Top 100 Female DJS Poll

[eyeswithoutaface]

i think people REALLY need to bare in mind their location too and understand that its not the same over here as say in the States. There is seriously no supression of the female Dj over here in the UK, obviously not the same elsewhere but certainly not over here, as i said earlier, just a simple case of a lower ratio of women getting involved compared to the men. If anything there are some female dj's over here creaming the pants off the guys.

it really doesnt matter if your a man or a woman if you've got talent and you push yourself hard enough you'l what's owed as it were

[dirty_bass]

It`s hard for anyone to get DJ work in techno, as my nepotism topic raised.
It`s all a combination of batant self promotion and brown nosing, right place at the right time, hard work and talent.
In england I would say it really doesn`t matter about sex at all.
There are simply fewer girls DJing in techno. All the girls I do know who play techno, get gigs. I don`t know any women DJ`s who just play in their bedrooms. Techno is full of geeks, so I would say the girls probably get a better chance at a gig, than a bloke of the same level of skill and talent.
Most of the girls playing techno I have heard, are very very good, certainly have a different take on things in terms of selection and technique, and mostly don`t use their sex to sell themselves into the scene.
Maybe the problem is more american, where looks etc are far more important?

I still see polls as a pointless heap of shit.

100 best christmas gifts
100 funniest TV moments
100 Best female DJ`s
blah blah

If you aren`t getting gigs, then work harder to get them. Just playing isn`t enough, you need to get in peoples faces, schmooz, network, suck up etc.

[Jay Pace]

Dirty_bass - I think the whole point of the Female DJ poll was to collectively get in people's faces.

It helps everyone on the poll get more publicity and recognition.

This isn't another insipid popularity contest for globally recognised DJs, this is shining a spotlight on a relative minority, who could do with more awareness.

[dirty_bass]

polls are open to abuse and have nothing to do with talent etc, which is what the "we aren`t getting booked" argument is all about.
With polls you can just get people to vote for you purely cos they are mates or whatever, and not necessarily anything to do with talent.
They really mean nothing. It`s just another list, an I doubt it will do anyone but those with the best PR, any good.
And those with the best PR will more than likely be those who have used their sexuality to get into magazines etc for various photo shoots, to appeal to the mainstream, which again has nothing to do with techno.

You can be a million more times more effective with other methods of promotion for yourself.

[Jay Pace]

Polls aren't an accurate reflection of talent. Its just a way of getting noticed.
Like schmoozing, networking and sucking up.

I don't think anyone is relying on this poll to make their career for them.
Its just another method of self promotion - for people who could use some publicity.

Tiesto winning a poll achieves nothing. He's well known anyway, and he wins a popularity contest. Whoop-de-doo
Becka and Shiva and others getting their names out there in front of people matters, and could lead to more bookings.
Fair play to them.

If you recognise the importance of networking and schmoozing, I don't see what your truck is with having a poll.

[jon connor]

STOP!

[jon connor]

CARRY ON! :cheese:

you politian bastrds every time this topic comes up it goes to the wild wild west yall crazy , im with becka hear she posted coz she probably wants to no how many other female jocks are bustin out the beats + she is my top girl anyway ;) cum on guys its christmas calm down freaks :lol:

ok im out a hear

[dan the acid man]

had to edit jons post above, thought it may cause some stupid arguments

[teknorich]

(Should have spell checked it too, he he he...)

[eyeswithoutaface]

if your getting ANY gigs, and records out etc then surely thats recognition in itself? what do some people want, a ****ing billboard with their faces on it?

if everyone stopped thinking it was a competition and stopped using the "oh but im a female" card then maybe thing's would pan out better like it does over here? so what if someone's getting more gigs than you, why the hell should that bother you as a person? if it does, to the point where you'd actually feel jealous and bitter over it, then maybe its not the right game to be getting into anyway

il say this to everyone, man, woman or beast, keep your head down, do your thing and just get on with it

[Agent Orange NYC]

Some people want to make a carrer out of music some don't (some don't know how) fair enough?

[djshiva]

if your getting ANY gigs, and records out etc then surely thats recognition in itself? what do some people want, a **** billboard with their faces on it?

if everyone stopped thinking it was a competition and stopped using the "oh but im a female" card then maybe thing's would pan out better like it does over here? so what if someone's getting more gigs than you, why the hell should that bother you as a person? if it does, to the point where you'd actually feel jealous and bitter over it, then maybe its not the right game to be getting into anyway

il say this to everyone, man, woman or beast, keep your head down, do your thing and just get on with it

again i say, refer to my above post. those women who just put their heads down and play will be the best on the decks, but not necessarily get recognition because in a society where women's asses are valued over their assets, the "oh but i'm a female card" works. in a capitalist-sexist structure that rewards allowing onesself to be objectified, those who want to take the path of least resistance shove their tits in the camera and advance because of it.
doesn't mean they have any self-respect, but they have bookings and to some that's what matters. myself, i'd rather be able to look myself in the mirror and see some dignity...but i digress...

and while i am obviously not in the uk, i really had to laugh at the assumptions that sexism seemingly does not exist. perhaps from a male perspective that is true, but it's not what i hear from my sister djs there. and sorry guys...i believe them because they are the ones living it.

i am happy to see this discussion here, but i really would like to ask that people put aside their personal perspectives and look at this from an entirely different viewpoint. one that doesn't say: "hey yah got bookings...why ya bitching?" one that looks at the dj world as the microcosm of a larger society and realizes that the same issues women face in society will inevitably play themselves out in the smaller subculture.

techno didn't erase centuries of sexism overnight, no matter how much any of us would like it to have done so. but we can move towards thoughtful discussion, and i hope we can all begin to really <b>hear</b> women's voices and acknowledge the truth of these words and lives in the midst of our much-loved techno geekery.

i value thoughtful debate and discourse about these issues, in fact it is part of what i put into the techno i make and spin. because at the end of the day, if this is all just about bleepy noises and making pieces of round plastic go round and round, and not about the expression of truth and facts of our lives and how we live them...then it is all a load of superficial BS..."full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" (thanks Shakespeare).

[eyeswithoutaface]

there's arguments for and against no doubt, but like i said, it REALLY depends on where you live and what scene, so this is a topic that will just go around and round in circles as its totally subjective to each persons personal situation

[djshiva]

which is why i made the point that it's not about scenes, it's about the larger culture. and if you can find me one where women are not dealing with sexism, i will eat my mixer.

i will say that in the techno world at large, i have felt more welcomed and accepted, and had more love and appreciation than any other music scene i have ever dealt with (and i have dealt with many). i love my techno boys and girls! and that's why i post things like i have. generally, there is less outright meanness in the replies from my techno boys than anywhere else. so i encourage discussion and hopefully some learning...i tend to get bored talking about records all the time, so it's nice to try some more in-depth social commentary and discourse, ya know? ;)

[The Divide]

Yea Scotts got a point. Its all down to location, here in the UK I think in general not only does it not matter, female DJ's probably get more support and backing than male ones. I think people find it refreshing and more interesting to see a girl on the decks in a scene that’s mostly blokes, unfortunately

I think a bigger question to ask is why aren’t there more girls on the dancefloor

[The Divide]

I should reword to...

Unfortunately its mostly blokes on the dancefloor

[eyeswithoutaface]

the thing is, reading back, there are conflicting message's coming from the female camp here. The thread is indicating to vote in the specialised Female Dj poll, yet clearly you girls want accepting on the level that alot feel the men are on.... well, surely the specialised Female dj poll only promotes a division and thus creates sexism itself, although the ultimate goal is to bring things up to what some deem the even keel. What we would call in England, "wanting your cake and eating it"

the good meaning is there, but the methods are a touch outdated i think, i mean joking aside come on, another dj poll? these really do have no meaning whatsoever, seriously, in anything, ever, they just serve to try and pat the ego's of those who make the poll's and infuriate those who think its a bad thing to not be in the poll. If i ever made it into such a poll id cringe in embarrasment

As i said, this one really could go round and round in circles haha

cup of tea anyone?

[djshiva]

i'll take a cup of tea. green tea preferably, although i do like earl grey as well. ;)

truth be told, i think dj polls are a load of fluff. it's a popularity contest and no real indicator of talent. we all know that. i do like recognition for my sisters, albeit on a talent basis and not popularity. we all know who wins the popularity contests, right?

i would rather drop the polls and encourage you guys to actively seek out good female djs/producers to listen to and encourage people to book. when the ratio of men to women on the flyers is 50-50, and not one word is said about how the women look, that's when i'll believe some progress is really being made.

on a slightly different topic, someone on BOA once mentioned that perhaps the reason we don't know a lot of female producers/djs is because there are many who do not use gender specific names as their performance names (there is a reason for that, i assure you. people tend to give you less guff when they assume you are a guy. interesting, eh?). i didn't even know chrissi was a part of the naxious with mark eg until i got on this forum. didn't know half of pet duo was female either. punisher from detroit...another example. how many more ya figure there are going all incognito on us?

[The Divide]

which is why i made the point that it's not about scenes, it's about the larger culture. and if you can find me one where women are not dealing with sexism, i will eat my mixer.

As much as I’m for the idea of a top 100 poll, i would just like to point something out..

Why not try and reduce or eradicate sexism instead of encouraging it? I mean the reason there aren’t many girls in dj polls is because there aren’t many female djs. That has nothing to do with gender specific names, sexism and has everything to do demographics. How many girls are into techno over guys would you say? Roughly about 25-35% females over males?

[dirty_bass]

i would rather drop the polls and encourage you guys to actively seek out good female djs/producers to listen to and encourage people to book. when the ratio of men to women on the flyers is 50-50, and not one word is said about how the women look, that's when i'll believe some progress is really being made.

Isn`t this in itself sexism?
I`ll actively seek anyone good and talented, both in temrs of production and DJ`s to book. Nothing matters apart from what is on the CD demo (productions or sets).
I`m pretty sure most techno promoters think the name when it comes to bookings.
Get some big names to get in the numbers, and then check out the demos to see who is good.
And I`ve never seen a techno flyer with a female DJ on it that has ever made a mention of their looks?
The only obstacle I can see in the way of any woman DJ is the same as most peoples.
It`s not what you know, or how good you are, it`s who you know.
There may be sexism present in other forms of work etc, but within the DJ scene, I really don`t think it`s there in a major way.
OK some of the better looking female DJ`s are letched at, but that`s just men, we are led by our dicks, and no amount of political
fuming will ever change that, but I really can`t see a shit hot, but maybe less glamorous female DJ having a harder time of getting booked than some guy of the same or lesser level of talent.