Do The 2012 Oscars Best Pictures Nominees Pass The Bechdel Test?

The Bechdel Test: A simple method for testing women’s representation—or lack thereof—in film. A movie passes the Bechdel Test if it meets three simple criteria. 1) The movie must have at least two named female characters, 2) who talk to each other, 3) about something other than a man.

The majority of Hollywood movies fail the test miserably. While recent hits like Bridesmaids and The Help buck the trend, it’s no secret that men dominate the silver screen. In this video, Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency analyzes the 2012 Academy Awards Best Picture nominees. You might think Oscar-nominated films would be more likely to pass the test, but you’d be wrong. In fact, only two out of nine nominees made the cut.

What does an audience have to do to see a strong female protagonist these days?