Published: March 30, 2026
Are the arts really dying, or is it just anti-intellectualism on the rise? I am a third-year Vocal Performance major with a focus in Classical Voice here at the University of Southern Maine’s Osher School of Music, and as someone who has spent the past ten years singing opera, I have a lot of thoughts regarding the importance of the fine arts. If you are one of the few people who don’t have social media, or simply haven’t trained your algorithm to show you opera-related news like me, here is everything you need to know about the latest drama.
About three weeks ago, an interview for Variety and CNN featuring Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey went viral— but not in a good way. While discussing the constant push to bring audiences into the theatre and his own struggles throughout his acting career, Chalamet stated, “I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive even though, like, no one cares about this anymore!’ All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there. [laughing] I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason.”
Even before the video reached virality, the opera and ballet communities clapped back in record time. The Metropolitan Opera, a New York-based world-renowned opera company founded in 1883, posted a montage of behind-the-scenes clips including costume design, lighting, and set design. The text that overlaid the video stated, “All respect to the opera (and ballet) people out there,” along with the caption, “This one’s for you, @tchalamet”. Many other opera and ballet companies posted quick-witted comments directed at Chalamet’s ignorance with free ticket offers and other light-hearted jokes. However, previous comments he made began to emerge, showing opera and ballet lovers that there was something deeper behind his persistent dismissive nature than we originally thought.
When I first saw the clip, my first reaction was one of defensiveness. To hear someone whose entire career is based upon performance trash on the art forms that gave birth to it was shocking. Although, as much as I don’t like to admit it, his statement isn’t wrong. A lot of people couldn’t care less about opera or ballet. But that’s exactly why it was so upsetting.
Early on in life, people are taught that opera and ballet are for the rich and fancy, when in reality, it’s the opposite. I’ve seen people exclude themselves from the fine arts because of the assumption that it’s aristocratic. Ultimately, these ideas are perpetuated by the lack of arts education in the country. If anything good comes from Chalamet’s comments, it will be that opera and ballet companies get some publicity. Maybe this petty drama will bring viewers in to experience the fine arts for themselves.
Overall, opera and ballet are only at risk of total irrelevance if actors like Chalamet continue to teach people that the failure of our arts education is ‘cool’. His comments highlight the fact that these art forms are widely misunderstood, and unless we address the growing lack of accessibility, it will only continue to get worse.
