Alison Bechdel says Fire Island ‘passes’ the Bechdel test following online controversy
Alison Bechdel has responded to the online controversy surrounding Fire Island and its alleged failure of the Bechdel test. On 6 June, writer and editor Hanna Rosin, who is in charge of podcasts at New York magazine, criticised the gay romantic comedy for its lack of female representation.
In a now-deleted tweet, she said the film would score an “F-” on the Bechdel test, the criteria used to measure representation of women in fictional media.
Popularised by Bechdel in a 1980s comic strip, a work must feature at least two named woman who engage in a conversation about something other than a man. “Do we just ignore the drab lesbian stereotypes bc cute gay Asian boys?” Rosin wrote. “Is this revenge for all those years of the gay boy best friend?” Rosin’s tweet was condemned online for failing to recognise Fire Island’s groundbreaking depiction of the LGBTQ+ Asian experience, with star Zane Phillips responding: “This is so unnecessary Hanna.” Joel Kim Booster, star and writer of the gaycation comedy, returned to Twitter after a short hiatus and said he “picked a hilarious day to log back on”. “I didn’t realize I was drab.
I don’t identify as drab. Bitch I’m fab!” Margaret Cho also tweeted in response to Rosin’s description of her character in the film.
