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.
Ean, when I read the headline to your article, DJ Discrimination, I thought you were going to discuss why less than 10% of DJ’s are women. It’s an interesting question and as much as I love DJ TechTools, I have to say I was a bit disappointed with your suggestion that it’s men who are facing discrimination, and even a bit offended with your comparison of DJ’s with strippers. Strippers work at strip clubs and DJ’s work at parties and festivals. When was the last time a DJ decided to strip naked while performing?
I’m not sure if you were implying that stripping and gogo dancing are the same trade, but… once again, they both may be dancers who perform in front of others at night, but try to get an untrained gogo dancer to climb a firehouse pole in a sexy, seductive way, and they’ll probably tell you that they will need to take a few weeks of poledancing classes before they can do it well. Likewise, if a full-time exotic dancer were offered a job gogo-ing at a club, but if she or he doesn’t like house music and isn’t able to appreciate and the subtleties of DJ’s set, they won’t be able to fake their smile past midnight and will likely have a shitty time working at that nightclub (I can often tell when a gogo dancer is in tune with the DJ as she/he takes the crowd into the night and dawn)
the thing is, there’s no real reason or explanation why women can’t be as good as men when it comes to DJing
whether someone decides that they want to work as a dancer with their clothes on or off or somewhere in between, or whether they decide to DJ or produce with their clothes on or off or somewhere in between, these are all decisions that people make, influenced by personal preferences, passions and perhaps most importantly, the support (or lack thereof) from parents, friends, role models and the EDM industry’s media outlets
that said, thank you for ending this post with a question and encouraging people to talk, argue and discuss the future of our passion. at the risk of sounding completely cheesy, imagine a world 5-10 years from now when women who love to make electronic dance music aren’t afraid to just go for it. we’d have twice the number of talent, maybe even twice the number of clubs and venues and dance music won’t be one of those genres that the world gets tired of.
that sounds like an awesome future of a world to me :]
As a female DJ….Im gonna say its not all about getting laid. sure men try to talk to me or pick up but Im not about to spread my legs just cause I have the benefit of being a DJ, No! It’s a JOB and if you love music its an Amazingly FUN JOB…I enjoy myself, watching people dance, have a good time!Itrs what you make of it, I love to play new music, old school music and everything in between! So the stereotype is my case is false. 🙂
Talk about discrimination from the parents… jeez they won’t even acknowledge that I make money from DJ’ing. They treat it like I’m playing games and ‘having fun’ and making some petty cash to spend on little drinkies with my friends, but that my degree is obviously what I should want to do for the rest of my life. And girls, it seems for the most part, like to USE DJ’s for a kind of social promotion with their friends. I get a lot of girls being ‘really interested’ in my talent, but aside from taking pictures with them for their 100+ photo photo albums on facebook of a single night, they don’t seem interested in anything other than being seen with the DJ for a popularity boost. I usually tend to be vague about what I do until I get to know a girl more in depth, and then I fill her in so she doesn’t assume I’m a partier.
This argument can be skewed either way. I think that there are DJs that do it for the money and ladies as their motive, and others that do it for the music as their motive. Just as there are strippers that do it for money as their motive, and others that do it for the love of dance as their motive.
To me, this is something that can’t be generalized as “Djing is no different from being a stripper.” It’s just that some DJs do it for certain reasons which are different from others, and the same goes for strippers.
Your article hits the spot bang on.
But in the end… as long as you love it, does it really matter what other people think?
I myself DJ as well because I love the music.
I remember the first time I ever paid for a ticket to watch a DJ perform.
I knew who he was (it was Armin). I had no idea what he was though.
He definitely was the center of attention, the same way ACDC or Metallica might be if you go to a concert. You go to watch the performance.
Don’t get me wrong, I love being the center of attention. I love when everyone is bouncing up and down and staring at ME.
I can’t help but feel good. After all… If the people love their DJ he or she must be doing something right!
While strippers and DJs are both performers, so are comedians and musicians.
Just because we play with turntables and a mixer and any other number of other crazy wild fun gadgets doesn’t make us any less of a musician than that lead guitarist every girl wants to get their hands on.
We play with instruments too. Ours just have incredible flashy lights on them and look like a spaceships control panel.
That’s a big difference from flashin your junk and stickin dolla bills down your underwear.
This was probably the best (ok, one of the best) articles of all summer.
I have been away most of the summer so I had a few posts to go through and this is one out of two that I have read from top to bottom.
I do feel similar to the stripper sometimes when I play my music (I just drop my pants down and give them what they want)… “OK! I will play (put in any track you were sick of playing LAST summer) again”, they did hire me to play the music they wanted… so, Im a sellout, so what?
Still, the bartenders always get the girls anyway (they do have all the liquor).
I am new to DJTT and have been reading a few articles to pass some time. This is the second one where people post comments attacking the original forum thread. I would just like to stress that there is an entire web of articles out there for you to read so when you decide a forum topic is not for you or you don’t have anything constructive to add, switch to one you find interesting and refrain from attacking the post.
I thought it was a good read, especially some of the comments. I found the ‘girls flocking to dj’s’ part good and also how its percieved that ‘dj’s don’t settle down. Music i agree does ‘inevitably’ come before most things, truely i don’t believe music comes before my family but then i can see how it appears that way sometimes. :-/
Some good points!
Keep up the good work! 🙂
[quote comment=”20094″]
how about I poll 100 asking them if DJs are the male equivalent of strippers, yet again, it might be hard to find 100 people who would take such pool seriously.[/quote]
You are really missing the point here. I am not comparing djs to strippers. Someone else did that and it brought up a bigger question that I am simply asking:
*have djs on this site experienced similar discrimination based on your occupation?*
I have experienced that, and there is a chance you might have too. So if you want to take a Poll, take one that asks the real question. We apologize if you felt that this article is comparing you to a stripper, but that is simply not the case. I have been a dj all my life (since 16) so any slander against djs is a slander against me as well.
If we are about to poll someone, HOW ABOUT we poll DJTT community is they like this blogpost or not. Isn’t that is the real question now.
[quote comment=”20065″][quote comment=”20064″]I can’t believe I read those three useless paragraphs.
[/quote]
Tell you what Leonardo, I recommend you go ahead and send us an article to publish that you feel is “worth” reading. We would love to read it.[/quote]
Ean, so you actually think that article you wrote comparing strippers to djs based on a single conversation with a lady friend provides a foolproof argument?
The fact that this argument is just being considered is just obnoxious.
And about submitting an article for your site, how about I poll 100 asking them if DJs are the male equivalent of strippers, yet again, it might be hard to find 100 people who would take such pool seriously.
People your missing the point. Strippers love DJs. After reading these posts my next gig will be in a gold sparkle thong with tassle pasties on my hairy nipples.
For your amusement.
[quote comment=”20064″]I can’t believe I read those three useless paragraphs.
[/quote]
Tell you what Leonardo, I recommend you go ahead and send us an article to publish that you feel is “worth” reading. We would love to read it.
I can’t believe I read those three useless paragraphs.
Get over yourself.
It just hit me, may this common-female-logic be the reason that there is such a small number of female DJs compared to male?
[quote comment=”19833″]I eventually asked her why she had a “no DJs” rule, thinking it would be concerns about fidelity or the “party lifestyle.” her answer was surprisingly simple: “never date a DJ because you’ll always come second to the music.” Put so bluntly, it actually made sense to me.[/quote]
wow. we should all be so happy to find someone who has a calling in life. you come second to someone’s greatest passion and purpose in life? boo-hoo! better find something other than a boyfriend to fill that void!
i find that people often have preconceived notions about my personality or my level of ego. some people still have this starstruck ideal of what being a DJ is like, and so they approach me with some level of curiosity and reverence, while others automatically get defensive and dismissive of me as if to bring me down a peg from the get-go.
i don’t make a living off of DJing, but along with producing it’s one of the biggest aspects of my life. i’m 27, and it’s still hard to come clean about it to most people over the age of 35; it’s usually looked down upon as childish.
Some(light form of) discrimination I have expierienced is, that sometimnes it’s considerably harder to get to know girls. It seems as if they are thinkig: “He’s a Dj, he might hook up another girl at least every weekend…but I’m not so easy to get.” And then they are closed up…
[quote comment=””]We have few in Russia, here is site of one stripper-dj http://dj-missmikki.com/photo.html%5B/quote%5D
The similarity that Strippers and DJs have, is that they both work night jobs and mainly do it to get the attention of somebody to be attracted to them.
Unless your taking your clothes off too, then you have something else in common (Yes. I have seen REAL DJ strippers in action. It happens.)
We have few in Russia, here is site of one stripper-dj http://dj-missmikki.com/photo.html
Ean,
Perhaps it’s because I live in Portland, the strip club capitol of the US, but two things.
1) I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being a dancer, I’ve got plenty of great friends who do it for a living.
2) I don’t hustle for my cash. As a dancer you’re basically a sales woman. You’re hustling folks in the club to give them private dances where you make the real $. You’re selling what they want to see. As a DJ, we generally get paid a flat rate, and yes while we play to the crowd, we’re hired on the contingency that we’re doing the job right. There’s no real sales involved. If we got a buck every time someone went onto the dance floor? Then maybe it’d be different.
As far as society, I think they don’t see us in that light. We’re still shamanized in many respects. The DJ being on an altar that the dance club’s worship. Being praised like the rockstar, etc. Outside of the club we may be looked down upon, but I think no more than anyone who works in the club/bar industry like the bouncers, bartenders, cocktailers, etc.
But yeah, I’m not a sales person and a performer, just a performer.
(PS. Ean, I was less referring to the OP and more referring to the comments. ^_~)
what do we really add to modern society?
imo, sex drugs and rock n roll
my favourite things
obviously youll get haters within any society, but also much support
[quote comment=””]As a woman…I’d say ‘HELL NO’ am I comparable to a stripper. If I was, I’d be a stripper…
I think it’s that simple. The chauvinism and misogyny in this post/thread is a symptom of the sexism in a male dominated industry we take part in…
=^([/quote]
I am not saying we are strippers- clearly djs are not. The question is;
Do djs, male and female alike, suffer from the same type of social stigmas that dancers do? In other words- is djing viewed as an un-legitimate profession by modern society even though we view ourselves as artists?
Sorry if the post came off as Chauvinistic, but it has nothing to do with sex. I would say that female djs get even more of a bum rap in this regards and are very susceptible to being viewed as cheap “entertainment” and not talent due those that unfortunately push exactly that image.
As a woman…I’d say ‘HELL NO’ am I comparable to a stripper. If I was, I’d be a stripper…
I think it’s that simple. The chauvinism and misogyny in this post/thread is a symptom of the sexism in a male dominated industry we take part in…
=^(
I had never thought of what I do in this manner before, but I have to say I can see why someone would make the connections.
I know many people that feel that selling you body in a dance and selling you ability to spin as both being a form of selling your soul.
I will admit it I owned my own mobile dj company for 10 years, I had 45 dj’s that I would call to work gigs for me.
The point: When I said I was a dj, I got the “so you are sort of trashy & I don’t need to take you seriously” response, yet if I said I was a business owner with 50 employees I was suddenly “respectable”.
Hell the stereotypes we deal with just in our own click make me feel I need to say I also do club work.
P.S. I totally wanted to dj a strip club-bachelor party for a friend and my wife said “HELL NO”.
i strip while djing
I personally like articles like this one 🙂
Tech talk non-stop can get a bit boring so its nice to break the articles up like this. I might not agree completely with the article but it does bring up alot of interesting questions for discussion, which i am sure has passed though many peoples minds here.
Sorry Ean but until you work in an actual strip club you really can’t see how off this post really is . I really hate and have nothing in common with any of these pole swingin hoes .
Thanks for the amazingly insightful comments and thoughts guys. These sorts of topics sometimes make me cringe because it can result in a lot of knee jerk reactions which get everyone worked up. Through that controversy, a more significant dialogue can result than we might normally have when talking about something everyone agrees about.
As far as the pure act of performance is concerned, there is really an analogy: controllerists tend to overdo things, all that fancy effects and buttonrocking sometimes remind me of those thingys strippers happen to cover their nipples with: in any case it should be the little space that is left for the brain to reflect on (concsious or unconscious) that we shouldn’t forget about in a set, even with all those options at hand: We shouldnt keep a set neither too blank, nor packed with useless hokes.
Thanks for all that fundamental work DJTT, u guys rock.
well your first problem with this article is that you are assuming the stereotype of a dj as a male and a stripper as a female.
So that says enough about the suggestion that djs are equivalent to strippers, it is just a silly stereotype that silly people buy into. And I probably already won’t be compatible with the kind of people that feel this way so I don’t feel like i need to worry even for a second about missing out on relationships.
I don’t think the question of whether or not DJs are the “male” equivalent to a stripper (which is sexist in the first place, as there are many female DJs and many male strippers), but how to interpret the role entertainers in general play in our society.
Strippers, DJs, pianists, ballet artists, football players, actors/actresses, and any other profession or hobby can be considered to fall under the category of “Public Entertainment.”
Public Entertainment is an industry geared towards selling an image, emotion, idea, or story told through the medium of the person performing the act in order to appeal to a mass of people. In essence, entertainers sell themselves to the masses, period. Whether you are selling your body for sexual services or selling your skills as a DJ, you are simply doing what you do in an attempt to gain mass appeal, earn money, please other people, and sacrifice your own private image to the public eye.
To bring up recent news, look at Michael Jackson. He was one of the most influential entertainers in history, and he was doing the same thing as a stripper: selling himself for some kind of reward.
Entertainers have been around since at least 100 years ago 🙂 and is a trait seen even in other animals. Jesters sold their self respect to please the king thus pleasing the masses, and DJing is no different.
So, Ean, your recent question of the morality of your DJing doesn’t come from the fact you’re a DJ, it comes from the fact you are an entertainer (like most of us at DJTT). The stigmas that come with DJing are the same as those in other entertainment industries.
Entertainers face discrimination for simply doing what they do best: appealing others. People who are in the selfish business of self-improvement and rewarding themselves (like 90% of all workers) are spiteful at entertainers and tend to be jealous (thus why most famous people are entertainers and envied icons worshipped by millions). However, entertainers do the exact opposite: appealing and giving to others, raising spirits, and generally spreading good feelings regardless of their own feelings or emotions or personal reputation at the time.
Unless you are famous and making millions, most entertainers tend to make just enough to get by, yet still remain in the business of putting other’s emotions first.
Of course there are the egotistical entertainers who let their fame get to their head. As those are the one’s who are most well known and ‘loved’, those are the people in which the stereotype is formed, and we all know how us humans love to stereotype people.
Sorry for the long response. I just needed to explain myself.
Thanks for everything, Ean!
i f*cked a stripper the other weekend. pretty sure the only reason i got in there was because i was DJin
I’m more a Mobile DJ so that, in correlation, would make me a prostitute:(
I get lots of girls from being a dj and i’m no dork
[quote comment=””][quote comment=””]David Bowie famously said if I stand in a room and sing quite well I’m x amount attractive to the people in that room. If I get on a table and do the same I’m probably 5 x more attractive so if I get on a stage and perform I then become 100 x more attractive to the audience.
I think this sums it up pretty well obviously some guys do it for the craft and the love of music others for the lifestyle.
When I first moved to London every girl I talked to had a boyfriend who was “a dj”. Just like when I was a teenager every girl had a boyfriend in a band.
Without getting deep into it women traditionally seek out powerful men. In a nightclub that’s the dj as he’s in effect controlling what everyone is doing.
I’ve never been to a stripclub we don’t have many in Ireland so I can’t possibly comment on the similarities. Although judging by the movie films I can see parallels but that applies to all performers and artists not just djs.
Face it folks we can’t all be the sophisticated sex machine that is Bob Sinclair ;0?[/quote]
Nail on head.
Now shut it and get your tits out.[/quote]
[quote comment=”19833″]I once dated a girl that proclaimed “I don’t date DJs.” I let her think I was a bedroom-DJ and lacked whatever characteristics about professional DJs she had an objection with. Inevitably, she found out I actually played at clubs and raves (a promoter handed her a flyer with my picture on it). By that point she saw me as an individual instead of a stereotype and we continued to date for many months.
I eventually asked her why she had a “no DJs” rule, thinking it would be concerns about fidelity or the “party lifestyle.” her answer was surprisingly simple: “never date a DJ because you’ll always come second to the music.” Put so bluntly, it actually made sense to me.[/quote]
I couldn’t agree more with your girl.. Especially if you’re a person who’s pretty serious about music and DJing..
[quote comment=””]David Bowie famously said if I stand in a room and sing quite well I’m x amount attractive to the people in that room. If I get on a table and do the same I’m probably 5 x more attractive so if I get on a stage and perform I then become 100 x more attractive to the audience.
I think this sums it up pretty well obviously some guys do it for the craft and the love of music others for the lifestyle.
When I first moved to London every girl I talked to had a boyfriend who was “a dj”. Just like when I was a teenager every girl had a boyfriend in a band.
Without getting deep into it women traditionally seek out powerful men. In a nightclub that’s the dj as he’s in effect controlling what everyone is doing.
I’ve never been to a stripclub we don’t have many in Ireland so I can’t possibly comment on the similarities. Although judging by the movie films I can see parallels but that applies to all performers and artists not just djs.
Face it folks we can’t all be the sophisticated sex machine that is Bob Sinclair ;0?[/quote]
Nail on head.
Now shut it and get your tits out.
David Bowie famously said if I stand in a room and sing quite well I’m x amount attractive to the people in that room. If I get on a table and do the same I’m probably 5 x more attractive so if I get on a stage and perform I then become 100 x more attractive to the audience.
I think this sums it up pretty well obviously some guys do it for the craft and the love of music others for the lifestyle.
When I first moved to London every girl I talked to had a boyfriend who was “a dj”. Just like when I was a teenager every girl had a boyfriend in a band.
Without getting deep into it women traditionally seek out powerful men. In a nightclub that’s the dj as he’s in effect controlling what everyone is doing.
I’ve never been to a stripclub we don’t have many in Ireland so I can’t possibly comment on the similarities. Although judging by the movie films I can see parallels but that applies to all performers and artists not just djs.
Face it folks we can’t all be the sophisticated sex machine that is Bob Sinclair ;0?
[quote comment=”19861″]Haters are gonna hate, but just remember… they are your biggest fans ;)[/quote] – I totally agree.
With fans come haters. That just means that you’re famous. Whenever I feel like going reggae on a set, I always put this song on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_sJVi4FgtQ&feature=related (sorry, he doesn’t have a video
The crowd loves it, and it kinda fits in here aswell 🙂
I don’t know if we are looked at in the same way as strippers, however prejudice does follow DJs; much like any other out of the ordinary profession. Everything from being compared to valet driver (Just cause he drives nice cars doesn’t mean their his), DJs are over-glorified wanna-be musicians, to DJs are egomaniacs.
To be fair, there are definitely DJs out there for the complete wrong reasons (partying, booze, girls, drugs, attention, etc…) but for the rest of us who actually care about putting together a creative set and setting a party off these preconceived notions can be pretty annoying. But I figure as long as I’m doing what I enjoy and doing because I strictly enjoy doing it then I figure a following of other like minded individuals will follow and know that what we do really is an art form. Haters are gonna hate, but just remember… they are your biggest fans 😉
[quote comment=”19856″]I’ve been told all DJs are whores. Really caught me off guard, probably because of the element of truth in there. Yeeesh.[/quote]
Actually, I usually describe some of my sets as “whoring”. Really; I’m attempting to please everybody – not just the people I know personally. And very often this requires me to play only what the crowd wants to hear and skip everything I would really like to play (like introducing some new songs to them, etc.)
[quote comment=”19842″]haha, man i dont know about you guys but im not getting paid 20$ a song![/quote]
Some day you might 🙂 Furthermore – I consider tipping a DJ with anything less than a 10€ bill to be quite insulting. When people do that I’m forced to ask if I’ve forgotten my jukebox-uniform on…
[quote comment=””]hehehehe…good sunday morning read, thanks! :D[/quote]
[quote comment=”19844″][quote comment=””]haha, man i dont know about you guys but im not getting paid 20$ a song![/quote]
I think if I was getting paid $20 per song, I’d do transitions a lot faster![/quote]
LOL have you ever listened to a strip club DJ? That’s exactly what they do! Many of them play as little of the song as they can get away with, especially if they’re not playing for a particular dancer. Shorter songs = more lap dances = more money for the club…
hehehehe…good sunday morning read, thanks! 😀
loved this article, actually it a bit of fresh air, and one that is super relevant, we are always thinking about how we can improve our sets here, but it is good to take a look back at our own mental health and understand the issues involved with djing. I used to have major issues with my girl and just being into music all the time. I realized that I have to make her feel extra good about dating me because I am out there partying all the time and meeting people and doing music related stuff otherwise. It is definitely hard balancing the two.
I’ve been told all DJs are whores. Really caught me off guard, probably because of the element of truth in there. Yeeesh.
I’m anxiously awaiting the release of fishnet overlays!
[quote comment=”19833″]I once dated a girl that proclaimed “I don’t date DJs.”
I eventually asked her why she had a “no DJs” her answer was surprisingly simple: “never date a DJ because you’ll always come second to the music.” Put so bluntly, it actually made sense to me.[/quote]
Now thats the truth!! I have no problem admitting to that and have told many of my GF that exact fact. Sorry baby but I am already married to my controller.
Personally, I always thought of my Dj Status as something to be proud of that would be attractive to others. How many people make a living with music doing something they truly love? After hearing this stripper/dj comparison and talking to a few people I began to think that perhaps other people didn’t also see it that way. So, this article was my attempt at reaching out to my rather large group of dj friends and asking them, “Hey- what do you think about this?”
Plus- its Friday and those of you that are regular readers know I like to pull out something fun and slightly controversial on Fridays. Otherwise it gets really boring writing about pure technology 24/7/365
I think DJTT is getting too big. We are starting to accumulate a large pissy-douche-bag following.
None the less, my last girl friend hated that I was a DJ (see why we didn’t last). It was just the whole socialite aspect. We are turned into attention whores as soon as we step behind the decks. People want to talk to us, ask our number, hang out. I’m sure strippers/dancers have the same problems.
Pro blogging tip:
Post quality or don’t post at all.
[quote comment=””]omg u guys r hilarious with this blog
but i got to admit girls love djs and they want us ;]]]]][/quote]
When you consider the success of the “Topless DJ” phenomena, this doesn’t become so far fetched. However ean is right, people will pay to see attractive girls naked, while DJ can’t just show up and play anything.
Also on the subkect of DJ groupies. Many chicks dig men in positions of power, and being a DJ you are front and center in the club. However, they flock to the successful ones, and you can track your popularity and girlie interests hand in hand.
omg u guys r hilarious with this blog
but i got to admit girls love djs and they want us ;]]]]]
…i strip my long sleeve shirt every time, just to uncover my t-shirt underneath 🙂
Short Answer…
Strippers Sell Is Body In Sexual Way,The Main Reason Of There Work Is SEX!
Dj Sells His Music & Brain…No Need To Sell Sex…Only Get One…
when i read the topic, i thought its gonna be about girl talk and steve aoki 🙂
[quote comment=””]haha, man i dont know about you guys but im not getting paid 20$ a song![/quote]
I think if I was getting paid $20 per song, I’d do transitions a lot faster!
That being said – I don’t look down on stripping as a profession at all – this has a lot to do with my queer status and some of the sex positive politics that go along with it. I don’t know if it’s really similar though. I think stripping and DJing share two important things – you’re as good as the work you put in, and someone who doesn’t put in that work will not be nearly as good as someone who does.
How many guys simply transition without blending, without beatmatching? That’s a hot girl who just kind of walks around the pole, takes off her top and panties, jiggles a bit, collects her money, and leaves. Then there are DJs that run multiple tracks simultaneously, use sampling, hot cues, and other stuff. It’s a whole different ball game.
At Union Jack’s in Portland, OR, there’s a punk rock stripper with a liberty spike hairdo, and a Marilyn Monroe look. She did a strip tease to “Lady Is A Tramp” by Ella Fitzgerald, and it was perhaps the most athletic fucking thing I’ve ever seen. The showmanship was amazing. There was definitely an art to it. And I actually love dance, particularly modern, which can be incredibly athletic. That girl, she’s the analog to the “good DJ”.
It all has to do with the work you put in, man!
great article, a really good read. haven’t had the experience of being stereotyped like that from where i am but i completely understand and agree with you guys. us real DJs are just misunderstood by the vast majority since we cater to the nightlife scene.
haha, man i dont know about you guys but im not getting paid 20$ a song!
Good article Ean, never really thought about DJing in that sense or stereotype. DJs do kinda get treated the same way, you tell someone what you do for a living or as a side job then their reaction is pretty much “Cool, I’ll call you when I’m looking for someone to entertainment me late at night”.
This is actually only the second time in history that i’ve read thru an entire blog entry.
professor ben and j. codec: u guys are right.
i think i’ll strip during my next gig.
Classic article Ean!
I have a friend who recently DJ’ed a strip show for 8 hours in a very confused Indian restaurant that thinks its also a dance club.
Tomorrow when I will play I will try to start strip!
And I wish to see Magda, Anja Schneider, Tania Vulacano to start stripping next time I’ll se them playing 🙂
Peace
I’m to old to fat & to ugly to be stripper….but a good D.J I am
I think the important differentiation to be made is between DJs and people who do play music in in clubs to look cool. Although DJs might enjoy partying, they are deep and insightful people who DJ because thats a way to express themselves to the crowd.
That said, when I first saw the title of the post, I thought it was about all those DJs showing a lot of skin on stage.
Even if I wasn’t a DJ I think I’d like to have a girlfriend who’s a DJ, it would make her a more interesting person.
And about the first reply to the post: I’m sure there’s an unsubscribe link in the e-mail you got. We live in a democracy, go ahead and unsubscribe if that’s what you’d like. I think this post fits perfectly to the theme of the website. It’s all about being behind the mixing desk (and many shiny, flashing controllers in this case 🙂 ) and this is one aspect of being a DJ. It’s a nice little break from the usual entries.
I once dated a girl that proclaimed “I don’t date DJs.” I let her think I was a bedroom-DJ and lacked whatever characteristics about professional DJs she had an objection with. Inevitably, she found out I actually played at clubs and raves (a promoter handed her a flyer with my picture on it). By that point she saw me as an individual instead of a stereotype and we continued to date for many months.
I eventually asked her why she had a “no DJs” rule, thinking it would be concerns about fidelity or the “party lifestyle.” her answer was surprisingly simple: “never date a DJ because you’ll always come second to the music.” Put so bluntly, it actually made sense to me.
so wait, if we’re doing a live pa or controllersim does that take us to porn star status or is it going more the way of the donkey show or some live S&M shit?
edit: look like I answered my own question. DJ’s = Strippers, Live PA = Live S&M show.
LOL!!
“How do I un-subscribe so I don’t share the same blog post comment section with a douche that needs to lighten the eff up?”
I’ll start checking my boxers for any 100 dollar bills…. =D
oh shit ean’s drunk-blogging !!!
If I could get a job stripping I’d do it! I could put together my own mixtape 🙂
And since I work for an agency, they already take more than 50% of any gig I do. Essentially they are my pimp.
A few random thoughts on this … First, it’s just a guess but I think strippers probably get laid a lot more than most DJs. Heh.
It reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend at a party who was talking about dating musicians vs. dating DJs. She concluded “I think DJs are much more my speed.” To which I of course immediately chimed in, “33 and a third?”
I’ve definitely heard the kind of judgment you’re talking about and it’s usually to do with money and lifestyle; it’s a little different from someone dating a stripper and certainly gendered. It’s not just a sense that a DJ would never be more than a booty call as we couldn’t be “serious” about relationships, since we’re supposedly out there spinning records to get laid every night. I think it’s also to do with a sense that a DJ, like most musicians and artists generally, is going to be struggling much of their adult life, sleeping till noon every day and pimping CDs and flyers in front of clubs every night they’re not actually spinning. And probably drinking and partying every night as well. So if someone is looking for a mate who “brings home the bacon” and cuddles in front of the TV after work every day, a DJ might not seem like the best choice.
But the thing is quite a few of the DJs I know have day jobs and are quite responsible and together in their lives. I know DJs who don’t drink at all and take their craft very seriously (though I also know a few who fit the “party” mold). I’ve seen many DJs go home to bed after their set rather than stick around at the bar to get drunk and gather digits or head to the afterparty. So like many stereotypes, it doesn’t fit the reality.
Same is true of strippers by the way … in fact not “any girl with a decent figure” can be a dancer — I mean, it’s easy to dance and turn most of us guys on, but many dancers put a lot of training and practice into their routines and take them seriously as performance artists. And while there are plenty of “party girls” in that world as well, there are also dancers who don’t get wasted every night, who don’t have sex with random strangers, who have respectable day jobs, and who work hard to put themselves through school, take care of kids or family, etc. I’m not trying to glamorize the lifestyle but again just trying to point out that the stereotype doesn’t always match the reality.
Obviously though the big difference is in terms of sexuality. Stripping puts sexuality at the forefront; the DJ is sexualized but usually works from the background, creating the atmosphere for dance, for flirtation, and sexual encounters.
And of course there are plenty of women DJs (not to mention male strippers!) who probably aren’t hit with the same stereotypes — how would a straight guy (who’s not a DJ himself) feel about dating a female DJ? I don’t feel like there’d be as much worry about her being a party girl or not being serious about a relationship.
In the end, it’s all about individual people and their personalities, not about their occupations.
[quote comment=””]WTF ? How do I un-register from this site so I no longer receive e mails telling me about rubbish like this please. ?[/quote]
LoL, lighten up DJJC, life doesn’t have to be so serious all the time. I thought it was a good read and there are actually some viable questions in there. Maybe DJ’s don’t sell their bodies for entertainment, but many mainstream DJ’s would probably say they’ve sold their souls.
By that I’m referring to the sacrifices many make in their personal lives to accomodate a less then stable lifestyles for the most part. Constantly plagued by the relentless beat down of tours, fans and finances. Some type of commitment that doesn’t really allow one to settle down into the ‘normal’ family that most women seek.
Granted, there are always exceptions. I’ve met some really cool like minded woman when it comes to the music scene.
Whatever reason it is that you DJ, just make sure its for the right reasons and not for the vanity of it all.
WTF ? How do I un-register from this site so I no longer receive e mails telling me about rubbish like this please. ?