The University of Texas recently hosted a live town hall conversation between Matthew McConaughey and Timothée Chalamet. The conversation took the internet by storm, all because of one verbal misstep from Chalamet: When discussing his desire to keep movie theaters alive, the actor said, “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.’”
Immediately, backlash came at Chalamet from every direction. A clip of the remark on Variety’s Instagram was flooded with outraged comments. Everyone from classical musicians, ballerinas and Broadway performers to social media influencers and disillusioned Chalamet fans made known their disapproval. Megan Fairchild, principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, mocked Chalamet’s arrogance via Instagram, saying, “Timmy, I didn’t realize you were a world-class dancer or opera singer who simply chose not to pursue it because acting is more popular.” Josh Felgoise (@guysetpodcast on Instagram) said the actor’s comment was “really crazy as someone who kind of has built a career on supporting the arts and says he supports the arts.”
Chalamet’s flippant words struck a nerve, especially among lovers of the arts, because they lacked reverence for two art forms that require incredible talent and intense discipline. Ballet and opera have persisted for hundreds of years, yet the actor’s words minimized them as irrelevant has-beens.
It seemed like everyone was hopping aboard the Timothée Chalamet hate train. Even people who had never once cared about ballet or opera wanted in on the action because nothing brings the internet together like a good controversy.
The viral moment presented a unique opportunity for ballet and opera companies. Suddenly, the pop culture spotlight was on them. And they certainly didn’t get stage fright.
The Metropolitan Opera clapped back at Chalamet with a video montaging the meticulous preparation required before an opera performance. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, the Royal Ballet and Opera fought against the idea that these art forms are dying, saying, “For centuries, these disciplines have shaped the way artists create and audiences experience culture, and today millions of people around the world continue to enjoy and engage with them.” Countless social media posts supported their sentiment, showcasing ballet and opera theaters packed with audience members, proving that people do, in fact, care about these art forms.
With thousands of new eyes on them, ballet and opera companies seized the opportunity to promote their ticket sales. A post from the Miami City Ballet positioned buying tickets to their upcoming production as a way to “prove Mr. Chalamet wrong” and promoted a discount on tickets with code “TIMOTHEE.” The Seattle Opera used the same discount code and even offered it to Chalamet, writing “Timmy, you’re welcome to use it too. See you at the opera!”
These bold and clever responses sparked mass media coverage of ballet and opera. Outlets including The New York Times, USA Today and Variety chronicled the response from these artistic communities. The BBC published “The history of ballet and opera” in light of the uproar, giving people who were newly curious about the topic a chance to learn more.
Despite Chalamet’s pronouncement of the art forms’ death, we saw public relations at work, inspiring the liveliest ballet-and-opera-related conversation in recent memory.
