Fanlore:Featured Article Archives/2020: Week 20
The Sexy Lamp Test is a thought experiment that is designed to gauge how relevant a female character is to the plot of a work, in a bid to highlight poor representation and flawed characterisation of women in media.
The test was established by Kelly Sue DeConnick and first achieved wide notice after she mentioned it during an Emerald City Comic Con panel titled "From Victim to Hero". The test specifically referenced and built upon the Bechdel Test, another thought experiment that establishes a bare minimum for how women are portrayed in various media.
The "sexy lamp" in question is a prop from the movie A Christmas Story (1983). The lamp consists of a lampshade over a fake leg, dressed in a fishnet stocking.
DeConnick's comments were covered in numerous media articles and succeeded in sparking off a discussion about female characterisation and objectification, as well as gender and fanservice, in media.