Recently Yahoo! Music sat down with Rebecca and Fiona to talk about how they felt being female DJs in the EDM industry. This took me by surprise, because it’s something that I never actually considered as being an issue. I couldn’t imagine that a scene that was dedicated to spreading positivity, respect, and tolerance could be treating them as anything but equals. However, after listening to their interview I realized that they are struggling with the same things I, and many other women before me, have had to deal with. Mostly that no one takes them seriously, or that they have to sell sex in order to sell records.
The question: “Who makes your music?” is something they get asked on a regular basis, but if that same question were asked to a male DJ, it would probably constitute in someone getting beat up. But the girls just have to smile and be polite, and know that eventually their music will speak louder than social standards. In the interview, they talked about how they have to work harder, because everyone is just waiting for them to mess up. I mean after all, everyone knows “girls can’t DJ”. They feel that if they play heavier hard-hitting stuff that no one really takes them seriously, and that it isn’t possible that they could have actually built up their careers on their own.
They bring up an interesting point about Paris Hilton DJing, saying that everyone has put her down for wanting to DJ, but what if that’s actually her passion? What if that’s what makes her happy? Put that way, who are we to judge her career paths. Sure, you might say she’s stupid and she doesn’t know what she’s doing, but do we really know that about her? You might have seen her act that way on TV, but what is shown on television is just a concept that producers portray in order to get views.
Of course, there are some pros to being females in the industry. Because there aren’t very many female DJs in the scene, they stick out like a sore thumb, and that’s not a bad thing. “You know, some people love that we’re these little tiny girls playing this hard-hitting music” – Rebecca. NERVO is another female duo that has gotten a lot of popularity, and is the only female group that made DJ Mag’s Top 100 in 2012. For them, it’s a balancing act. They have to portray their femininity and mix as well as the male artists. Sometimes, it’s tough to be both.
To the guys: next time you want to catch Rebecca and Fiona or NERVO, watch them because you appreciate their musical talent, not because they’re hot. I mean, of course it’s a huge plus, but know that these women don’t want to be known for their looks or their body, but for their talent.
Check out Rebecca and Fiona’s interview below:
Via Yahoo! Music
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