I randomly found myself wondering whether my work passes the Reverse Bechdel Test: two male characters talking about something other than a female character.
The (original, non-reversed) Bechdel Test isn't actually a particularly useful or demanding measure, but it's remarkable just how many stories fail it anyway. Thankfully, though, I've never had a problem with it.
But as for the Reverse version...heh...I don't think I score very well!
The Galaxy Federal inaugural novel is right out because Cherry is the only point-of-view character and the narrative is limited (i.e., not omniscient).
It does happen in The Curious Tale, but not super often, because I am realizing that there aren't a ton of situations where there are no female characters present.
It's easy to find in The Great Galavar since Galavar is the only POV character. To a lesser extent it happens at various points in the Prelude since we spend a lot of time in Benzan's point of view, and again at the end when Galavar is alone with Sourros.
In After The Hero proper it's much more situational. In Chapter 1, the book that I'm currently working on, there are plenty of male characters, but they are not often talking alone with each other since many female characters are present. And the "talking about something other than a female character" proviso plays a pretty active role, too. The book actually begins with a bunch of male characters talking together, but they're all talking about Silence. 😅
It does occur, though. There are some male thieves talking amongst themselves in Soda Fountain at a couple points in Chapter 1. And most of the Sodish leaders are male (the King, the highest Peers, the leadership of the City Guard, etc.). So...Reverse Bechdel Test: Passed.
I'm not sure of a single instance of it on the Galan side in Chapter 1, though. There are no qualifying conversations I can recall among the Sand Fleet scenes. (Though that might just mean I have a bad memory, which is true enough.) The Galan cast skews female for various reasons, especially among the military.
I think it's kind of neat that I have to dig for examples, because this shows that I've done a reasonably good job of having a nicely mixed cast. That's important to me.
Anyway, I dunno if this is actually all that interesting, but there you go: a freshly-baked thought from my brain!
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Annihilation didn’t pass the reverse bechdel test (two named men talking to each other about something other than a woman)
confirming the notion that passing the bechdel or reverse-bechdel test is quite heavily influenced by which gender the protagonist has, as most other characters will usually talk to them, hence whichever test is about their gender will be the one they pass with flying colours, while the other one is the one they might not
DOCTOR WHO EPISODES WHICH FAIL THE REVERSE-BECHDEL TEST
A.K.A: Post-revival episodes which lack a 3+ line conversation specifically between 2 named men about something other than a woman, including small groups containing such. This is based on @doctorwhobechdeltest’s criteria for the normal test. Feel free to send me an ask if you have an amendment or addition to make, as I may easily have missed something or been too generous/strict with an episode while working on this.
Image descriptions and analysis below:
The definition of men and women in this case includes ‘coded characters’, referring to entities that may not necessarily actually have a gender (eg. Sontarans, Weeping Angels) but will be largely seen as such by the viewer. Interfaces and robots are not included.
Below are image descriptions of each GIF above, with notes on some of the conversations I disqualified based on the criteria for the test. I’ve tried my best to lay out my reasoning in the more debatable cases.
Series 1, Episode 1 - Rose by Russell T Davies
[Image: Rose and Jackie discuss Rose’s lost job.]
Exclusions:
Auton!Mickey and the Doctor talk at the restaurant. Their dialogue, however, makes references to Rose.
The Doctor parlays with the Nestene Consciousness. While the Nestene’s line of dialogue (most of the conversation being non-verbal) is voiced by Nicholas Briggs, it is only referred to as ‘it’. In the expanded universe, it’s generally treated as a genderless eldritch abomination and is, in fact at one point referred to as the ‘Mother Consciousness’. For these reasons, it has been excluded from being a ‘male-coded character’.
Series 1, Episode 2 - The End of the World by Russell T Davies
[Image: Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17 and Rose speak about being ‘the last human’.]
Exclusions:
The Doctor goes to greet the Moxx of Balhoon. The Moxx seems to be speaking to both the Doctor and Rose (esp. as he then spits on her face as his greeting gift).
The Steward is unnamed. Another member of his species in a similar position (Raffalo) is named, showing he isn’t unnamed for a plot/character reason.
Series 2, Episode 11 - Fear Her by Matthew Graham
[Image: Chloe and Trish Webber singing Kookaburra together to fend off Chloe’s fear of her abusive father, brought to life by the Isolus within her.]
Exclusions:
The people in the neighbourhood get in to an argument, ignoring the Doctor’s attempts to speak with them. Only one of the men (Kel) is named.
Series 3, Episode 10 - Blink by Steven Moffat
[Image: Sally Sparrow and Kathy Nightingale discuss splitting up.]
Exclusions:
The Doctor greets Billy Shipton after he is sent back in time by a Weeping Angel. Billy asks where he is and the Doctor answers. This was excluded as Billy, in a daze, seems to be speaking to both Martha and the Doctor (actually looking at Martha as he asks the question). The greater conversation, which includes Martha, is about the Angels themselves, who are female-coded entities.
Series 5, Episode 2 - The Beast Below by Steven Moffat
[Image: Liz 10 watches her ‘forget’ video message with Amy Pond and Mandy Tanner in the background.]
Exclusions:
The Doctor and Hawthorne discuss the children who weren’t eaten by the Star Whale (including girls) and the fact that the Doctor and Amy were not eaten.
The Doctor speaks over the phone with Churchill. The Doctor says ‘we’ (meaning himself and Amy) are on the way.
Series 7, Episode 1 - Asylum of the Daleks by Steven Moffat
The Dalek PM was a borderline case as I couldn’t decide whether or not his lack of a name was justified under the criteria by being a Dalek outside of the Cult of Skaro. Ultimately I chose not.
When Rory and the Doctor do speak to each other for more than two lines the subject either includes Amy or Oswin.
Harvey and the Doctor speak about the Alaska’s crew, presumably including Oswin and potentially other female members.
Series 7, Episode 5 - The Angels Take Manhatten by Steven Moffat
[Image: Amy comforts River after she storms away from the Doctor.]
Exclusions:
Julius Grayle and Sam Garner speak about the Weeping Angels,
An older version of Garner tries to warn his younger self about the Angels.
Each of the Doctor and Rory’s conversations are about Amy, River and/or the Angels.
Series 7, Episode 8 - The Rings of Akhaten by Neil Cross
[Image: Clara Oswald and Merry Gejelh discuss Merry’s fear of getting the Long Song wrong.]
Exclusions:
Clara’s dad, Dave Oswald and the Doctor talk about a young Clara after she kicks a ball into the Doctor’s face.
The Doctor and Rezh Baphix speak to each other, but only for two lines. The line before is Rezh continuing to sing to the Old God. The line after is the Doctor repeating Rezh’s words to Clara and Merry after he has already teleported away.
Series 8, Episode 7 - Kill the Moon by Peter Harness
[Image: Clara, Courtney Woods and Lundvik discuss the choice they have to make without the Doctor.]
Exclusions:
The Doctor and Duke speak, but it’s about the team led by Lundvik and their response to Minera Luna San Pedro’s disappearance.
Series 9, Episode 7 - The Zygon Invasion by Peter Harness
[Image: Kate Stewart tells Bonnie (disguised as Clara) and Jac to keep in touch as she prepares to leave for Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.]
Exclusions:
Hitchley and the Doctor are the only named speaking men in the episode. They don’t converse with each other.
Series 9, Episode 8 - The Zygon Inversion by Peter Harness and Steven Moffat
[Image: Kate Stewart and Petronella Osgood watch as Bonnie refuses to surrender.]
Exclusions:
Etoine speaking with the Doctor is excluded as he’s also talking to Osgood. Osgood and Bonnie are also both part of the subject matter.
Series 9, Episode 11 - Heaven Sent by Steven Moffat
[Image: The Doctor is encouraged by the vision of Clara in his storm room.]
Exclusions:
The Gallifreyan boy at the end of episode doesn’t speak and isn’t named.
whom they describe like an actual human being (character traits, ambitions, accomplishments)
whom they are not fighting over sexually
examples so far (off the top of my head):
Good Will Hunting - Sean sharing his late wife’s nervous farting habits with Will
Chasing Amy - Hooper telling Holden to respect Alyssa’s bisexuality instead of feeling threatened by it
Jackie Brown - Ordell explaining the discrimination of the justice system against Jackie to Max
Interstellar - (SPOILER) the doctor revealing that Cooper Station WAS NAMED AFTER MURPH!!!
Hidden Figures - boss man shitting all over bazinga dude’s face for excluding Katherine
aaaaaand those are the only examples I can think of right now, which is pretty telling. and they’re mostly white women characters, which is ALSO telling.
So, like Jane Austen, who in all her writing never recorded a conversation between two men alone, because as a woman she could not know what exclusively male conversation would be like, I cannot record much about the men of Poplar, beyond superficial observation.
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my dad was looking for something in the lower cabinet and I said oh you have to close the side door first before that one opens— when I saw he’d done it already. This was the opposite of mansplaining because I was telling the MAN WHO CONSTRUCTED THESE CUPBOARDS how to open them just because I thought he wasn’t familiar with the kitchen. Yikes.
