Wow! Women spotted on HIGNFY

After many, many episodes of Have I Got News For You with NO women at all, this week there were two!

The amazingly funny and talented Jo Brand and Joanna Scanlan.

So that made a nice change.

Bechdel Test - Perfume

Name of film
Perfume; the story of a murderer

Were there two or more named women in the film?
No

Did the women talk to each other?
No

... about something other than a man?
No

Was the director male or female?
Male

Where are the women in politics

Last night i was watching Dispatches, about the 1st year of the coalition.

Although women's rep in parliament DID go up in last year's election, from 19 to 22%, we are still lagging behind when it comes to women's voices being heard in government, and the cabinet only has FOUR women in it, one of whom (Baroness Warsi) is not elected. Theresa May, who splits her time between home secretary and equalities officer recently said in response to 'winnergate' that the left should really get a sense of humour.

So, on Dispatches it was hardly surprising that only 4 women were interviewed in the whole hour long show.

No BME people at all were represented.

In some ways this isn't entirely Dispatches fault. After all, if you want to interview cabinet ministers, women are very very absent.

This comes in the week that the representation of women in Bristol City Council went down.

Bechdel Test on four films

So, over a long break i have watched a fair few movies.

Here's the Bechdel Test round up.

Knocked Up
Pass! Two named women characters who talk about something other than the male character. However, they were talking about worrying about aging. This isn't a feminist film but it did have a funny, smart and interesting main female character.

Salt
FAIL! Only one named female character (Salt). However, she is bad-ass, strong, smart, and certainly not a damsel in distress.

Blood Diamond
FAIL! Two named women characters, but they don't talk to each other. However, Maggie is a strong, intelligent, principled woman who is fighting for a better world. So at least she was three dimensional.

Eagle vs Shark
FAIL! Two named female characters but they don't really talk to each other about anything much. However, Lily is a rocking character who is sweet, funny and far more sensible and caring than Jarrod.

So, apart from Knocked Up, which wasn't a particularly pro woman film (as Katherine Heigl famously said) it was a mixed bag of women's rep over Easter.

Also, saw HIGNFY. 4 men, 1 woman. Quelle surprise.

Dave. Wit. Sexism.

So, had Dave on on mute last night as I was reading the marvellous 'Possession' by AS Byatt, one of the few women to have won the Booker.

QI XL was on at 9pm. Panellists:
Hugh Dennis
Phil Jupitus
Andy Hamilton
Alan Davies
with host Stephen Fry.

In the ad breaks, none of the ads for up-coming Dave programmes featured women.

Next up was Mock The Week.
Man hosting, five male panellists and one woman.

Not only is it offensive that the 'comedy' channel is so marketed at men, to the point where it is called 'Dave', but actually seeing any women on the channel is more difficult than spotting a needle in a haystack.

HIGNFY, QI, Mock the Week, Red Dwarf, Alan Partridge, Men Behaving Badly, Top Gear - where are the women?

Have i got news for you

I caught the end of Have I got a bit more news for you on Saturday.

All men.

Surely, BBC, you can find a woman comedian who is funnier, more engaging and more interesting than Bob Ainsworth?

Bechdel Test round up

So, have been on a bit of a film mission these last few weeks!

Here's the update:

Kickass - no. although did have strong, witty, exciting and engaging female character

Scott Pilgrim vs the World - no. although did have more than one named female character

There will be blood - no. only 1 named female character and she was a child

Ghost World - yes! and yes again. what a great film.