Hey boy, hey girl, scandalous DJs, here we go!

I guess I can call this part 3 of my "female DJ" series in that I've already spoken twice about it: http://jackhadagroove.blogspot.ca/2012/04/i-am-female-and-i-like-house-music.html and http://jackhadagroove.blogspot.ca/2012/09/dj-vs-djane-is-this-even-real-word.html
Though I wanted to talk more about this earlier, I feel like today is obviously good day to bring it up because of bathgate: its Nina Kraviz vs her detractors folks, who will win? Ding ding ding!

It all started with Nina doing a Resident Advisor feature, and about 5 seconds of it is her in the bath

Then Greg Wilson decided to declare his undying love speak about the piece and the "myth" that is Nina. http://www.gregwilson.co.uk/2013/04/nina-kraviz-the-mistress-of-her-own-myth/

Nina then took to her own Facebook to address the article written by Wilson and that's pretty much where the controversy began. Maceo Plex posted a now taken down retort to Kraviz' appeal for "sexism and similar bullshit needing to die" by saying (sarcastically) "i'm so happy blatant uses of sexuality and superficiality can take the place of hustling vinyl and spending countless hours in the studio" This is in reference to seeing her in the bath. He then proceeds to shout out other female producers for "playing amazing music and pushing the scene forward with nothing else but sick records and studio time." 

This got Kraviz in an uproar and cued a lot of responses, mostly trashing either Kraviz or Maceo Plex:

Obviously Rekids label master Radio Slave will come to her defence, seeing how he gave her a pretty big break in her career.

I can tell you that seeing men trying to make this an insignificant issue is the reason why there needs to be more female exposure and dominance in the dance music industry.

Blogs and music mags like Beatport (the blog) and Mixmag were covering the exchange between Nina Kraviz and Maceo Plex and then Gina Turner weighed in.

* * * 

This isn't really a case of pot calling the kettle black cause Turner doesn't deny that she too uses her sexy to promote her image.
And no one said Nina was talentless. But why does she have to be naked? What does it have to do with her music except making those who lust for her drool more? If using her sexuality is part of her schtick, then at the very least own up to it! I'm not condoning the use of sexuality to further one's career, especially women in dance music, given the history of mostly being portrayed as sex symbols without a brain. But it seems like she's in denial that she was unaware of what having an interview in the bath would appear as.
Annie Mac and B.Traits and so many others are really pretty but I've never seem them in exceptionally provocative poses for campaigns. They don't need to, their success comes from their impeccable taste in music and quality productions. And females like them are still able to exude sexy while being fully clothed.

I read something absurd like "are female DJs not using their sexuality to be taken seriously?" Wow, just wow. This is exactly the problem. It shouldn't matter if you are pretty or not, your music should speak volumes for you.
Kraviz even says something along the lines of showing that DJs take baths and are clean. But everyone knows that baths are basically sitting in your own filth! And Nina cites when Seth Troxler was interviewed in the bath (rubber ducky and all) and how its a double standard. I think its hardly comparable. One image is sexualized, the other is being silly.
I posted a link to this picture in a previous post but now I'm just (to my dismay) going to post it:

Yeah yeah, its meant to be "artistic" as it is part of a campaign for Hugo Boss. Please! Its meant to display her sexually and there is no other argument. I'm surprised no one commented on that pic which emerged a few months ago but a split second bath scene is causing so much uproar. This can be compared to other musicians, and other figures in entertainment, and basically saying that their fans and industry should dictate what projects they undertake. Obviously that is ridiculous, as people should have the right to choose, but again, don't cry about people saying you are overtly using your sexuality and then actually do so.

Montreal's Prince Club (again, in now deleted tweets-everyone is deleting what they say) pretty much called her a whining baby for complaining, and Mathieu posted a vine video of himself in the bathtub. Haha, very funny.

 And then all the irony in the world comes out of this tweet

Jessie Andrews was actually the initial subject of this blog entry (nevermind that Ultra is the worst when it comes to female portrayal in dance music videos). A lot of glamour models (tame word for porn stars) have taken up DJing. Its mind boggling.
Just reading Jessie Andrews wiki makes me uncomfortable. Yeah sure, I'm a prude, but let's face it; she is a porn star. She was (is?) dating Borgore, and ...wow, this whole scene, I just can't even comment on it...his videos are crass to say the least. Its really not a style of music I enjoy anyway. But I wonder if dating a producer is what got Andrews into producing. And I can honestly say that I've heard male producers singing her praises and her remixes are nothing spectacular. Here is a perfect example of someone's sexed up image playing right into the hands of the same male producers who probably don't even flinch when women are displayed in the ugliest light by the dance music industry.

So the gist of what I'm trying to say is: you can be female, and you can produce and DJ, but you shouldn't have to "look pretty" to get any credibility, your music should be good. Just because you are female doesn't mean you can't play up the sexy. But being sexy doesn't mean be pornographic. And if you are going to be sexy, own it and don't deny that was your intent with a provocative picture you agreed to take. This is my opinion, agree or disagree. Its a free speech world wide web after all...