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The Bechdel Test is a criteria first developed by cartoonist Alison Bechdel in the ‘80s to assess gender bias in fiction. To pass the test, a work must include a) at least two women who, b) talk to each other, and c) discuss something other than a man. Each week on The Bechdel Cast, comedians Caitlin Durante and Jamie Loftus (My Year in Mensa, Aak Cast, Ghost Church, Lolita Podcast) run popular films through the test with the help of a guest. The conversations explore the ways women are portrayed on film, the impact of gender stereotypes, and how the movie reflects larger social and cultural trends. You can explore this podcast by searching for a movie you love or love to hate-watch (with selections as varied as Mulholland Drive, Teenage Mutant NinjaTurtles: Secret of the Ooze, Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dad, Avatar, The Human Centipede, and Titanic), or pick a comedian guest you know you’ll love hearing talk about how, for example, Buddy the Elf is a toxic creep.
