Oh the shame! The photo displayed was from an ad run on Yahoo which obviously shows how to crop an image and get rid of unwanted background. In the photo, a bride and groom with a tacky, totally unprofessional “DJ” in the background. His shirt is un-tucked, tie a mess, and using a corded mic. (Where’s the wireless???) YIKES! Thank the LORD he at least had on a tie!
The underlying problem here is that this is what people think of when they think of a DJ. My industry, that I have worked so hard for to establish professional legitimacy, has a black eye and a bad perception. If this is what people think of when they think “DJ” then all of the DJs around our nation need to take a long look at how to fix this problem.
Would a doctor, lawyer, or professional athlete be mocked in such a manner? NO! But tacky DJ? Well, we are just a prime target for this abuse. Much of it well earned and deserved because the majority of my industry still is part time, uninsured, and unprofessional. They don’t attend professional trade shows like Mobile Beat or attempt to improve their position with education and training. If we are ever to achieve full respect and autonomy as an industry, we need to legitimize ourselves by membership in organizations like the American Disc Jockey Association, and operate under professional full time business practices. As an industry, we have so much work to do. Time to start!