At this point in South Park’s run, there are five main characters rather than just four (Butters graduating to a lead position at this point in the series), but there are still a number of female characters on the show, including all of the boys' mothers, Principal Victoria, Mrs. Garrison (or Ms. Garrison-it changes arbitrarily), Wendy, and Bebe. So, there’s definitely a possibility here-at least it can’t do much worse than American Dad! (probably).
As a reminder, these are the criteria for passing the Bechdel Test:
1. The show needs to have two named female characters.
2. The two characters need to talk to each other.
3. The conversation needs to last thirty seconds and be about something other than a man. This thirty second rule is something that has been added specifically at the Many Rantings of John to ensure that a simple “hello”/”hello back” conversation doesn’t get a show an accidental pass.
The Return of Chef (#10.1)
Mrs. Garrison has multiple lines in the episode, but almost all of them are directed toward men, so she’s a miss in this episode. FAIL
Smug Alert! (#10.2)
In one of the more spot-on skewers of the season, we get to see a series of self-righteous couples with multiple last names interact with the Broflovskis, but while Sheila does interact with these women, it’s nowhere near thirty seconds. FAIL
Cartoon Wars, Part 1 (#10.3)
Sheila, Shelly, Mrs. Garrison, Principal Victoria, and Linda all have speaking parts in this episode, the big two-parter of the first half of the season, but none of them are directed toward each other, so no dice. FAIL
Cartoon Wars, Part 2 (#10.4)
Here we have almost no speaking parts for named women (I don’t honestly recall any that happen, though Mrs. Garrison or Sharon may have spoken at some point). So our fourth straight FAIL.
This is a FAIL, with the only significant part for a woman being that of the Oprah Winfrey character (of course, not voiced by Winfrey herself), but this does open up a broader point about South Park. Despite the show featuring five young boys, female celebrities regularly are skewered on the show and are placed at the center of an episode frequently (Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Oprah Winfrey, Barbra Streisand, the Kardashian sisters, and Alana Thompson all have enjoyed a significant skewering in one episode or another). This, coupled with the stunning number of actresses who have gotten their own featured-tale on The Simpsons makes the MacFarlane universe’s rather limited focus on female guest stars (they definitely happen as Lauren Conrad, Katilin Olson, and Cate Blanchett can attest, but they are rare in comparison to their male counterparts).
Manbearpig (#10.6)
There are some tourists in the caves that speak, but in what may be a first for us, I don’t think this episode even passes the two named women who speak test, much less them to each other and about something other than a man. Epic FAIL
Tsst (#10.7)
After the previous episode’s stunning low point for the Bechdel Test, this at least has two women interacting, with Nanny Stella and Lianne both discussing Eric, but as it’s about a man, it leads to a seventh consecutive FAIL.
Make Love, Not Warcraft (#10.8)
In an episode that surrounds the fanboy driven world of online gaming, it’s not a shock that this was a FAIL, despite speaking parts from both Sharon and Lianne, but it was a nice touch to have at least a couple of the boys playing female characters in the game (listen up Avengers and your lack of a Black Widow action figure).
Mystery of the Urinal Deuce (#10.9)
I believe this is our first episode that passes the first three parts of the test but FAILS the fourth (the time limit), with Sheila and Principal Victoria briefly discussing children’s understanding of 9/11.
Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy (#10.10)
We’re on a bit of a successful failure role (at this point, I’m taking anything), with Miss Stevenson and Principal Victoria hitting the thirty second mark, but this time about Ike, so a FAIL.
Hell on Earth 2006 (#10.11)
There are almost no speaking parts for women in this episode, with only Princess Diana (in a scene in hell) given an actual line FAIL
Go God Go (#10.12)
For the first time, we finally hit a Bechdel PASS!!! This episode, another hot-button one that revolves around evolution, has Principal Victoria and Mrs. Garrison on multiple occasions discussing Mrs. Garrison’s teaching habits around the subject, and her subsequent outbursts.
Go God Go XII (#10.13)
A pity that the second part couldn’t also get us a pass, but sadly without the presence of Principal Victoria, the only women in the episode that speak are Lianne and Mrs. Garrison, but not to each other. FAIL
Stanley’s Cup (#10.14)
The final episode of the season features Stan coaching a junior hockey team, with Randy worried about the impact it will have on his son, who botched a game at four-years-old (Stan doesn’t remember this). Sharon is the only named woman who gets a speaking role, and it’s with her typical eye role to Randy, so another FAIL.
Final Scorecard
Bechdel Test: 1/14 (7%)
Bechdel Grade: F
This was our first of probably several rounds between Groening, MacFarlane, and Parker/Stone, and it’s quite clear that Groening, though he got a failing grade, gets the best marks of the bunch (hitting a 50% Bechdel Test score, which is still pretty pathetic considering his iconic lineup of female characters, but at least it’s in the double digits). For the second place, I almost want to give it to Stone/Parker. They have a show that has no significant female characters, while MacFarlane has two and yet he gets the same grade. Some might argue that Francine and Hayley are still major characters, but if they just serve to set up the plot for Stan, Roger, and Steve (which is largely what they do, which I’m just noticing through this test’s lens), then is that better? I’ll let you decide in the comments, but I give South Park the severely tarnished silver in this instance.
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