I’ve been thinking about the Bechdel test for films where a film must have a) two or more main female characters who b) talk for five minutes about c) something other than men. It’s amazing to see that not many films pass this test. So, I’m initiating this now (unless it’s already been done…): The Shukla Test, for books, films and television where a) two main characters who are people who of colour b) talk for five minutes without c) mentioning their race. [more inside]
posted by Blasdelb on Jan 24, 2013 - 68 comments

Writing a work of fiction? Want to know if the female character in it is a strong one? There's a flowchart for that. ^{(more info)} Though you'll want to go through the flowchart at least twice if you want any hope of passing The Bechdel Test ^{(bonus link)}
posted by 256 on Oct 12, 2010 - 109 comments

Alison Bechdel, creator of the very long-running "Dykes to Watch Out For" as well as the autobiographical graphic novel "Fun Home", may end up best known for her creation/popularization of "The Bechdel Test" (also mentioned on wikipedia). [more inside]
posted by rmd1023 on Sep 3, 2008 - 257 comments