OMG eyes opened is all I can say.

[morethanpotatoprints]

Just fancied a rant. Never really taken feminism to heart, although have always shouted and soap boxed about unfairness etc.

My dd has music lessons and talking to her teachers and dh who is also a musician. I have learned some awful things about how women are treated and perceived.
Ok whilst I never agreed I always knew that tv presenters, dancers, singers etc had a certain career length. But ffs instrumentalists not on the front line, but sitting in an orchestra or band.
I know several have been told by MD's they are there because they have tits, or long blonde hair. They are eye candy, and nobody seems aware of the fact they can fucking well play fantastically.
I am so gob smacked, some artists only book female players, which one would think great, it stops it being a male dominated profession. I know who was told she was getting a bit chubby and had she considered surgery.
I know to many this will not be new, but I am totally arghhhh!. Are we to put our dds off a life in music or entertainment then? It doesn't seem right to encourage it when these are the attitudes they will find.

Depressing.

Musicians used to be cool because they could play well or had an appealing stage presence. Now it seems that they have to be physically attractive as well. :(

And have you read this: ideas.repec.org/p/nbr/nberwo/5903.html

In short, some orchestras now have blind auditions, musicians audition behind screens: "we find that the screen increases by 50% the probability a woman will be advanced out of certain preliminary rounds. The screen also enhances, by severalfold, the likelihood a female contestant will be the winner in the final round."

I'd heard about the blind auditions HazleNutt.

How many female conductors are there?

I think the blind auditions are great, but alas only applicable to some types of orchestra. I don't think that freelance musicians stand a chance.
They are booked by the artists management and if they think its best to have dolly birds that's who they book. I obviously think all women should stand a chance the same as men but not just because they look a certain way. They are basically saying you can be female, the best player ever but if you don't look sexy we will book somebody who does, whether they can play or not.

StewieGriffinsMom

Having seen this in the music industry I am definitely going to look for it in other areas.

Hi OP, I'm sad to say that now the scales have fallen from your eyes, you will see it everywhere.

Sabrina.

I am glad that I will see it as sometimes I used to wonder what people were going on about.
I don't mean to be disrespectful but as more women are working and hearing sometimes that conditions had improved and childcare available that there were huge improvements made and finally with these choices women were on top. Seems I was a bit naïve or dim. . At least I will be better placed to prepare dd for a fight or the inevitable.