Bechdel Test: Negative Influence On Young Women

Cartoons and fictional media create impacts on the viewers that most people are not aware of, especially when the viewers are at a young age. Young children, and even teenagers/young adults, have malleable minds and can be easily influenced. In today’s society, it is difficult for women to sell themselves as equal, or even better than, to a man in a higher position because the media is exposed to the younger generations is filled with male superheroes and male role models where women rely on men to “save the day.” This influence can negatively impact young teens, specifically girls, because it could lead them to thinking that just because they are a girl means they cannot achieve the future goals that a boy can. The American society has made it obvious that they are not ready to have a female in charge of executive decisions even though women are very capable, sometimes even more capable, than men to handle important decision …show more content…
When men dominate the screen, there is no influence for young girls or women; women will be forced to find a different way to seek encouragement. Jocelyn Murphy, an undergraduate at the University of Arkansas, whose thesis paper was published on the school’s website, examines the use of the Bechdel test to show how women are underrepresented in films. The Bechdel Test was created by a cartoonist, Alison Bechdel, in 1985. The test is used to determine how “well-rounded and complete” representation of women is in movies” (Murphy 6). The test answers the questions: “Are there at least two women in the film who have names? Do those women talk to each other? Do they talk to each other about something other than a man?” In 2013, out of the top fifty grossing films, which were viewed by approximately 917.3 million people, an astonishing seventeen films passed the Bechdel test (qtd in Murphy