What's wrong with being sexy?

A recent office conversation with a female colleague revolved around the idea of how men try to box off subjects like music, cars and film from women by using lists, insider, trainspotting knowledge and outright oneupmanship. My colleague felt that the end result was that women were largely excluded from these activities, especially when it came to writing about them, and I agree with her. Of course, seeing that I spend all of my free time listening to, playing, writing about and sometimes trying to make electronic music, that most trainspottery, geeky, testosterone-overloaded style of music, none of this should have come as a surprise to me.
However, as time progresses, I become more and more infuriated by some of the attitudes that I encounter. What really rankles, apart from the idiots who feel it's acceptable to randomly grope women in clubs, is that some of the supposedly 'enlightened' techno fans are often as guilty of unwitting chauvinism as anyone else. I balk when I hear guys leaving a club remarking in surprised tones about how a well-known DJ could 'really mix’, as if being born female precluded one from certain technical activities.
Some people will argue that last few years have seen more and more women enter techno, thanks to the Euro-centric/minimal style of music that has emerged - and they are right. Magda, Ellen Allien, Chloe, Jennifer Cardini, Margaret Dygas, P.Toile and Clio D'Or are just some of the names who have risen to the international level in the past five years, but still the old prejudices remain.
I know that the whole Ubercoolisch site was hilarious, but the ‘Magda, make the tea’ catchphrase is kind of insidious. 99% of the people who uttered it were just having a post-modern laugh and meant no harm by it, but the uncomfortable truth is that this remark just reinforces the stereotypical image of women in music and, de facto, served to exclude them from techno’s inner sanctum.
Maybe I'm overreacting, but there does seem to be an unsaid acceptance of sexism and chauvinism in techno music. To borrow from Spinal Tap, I'm sure that, if confronted on the issue, many techno fans would simply ask: 'What's wrong with being sexy?'

Comments

[Sam]

I can't say I ever tried to intentionally exclude women from musical discussion by banging on about my top 10 krautrock records etc. Men just seem to like talking about that kind of shit. And all power to women that they have something better to do. But I can imagine there are many other areas in the business where women are openly descriminated against. Dinky's RA mix now downloading!

[sasutan]

"Magda make the tea", just has a better ring to it than "richie make the tea" doesn't it.

[Brophy]

"Magda make the tea", just has a better ring to it than "richie make the tea" doesn't it. - why does it?

[Brophy]

Sam, women are discrminated against in all areas of the business

[kenny]

Reading too much into it there regards Magda. She was was Hawtins support dj, didn't have the profile of himself n villalobos at the time of ubercoolische.

[ben j]

I'm probably guilty of the "she can really mix comment" (not sure, but I can imagine how I might have said it), because female DJs were a gimmick for a long time, especially in the US.

There are definitely 'big name' (to the extent any DJ is a big name here) DJs who had their position strictly because they were hot. Not that they were (necessarily) bad DJs, but the promoter took the "she's hot" angle, which led you to go to the club with that attitude (subconsciously, at least). There are definitely a handful female DJs who played that card knowingly.

Two more for your list, Anja Schneider and Kate Simko, both of whom are quality. Cio d'Or is about as good as it gets these days, though.

[Brophy]

Kenny - I know, but it has since then been used in jest since her profile went up

BenJ: wouldn't rate anja to be honest. kate's ep is good and i have a clio 'or ep which is great

[Paddie]

Goop point ladies..just that you mentioned Dinky RA podcast !recently i came across a sacrastic post about her in the geeky mucho macho mnmlssgs...
title;
Dinky or just Stinky? where the blogger doubts on her exelent skills as a dj just cause she had a big hit on Cocoon records that made her big..

..a few haters jump on board and a few protect her quite extremely as well.

Im sure if Dinky was a boy she would have not get this shitie title.
there is a good reason why she is so popular and that seems to upset a good part of males who probably wish where so successful.

Juts an example added to the "Magda make the tea" case but even worst...!