Come on. Yankee Doodle Dandy was made 1942. Coal Miner's Daughter was made 1980. And Beguiled 2017. Yankee Doodle Dandy is about a man. And it is more feminist than the other two.
I mean... what?
Of course, there is the adjustment made for the era, but in Yankee Doodle Dandy we have a family with a father, a mother, a son and a daughter, and these four are basically equal partners of their family group. In a movie made in 1942 about something that happened around 1900. It was obvious that the parents made all the decisions together.
The most precious talent and resource as an entertainer is a woman, Fay Templeton, and to get her to join their show, they have to sell the show to her, on her terms, because she has all the power. Her approval is a definitive approval of George Cohan's talent, she is adept to judge and her judgment means the world.
Then we have the main character's relationship with his wife. Sure, she is a "good", traditional wife, but it's also obvious that it's she who is more levelheaded of the two. She is equal to her husband, and he treats her like his father treated his wife. The roles are traditional, but the relationship is equal. I didn't get that from Coal Miner's Daughter or Beguiled. And it wasn't because of the men, it was because of the women! Had they had Mary's character or Mrs. Cohan's, the relationship dynamics would have been very different. I mean, one can be very feminine, traditionally so, yet still have the authority and strength to be an equal partner. It's the same thing with Black Narcissus. There are no strong women in these movies! Especially the main characters lacked prestige, esteem, ponderance. This is why I give thumbs up to a movie filled with men, failing in basic structural tests, representing women as "mere" wives and mothers, and thumbs down to a movie that seemingly fulfills all criteria, with an F rating from IMDb.
So - what does this movie tell about the USA? All the patriotism is swagger and show. Cheering and emotional manipulation is a national sport. Don't talk about the downside. Never speak about the fallen. Except as "heroes who gave their lives". That sounds great. It's all about the show.
X Bechdel test
V Mako Mori Test
Well... I kind of think Fay Templeton passes.
V Sexy Lamp Test
X The Crystal Gems Test
X F-Rating
X Sphinx Test
Mary is pretty complex and compelling with a very big role, but she is still "just a wife".
X The Feldman Score 2
X Furiosa Test
X The Roxane Gay Test
V The Maisy Test for sexism in kids' shows
V Gender Balance - Gender Representation
V Gender Freedom
V Gender Safety
X Social Justice and Equality
Gender Balance - Gender Representation
There are surprisingly many female roles in this.
The story is a male's story, so a man is #1, but #2 is a woman. Not his male creative partner, but his wife.
the ratio of male actors vs female actors about 2:1
The sad truth is that no old movies pass these tests. It's even sadder that it's still rare.
X The Uphold Test
X The Rees Davies Test
X The White Test
X The Hagen Test
The positive thing about this is that about half of ALL crowd scenes feature about 50/50 women
X The Koeze-Dottle Test
Gender Freedom:
SEVERAL female journalists 1910. And one of them gets to ask the question!
The main character thinks it's self-evident his sister doesn't need to stop working just because she gets married and wants to have a family.
X The Peirce Test
X The Villarreal Test
Now, I read this test as the protagonist is a woman. Now, if Mary counts as "lead female character", then this movie passes. She is presented as an independent young woman actively working to get the life she wants, and a career.
V The Landau Test
V The Tauriel Test
Absolutely. Fay Templeton is a celebrated soprano, recognized by everyone, appreciated and respected, and she doesn't need to prove herself.
V The Willis Test
Actually, yes, I can imagine George's sister doing the same journey.
X Molly Haskell test
Now, Mary does give up her career to marry George. It is because she isn't good enough, but I don't buy that.
Yes, she is the patient, supportive wife, who gives up everything for George, and imagines his happiness is her happiness. She even says it. But bonus points of George asking her when she last thought about herself.
Mary is a pretty traditionally gendered role. She takes care of her man, feeds him, never eats herself, births his children and take care of them, and supports him in his work self-sacrificing. So thumbs down for that.
But Fay is not a traditional gendered role. She is a career woman, a go-getter, who is not being punished for being that way.
X the MacGyver Test
It is an interesting thing, because in this movie the "manly man" is someone who hasn't had a "proper job" ever, doesn't use violence and sings and dances all days long...
X the Raleigh Becket Test
It is interesting, because in the beginning Mary wants to work at a theater, and George helps her. They obviously have a very close relationship, but it could also be just a friendship. Then Mary wants to marry George and have kids, and he kind of helps her with that too :-D
Now, that doesn't make this movie pass, because they do have a romantic relationship, but something to ponder :-D
Puer Aeternus – Peter Pan syndrome – Man-child
Hmm... George is sort of a man-child. He "needs taking care of" and Mary is the right woman to do so.
Gender Safety
No-one is being sexualized, even though Fay is very aware of her sensuality and portrays it. (Now, perhaps showing her knickers on stage could be understood as sexual harassment...)
Now, they are portrayed having the hourglass figure and very feminine face, makeup, hair, and clothes, but it is the end of 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Historically accurate. With a 40s twist :-D
Age of actors:
James Cagney (George) 43
Joan Leslie (Mary) 17 (Wow... she did an amazing job for such a young woman!)
Walter Huston (George's father) 59
Rosemary DeCamp (George's mother) 32
Jeanne Cagney (George's AND James' sister) 23
Irene Manning (Fay Templeton) 30
Ouch. Must have been fun playing the mother of someone who's 10 years OLDER than you!
Social Justice and Equality
I would like to remind everyone that this movie has more people of color than Beguiled and Coal Miner's Daughter TOGETHER. And one of the roles is a speaking role! And they are not discussing white people. The main character asks the black butler about how his life has been since they last saw each other some 20 years ago.
Now, all black characters were servants, but they were treated respectfully and fairly.
Now, there is even a person in a wheelchair. And he is the President. ;-)
Still, most people in this movie are white, straight, able-bodied. And male.
Representation Test C
X Kent test
X Aila test
X Waithe test
X Ko test
X Villalobos test
I mean... what?
The most precious talent and resource as an entertainer is a woman, Fay Templeton, and to get her to join their show, they have to sell the show to her, on her terms, because she has all the power. Her approval is a definitive approval of George Cohan's talent, she is adept to judge and her judgment means the world.
Then we have the main character's relationship with his wife. Sure, she is a "good", traditional wife, but it's also obvious that it's she who is more levelheaded of the two. She is equal to her husband, and he treats her like his father treated his wife. The roles are traditional, but the relationship is equal. I didn't get that from Coal Miner's Daughter or Beguiled. And it wasn't because of the men, it was because of the women! Had they had Mary's character or Mrs. Cohan's, the relationship dynamics would have been very different. I mean, one can be very feminine, traditionally so, yet still have the authority and strength to be an equal partner. It's the same thing with Black Narcissus. There are no strong women in these movies! Especially the main characters lacked prestige, esteem, ponderance. This is why I give thumbs up to a movie filled with men, failing in basic structural tests, representing women as "mere" wives and mothers, and thumbs down to a movie that seemingly fulfills all criteria, with an F rating from IMDb.
So - what does this movie tell about the USA? All the patriotism is swagger and show. Cheering and emotional manipulation is a national sport. Don't talk about the downside. Never speak about the fallen. Except as "heroes who gave their lives". That sounds great. It's all about the show.
X Bechdel test
V Mako Mori Test
Well... I kind of think Fay Templeton passes.
V Sexy Lamp Test
X The Crystal Gems Test
X F-Rating
X Sphinx Test
Mary is pretty complex and compelling with a very big role, but she is still "just a wife".
X The Feldman Score 2
X Furiosa Test
X The Roxane Gay Test
V The Maisy Test for sexism in kids' shows
V Gender Balance - Gender Representation
V Gender Freedom
V Gender Safety
X Social Justice and Equality
Gender Balance - Gender Representation
There are surprisingly many female roles in this.
The story is a male's story, so a man is #1, but #2 is a woman. Not his male creative partner, but his wife.
the ratio of male actors vs female actors about 2:1
The sad truth is that no old movies pass these tests. It's even sadder that it's still rare.
X The Uphold Test
X The Rees Davies Test
X The White Test
X The Hagen Test
The positive thing about this is that about half of ALL crowd scenes feature about 50/50 women
X The Koeze-Dottle Test
Gender Freedom:
SEVERAL female journalists 1910. And one of them gets to ask the question!
The main character thinks it's self-evident his sister doesn't need to stop working just because she gets married and wants to have a family.
X The Peirce Test
X The Villarreal Test
Now, I read this test as the protagonist is a woman. Now, if Mary counts as "lead female character", then this movie passes. She is presented as an independent young woman actively working to get the life she wants, and a career.
V The Landau Test
V The Tauriel Test
Absolutely. Fay Templeton is a celebrated soprano, recognized by everyone, appreciated and respected, and she doesn't need to prove herself.
V The Willis Test
Actually, yes, I can imagine George's sister doing the same journey.
X Molly Haskell test
Now, Mary does give up her career to marry George. It is because she isn't good enough, but I don't buy that.
Yes, she is the patient, supportive wife, who gives up everything for George, and imagines his happiness is her happiness. She even says it. But bonus points of George asking her when she last thought about herself.
Mary is a pretty traditionally gendered role. She takes care of her man, feeds him, never eats herself, births his children and take care of them, and supports him in his work self-sacrificing. So thumbs down for that.
But Fay is not a traditional gendered role. She is a career woman, a go-getter, who is not being punished for being that way.
X the MacGyver Test
It is an interesting thing, because in this movie the "manly man" is someone who hasn't had a "proper job" ever, doesn't use violence and sings and dances all days long...
X the Raleigh Becket Test
It is interesting, because in the beginning Mary wants to work at a theater, and George helps her. They obviously have a very close relationship, but it could also be just a friendship. Then Mary wants to marry George and have kids, and he kind of helps her with that too :-D
Now, that doesn't make this movie pass, because they do have a romantic relationship, but something to ponder :-D
Puer Aeternus – Peter Pan syndrome – Man-child
Hmm... George is sort of a man-child. He "needs taking care of" and Mary is the right woman to do so.
Gender Safety
No-one is being sexualized, even though Fay is very aware of her sensuality and portrays it. (Now, perhaps showing her knickers on stage could be understood as sexual harassment...)
Now, they are portrayed having the hourglass figure and very feminine face, makeup, hair, and clothes, but it is the end of 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Historically accurate. With a 40s twist :-D
Age of actors:
James Cagney (George) 43
Joan Leslie (Mary) 17 (Wow... she did an amazing job for such a young woman!)
Walter Huston (George's father) 59
Rosemary DeCamp (George's mother) 32
Jeanne Cagney (George's AND James' sister) 23
Irene Manning (Fay Templeton) 30
Ouch. Must have been fun playing the mother of someone who's 10 years OLDER than you!
Social Justice and Equality
I would like to remind everyone that this movie has more people of color than Beguiled and Coal Miner's Daughter TOGETHER. And one of the roles is a speaking role! And they are not discussing white people. The main character asks the black butler about how his life has been since they last saw each other some 20 years ago.
Now, all black characters were servants, but they were treated respectfully and fairly.
Now, there is even a person in a wheelchair. And he is the President. ;-)
Still, most people in this movie are white, straight, able-bodied. And male.
Representation Test C
X Kent test
X Aila test
X Waithe test
X Ko test
X Villalobos test
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