The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test: She Was Pretty – Season 1, Episode 2

On She Was Pretty, episode 2, Hye-Jin discovered that Sung-Joon was her new boss at her internship. She tried her best to avoid him, but in doing so, she only became more noticeable and she made a fool out of herself.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

Episode 2 passed the Bechdel and race test but did not pass the Russo test.

Shin-Hyuk messes with Hye-Jin.

Episode 2 passed the Bechdel test, and the episode passed this test because of the many times that named women talked to each other there were a few instances where men were not mentioned. The episode also passed the race test, and the episode passed this test because the entire cast was Asian and White people were only mentioned once or twice so there were plenty of instances where non-White people talked to each other without mentioning White people.

As to the Russo test, episode 2 did not pass this test, and the episode did not pass this test because there were no LGBTI characters in the episode.

*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.