Reclaiming the 'Bad Girl' Narrative
- The narrative that women should strive to go backstage, where a male headliner typically performs, is a form of objectification and misogyny that is often sold to women as something to aspire to, but the opposite is true, with "bad girls" being the ones who take the stage and shine 10s.
- The idea that women need to be visible and take center stage is a powerful one, and it's time to flip the script on the word "bad" and make it a positive trait, especially in a world that often pushes women to the sidelines 1m20s.
- As a DJ and founder of a female-led electronic music brand, it's possible to achieve success without traditional credentials, and embracing the "bad girl" energy can lead to selling out festivals and inspiring others 2m30s.
Historical Contributions of Women in Music and DJing
- Women have been involved in the origins of music and shamanism, and their contributions have been systematically erased and minimized, with examples including Sharon White, who DJed at Paradise Garage, and Wendy Hunt, who DJed at Studio 54 4m10s.
- The history of DJing is rooted in queer people of color and sound system culture, and women were there from the beginning, but their names are not often household names, unlike their male counterparts, such as Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan 5m0s.
The Ritual and Shamanic Role of the DJ
- The concept of rave as ritual and the role of the DJ as a shaman, guiding the energy and reading the room, is an important one, and it's rooted in the idea of collective effervescence, or the deep sense of community that comes from shared experiences 6m40s.
Systemic Inequality in the Music Industry
- The music industry today still struggles with inequality, with lineups not reflecting the reality of the talent, and the same gatekeeping that has always existed, upholding the conditioned belief that men are the ones who are DJs 9m30s.
- The lack of women on the deck is often attributed to a lack of available female DJs, but this is a self-perpetuating problem, as the lack of visibility and booking opportunities makes it harder for women to sustain a career and gain a following 11m10s.
- Studies have shown that men often get jobs over women with the same credentials, and this is a problem that affects not just the music industry, but many other fields as well 12m30s.
- Unconscious gender bias in male-dominated areas like the music industry can only be fixed through conscious action, and this is evident in the way women are underrepresented in the industry 10s.
Barriers to Women's Participation in Creative Fields
- The lack of representation of women in the music industry is not just due to a lack of interest, but also due to the barriers they face, such as unconscious bias and societal expectations, as seen in the way girls' clothing sections are filled with pastel colors and fluffy rabbits, while boys' sections have bold colors and action superheroes 42s.
- Women face an earlier barrier to pursuing creative pursuits like DJing due to the invisible labor they undertake, including care work, cooking, cleaning, and childcare, which takes up a significant amount of time and energy, as shown in a study by UN Women that found women do 2.5 times the labor around the house 2m6s.
- Many women, including DJs, face the challenge of balancing their creative pursuits with their domestic responsibilities, as exemplified by the experience of having to care for sick children while preparing for a gig, and this can lead to a lack of bandwidth, physical, mental, and temporal, to focus on their craft 4m10s.
Online Harassment and the Threat of Visibility
- Women who do take to the stage, like The Blessed Madonna and Nightwave, often face online harassment and hate comments, which can be a significant barrier to their success and a manifestation of the fear of visibility 6m15s.
- The hate comments and online harassment are not just about the women themselves, but about the fact that their existence on the stage threatens a patriarchal worldview that requires women to be backstage, and this is evident in studies that show that a woman's success can undermine a man's self-esteem 8m20s.
Transforming Hate into Strength and Solidarity
- To overcome these barriers, women can lean into their "bad girl energy" and use it to their advantage, as seen in the example of DJ Can't Say No, who flipped the script by putting her hate comments on a T-shirt, and this can be a testament to the ingenuity of women to take hate and re-harness it as something funny 10m30s.
- Being "bad" in practice looks like solidarity, as seen in the example of Not Bad For A Girl, who posted an open letter to the music industry calling out gender discrimination and inequality, and this collective energy is what is needed to bring about change 12m40s.
Creating Inclusive and Empowering Spaces
- To channel this collective energy, it is essential to celebrate women loudly, book women for events, and ensure that everyone on the dance floor feels represented and safe, so that the dance floors remain a place of freedom and liberty 14m50s.
- The music industry understands the power of money, and by not buying tickets, individuals can vote with their feet and potentially change the conversation overnight, demonstrating the power of the dark feminine, which is about quietly refusing to comply 10s.
Reframing the Concept of 'Bad' and Patriarchal Resistance
- The concept of being a "bad girl" should be reframed, as it is often associated with women being dangerous, and men can be violent, which is why patriarchy may be trying to keep women backstage, highlighting the need to redefine the term "bad" 42s.
- The idea being presented is not just about the speaker, but rather a representation of the voices of a thousand women, a million women across the world, who are fighting for equality on various stages, including music and festival stages, as well as world stages 2m6s.
- The goal is not to fight for a future matriarchy, but to remember the ancient truth of matriarchy that is already present in ancestors and within individuals, and to tap into the "bad girl energy" that is inside everyone, allowing it to emerge and take action 2m6s.
