Analysis: Turning The Inequality Tables

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Turning the Inequality Tables A turntable battle consists of two DJs or “turntablists” performing their respective 90 second piece with their turntable as their instrument one after the other. This practice is considered an art to many; however, the gender participation in this art is highly uneven. In the scholarly article, “Men, Women, and Turntables: Gender and the DJ Battle,” Mark Katz tries to explain why there are so few female competitors in the arena of turntablism. Katz’s thesis informs the reader that in the article, he will consider the obstacles that women face, understand why men battle, and how male technophilia has shaped the turntablist landscape; also, he will suggest how current developments may change the future gender dynamics among turntablists while examining attitudes about masculinity, femininity, competition, and technology relating to DJ battle (581-582). …show more content…

Battlers’ opinions were referenced as being ultimately supportive of women battling. For example, DJ Q-Bert explained how he hopes the future of turntabilism will include more girl DJs (582). Katz offers this opinion as a representation of the male-dominant community of turntablers who are actually supportive of the idea of females entering the turntable community; they are not actively creating a sense of discrimination towards females. However, Katz goes on to explain that masculinity plays a big role during a DJ battle. Battlers use homophobia as instruments of success in the form of disses to gain an advantage over their competition. Together, sexism, misogyny, and homophobia, create an unwelcoming environment for women (583). However, this is not the only probable cause for the gender disparity in