The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test: Oh My Ghostess – Season 1, Episode 14

Sung-Jae murdered his partner in Oh My Ghostess, episode 14 after he realized that he (his partner) was investigating him, and Bong-Sun and Soon-Ae told Sun-woo about Sung-Jae’s super shady misdeeds.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

Episode 14 passed the Bechdel and race test but did not pass the Russo test.

Oh-My-Ghost-14.7.jpg
Soon-Ae, Bong-Sun and Sun-Woo look at Soon-Ae’s recovered diary for a clue about her death.

Of the few occasions that named women talked to each other in episode 14, there was one instance where named women talked to each other without mentioning men (e.g., the shaman told Soon-Ae to possess her body) so the episode passed the Bechdel test. Episode 14 also passed the race test, and the episode passed this test because the entire cast was Asian (so only non-White actors ever talked) and none of the characters ever mentioned White people.

As to the Russo test, there were no LGBTI characters in episode 14 so the episode did not pass this test.

*The Bechdel test entails three requirements:
1. It has to have at least two (named) women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

**The Vito Russo test entails three requirements:
1. The show contains a character that is identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex and/or transgender
2. The character must not be solely or predominately defined by her sexual orientation, gender identity and/or as being intersex
3.The character must be tied into the plot in such a way that her removal would have a significant effect

***The race or people of color (POC) test has three requirements:
1. It has two people of color in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something other than a White person

****Just because a show passes the Bechdel, Russo and race test does not mean that it is not sexist, heterosexist, racist and/or cissexist, etc. The Bechdel, Russo and race test is only a bare minimum qualifier for the representation of LGBTI individuals, women and people of color in television. The failure to pass these tests also does not identify whether the central character was a woman, a person of color or a LGBTQI individual and it does not dictate the quality of the show.