Comments on: The Bechdel Test and Race in Popular Fiction http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/ Race, Politics, Gender, Sexuality, Anger Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:46:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Being Human fan http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-44372 Being Human fan Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:18:19 +0000 http://theangryblackwoman.com/?p=1109#comment-44372 Oooh, and Dexter totally passes! That's a great show, actually. The Spanish population of Miami is really well represented, Angel and LaGuerta are Spanish main characters and Doakes and Masouka are also POC main characters, and they have conversations about all kinds of things. Oooh, and Dexter totally passes! That’s a great show, actually. The Spanish population of Miami is really well represented, Angel and LaGuerta are Spanish main characters and Doakes and Masouka are also POC main characters, and they have conversations about all kinds of things.

]]> By: Being Human fan http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-44371 Being Human fan Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:13:38 +0000 http://theangryblackwoman.com/?p=1109#comment-44371 Isn't Aiden Turner POC? I'd have thought Being Human passed quite easily. Isn’t Aiden Turner POC? I’d have thought Being Human passed quite easily.

]]> By: Nora http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-44360 Nora Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:02:19 +0000 http://theangryblackwoman.com/?p=1109#comment-44360 Late to the game (found this on the Google), but Charisma Carpenter is Hispanic (though I believe Cordelia is white; Gunn states as much at some point), and she has plenty of conversations with Gunn on Angel. Late to the game (found this on the Google), but Charisma Carpenter is Hispanic (though I believe Cordelia is white; Gunn states as much at some point), and she has plenty of conversations with Gunn on Angel.

]]> By: Anita http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-31049 Anita Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:21:34 +0000 http://theangryblackwoman.com/?p=1109#comment-31049 I just recently learned about the Bechdel test and I'm so happy to see you've adapted it for people of colour! Scary how many movies (and tv shows) don't pass either test. I linked to this post from my videoblog about the Bechdel Test - http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-te…omen-in-movies/ I just recently learned about the Bechdel test and I’m so happy to see you’ve adapted it for people of colour! Scary how many movies (and tv shows) don’t pass either test. I linked to this post from my videoblog about the Bechdel Test – http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-te…omen-in-movies/

]]> By: Violet http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-27458 Violet Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:25:01 +0000 http://theangryblackwoman.com/?p=1109#comment-27458 Star Trek Deep Space Nine more than passes; it excels. Benjamin talks to his son, his ex-wife and his love interest are both women of color. In the first Star Trek Uhura is almost seduced by a shape shifting alien because he shapes shifts into a sexy man of color who speaks to her in Swahili. Star Trek Deep Space Nine more than passes; it excels. Benjamin talks to his son, his ex-wife and his love interest are both women of color. In the first Star Trek Uhura is almost seduced by a shape shifting alien because he shapes shifts into a sexy man of color who speaks to her in Swahili.

]]> By: Violet http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-26939 Violet Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:57:16 +0000 http://theangryblackwoman.com/?p=1109#comment-26939 Doctor Who only barely passes because Martha talks to her family--about the strain of her father's new white girlfriend. Martha and Mickey do not meet until the end of the Fourth season; they don't flirt on camera, they don't chat. (Although Freema and Noel seemed good friends off camera) In the New York episode, Solomon only talks to Martha to reprimand her because she says she comes to help and has nothing but good intentions. An older man of color puts the young black woman in her place: what else is new? He doesn't even take her to Harlem. As to the Shakespeare Code; Martha is made to speak of her skin color as a negative and a potential problem (As opposed to the attitudes of the people and the laws of the time being the problem): "I'm not exactly white". Then to add to the slight, the Doctor gives some her some, arrogant PC response about walking around like him: a white male walking around male dominated society!. I wanted to slap someone. Even the poem supposedly dedicated to her is a slight insult, as it is dedicated to "A Fair Young Man" and every one who has read Shakespeare knows it. With one scene the BBC and Doctor Who denies Queen Elizabeth's and England's involvement in the slave trade. In 1599 the North American continent USA was an English colony, and the slaves in colonies were captured and sold in ways that even shocked the Queen (until she saw the money from the slave trade). In 1599 Queen Elzabeth wrote a SECOND letter to the mayor of London complaining that there were too many black people in Londonl, futher more there are papers to show that she had engaged a Dutch trader to round up black people and sell them to Spain and Portugal as slaves to fill her wartime depleted coffers. But the Doctor tells Martha that the London of 1599 is like the London of Martha's time. <i>Really?</i> Futhermore, Martha's tight clothing, as Shakespeare compliments her could have gotten her put in stocks, but the real point is, when in the past Rose and Donna got to dress up. All Martha gets in a change from her tank top is a maid's uniform. Although Rose and Donna get to meet many famous white notables of England's past, we have to assume from the show, that other than other servants there was no person of color of note in England's past for Martha to associate with. Poor Rosita in the Other Doctor is a prostitute-- at a time when Queen Victoria's African Ward was much in the news, and England was entertaining and courting many black, female abolitionist from America. Then on the other hand, how many people of color are involved in writing and producing Doctor Who. We're not going to see these kind of stories until we write them. Doctor Who only barely passes because Martha talks to her family–about the strain of her father’s new white girlfriend. Martha and Mickey do not meet until the end of the Fourth season; they don’t flirt on camera, they don’t chat. (Although Freema and Noel seemed good friends off camera) In the New York episode, Solomon only talks to Martha to reprimand her because she says she comes to help and has nothing but good intentions. An older man of color puts the young black woman in her place: what else is new? He doesn’t even take her to Harlem. As to the Shakespeare Code; Martha is made to speak of her skin color as a negative and a potential problem (As opposed to the attitudes of the people and the laws of the time being the problem): “I’m not exactly white”. Then to add to the slight, the Doctor gives some her some, arrogant PC response about walking around like him: a white male walking around male dominated society!. I wanted to slap someone. Even the poem supposedly dedicated to her is a slight insult, as it is dedicated to “A Fair Young Man” and every one who has read Shakespeare knows it. With one scene the BBC and Doctor Who denies Queen Elizabeth’s and England’s involvement in the slave trade. In 1599 the North American continent USA was an English colony, and the slaves in colonies were captured and sold in ways that even shocked the Queen (until she saw the money from the slave trade). In 1599 Queen Elzabeth wrote a SECOND letter to the mayor of London complaining that there were too many black people in Londonl, futher more there are papers to show that she had engaged a Dutch trader to round up black people and sell them to Spain and Portugal as slaves to fill her wartime depleted coffers. But the Doctor tells Martha that the London of 1599 is like the London of Martha’s time. Really? Futhermore, Martha’s tight clothing, as Shakespeare compliments her could have gotten her put in stocks, but the real point is, when in the past Rose and Donna got to dress up. All Martha gets in a change from her tank top is a maid’s uniform. Although Rose and Donna get to meet many famous white notables of England’s past, we have to assume from the show, that other than other servants there was no person of color of note in England’s past for Martha to associate with. Poor Rosita in the Other Doctor is a prostitute– at a time when Queen Victoria’s African Ward was much in the news, and England was entertaining and courting many black, female abolitionist from America.
Then on the other hand, how many people of color are involved in writing and producing Doctor Who. We’re not going to see these kind of stories until we write them.

]]> By: MsFeasance http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-24534 MsFeasance Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:59:08 +0000 http://theangryblackwoman.com/?p=1109#comment-24534 There have been several times during the 20-year run of <i>Law and Order</i> when it's passed this test. Both Detectives Reynaldo Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) and Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) have had conversations with Lt. Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) re: solving cases with victims of all races. Also, on the <i>Special Victims Unit</i> variety, there are multiple conversations among Medical Examiner Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie), Det. Fin Tutuola (Ice-T), and Psychiatrist Dr. George Huang (B.D. Wong) during the course of solving cases. The CSI franchise, on the other hand, has a poor record when it comes to diversity. CSI: Miami has always had more than one POC character at a time--Medical Examiners Dr. Alex Woods (Khandi Alexander) and Dr. Tara Price (Megalyn Echiunwoke) regularly had scenes with CSI Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez) and occasionally in earlier seasons with Det. Yelina Salas. CSI: NY only had 2 regular POCs for one season, the first: Det. Aiden Burn (Vanessa Ferlito), and Dr. Sheldon Hawkes (Hill Harper). CSI Original Flavor, however, has never had more than one POC character at a time: CSI Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) left the series before the arrival of Dr. Ray Langston (Lawrence Fishburne). <i>24</i>has also had multiple scenes of POC's in family life--Pres. Palmer and his wife, brother, and children, but it has problematic presentations of Arab-Americans. There have been several times during the 20-year run of Law and Order when it’s passed this test. Both Detectives Reynaldo Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) and Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) have had conversations with Lt. Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) re: solving cases with victims of all races. Also, on the Special Victims Unit variety, there are multiple conversations among Medical Examiner Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie), Det. Fin Tutuola (Ice-T), and Psychiatrist Dr. George Huang (B.D. Wong) during the course of solving cases.

The CSI franchise, on the other hand, has a poor record when it comes to diversity. CSI: Miami has always had more than one POC character at a time–Medical Examiners Dr. Alex Woods (Khandi Alexander) and Dr. Tara Price (Megalyn Echiunwoke) regularly had scenes with CSI Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez) and occasionally in earlier seasons with Det. Yelina Salas. CSI: NY only had 2 regular POCs for one season, the first: Det. Aiden Burn (Vanessa Ferlito), and Dr. Sheldon Hawkes (Hill Harper). CSI Original Flavor, however, has never had more than one POC character at a time: CSI Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) left the series before the arrival of Dr. Ray Langston (Lawrence Fishburne).

24has also had multiple scenes of POC’s in family life–Pres. Palmer and his wife, brother, and children, but it has problematic presentations of Arab-Americans.

]]> By: ANON http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-24155 ANON Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:19:11 +0000 http://theangryblackwoman.com/?p=1109#comment-24155 Yes, Dollhouse absolutely passes. Yes, Dollhouse absolutely passes.

]]> By: Alison http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-22936 Alison Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:14:54 +0000 http://theangryblackwoman.com/?p=1109#comment-22936 The Big Bang Theory passes; Raj converses with his parents about an Indian girl they want him to date/marry. Of course, the scene is extremely stereotyped, which is a shame. And as of Season One, which is as much as I've watched, it fails the original Bechdel Test spectacularly. The Big Bang Theory passes; Raj converses with his parents about an Indian girl they want him to date/marry. Of course, the scene is extremely stereotyped, which is a shame. And as of Season One, which is as much as I’ve watched, it fails the original Bechdel Test spectacularly.

]]> By: Alison http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-22933 Alison Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:08:52 +0000 http://theangryblackwoman.com/?p=1109#comment-22933 There is the episode where they live in the past for some three months undercover, and she deals with a lot of racism there. I think it says a lot about the Doctor's character that he didn't bother to consider her interests when picking a hiding-time, but it's not really explored in the episode. There is the episode where they live in the past for some three months undercover, and she deals with a lot of racism there. I think it says a lot about the Doctor’s character that he didn’t bother to consider her interests when picking a hiding-time, but it’s not really explored in the episode.

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