Author Archives: Theresa Basile

Blog PostsHow to Use the Bechdel Test

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Theresa Basile

The Bechdel test (for those of you who aren’t aware of it) is a simple test to judge the presence of female characters in film. Simply put, a film passes the Bechdel test if it matches these three criteria: 1. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Posts | Tagged | 6 Comments

Blog Posts“Baby, it’s Cold Outside” is Creepy, Except When It’s Not.

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Theresa Basile

[Disclaimer: I meant to write this post around Christmas time, but since “Baby, it’s Cold Outside” has to do with romance, and it’s still sort of cold out, and Valentine’s Day is coming up, this seems apropos.] “Baby, it’s Cold … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Posts | 18 Comments

Blog PostsMovies, Women, and the Box Office

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Theresa Basile

There’s a conventional wisdom in Hollywood that movies starring women won’t sell to large audiences. Hollywood bigwigs believe that movies starring men have universal appeal to men and women, while movies starring women only appeal to women. Some film students … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Posts | Tagged | 3 Comments

Blog PostsDisney Princesses, Bella Swan, and Trusting Girls

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Theresa Basile

If you’ve spent any time in the feminist blogosphere, you may have gotten the impression that many feminists don’t really care for Disney princesses or Twilight. You’ve heard the reasons: they promote physical beauty over character, they encourage objectification of … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Posts | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

ReviewsWhat Rom-Coms Can Learn from “Kicking and Screaming”

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Theresa Basile

For my first month of The Rom-Com Project, I decided to focus on Ensemble Romantic Comedies. I received one recommendation for the 1995 film Kicking and Screaming, an independent film about a group of verbose, navel-gazing college graduates stuck in … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Blog PostsReinventing the Romantic Comedy

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Theresa Basile

So far I have viewed and reviewed 3 romantic comedies for The Rom-Com Project – only 49-99 to go (depending on the time I have). This weekend I had a conversation about my project at a birthday party. One of … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Posts | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Blog PostsReproductive Rights as a Bargaining Chip

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Theresa Basile

Here’s a fun little exercise. Anyone who is a Democrat or wants Barack Obama to win the 2012 election is free to play! Imagine, for a minute, that you are a person who considers yourself pro-choice. Imagine that you also … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Posts | Tagged | 16 Comments

Blog PostsThe Best Actress Nominations: The More Things Change…

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Theresa Basile

The 2012 Oscar nominations are out. Am I the only one who looks at this list of nominees and immediately feels tired? I saw quite a few movies this year that were interesting, thought-provoking, and immensely entertaining. Except for Bridesmaids, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Posts | Tagged | 6 Comments

Blog PostsYou’re On Your Own. Like a Trolling Stone.

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Theresa Basile

Ho-lee crap, everyone. I thought Shocked&Appalled was done with spraying his white privilege troll poop all over my blog, but he came back for a third round. This time, it was in response to my post about joking about race … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Posts | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Blog PostsOn Joking About Race Without Being Racist

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Theresa Basile

My “white girl talkin’ about racism” tag has had plenty of use in 2012, and it’s still only January. Between 2 Broke Girls and “Shit White Girls Say to Black Girls,” I’m running into a lot of commentary and outrage … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Posts | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments