The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test: Beautiful Mind – Season 1, Episode 12

Young-O finally realized on the twelfth episode of Beautiful Mind that he was not a monster and that it was his abusive father who was the true monster.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

Episode 12 passed the race test but it did not pass the Bechdel or Russo test.

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Min-Jae informs Young-O that his father made him into the man he is.

Episode 12 passed the race test, and the episode passed this test because there were many instances where non-White individuals talked to each other without mentioning White people as the entire cast was Asian and none of the characters ever mentioned anyone White. As to the Bechdel and Russo test, episode 12 did not pass either of these diversity tests.

Episode 12 did not pass the Bechdel test because while there were named women in the episode, none of these women ever talked to each other. The episode did not pass the Russo test because there were no LGBTI characters in episode 12.

*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.