Wow. What a mistake. In what will surely lead to an apology, Diplo tweeted first about starting a Kickstarter to get Taylor Swift a booty and then tweeted a link to a Fundly campaign that was started by someone else to raise money to that end. Check them out below:
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I don't know if he was drunk or something, but that's in such bad taste. This is no different than making fun of someone's weight or saying their breasts are too small. In another time this might have gotten a pass but in 2014, when the objectification of women and the pervasiveness of rape culture has been at the forefront, this is unacceptable.
If he had said he hated her music or her videos, that would have been fine. He would be judging her on the basis of her work. This would show an engagement with her as an artist. By just talking about her body he reduces her to an object, to be judged on the superficial qualities of her appearance alone. By supporting this stupid Fundly campaign, he reinforces the EDM world as a boys' club where women are there to be rated by the men. They are a decoration or a backdrop to a video.
There are so many great creative women working in electronic music right now, but they are still an infinitesimal minority compared to the men in the scene. I wonder how many aspiring female artists second guess taking the plunge because their appearance will be judged. Think about it: male DJs or producers can have an entire career without their appearance coming up at all. With women it is not a matter of "if" but "when." It's bound to be a thing at some point.
As a man who works in this industry, it makes me furious because it just confirms women's worst suspicions about the mentality of most men. I don't know how women put up with us, to be honest. We spend our time judging women on their appearance above all else, but then when the market floods the industry with these "sexy" female DJs who have no real talent we get all up in arms about how fake they are. It means that females entering the industry have to constantly second guess themselves or be second guessed. It would be enough to make me give up.
I wonder how many ugly, overweight or scrawny men are retweeting Diplo's tweet and sharing the campaign. How nice it must be for them to be able to pursue their dreams without having to worry if they will be bodyshamed.
I'm mainly mad at this because I've had to defend Taylor Swift, whose music I don't even like. She could look any which way and I still wouldn't like it. The world is a weird place sometimes.
PS To the guy who created this Fundly, tweeting major music outlets with your chauvinistic campaign might not be recommended unless your goal is to look like an asshole:
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