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Minority Report Card: The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and more.

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“We only ever subscribed to two magazines: Reader’s Digest and Ebony. Ebony was due to a clerical error, but it ended up being an interesting year of reading.” – Ron Swanson

In this column I watch all of the new network premieres and see if they pass the Bechdel test, a test which asks if a work has two women who interact with each other. I then modify the test to apply to people of color (the “Troy and Abed test”) and to queer people (the “Will and Jack test”).

Elementary (CBS)

This modern update on Sherlock Holmes premiered last week, but because it failed all three tests, I’m continuing to monitor it.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: This has a woman of color as one of the two leads and a fairly diverse supporting cast. Despite failing all three tests last week, I think it generally has above average representation of women and minorities.

The Amazing Race (CBS)

This reality competition returned for its 23rd season this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: This show has a pretty good reputation about being queer-inclusive, but I didn’t notice any queer contestants in this round.

The Good Wife (CBS)

This legal procedural mixed with a family drama returned for its fifth season this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: I’m not a fan of this show, but the general consensus seems to be that it has some of the best representation on network TV.

The Mentalist (CBS)

This detective procedural returned for its sixth season this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: The diversity of the minor characters was much better than what I was expecting.

We Are Men (CBS)

This sit-com about a group of men living in the same apartment complex premiered this week.

Bechdel: Fail
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: It would take too long to mention every wildly offensive thing this show does, but here’s just how obsessed with aggressive heteromasculinity they are: even the scene between Kal Penn’s character and his young daughter contains nothing but a joke about how he’d like to have sex with a woman with big breasts.

Once Upon a Time (ABC)

This drama about fairy tale characters entering the real world (and now vis versa) returned for its third season this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Fail
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: So consistently weirdly anti-adoption it makes me want to have a baby and put him up for adoption just to make the writers of this show mad.

Revenge (ABC)

This primetime soap returned for its third season this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: This show has one of the only prominent male bisexual characters from TV.

Betrayal (ABC)

This drama premiered this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Fail
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: One of the least diverse casts of the new shows.

Super Fun Night (ABC)

This sitcom starring Pitch Perfect’s Rebel Wilson premiered this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Fail
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: It’s great to see a show with a group of female leads who don’t look like every other woman on TV, but it was disappointing when the message was that the skinny, put-together woman “represents every woman who keeps girls like us down.”

Scandal (ABC)

This political drama returned for its third season this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Pass

Notes: Along with The Mindy Project, this is one of the only shows on TV with a woman of color in the lead. Unlike THe Mindy Project, it also has multiple people of color and queer people in the main cast.

The Vampire Diaries (The CW)

This supernatural teen drama returned for its fifth season this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: I don’t watch this show regularly, but it seemed like Rebekah’s kiss with another woman was just thrown in as titillation.

The Originals (The CW)

This Vampire Diaries spin-off premiered this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: I didn’t notice anything problematic in the pilot, but since this is a spin-off of a show with seriously gross sexual ethics, I’m not optimistic about it.

The Simpsons (Fox)

This animated family sitcom returned for its 25th season this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Fail
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: Comedian Hari Kondabolu recently spoke about the character of Apu, pointing out that it’s a racist caricature that has entered popular conscience so much that it’s causing real problems for Indian Americans. Other brown people have also spoken out agreeing with him. This is one of the problems that comes up when a show lasts 25 years without major changes.

Bob’s Burgers (Fox)

This animated family sitcom returned for its fourth season this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Fail
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: I think this is one of the best shows on TV and the female characters are brilliant, but I have to admit there’s basically no significant diversity.

Family Guy (Fox)

This animated family sitcom returned for its twelfth season this week.

Bechdel: Fail
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: This was at Family Guy’s usual level of offensiveness.

American Dad! (Fox)

This animated family sitcom returned for its tenth season this week.

Bechdel: Fail
Troy and Abed: Fail
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: In a throwaway joke in this episode, Steve was talking about all the girls who rejected him and his friend and said “even the quadriplegic girl…” as though women with disabilities shouldn’t be able to say no to unwanted sexual advances. Since this failed all three tests, I will continue watching it until it passes at least one.

Inronside (NBC)

This cop drama premiered this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: It’s great to see another network show with a person of color in the lead, but it’s kind of gross how this show is using that to glorify the idea of cops doing what they want unchecked while taking racism out of the equation.

Welcome to the Family (NBC)

This family sitcom about two young people who get engaged after an unplanned pregnancy premiered this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Pass
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: This show has a majority Latino cast (4 characters out of 7).

Sean Saves the World (NBC)

This sitcom about a gay single dad premiered this week.

Bechdel: Pass
Troy and Abed: Fail
Will and Jack: Fail

Notes: This is the only new series this season with a queer lead character.


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