A Test of...Whatever

     All throughout media and television, the roles of females within the confinements of a square box known as a lens or television set has gradually shifted from those that were catering to the typical rules of the housewife at the time to becoming strong, independent women with their own type of character development while becoming just as big, if not bigger, of a presence than today's generation of males in the cinematic world. In today's generation where there are all of these so-called "tests" that people throw out just to see if it meets their standards, it is probably no surprise that The Bechdel Test has become somewhat of a prominent name in media. Basically, what the Bechdel Test is contains at least two women who have at least one conversation about something other than men or a man.

     One female character that fits the description well is Jackie Burkhart, the spoiled, rich kid from "That 70's Show." For instance, there are plenty of scenes throughout the series where she and her best friend Donna Pinciotti have many private conversations about different things. A lot of them revolve around the boys that they date, but others are also a way for both of them to build character development throughout the series. The Bechdel Test works for Jackie because even though she is not held back by her own faults and insecurities, at the end of the day, she is still shown to be a shallow, spoiled teenage girl going through the same problems that all teenagers go through. She also demonstrates the "Mako Mori Test" by having a story for herself that does not revolve around any male characters. It is about her getting a job, and about her struggling to adjust to her having to do things for herself rather than the other way around.

     Jackie also demonstrates some of the female tropes that have been examined and scrutinized in recent times. The first is the "Crazy." For a short time in the show, at the end of season 2 through the beginning of season 3, she develops an intense infatuation for bad boy Steven Hyde after she breaks up with Michael Kelso. Despite all of Hyde's pleas to leave him be, Jackie cannot help but continue to pursue him despite them lacking any sort of remotely common interests. A second trope is the "Wedding-Freak." Jackie tries to get Kelso to marry her by the end of the 4th season, and when he does not answer right away, she gets very demanding and threatens to leave the relationship. She also does the same thing with Hyde in season 7 when he does not give an immediate answer. The final one is the "Nagging Shrew." Though she might be too young to fit into this category, the role of Jackie's character is shown to constantly boss people around, even those close to her. This is especially prevalent in the first couple of seasons.

     Jackie is a character who has a lot going for her, but she is also one of those characters who is flawed enough to the point that anybody can relate to her in one way or another.