Firstly I should refer you back to the blog post that kicked off this whole hullabaloo, ‘Nina Kraviz – The Mistress Of Her Own Myth’:
https://blog.gregwilson.co.uk/2013/04/nina-kraviz-the-mistress-of-her-own-myth/
When I decided to write this I had absolutely no idea what I was about to unleash. The past 48 hours has seen the piece, and Nina’s reaction to it, go global, as the issues raised by her Between The Beats appearance were debated by club communities in every continent, whilst the dance media, not wishing to look a gift horse in the mouth, spun-off the story of Nina’s Facebook response, with the bonus beats of Maceo Plex’s criticism of her providing a further sub-plot. Bubblebathgate had taken on a life of its own as it swept through the DJ world like wildfire.
My blog stats went literally off the scale. It was clear on Monday that this was going to be amongst my most viewed blog posts to date, but by Tuesday it was a done deal as it superseded everything I’ve posted previously by a long shot, and there’s been some really massive posts, like ‘How Clubbing Changed The World?’, ‘Jimmy Savile – DJ Originator Or More Smoke And Mirrors?’, ‘Celebration Of The Mediocre’ and ‘The Haçienda DJ Booth’. The only thing that came anywhere close to this statistical spike was when BBC News once linked directly to the blog, but whilst that pretty much levelled out again the next day, this proceeded to go into orbit, the site visited by 5 times as many people on day 2! Suffice to say, it’s been a veritable skyscraper of a post for me, and keeping up with all the developments has been a task within itself.
So it doesn’t take much to work out the sheer scale of this – it’s not just a case of what’s happening on my own blog, but all the other online sources, including Resident Advisor, Mixmag, Fact, Beatport and many others (whilst The Independent have published an edited version of the piece). Then, of course, there’s all the various hives of activity via Facebook and Twitter – Nina’s own FB has surely never seen such sustained activity, maybe a taste of what’s to come as her growing fanbase rallies ever closer around her. What’s for sure is that thousands, probably tens of thousands, of people who’d never heard of Nina Kraviz at the start of this week, certainly know the name now (with a healthy percentage bound to be exploring her music as a consequence). If this had been a carefully orchestrated publicity stunt it would have been hailed as brilliant, but there’s much more substance to it than that, because it happened organically – the genie inadvertently let out of the bottle.
If my statement that Nina was ‘destined for DJ superstardom, if she really wants it’ might have been seen as somewhat bold last Monday, today that possibility is significantly closer. This avalanche of attention must have come as a big shock for Nina herself – it’s undoubtedly a moment in time for her career as, all of a sudden, she’s under a weight of scrutiny, some considering her as a breath of fresh air, others viewing her more cynically, but all interested in what moves she makes next. It’s game on from here for Nina and, as she navigates her way through the next phase, what should always be taken into account is that there’s one huge curveball in all of this – Nina is not a Westerner, she’s from Siberia, not Shepherd’s Bush, she’s going to look at things from a different angle.
Had it just been about Nina’s career the post would, I’m sure, have been well received, in a similar way to how others I’ve written about contemporary DJs have been, but there’s a more universal theme that weaves through all of this – the serious yin to the frivolous yang. Although the whole bubble bath thing seems a bit silly on the surface (a humorous off-shot of this hoo-ha is the appearance of the ‘DJs Having A Bath’ site), the reason why this has really touched a nerve is to do with the more serious underlying issues at play. So, if it causes a few people to look at their opinions and prejudices, then it’s served a greater purpose.
Whether we may or may not agree with Nina’s actions, they’ve undoubtedly served to highlight the institutionalised sexism within the DJ world, and although her methods may not sit right for some, her rallying call, ‘sexism and all similar bullshit must die’, is a sentiment we should all stand firmly behind.
Mixmag:
http://www.mixmag.net/words/news/nina-kraviz-sexism-and-all-similar-bullshit-must-die
DJ’s Having A Bath:
http://djshavingabath.tumblr.com/
wow…really Nina star dj? first thing she needs to achieve is to learn to mix….there is a lot more better female djs that dont need to take out their clothes so people can talk about
This isnt about Nina or Maceo…everybody is closing eyes on the main issue which is the quality DJs dont get booking because naked girls that dont know how to mix with shitty taste in music are playing everywhere!!!!
If you are ok with that please ask that your favorit artists (if its male) does not performe but instead a stripper plays his music on winamp…
As a DJ for over 20 years i am astounded by how much controversy this has courted.
I watched the documentary after the furore & was like ” Is that it?”
I was half expecting to see something akin to DJ Diva but instead found a really well produced documentary with some amazing photography & a very honest & open Nina.
I was also impressed that all the tracks used in the piece were all Nina’s own productions so clearly she’s no air-headed bimbo.
I think the naysayers (especially Maceo Plex) need to give their heads a collective shake.
bog. do you really think NIna has shitty taste in music?
Jesus, what the hell is going to happen when Julio Bashmore’s sex tape comes out!?
jorge please read again i didnt say nina has shitty taste in music (even thought her production is very very weak) that part was intended for all those naked female djs that play guetta and stuff like that, the majority of them… i said she doesnt know how to mix and that is a fact
[…] where my off-time interests mix with my academic work. I have seen some good commentary on the Nina: Bubble-gate but nothing from a point of view that considers systemic sexism, Feminism and male […]
Nice piece- I wrote a complement- response:
“Nina Kraviz: Why did Feminism go down the drain of a Bubble Bath”
http://melissafong.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/nina-kraviz-feminism-in-a-bubble-bath/
Genius piece of writing ..and loving watching the oh so serious DJ fall-out !
Anyone mentioned that she appears to be truly enjoying what she is doing …and how it’s no fun travelling non stop round the world on your own or walking out of clubs at 5am and getting straight on planes..let the girl have a bath in peace ..
if the good looking girls get prioritized in club bookings, and the crowd is still going for them, then this is what the crowd wants, you can’t be sour about it. strippers with winamp would work in most places btw, an awesome idea.
I have expected much more from the video, am disappointed with so much noice about nothing, and the way she uses the word “artist”. a performer -yeah, an artist – i would not say so.
[…] Maceo Plex e Greg Wilson criticaram, um no facebook e o outro em dois textos (aqui e aqui). Ela respondeu levantando ainda mais o volume sobre o […]