On Jealousy Incarnate, episode 9, jealousy was in the air and all kinds of problems were being caused when rumors that Na-Ri and Hwa-Shin were dating and that Jung-Won was engaged to an anchor spread like wildfire.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

Episode 9 did not pass the Russo test but it did pass the Bechdel and race test.

Episode 9 did not pass the Russo test, and the episode did not pass this test because there were no LGBTI characters in episode 9. However, while episode 9 did not pass this one diversity test, it did pass two others – the Bechdel and race test.

Several named women appeared in episode 9 and because there were two instances where some of these women not only talked to each other but they did so without mentioning men (e.g., Bbal-Gang warned Sung-Sook to never sleep in her, Bbal-Gang’s, room ever again and Sung-Sook and Ja-Young welcomed Mrs. Lee into their home), the episode passed the Bechdel test.

As to why episode 9 passed the race test, there were many instances where non-White individuals talked to each other without mentioning anyone White as the entire cast was Asian and none of the characters ever mentioned White individuals.

*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.