The Metric Is Broken: Why the Tools We Use to Measure Female Representation Have Failed Us — and What to Use Instead
For decades, the Bechdel Test has served as the film world's shorthand for female representation — a blunt instrument that has outlived its usefulness. As performative feminism becomes increasingly sophisticated in its ability to game simple metrics, cinephiles need more demanding critical frameworks to distinguish authentic women-centered storytelling from its well-marketed simulacrum.