This past weekend I asked a rhetorical question to a friend of mine (that happens to be a girl). ” I wonder if I was a woman- would I be willing to be a stripper?”. She didn’t hesitate, “you probably would, aren’t you already kind of the male version?” Whoa!!! I said, just as she attempted to pull the words back into her mouth. But it was too late, the horse was long out of the stable and I was left to contemplate the possibility of her less than flattering suggestion that was revealed in a moment of rare honesty.
As I am sure many of would also agree, most djs are music fans, aficionados, and slightly geeky guys (or girls) that found a fun way to fit into parties. Strippers we are not! Unfortunately this was not a question of how we see ourselves. This was a question of how the opposite sex views a dj. Is it possible that djs are plagued by the same bad cliches as strippers? If so, it it possible that we may also be discriminated against because of it?
The Conundrum
Do women say to each other, “oh she’s dating that dj guy” in the same way you might make fun of your Buddie’s stripper booty call? To be honest I never really thought about it until my friend brought it up and threw some more ammo my way. “Look, you both get on stage and entertain people. You both like being the center of attention and you both get tips for it! Both professions are involved in the slightly seedy nightlife industry and everyone knows many guys dj just to get laid!”
This last point is her main contention and I’m afraid the primary cliche that all djs must struggle with. ” I dj for the love! Djing is an art!” I protested. “Yeah, the same way that some strippers say its all about the dancing and get acrobatic on stage”, she countered. I have to admit, I was begining to see a parallel between dancers and the some cliche nightclub djs I have come to know over the years. That still does not make it possible to ever compare the profession of djing, which requires large amounts of time, money and energy to a strip tease. Then I thought back to a time in my career when one woman I dated insisted she could never be serious with a “dj”. It was then that I began to realize: Wow, what if she is right. Do women really look at djs as the male equivalent of strippers?
What do you think? Have you ever experienced any prejudice or judgments based on the fact that you happen to dj? I would love to hear your side of this strange but intriguing question.
Editors Note: Sorry for the off-topic tangent but this is not the first time we have delved into left field.
