing!

Yeah, Relationships not so much (but wouldn't pass a reverse Bechdel if a man was the OP, I expect). But some posts do eg practical aspects of planning a divorce.

I started a Bechdel Test Thread ages ago.

I went to see Wicked this week - it only struck me at the end as the actors were taking their bows that it is unusual for the two main characters (the two who take a bow last, together) were women.

Currently reading the MN Relationships board - does not pass!

I'm reading Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (finally!) I think it passes.

Does Mike The Knight pass? I always assumed it would fail.

I'm reading Mumsnet too. That almost always passes

Mike the Knight it passes.

Doesn't mean it's not shit though.

Watching - How I Met (various episodes). Some pass, some don't (it has two lead female characters, but three male)
Reading - the Power of One (about a small boy who wants to become the world welterweight champion, told from his perspective) barely passes.

Ha, wuthering heights: not really!

Watching Silent State - fail
Reading a guide book! Before that read The Playdate, which passed easily.

Just read When She Woke by Hillary Jordan - pass. Although the horrible situation the main character finds herself in was mostly caused by a man, she gets through it using her own strength and the support of her female sidekick. The 'knight in shining armour' character is also a woman. Feminism is mentioned positively and half of the group of feminists are men.

The Wheel of Time - easy pass.

Just read 'House of the Mosque' - passed

Last thing I watched was 'Eggheads' but I don't think that counts! next time I watch a fictional programme I'll take note though

Watched Silent Witness - pass.
Reading Villette - pass

I keep getting stuck bfing with Two Broke Girls on telly. It's DIRE but passes easily. Main characters are trying to start a cupcake business together so are often discussing that.

Reading a YA romance book at the moment called Torment. It fails rather spectacularly