The Bechdel test for Women in Movies - it takes about 2 min and fascinated and enlightened me

[Demo_Chris]

38. Interesting video. Made me think.

I am going to go out on a limb here, and rather than just typing the safe "men suck" response I am going to try and put my thoughts out there....

The answer that the video seems to be suggesting is that movie companies are owned and controlled by misogynistic women haters. I think this argument falls apart when you consider it more carefully. Movies are a product. Movie companies are nothing more than an entertainment business that produces that product. They exist, not to drive an agenda, but to make money and hopefully create a little magic for their viewers. How successful they are is directly proportional to how well they satisfy the demands of their customers.

She wants to know why Hollywood isn't making movies like this. In business, the answer to every question that begins with the word 'why' is MONEY. It really is that simple.

But perhaps you are reading this and thinking: If Hollywood isn't making movies that pass this test then women viewers have no other choice but to watch the films that these companies produce. This is false for two reasons. First, people do not watch movies that don't appeal to them -- they stay home instead. Second, Hollywood IS making movies that pass this and any other test you can dream up. The American movie industry produces and distributes about two-hundred movies a year, covering every theme you can imagine. Everything from 3D chainsaws to gay cowboys, and the agenda for movie makers always remains the same:

ENTERTAINMENT!

People want to see adventure, they want romance and comedy. We want the conflict to be larger than what we experience in our everyday lives. We don't want to watch someone spill their soda and reach for a paper towel, we want to watch the Titanic sink. Despite this, we want a story that makes it easy to suspend our disbelief. We might pay to see a movie about female gladiators (good idea actually), but we probably won't bother with a movie about an all-midget NFL team winning the Superbowl.

Finally, we want a story with a motor on it. In movies or plays anything that doesn't advance the story ends up on the cutting room floor. In my mythical all-female gladiator movie the heartwarming scene where Tiffany shares her childhood ballet dancer dreams with her gladiator roommate is probably going to get cut. Unless they are wearing chainmail lingerie and having a pillow fight while they talk. And even then, it's got to be quick.

Movies that don't follow these basic rules still get made, but with only a few rare exceptions you didn't watch them. No one did. They usually weren't entertaining.

Thelma and Louise was not only entertaining, it a huge success, as was Silence of the Lambs (Academy Award for Best Actress), and Monster (Academy Award for Best Actress).

Complaining that Hollywood doesn't make more "Women Talking, But Not About Men!" movies is as silly complaining that there aren't enough sleepy seniors starring in porn.