Pictured: Timothée Chalamet

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

Timothée Chalamet’s recent comments during an interview with Matthew McConaughey at the University of Texas in February sparked major online backlash.

In the interview, posted by Variety, Chalamet discussed how he is hopeful that cinema will survive as Gen Z audiences seem inclined to visit cinemas. He stated that he would not want to work in opera or ballet, art forms that require work to “keep this thing alive even though no one cares about it anymore”. Chalamet quickly followed up with “all respect to the ballet and opera people out there”. 

Chalamet himself seemed to recognise that his comments would come back to bite him, saying “I just lost 14 cents in viewership” and “damn, I just took shots for no reason”. Chalamet’s comments were quickly taken up by social media, with various artists, actors, and arts institutions giving their response.

Jamie Lee Curtis reshared clips on her Instagram story that criticised Chalamet and asked, “Why are any artists taking shots at any other artists?” Canadian mezzo-soprano Deepa Johnny referred to Chalamet’s comments as a “disappointing take”, instead suggesting that artists should “come together across disciplines” to “uplift these forms of art”. Like many institutions, the English National Ballet joined in on the conversation, writing on Instagram that ballet is “not only alive and well, but thriving”. 

Much of the backlash has come from people defending ballet and opera as ‘high art’, a phrase seemingly to act as a blanket response to someone as ‘uncultured’ as Chalamet. The response, while rightfully defending beautiful and important art forms, has a level of snobbery attached to it; many defenders assume that the people critiquing ballet and opera must not understand it. Rebecca Humpries, writing for The Guardian, argues, “if as many people who’ve labelled Chalamet uncultured bought a ticket, opera and ballet wouldn’t be in this mess”. 

It is not the first time that Chalamet has addressed ballet and opera. In 2019, he raised his concerns about cinema falling to the same fate as ballet and opera, which he regarded as “kind of a dying art form”. But is he wrong for thinking this?

In recent years, ballet and opera have experienced a drop in numbers. According to the National Endowment for the Arts’s Survey for Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA) in October 2023, the proportion of the US population that had attended the opera fell by more than three quarters between 1982 and 2022. This was found to have been a developing trend before the Covid pandemic. 

One of the main factors that has potentially led to a decline in audience numbers has been the problems with accessibility. Ballet and opera are perceived as elite institutions that are often inaccessible to working-class people due to issues like extortionate pricing and cultural barriers, with working-class people not ‘fitting in’ in this crowd. 

Another factor that has led to a decline in audience numbers is perhaps the decreased perception of the relevance of ballet and opera to modern audiences. These art forms are grounded in tradition, and rightly so, as they have strong histories behind them. This traditional approach might feel isolating for people who have not experienced it before, particularly for young people. 

Nevertheless, it would be unfair to argue that all ballet and opera is completely antiquated. Traditional art forms have made increasing efforts to engage modern and young audiences, for instance through modern adaptations, social media presence, and efforts to provide cheaper tickets. Chalamet’s comments could be interpreted as the view of a Gen-Z audience towards ballet and opera, highlighting the steps that need to be taken to reinstate these forms as important and engaging for everyone. 

Chalamet’s comments, while potentially disparaging the arts, have functioned as promotional opportunities for various institutions. The Seattle Opera posted on Instagram: “All we have got to say is use promo code TIMOTHEE to save 14% off select seats for Carmen, through this weekend only. Timmy, you’re welcome to use it too.” By addressing ballet and opera, Chalamet’s comments could be seen as drawing attention to the industry and reminding people of what would be lost if they disappeared from public consciousness. 

While I was surprised by Timothée Chalamet’s comments, I do not think he deserved the amount of backlash he received. Chalamet’s remarks have brought discussions surrounding art forms like ballet and opera to the fore, highlighting the need for greater accessibility with the aim of deconstructing barriers and snobbery towards such art. It is reassuring that so many people deeply care about ballet and opera, so hopefully attention can be directed to reimagining these institutions to be accessible and relevant to as many people as possible.