The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test: Cinderella and Four Knights – Season 1, Episode 7

Ha-Won moved back into Sky House on Cinderella and Four Knights, episode 7, and as soon as she did so, she was assigned a new mission – to go on a vacation with the Kang cousins.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

Episode 7 did not pass the Russo test but it did pass the Bechdel and race test.

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Ji-Woon refuses to go on a trip with Ha-Won and his cousins.

Episode 7 did not pass the Russo test, and the episode did not pass this test because there were no LGBTI characters in episode 7. The episode did, however, pass the Bechdel and race test.

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Ji-Woon is not pleased that Ha-Woon invites Hye-Ji in an effort to get himself and Hyun-Min to go on the trip.

Episode 7 passed the Bechdel test because there were a couple of named women in the episode and there were two instances where some of these women talked to each other without mentioning men (e.g., Ha-Won talked to a named female maid about food and Soo-Kyung gave Hwa-Ri her phone).

As to why episode 7 passed the race test, 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.

*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.