Perception of women in performing arts

[katymac]

It's not really a TAAT but another thread brought up the idea that girls/women working as models or dancers would be predisposed to working in the sex industry.

Obviously my opinions on this are quite firm, as I have a dancer daughter who models - her opinions are also firm, she has grave doubts about some 'jobs' and won't do them or apply for them - her criteria for deciding is what she considers as moral.

However this is a vew that is held widely (apparently) is there any way to challenge or minimise it

I don't generally post in feminism as I feel I often don't understand enough and use the discussion here to start my learning and read around topics. But today this was brought up & I objected

I can't find the video I wanted but about 1min 30 but doesn't continue with it

Lass - if I understand correctly, the problem OP is having is that people aren't distinguishing between model and and glamour model IRO her daughter

This is a

TBH this issue hasn't affected us as to be frank I wouldn't have any time for these people; we have been affected by people telling us how dangerous the business it

I was wondering how prevalent it actually was, and about people's reactions to it - it is a very sexist view

We have struggled more with the 'lack of qualifications' & 'not having a fall back career' which I have broadly ignored if she needs one she can find one

Oh that's good then, I've just not really come across those attitudes before and know many in the profession. Is it people who have little knowledge of the MT world?

A fall back career is a good idea though as it's tough when it's over if not.

But when you leave home at 16 to dance fulltime at college it's a bit difficult to fit in additional education

She has 2 DDi's tho' assuming she passed yesterday

Not necessarily, one of the American dancers in my DP's company is doing a distance learning degree.

Lots don't though and seem to manage although it does sometimes become difficult at the end of a career.

when she finishes studying it may be a possibility but a level 6 qualification is pretty full on

Plus she has done those 2 teaching qualifications this year - she finished college yesterday for the summer holidays - which makes for a long summer term

Recruiters for strip clubs and the like often do advertise in The Stage and other publications. They aren't always completely honest about what the job ads are for, but the dance people I know are quite good at spotting them.
With the dance and performance industry such a competitive market, some will be desperate enough to take these jobs to get dance experience on their CV. Certainly not all though.

I know that this was what people thought during Shakespeare's time (also with regard to actresses), hence why all roles were played by men, but surely, we are more enlightened now!

Realistically, though, any woman who is poor or at risk of poverty is "predisposed" for prostitution; that's why we need to ensure that all women have enough money to live with dignity.

I hope no UK citizen has to prostitute herself nowadays because of poverty - such might have been the case during Shakespeare's time, hence the attitudes - but if it actually happens today, then the government didn't do its job.

Recruiters for strip clubs and the like often do advertise in The Stage and other publications. They aren't always completely honest about what the job ads are for, but the dance people I know are quite good at spotting them.

Yeah, that's what I think about it, in a nutshell. I have no prejudices about dancers and models, (let's be realistic here, very many women like to dance and all women wear clothes ...) but I am very suspicious of those who want to employ them. Because "man looking for pretty woman" is just something that's suspicious in and of itself, and can only be rendered respectable by very specific circumstances.

I'm in the performing arts, OP, although I don't know much about modelling.

Actors will see jobs advertised that look a bit dodgy. As Clanger said, you will see them in the Stage, and elsewhere and they're not always upfront about things, but you can probably spot them, although many people have a story about an audition being when they realised it wasn't quite what they thought. Casting Call Woe - castingcallwoe.tumblr.com - have some job ads that are funny and awful in equal measure, for all sorts of reasons, often very sexist ads, so maybe take a look.

I think it's probably harder to spot things like that when you're young and excited about getting auditions, but not everyone has a nightmare story. The nature of the industry is that you're often not working for a huge organisation with an hr department, so you may hear some stories about nightmare directors, for example, but it is a small world, so you can usually ask around about people, although it sounds like your daughter isn't the naive sort to audition for everything she sees.

However, this is a very small part of the industry, and most people navigate it all very well. As I say, it's a small world and it's easy to make great friends. People really care and look out for each other as well.

I've never experienced people with attitudes like you describe, usually people tend to think it's all a lot more glamourous than it really is in my experience. Best of luck to your daughter!

I have heard about that opinion before, but only secondhand, i.e. someone worried about other people thinking it, rather than thinking it themselves. The person said she didn't like the word 'actress' and preferred 'actor', because apparently in some people's minds actress=prostitute. I don't understand the connection myself, and I can't believe many people actually think that way.

Oh my giddy aunt, bustopher, that tumblr!!

My jaw is hanging open. Absolutely naked, blatant sexist nonsense. I can't stop reading. at least it's helping me understand why the Bechdel test is such an impossibly high bar...

It's just soul destroying

Just when I was starting to think I was worrying about nothing

Hopefully DD won't encounter too many of these and will be smart enough not to apply

I think the thing to bear in mind with a lot of those call outs is that anyone can put a job up, so if some twat fancies making his zombie sex fantasy script he can post the job. It doesn't mean anyone will respond, or that he'll have the money to hire any equipment, even. They're also quite easy to spot as not worth bothering with.

I'm not saying nothing bad ever happens in professional productions, but people post that stuff because it's ludicrous, the vast majority of the industry is nothing like that. A lot of the crappy jobs aren't really part of the industry as they're posted by people on the bottom rung of the ladder, most of whom will never progress. I was more trying to explain how some people could have seen the worst of what's out there and formed a negative opinion rather than put you off!

It sounds like your daughter wouldn't be taken in by something like that, and there is a big difference to training at a major school and trying to get started without that behind you.