[Dynagroove] top 11 things I hate about house the scene

[Will Yardley]

On Fri, May 27, 2005 at 04:43:56PM -0700, Amy Blakemore wrote:

> > Number 3: Girl DJs that get booked on their looks rather then
> > talent.

> I totally agree with this one. If you look like a Club Rubber dancer
> and wear a mini skirt and a bra, all you need to do is mix for 8
> beats at the end of each long anthem you play and you're set!

[ Jason - can't you afford your own email account? :> ]

At the risk of falling into the "too serious" category and getting
made fun of by Cade, I have to kind of take issue with this
characterization. I know the original email was mostly flamebait, but
I've got my asbestos underpants on....

First off, this is a really tough and complex issue. I'm going to do my
best to respond honestly without being too PC.

I think there are plenty of people (male and female) who get booked for
reasons other than their skill / talent. Politics are almost always
involved, the type of crowd someone will draw, etc. In the long run,
there's definitely almost always talent involved when someone's
successful, but I think to suggest that DJs are /ever/ booked based
purely on talent is simplistic at best.

It's true that female DJs have a somewhat easier time getting at least
some gigs -- but they also have a harder time getting people to take
them seriously (even when they deserve it).... plus they have to deal
with resentment from other DJs who are mad that a female DJ got booked
and they didn't. Once they are established / successful, they still
have to put up with comments like "pretty good for a girl". In other
words, they have some built in advantages, but also some built in
liabilities. Just have some faith that it all evens out somewhere.

I don't think we're exactly experiencing an epidemic of horrible
female DJs who are taking prime-time spots away from talented, yet
unattractive male DJs. The scenarios you [Cade] describe may happen once
in a while, but I don't think they're commonplace. So I get the point,
and I can sympathize with the resentment, but I think it's maybe a
little misplaced. And hey - ultimately, if people don't have a good time
at a promoter's party because the DJ sucked, they're unlikely to go
back. Again, it all evens out somewhere.

I do think it's good that aspiring female DJs are given some
extra encouragement (in a profession which is historically very
male-dominated), though I've often also felt that this does them a
bit of a disservice in the long term. Being a DJ is hard precisely
because of another point that Cade brings up (everybody wants to be a
DJ, everybody wants to be an MC), and I think there's a feeling that
having to fight your way through that makes you better in the long
run.

Having gone through that process myself, I can definitely understand
this feeling, and I think that's why there is resentment towards
anyone, of any gender, who gets a lucky break of one sort or another
and gets to play before they're ready. But you know... I've seen a lot
of people who sucked at one point end up turning into really good DJs.

And Cade - use a damn spell checker. In pine, that's ctl-t from the
compose window. :>

w

(I'll happily mix in a mini-skirt / bra for enough cash, though I doubt
anyone wishes to pay to see this)