From: Mort, Jessica (jmort@amgen.com)
Date: Fri Sep 06 2002 - 21:52:26 CEST
Maybe I'm just feeling a bit feisty today...
I'm all fired up from this article in the Calendar section of the LATimes
published yesterday entitled, "Hey, Ms. DJ", written by a *Mr* Steve Baltin
. http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/calendar/cl-wk-cover5sep05.story
The article interviews DJ Rap and DJ Colette predominately. It starts off
promising- DJing used to be a man's world, but these women are mixing it up.
Female DJs are becoming established with growing popularity. Men sometimes
look stagnant on stage with the occasional fist pumping (I can't shake Luke
Slater out of my head) whereas women use their bodies and the crowd feeds in
their energy. These women have proved their skills behind the decks and
their not some little cute girl playing with electronics. Some women have
relied on their sex appeal resulting in a backlash of incredibility to
others.
Ironically enough, in an article that is (supposed to) promoting women DJs,
Rap and Colette explain that they are fed up with all the focus on gender.
"There are a ton of women DJs now; Get over it" Rap says. True, true; but
I'm still stoked to hear great music and solid mixing from a woman DJ just
like I'm impressed with a guy that can shake his bootay.
All the sudden, there's an emphasis on how Colette has, oh my god, OTHER
INTERESTS (gasp). Art, photography, reading, and.......BABY FEVER. I'm not
reading this article because I want to know the 27 year old DJ Colette has
baby fever. But the article gets worse. Baltin states that promotors are
booking women because because they have a "built-in" audience. Men want to
watch attractive women, and women want to be supportive. But then "reverse
sexism takes effect" and the female DJ feel it diminishes them. And,
instead of wrapping up the article with something intelligent, Baltin vomits
up (as if this is why he took the article) a NY DJ Penelope Tuesdae who goes
topless during her sets. Baltin comments, "She is not the only one, though
she is the best known. Though she even ADMITS in an interview with Orlando
Weekly, "I have to back it up with skills"". So Penelope Tuesdae backs her
rack with her admitted secondary skill. OK then, she's justified. I don't
know whose more annoying, the author or this topless "DJ".
Jessica
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