BassGirls.com: what do you think?

[LizzyD]

Just wondering what y'all think of this site: http://www.bassgirls.com

[Dbassmon]

Not sure I get what you are trying to communicate or to whom. Your link labeled "my interview" is not an interview. We just got the answer, where's the question? That's called a rant.

Is the rant directed at TB or bassgirls? You sound a little angry.

[vindy500]

whaaa....

[James Hart]

I'd send them a monthly invoice for the use of your likeness

I've caught wind of a big marketing push from the site... I assume their intent is to make money. They should pay up for the players they have listed

[LizzyD]

Originally Posted by Dbassmon

Not sure I get what you are trying to communicate or to whom. Your link labeled "my interview" is not an interview. We just got the answer, where's the question? That's called a rant.

Is the rant directed at TB or bassgirls? You sound a little angry.

You are correct. Post edited. The question is what do you think of the site?

[Dbassmon]

Video of the month is terrific except it's a bass guy. Check it out.

Any vehicle that gives exposure to artists is OK by me. I don't know what the politics are with the people that run the site but on it's face, it seems cool.

Anyway, what's cooler than a chick with great bottom? Hummm ...is that politically incorrect? Hell with it, I stand by my question!

I don't feel we really need a site BassBoys.com but if someone wants start that site, it's cool too. (oops there is a site with that name, fishing gear manufacturer of coarse)

[LizzyD]

Originally Posted by James Hart

I'd send them a monthly invoice for the use of your likeness

I've caught wind of a big marketing push from the site... I assume their intent is to make money. They should pay up for the players they have listed

Really? All I know is they have been looking for advertisers to cover the costs of running the site. They also sell T-shirts. At first the shirts were only offered to be purchased exclusively by the girls who are featured on the site but it looks like anyone can buy one now.

I don't know what the impetus is behind the site, other than it's a person who wants to support female bassists in a positive and encouraging way. While I never felt this was exploitative, if it IS a money making venture then I would feel differently.

[James Hart]

Originally Posted by LizzyD

While I never felt this was exploitative, if it IS a money making venture then I would feel differently.

Maybe TBers can chip in and sponsor YOUR page

Hello from BassGirls monthly web magazine,



Briefly, we want to ask you if you would consider placing an advertising banner on our website?



◊ Founded in October 2005, we now have exclusive interviews with 190+ female bassists from all 5 continents.

◊ Our statistics are impressive – in the first two weeks of August 2006 we had 412,015 page hits from 6,749 unique visitors.

◊ The vast majority of our visitors are working bassists or guitarists.

◊ The monthly web magazine is edited by a professional music journalist and experienced bass-player.

◊ Your 600 x 100 pixel banner, linked directly to your website, will cost only Euro 0.78 or US$1.00 per day (GB£ 0.53 / AUS$ 1.32)*.

◊ There will be no other banner on the page you choose.

◊ We will put a small button with your logo (linked also) on our main entrance page free of charge for the duration of the banner ad.



Feel free to browse around our current issue (and our archives) and you will see how your banner might be placed. As we write, the following index pages are still available:



http://www.bassgirls.com/bassgirls_index04.htm

http://www.bassgirls.com/bassgirls_index05.htm



..or perhaps there is a particular bassist that you might have an interest in, if so, we could place your banner on her page (providing she is not endorsed by another manufacturer!)



We look forward to hearing from you and possibly working together in the future.



Best regards from Ireland,



Fxxxxxx Kxxxxxx

Editor

www.BassGirls.com

[LizzyD]

Originally Posted by James Hart

Maybe TBers can chip in and sponsor YOUR page

Hey, that would be cool!

Interesting. I still think they are just trying to cover costs...nothing wrong with that is there?

However, shouldn't a commercial venture have a legal policy posted that states they retain rights to use any submitted content in any way they want? I don't see anything there and I certainly don't remember signing anything when I sent in my interview. Maybe I agreed to something and I forgot...

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by LizzyD

Just wondering what y'all think of this site: http://www.bassgirls.com

OK - you asked - my first reaction was yeucch - hate the look! Totally subjective of course!

Secondly, with a little more consideration, I am thinking - this looks all about style/appearance over substance!

Heavy use of pictures of people who seem to have been chosen for their look rather than their contribution to music...

My feeling is this approach will do more harm than good to the cause of women bass players...

Does any woman bass player really want to be treated as a decorative piece of fluff or eye candy.....

"Do you blush" - is asked on the cover - if I was a woman, I think I would!!

As a contrast - look at Double Bass player magazine, which has featured two women bassists on its last two covers :



http://www.doublebassist.com/


Many photos of Joelle Leandre - but showing her playing seriously - and she is obvioulsy chosen as somebody we would/might have heard of and who is renowned as a great player in Europe!

[Akami]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

OK - you asked - my first reaction was yeucch - hate the look! Totally subjective of course!

Secondly, with a little more consideration, I am thinking - this looks all about style/appearance over substance!

Heavy use of pictures of people who seem to have been chosen for their look rather than their contribution to music...

My feeling is this approach will do more harm than good to the cause of women bass players...

Does any woman bass player really want to be treated as a decorative piece of fluff or eye candy.....

"Do you blush" - is asked on the cover - if I was a woman, I think I would!!

As a contrast - look at Double Bass player magazine, which has featured two women bassists on its last two covers :



http://www.doublebassist.com/


Many photos of Joelle Leandre - but showing her playing seriously - and she is obvioulsy chosen as somebody we would/might have heard of and who is renowned as a great player in Europe!

Pretty well sums up my feelings too.

As long as women need to be treated as though they're different then they'll never be "equals".

If women are treated as musicians then I'll see them primarily as musicians but when they get presented as eye candy, I'm sorry but I can't help but get a sweet tooth.

[keb]

I don't think I necessarily agree with the notion that there's a style-over-substance thing going on here, but the actual formatting of the website seems a little weird to get through and navigate. Or maybe that's just me.

I was expecting an exploitive "hot chix0rs with bass guitars" type page, but I didn't really get that impression.

Now, I can't help but wonder what the context of your single quote on there is all about!

[LizzyD]

Originally Posted by keb

Now, I can't help but wonder what the context of your single quote on there is all about!

It does make one wonder, doesn't it?

[wolfs]

Originally Posted by Akami

Pretty well sums up my feelings too.

As long as women need to be treated as though they're different then they'll never be "equals".

If women are treated as musicians then I'll see them primarily as musicians but when they get presented as eye candy, I'm sorry but I can't help but get a sweet tooth.

But the musician's world is a male dominated (in numbers and in tradition) world, no? I'm all for substance over style, but that doesn't mean Bowie's Ziggy Stardust years were a musical wasteland. Fact is, fashion and image are things that women have to confront (embrace it, reject it, ignore it, satirize it) in the modern Western world...

I guess I just don't see why, if you're primarily considered with the music, you would even care how a woman would choose to present herself... if some woman dressed and acted like Pat Benatar, but played bass like Charles Mingus, how would you feel about it? There's something to embracing that which makes one different yet not letting it get in the way (whether that be gender, class, race, personal, experience, whatever)

Oh, and I'm not really sticking up for BassGirls here... I'm just confused by the quoted comment. And I don't think anyone's wrong, I'm just trying to flesh out the meaning for myself...

[Marcus]

Originally Posted by wolfs

...in the modern Western world...

LOL

Okay, just the "modern Western world"

[wolfs]

Originally Posted by Marcus Alan

LOL

Okay, just the "modern Western world"

Well, sorry... I didn't want to take the time to discuss other places where perception of beauty and womanhood have interesting and complicated intersections... hellenic Greece, medieval Italy, medieval Japan, Victorian England, etc., etc.

[Marcus]

There ya go =)

edit: LOL, I just read "hellenic Greece"

This thread delivers.

[wolfs]

Originally Posted by Marcus Alan

This thread delivers.

Delivers what exactly? Is there something I can bring directly to you in the future?

[LizzyD]

Originally Posted by wolfs

I'm just confused by the quoted comment.

It's there solely because the editor has a personal beef with me. Since he's the only one in command there, it will stay up until he decides to remove it.

[wolfs]

Originally Posted by LizzyD

It's there solely because the editor has a personal beef with me. Since he's the only one in command there, it will stay up until he decides to remove it.

Not your quote from the BassGirls website, the quote in my post that I was responding to... sorry about that my head's a bit clunky today.