10 feminist podcasts we should all be listening to right now
By Becky Kukla
2. The Bechdel Cast
NEW EPISODE ALERT! @jamieloftusHELP and @caitlindurante go undercover with special guest @anitasarkeesian of @femfreq to infiltrate the patriarchy, dissect the gender roles in Point Break, and eat TWO meatball sandwiches https://t.co/AvZMP8ijUl pic.twitter.com/gWncWkeC6a
— The Bechdel Cast (@BechdelCast) August 9, 2018
If you’ve been living on another planet for the last 10 or so years, then you may not have heard of the Bechdel Test. Named after cartoonist, artist and writer Alison Bechdel, the test first appeared in one of Alison’s comics as two characters discuss the dismal portrayal of women in cinema. The test, whilst not intended to measure how “good” a film is, has become a sort of shorthand for exploring how women are treated onscreen.
Thus, The Bechdel Cast was born! Hosts Jamie Loftus and Caitlin Durante put their favorite (and sometimes not so favorite) films under the microscope and often find that many of them are upsettingly problematic. If you are really attached to your fave film — perhaps don’t listen to that episode? Jamie and Caitlin are brutally honest and you’ll probably never be able to watch that film in the same way again.
Like any podcast on films worth its salt, Jamie and Caitlin have a myriad of amazing guests, rotating each episode. So far comedian and writer Gaby Dunn, Jim Jefferies Show writer Subhah Agarwal and Anita Sarkeesian have all been guests. The Bechdel Cast may only just be starting out but watch this space!
This is a fab choice for film geeks and feminist alike — expect insightful film commentary mixed in with rage at the patriarchy.