A stand out film when I was in high school was "John Tucker Must Die". From the outside eye, this film seems like the ultimate girl empowerment film. Four young women turn the tables on a high school player and give him a test of his own medicine. However, when you take a closer look, this film is the opposite of a empowerment piece and absolutely fails the Bechdel test. The movie has four female leads, Kate, Heather, Beth and Carrie. These characters all talk and form a club-like culture. However, the one and only thing they talk about is the male lead, John Tucker. These women spend hours and loads of effort to bring this man down. They do so by wearing revealing outfits and sexy tactics. Kate acts like a ditsy blonde in order to gain John's attention. In the end, they women end up giving in and the closing scene shows John leaving with two new girls around his arms and an "open" relationship. This film is marketed to young teen girls and it shows that women are only sexual objects that can be used by men. It also portrays young women who can't be independent and rely on men for happiness. A film that I once watched as a young girl and loved is now extremely different when I look at it with a new perspective.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEnLySS2Op8
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